Part time jobs should be more than just earning a bit of extra cash. They should even be more than a stepping stone to introducing yourself back into the workplace if you have taken a career break to start a family or for other reasons. Of course, these are two very important reasons for wanting to work part time but what if you could combine those two with your hobby or your passion in life. Feeling fulfilled in your part time job is also very important.
Are you an animal lover? Exotic animals? Farm animals? Domestic pets? If you are nodding your head enthusiastically then how about considering part time jobs that will indulge your love of animals? There are lots of roles out there that could suit you and also match your skills. Whether working hands on with animals or helping out in the background, part time jobs for animal lovers can be hugely rewarding.
Before you begin your part time job search for working with animals, have a think about what it is you want to get from your role.
- Could you do voluntary work with animals or is one of your reasons for finding a part time job because you need the extra income?
- Are you looking for entry level animal jobs that can get your foot on the ladder to building a full time career in the future? Perhaps you are considering Animal Care Apprenticeships in the future or you might want to start one right away on a part time basis.
- Do you need to be able to work flexible hours that fit around your family, studies or other commitments?
- Are you looking for weekend work or seasonal work? Or do you need to work in term time when the kids are at school?
Now you know why it is you want to do part time jobs with animals, you can use this decide the types of roles that would be a best match for you. You could be doing roles that are mainly outdoor jobs, you might be working indoors in places such as surgeries, salons or aquaria or you could even be office-based or working in retail or catering at animal centres.
Let’s take a look at some part time job ideas for animal lovers out there.
Dog Walker
If you have got a dog of your own that you regularly take for walks, why not have other dogs join in with you? There are lots of busy pet owners out there who would love to know their dog is being walked by a trustworthy person.
Some dogs may require walking multiple times a day to keep them happy and healthy and, for some breeds in particular, to burn off all that excess energy. Owners who work long hours or who are perhaps elderly or have a disability may not be able to get out with their dogs as often as they’d like. You can solve this problem for them and, if you love the outdoors and you love dogs, it could be the perfect part time job.
Part Time Zoo Jobs
Whether you are looking for part time entry level jobs or work where you can make use of existing professional qualifications, working in a zoo could be the ideal environment for animal lovers. You might want to be in role where you are hands on with the animals or you could be doing other roles such as retail, catering or horticultural work.
These days, zoos and wildlife parks are diverse places that also host children’s parties, educational sessions, they carry out important conservation work and research. For visitors to zoos, they want to buy souvenirs and food and refreshments. Some zoos have quality restaurants offering full table service and specialist menus so if you’re a chef looking for part time work or you would like to wait on tables or work as a kitchen assistant, you could find work here and still get to enjoy being around animals.
Pet Hotel Jobs
In days gone by, any owners going away for a few days would be distraught at leaving their little fur baby in ‘the kennels.’ Well, fast forward a few years and those owners can now leave their much beloved pets in a ‘pet resort’ or a ‘pet hotel.’ The pet gets to take a holiday, too, and you can be a member of staff who makes sure that pet gets the best possible stay away from its owners.
If you love caring for animals and making them happy, this could be the ideal part time job for you. Some pets might be a bit distressed at first that their owners have left them somewhere, in an unfamiliar place. You could be someone who rises to the challenge of making the pet feel safe and comfortable.
Volunteer At A Dogs Home
If you just can’t get enough of being around cats and dogs and you don’t need to do part time work for financial reasons, then what more rewarding pastime than volunteering at a dogs home. We all know that sadly, for whatever reason, cats and dogs are abandoned all over the UK. You could be part of a team of people who gives those furry friends a bit of human contact and love and attention each visit until, hopefully, they are adopted.
Some dogs homes also have foster services where you can foster a cat or dog until it moves on to its permanent forever home. These places are usually charities and need constant funds so if you are in admiration of the hard work your local dogs home or rescue centre does, you could also volunteer your services as part of the fundraising team.
Animal Groomer
If you love being around horses, you could do part time jobs as a horse groomer. Lots of people go on to make a full time career out of working with horses and if you want to gain nationally recognised qualifications and get yourself some structured training in this area, Apprenticeships can be done on a part time basis and you can earn while you learn. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, click here to find out more about what is involved in Equine Apprenticeships.
Away from the equestrian world, what about looking after that little pooch or prize cat by pampering them in a pet salon or pet parlour. These days, there are even pet spas!
Many pet owners love to get the fur baby a shampoo and even a new ‘furstyle.’ Just because the dog or cat owner wants a pamper for their pet doesn’t mean the pet sees it that way. Part time dog grooming jobs will mean you will also be trained in animal behaviour, too, so that you can work calmly with distressed pets and make them feel safe whilst they get their ‘cut and blow dry.’
Pet / Wildlife Photographer
Combine your love of life behind the lens with your love of animals and photograph them. Much loved pets are a part of the family and lots of families like to have professional portraits done. This could be a photo of the pet or it could be a whole family shot taken in the family home. As well as family portraits, come pet owners also like to have photos of their dog ‘in action,’ so you might be required to go to the local park or other locations where you can take candid photos of the dog at play.
As with photographing children, animals might not always behave as you expect them to and won’t sit quietly and in position whilst you prepare your perfect shot. As a pet photographer, you need to be able to build a fast relationship with the animal so you can take as many shots as possible. For outdoor shots, you will also need to have a degree of fitness, being willing to get down on all fours, lie down and follow the pet as you take your shots.
If you are a twitcher or you love to be out and about in the countryside or by the sea, then part time careers as a wildlife photographer could be something to think about. Wildlife photography jobs would suit you if you like the idea of working outdoors and, although it might be difficult to make a living purely from your hobby, you could combine it with other part time jobs.
Wildlife photographers need to have a lot of patience. If you are waiting for a particular bird to appear, for example, you need to be prepared to sit around, perhaps in a hide or even in uncomfortable positions amongst rocks or wetlands for some time. You will also need to have quality equipment such as high quality zoom lenses.
Other wildlife photography jobs could be in amore enclosed environment and you could find part time employment in zoos, wildlife parks and aquaria photographing the animals sea life as well as visitors.
Pet Sitter
Part time pet sitting jobs could be ideal for those of you who need to work flexible hours because you can negotiate the hours you want to work.
Most pet sitting jobs will need you to go the owner’s home so you could do this locally if you don’t have transport. You might simply be checking on the pet a couple of times a day, leaving food and water and, if it’s a dog, taking it for a walk or letting it out to have a run around the garden. Other pet sitting jobs might require you to stay in the house whilst the owner is out at work – some owners don’t like to leave their pets alone and some pets don’t like to be left alone. It could be your dog to keep Felix occupied then he doesn’t take to chewing all the owner’s best furniture.
Other types of pet sitting jobs could be done in your own home. This is ideal if you have a big garden and pets of your own, for example. When owners go away on holiday, they leave their pet with you and you can charge for the service.
If you are flexible and want to combine travel with your love of animals, why not consider house sitting and pet sitting jobs. When owners go away on holiday, you move into their home for the duration of their holiday or trip and look after both the house and the pet. This is a great way for you to travel around different areas of the UK and you can pick and choose when you want to do the house sit. Owners who take this option often do so because their pets become distressed when left in pet hotels, for example.
Veterinary Nurse
When thinking about careers working with animals, perhaps one of the most common ones that springs to mind is being a vet. Obviously, you will need years of study and work placements before you can qualify as a vet but if you want to do part time work in an environment that makes animals better and gives owners piece of mind, then you could consider becoming a veterinary nurse or assistant.
To get a foot in the door, you could ask locally if it’s possible you can do any work experience in your local vets. It is also possible to do qualifications whilst you are doing part time vet jobs. These could be done as an Apprenticeship. Animal Care Apprenticeships can focus on being a veterinary nurse, an animal trainer or also an Animal Care & welfare Assistant.
Other part time jobs in vets could be in an administrative position. With these types of roles, you will still be meeting and greeting animal owners and their pets but you will also be doing a valuable job in keeping all the records in order.
Lots More Ideas Out There…
This is just a small selection of part time job ideas for animal lovers. Of course, there are many more you could do. We have tried to keep it so that those of you looking to do part time entry level jobs or volunteer work with animals can consider some real options.
If working with animals is the route you want to take, why not have a look to see if there are any part time vacancies available in your area that could suit you. Then you can get your CV up to date, read our tips on shining in interview and make yourself aware of the questions you don’t need to answer. Land the job you might well be working in your dream part time role sooner than you think.
