Hourly without bussing

March 6, 2008 5:57 PM

I don't really want to be a waiter. So, where are all the night jobs for professionals, like legal proofreading, in Washington, DC?

I am looking for something for between 5:30 and 10 p.m. five days a week, preferably hourly. You can message me at my metafilter account if you have further ideas. I am checking Craigslist, so don't mention that unless you have some well-thought-out strategy. Suggestions for titles or companies to look for strongly appreciated.

posted by parmanparman to work & money (7 comments total)

Telemarketing for a reputable firm or a non profit. That's what I'd recommend. Good money if you're good at it. Flexible hours. Lots of political and non-profit work in DC for capable professional phone folks. I can recommend one for you if you'd like.

Tutoring is another great option if you're academically inclined and don't mind kids. There are always underachieving rich kids with pushy parents in the district. Craigslist is, of course, the way to go for that one. You could also teach ESL or SAT/GRE prep if you're qualified.

I'd also recommend asking around on the Hill. Not because there's any part time work there, but staff assistants, Jr. LAs and interns are often forced to take second jobs at night to live in DC on those paltry congressional wages.

Good luck.
posted by willie11 at 6:21 PM on March 6

If you go the tutoring route, don't be the one who travels to them unless your hourly rate is high enough to absorb being watered down by an extra 45 minutes on either side and still make it worth your while.
posted by salvia at 6:54 PM on March 6

I'd second part-time fundraising work - I know The Share Group has an office in the DC area and then there are all the political fundraisers that have call centers in DC. It may sound intimidating, but I've done it and once you get into the swing of things, it's pretty good work and you can make decent money through commissions. And I actually learned some good skills that I use a lot in my "real" career - persuasion, etc.
posted by lunasol at 7:52 PM on March 6

I'm not kidding on this but the bigger law firms are always turning over copy guys, the all important men and women that run photocopiers, scanners and document handling machines. One of the major comlaints is having to work unpopular night shifts. You tell them you WANT to work nights and you'll be asked when you can start.
posted by Pollomacho at 8:07 PM on March 6

I tutor German on a regular basis and charge between $35-50/hr, depending upon how many miles out of a set area I have to travel. I think it's a decent way to earn money: you make your own schedule, etc.
posted by vkxmai at 8:13 PM on March 6

Seconding Pollomacho's recommendation. Definitely check out the websites of all the legal juggernauts within your commuting range - sometimes they post jobs on their website, but not on Monster/CareerBuilder/Craigslist. Or if you prefer, use keyword searches for things like copying, scanning, filing, binding, document indexing, etc.

If you really want to make this a hands-on project, take a hike through the city and make a note of all the names you see plastered on big buildings and whatnot. You probably already know this, but any time you see a string of names (i.e., Fitzgerald Watson Smith), or anything ending in LLP, it's worth checking out.

You might also want to schedule an appointment with a local legal recruiting agency. They tend to know which firms are in need of nighttime labor, and have all the right contacts. Be sure to read the fine print though - some work on commission, and it may end up coming out of your first paycheck.

Another option could be the U.S. Postal Service. I know some people who work at night, processing and sorting mail.

Good luck!
posted by invisible ink at 9:01 PM on March 6

Could you work from home as a freelancer or consultant? Don't be intimidated by the title. You can usually get entry-level work in professional fields at $35/hr and it goes up from there. However, you'd need to do a bit of self marketing to get going -- but there are often ads on Craigslist, as you possibly know.
posted by acoutu at 9:27 PM on March 6