This is a tough time period in which to find employment. If you are like me, you are thankful for every day that you can get out of bed and go to work. If you are unemployed, every day can be agonizing. However, there is a chance that you could find a job with better pay or a job for which you are better suited. One aspect of job hunting that we might overlook is the value of “perks” that come with various jobs. Sometimes perks increase the attractiveness of an otherwise low or average paying employment opportunity.
There are some perks that a really cool – stuff like vacations or drinks or free skiing, but the perks that I am interested in are the ones that really save money. The kind of perks that will allow you to remove a necessary category from your budget. During our first year of marriage, my wife and I worked as residence supervisors at a college. Our apartment was small and there was an almost constant knocking on the door. My salary was extremely small, however, we lived rent and utility free for almost a year. The lack of housing expense made my total compensation package well worth it.
So here are a few occupational areas that might save you some money:
Healthcare
The expense of health insurance is getting so high that some people might consider working only for healthcare. Also, remember that in some hospitals or clinics, it is not only the health professionals – doctors, nurses, surgeons who get great health benefits, but many times it is also the support personnel such as receptionists, accountants, marketing, human resources. I once knew a janitor with six children whose entire family was covered because he mopped floors and cleaned bathrooms at night in a hospital.
Airline Employee
Free flights are a great perk. However, this perk will not save you money unless you are forced to do a lot of flying. Since my family lives about 900 miles from wife’s family and a 1,000 miles from my family, an airline job would definitely save us dough. If you are simply flying for fun, this perk will not help your bottom line.
Education
We often hear about how underpaid teachers are in America. It is true that some teachers might be underpaid, but the major perk that teachers sometimes overlook is the amount of time off that they get during the year. A week or two for Spring Break, two weeks at Christmas and nearly three months in the summer. A teacher who might make $25,000 or $35,000 a year in his teaching job can easily add another $10K to his annual salary by working during the periods of time when school is not in session. Time is money!
Auto Mechanic
Can you imagine getting your car repaired for free? Or for maybe only the cost of parts? I probably would have saved almost $4,000 over the past 12 months if I worked in a garage.
Catering
Catering, especially if you own your own catering business, can supplement employee food budgets. When food is purchased in bulk there is often extra left over that will go to waste unless someone takes it and when events are canceled . . . Different companies might have different policies about what employees are allowed to take home, but extra food could supplement a otherwise small paycheck.
Can you think of any other jobs where the benefits might be worth more than the salary? On Friday, I plan to share some part-time jobs that could increase your perks.
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