How do you find a job that works 3 or 4 days a week?

[StartingEarly]

I think I would be much happier working if I had longer days but longer weekends. It seems that jobs like these are few and far between, how does someone actively search them out?

[AZDude]

Try government jobs. After 6 months they usually, at least around here, let you work 4 10 hour days and then a three day weekend. Or use "flexible schedule" in your job search. Depending on your career field, you could look for telecommuting jobs as well.

Good luck.

[Valetta]

In my experience, this isn't usually something that is posted but is instead something that is negotiated for when they make a job offer (my whole career has been in nonprofits so it may be more common in my world). If you are "in demand" enough, then everything is negotiable.

[Mrs.LC]

What field are you looking for a position in? I worked in healthcare where the majority of the non management positions had options for flexible number of hours and shifts.

[KMMK]

Start with a regular schedule, then show them you're a great employee, and then negotiate. But always tell them how it will benefit them.

[Bikesy]

Stumbled onto my 4 on 3 off job.  I assumed it was a typical 5 day thing but they told me during interviews it was 4.  I'm not gonna lie, the 4 day week has been a life changer, I would be hard pressed to go back to a traditional 5 day week.  The weekends are great but what's almost more impactful is how short every work week seems.  Makes things so much more bearable!

[Dee18]

My mom did it by job sharing with a coworker.  She worked Monday, Wednesday and every other Friday.

[CU Tiger]

I asked my boss for. 32 hour workweek. He said fine. Wednesday is my day off. I love it!

[Zamboni]

I, too, have had this set up. My schedule is even more flexible than that now. Just ask for it! The worst that can happen is they say no and you start a job search.

[StartingEarly]

I'm not working right now, I am in a job search. It isn't exactly a category I can seem to search by. It also seems exceedingly rare. Almost everyone wants 5 days a week, some want six (shudder)

[gooki]

Start with a regular schedule, then show them you're a great employee, and then negotiate. But always tell them how it will benefit them.

This. And if you need extra leverage have another job offer lined up when you start the negotiations.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

Start with a regular schedule, then show them you're a great employee, and then negotiate. But always tell them how it will benefit them.

Exactly this.

[Duchess]

I'm not gonna lie, the 4 day week has been a life changer, I would be hard pressed to go back to a traditional 5 day week.  The weekends are great but what's almost more impactful is how short every work week seems.  Makes things so much more bearable!

This ^^^. Both my OH and I work four days a week. We'd heartily recommend it!

I work in professional services at an English university (that is, I'm no longer an academic). I'm not sure the employment and funding landscape in the US is comparable with the UK but universities here seem to make prolific use of part-time contracts for support staff. Would the education sector be a possible avenue?

[Rosy]

I disagree with the statement - show them a good job - then ask for it. Most jobs are not that flexible and the boss may well question your commitment to the job, if you want to put in less than 5 day work week.

Another vote for the 4 day work week - The jobs I held that allowed flexibility were customer service. Loved the specialty international phone company job I did for a couple of years, one day a week off and work every other weekend. Plus, I started at 6:30 and left at three. The weekends were so easy, I had plenty of time to play online and since it was owned by a Columbian, we had the best free coffee:)

Bank Tellers work only 3-4 days a week. Store clerks usually have flexible schedules. Three day a week jobs are basically part time and overall usually don't pay all that well.

The one job that does pay well and is rather flexible is bartender, if you are young and quick and like that sort of environment and late hours. 

As far as big corporations, it depends on the branch, some were flexible, some were not, it always depends on the branch manager. I worked for 3 out of the top 5 Commercial Insurers in the US - when it came to professional level - flexibilty was the exception. For support staff positions it was more flexible, but not encouraged.

... and lastly, around here in Florida - you can always find care giver type jobs and often set your own hours, the next step up would be CNA and not that hard to achieve or even build your own clientele.
 

[The_path_less_taken]

Everyone is answering as though the OP meant 4 days, ten hours each.

But (no caffeine yet here) I read it as a part time gig.

If so, there are tons of those, but the difficult part is that they rarely have benefits. Trader Joes did off the top of my head, but I heard Obamacare gutted their part time bennies.

The one fairly steady part time with bennies is merchandising in stores...you run around with a hand held computer for Proctor & Gamble or whomever and scan that the store has the merch out and priced right....brainless work for low wages but 4 days are common.

The 'real' jobs that I know of that often have 4 ten hour shifts are cop, fireman, IT, Tech consultant.

[wooliopede]

Look for government jobs and healthcare. Most hospitals and medical services seem to prefer unusual working arrangements.

Consider shift work if the hours don't bother you, there's a lot of flexibility in it. And not all shift work means being up all night and sleeping all day. Where I am it means any shift that runs even an hour or two after 5pm.

It was just luck that I found mine. 8 (long) days a fortnight. Usually 3 days on and 2 off. I get to sleep in most mornings and the penalty rates for working evenings and some weekends are really accelerating my savings. I never want to go back to the standard work week.

[rubybeth]

My employer offers many jobs that are part-time, but sometimes the hours are weird. It's called a public library. :)

I also worked at a bookstore where hours/shifts were pretty flexible. My husband's employer also has many part-time employees. Is the pay super awesome? No, but the flexibility sometimes outweighs the pay.

[StartingEarly]

I am meaning full time jobs, so four tens or rotating 3 12s one week and 4 12s the next. I work as an Industrial Electronics and Instrumentation apprentice currently.

[RunHappy]

What is your reasoning for only doing 4 ten hour days?  how much money are you trying to make per week?

I agree with most in that usually employees who have been working a regular 5 day work week get a schedule change.

Other than that I don't know, shift work, fast food work, retail, etc are all good respectable jobs with varying hours.

[humbleMouse]

Being a fine dining server that has lots of business clientel on monday-thurs is an awesome job.  You make $120-$250/night and get off work 9pm-11pm.  Don't have to work weekends.  I loved being a fine dining server and will definitely go back to that job once I have a nice stache from the office gig....

[StartingEarly]

4 tens is the same number of base hours. Most companies don't like to schedule built in overtime except for rotating shift people. I am open to overtime, I just don't like having it be mandated that my week be 5 days just because. I feel like I would thrive much more in a rotating monday through thursday then tuesday through friday setup where you alternate between two and four day weekends.

[COlady]

Work as a contractor and make your own schedule. I'm a CPA working on contract and I work only 3 days per week.

[dsmexpat]

+1 for government jobs
I'm paid 5 days a week but I've yet to work 1.

[gatortator]

Are you willing to move?

Many technicians in semiconductor fabs have similar schedule as healthcare workers (3-12hrs, 4 days off, 4-12hrs, 3days off).

Also if I remember correctly, Lockheed Martin is one of the large corporations that runs 9/80 schedules (every other Friday off).  I am sure there are others that have this as corporate policy if you start looking around.

[little_brown_dog]

i was able to negotiate down to a part time position 3 days a week due to:

1) my length of time with the company (4 years)
2) my strong job performance and willingness to always be helpful
3) my firm stance that i needed to make a switch for my health (i didn't present it as a "like to", i presented it as "i need to make this decision but i really want to stay, help me stay with you")
4) my argument for how it would work out (ex: i already had a well thought out plan for who could take over my work, how the transition would play out, etc)

if you have been working at the company a while and are a great employee, few smart managers would be willing to drop you because you want to work 4 days a week. it would be vastly more annoying and expensive to hire a brand new full timer (speaking as a manager).

[superone!]

I went from working 4 10 hour days (local government admin job) to a 9x80 schedule (small software company), with one day working from home every week. I would prefer the 4 10s, but now I have an unpleasant commute so I don't think I could swing it. I don't know if I could go back to working 5 days a week every week though!

[MikeBear]

I'm in an corporate I.T. network worldwide monitor support position, and work 12 hour nights, 6pm-6am. 48 hours one week, (Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, Sunday) and then 36 hours the next week (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday). 8 hours of the 48 hour week is guaranteed overtime, AND, I get a hourly shift bonus for working nights.

There's 4 people covering 24/7/365, and with the other two working the opposite days shift (they are on the 36 hour week that I'm on the 48 hour week).

It can be quite stressful at times, but I basically just have to stay awake, can play on the internet to do so, and only have to respond to network issues as they (IF they) come up. I then call out the local support to handle it.

I was a regular field tech, and had spinal surgery (neck, discectomy and fusion at 3 levels) back in mid 2007. After coming back to work still wearing a hard-collar, they quickly found out I couldn't continue to easily do field work. So, I fell into this job early 2008, and have been doing it ever since.

[Kiwi Mustache]

I think I would be much happier working if I had longer days but longer weekends. It seems that jobs like these are few and far between, how does someone actively search them out?

Be so good they can't ignore you.

There is a book with the above title that explains what you are intending to do.

[KittyCat]

Pharmaceutical manufacturing jobs are typically worked by people on 3day 12hr schedules (with 8hrs every other weekend or something) or 4day 10hr schedules. It might not be the industry you're looking for, but there are positions out there like that.