Evening jobs – what are the pros and cons?

What are the main types of evening jobs?

There are evening jobs on offer in many different sectors. Some of the most common evening roles include bar work, waitressing, cleaning, shelf stacking and supermarket till work. Healthcare roles often include evening shifts too. Other options to consider might include food delivery, taxi driving and customer service in leisure facilities such as gyms or cinemas.

But there are also a number of home-based jobs that you could do as an evening job, such as customer call handling, admin, writing, website and IT work.

What hours are involved in evening jobs?

The hours you might work will depend on the role. In healthcare and warehouses you might expect a full 10 to 12 hour shift, while in customer facing roles the work is more likely to be part-time in line with opening hours.

Advantages of evening jobs

Pros of working in the evenings include:

• Freedom to care for your children or relatives during the day, to study or manage childcare collections and drop-offs.
• The option to share childcare with a partner who works during the day.
• Evening jobs are less popular with jobseekers so you may find it easier to find a role.
• Some evening roles are better paid than their daytime equivalents, especially if you work a longer shift.
• Travelling to work is often easier than by day – you’ll avoid peak travel times.
• Taking a part-time evening job could mean you can also take a part-time opportunity during the day to boost your income – such as a lunchtime shift.

Disadvantages of evening jobs

Some of the less appealing aspects to evening jobs:

• While there may be less competition, there are generally fewer roles to choose from as the world of work is still skewed towards the 9 to 5.
• If your partner is working days and you are working evenings, you will have less time together.
• Working every evening can also affect your social life too – you may miss get-togethers with friends.
• If you have young children, working in the evening can upset the bedtime routine and could affect how well they sleep.
• Leaving work at night could make you feel vulnerable. Make sure you have a safe way to get home and travel with others if possible.

Would I be suited to an evening job?

The skills and attributes you will need do depend on the job itself and what’s involved. Generally, though, if you’re a morning person that goes to bed early, you may find evening work more difficult.

You may also find that you are left to your own devices more in the evening. These roles tend to suit self-starters who are happy to use their initiative if there’s no-one around to check things with.

How can I find evening jobs?

Evening jobs are listed on jobs sites. Run a search in your local area for evening part-time roles – you should see a variety of opportunities come up. Or, if there’s an employer that you know has the kind of jobs you’re looking for, visit the careers section of their website.

Your local temping agencies may also have opportunities available. Many employers take agency workers on permanently if they do a good job. Start your search today.

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