10 Flexible Jobs That Work Around School Hours

Working as a parent

For many parents, finding jobs that work around school hours is the dream, but unfortunately, they are not always easy to get hold of. However, there are some great options out there to consider – options that cater to the busy schedule and high demands of family life. 👪

It can be challenging to earn an income during school hours – particularly given that you have to take half terms and school holidays into consideration too. Striking a balance between work and family can feel like you are trying to split yourself in two. 😩

One option is to seek extra childcare to extend the working day but paying for that can be costly – sometimes more costly than the income it affords you to make! What’s more, the extra time away from home doesn’t suit every child – while some enjoy the bonus social hours, it can be overly exhausting for others. 

So, with all of that in mind, we’ve done the work for you! As well the answers to questions like ‘how do I work on my child's school schedule?’ and ‘what jobs can I do as a stay-at-home mum/dad?’, we’ve compiled a list of the top 15 flexible jobs that work around school hours. 🙌

Can your job work around your child?

In some cases, you may be able to talk to your employer about current hours – recruitment is an expensive process for any company – renegotiating your contracted hours or implementing flexi-time may well be favourable to recruiting an entirely new person for your position.

However, if that’s not an option or you are looking for an exciting new opportunity, there are plenty of jobs that can work around your children – you may just need to think outside the box a little! 👍

Qualities to look for in a job

Searching for employment is overwhelming at the best of times – with a plethora of online job sites and thousands of postings to choose between – and we know finding jobs that work around school hours can feel even harder. We recommend narrowing it down by looking for the following criteria:

• Flexible working hours
• Remote working
• Work from home 
• Freelance contract
• Virtual roles

Places to look for a flexible job

With the rise of remote working roles in the wake of the pandemic, flexible working is more common than ever. That being said, some industries and employers are more likely to list flexible or part-time roles than others. Try looking for jobs posted by: 

• Preschools
• Schools
• Universities 
• Civil service
• Local government/councils
• Charities
• Small businesses
• Hospitality
• Retail

10 flexible jobs that work around school hours

As discussed, finding jobs that work around school hours isn’t always easy, so, we’ve compiled a list of our top 10 flexible jobs so that you can be a bit more targeted in your next job search. Check them out! 👇

#1 Tutoring

We’ve started with our strongest suggestion – tutoring online offers unbeatable flexibility, making it an ideal option to work around family commitments – so come and join our team today!

GoStudent provides you with everything you need to teach online. We find you your students and you manage your lessons through our platform. GoStudent takes away the hassle of being self-employed. 🧑‍🏫

#2 Copywriter

Do you have a flair and passion for the written word? Then this one is for you. The online world is hungry for written content – from websites, blogs, apps, magazines products and adverts – copywriting is key. 

You don’t necessarily need to have an English degree but a portfolio of your work and some strong writing samples would be a good start. Then, with deadlines set in advance, you will be free to complete the work at whatever time of day suits you. ✍️  

#3 Uber driver 

Uber driving could be the perfect fit for you. With no minimum commitments and totally flexible hours, it is easy to fit this work around your family.

Uber is a very worthwhile option to consider. All you need is a smartphone, a driver’s license and a car which is a 2001 model or newer, that has 4-doors, and seats four or more passengers, excluding the driver. After a simple registration, you can be on the road and earn money within a few days. You get paid weekly and can see how much you earn as you go. 🚕

#4 Delivery driver

If you fancy keeping fit while you work or don’t own a car, flexible delivery driver options are still available all over the UK – and you might be surprised by how much you could make.

Follow in the footsteps of Atlanta Martin from West Sussex who scrapped her day job to become a delivery driver after she found that she could earn £1,000 a week as a delivery driver. Check out Deliveroo or Just Eat. 🚴

#5 Fitness instructor

While we are on the topic of keeping fit – why not become a fitness instructor? This fun and client-focussed role is a brilliant example of one of those elusive jobs that work around school hours – and if you like it, you could even start your own business.

You’ll need to get qualified as well as gain some work experience but after that, you will be up and running! 🏃

#6 Transcription

If you’re a speedy demon on the keyboard, then becoming a transcriptionist could be the ideal choice for you right now. Transcribing usually involves listening to live or recorded audio files and typing the words into document form. Enjoy no minimum work requirements, abundant work all year round and complete autonomy over workload and scheduling.

Usually, transcriptionists work for legal, police or medical services, meaning professionalism, accuracy and discretion are all important. Take a look at UK Transcription and get started within a week. 💻

#7 Waitering 

If you’re keen to get out of the house and work on your feet, then why not apply at your local café, daytime restaurant or bar? You may be able to apply with no prior experience, all you’ll need is good grooming and a bubbly personality.

Getting a barista license could help you to earn a little more and may also lead to supervisor positions if you enjoy the work and are keen to progress. If you have experience as a chef or kitchen hand, you’ll be snapped up in no time. ☕

#8 Virtual assistant

If you have office experience, especially in business admin or PA work, then you can use your skills from the comfort of your home as a virtual assistant. More and more businesses are switching to remote work and being someone’s assistant doesn’t require you to be physically present, especially if you are mainly managing their diary and fielding calls. 

Depending on the workload, you can also work as a VA for several people at the same time, and they can be based anywhere in the world. Start your search with specialist recruiters like Reed and Indeed. 🧑‍💼

#9 Shop assistant

If shopping and fashion are your things then look no further. Larger retailers on the high street, like H&M, rely on huge staff teams and offer flexible shift patterns. They plan their rotas well in advance and often offer shifts blocks of four to eight hours. Check out available part-time roles near you now. 👚

#10 Online retail

Last but not least – you might be thinking ‘how can I work from home with no experience?’. If you are looking to make a few quid without taking on any extra training right now, you could try selling online.

Sites like Etsy, Gumtree and eBay allow you to bypass creating a website and just sell. You can either create your own products or buy wholesale items and sell them individually at a profit. Selling online offers a huge amount of flexibility and, in time, your profits will grow as you better understand your market. 📦

We wish you all the best in your search for jobs that work around school hours and are confident you will find the right one in no time. Remember to check out GoStudent tutoring jobs, hopefully, we will welcome you to the team soon. 💯