Canada has a reputation for being a country with many opportunities. Left and right, small and big businesses seek workers.
As a result, businesses in Canada are opening their doors to more workers. This has led to gradual drops in the country’s unemployment rate. In fact, in 2019, joblessness in Canada reached an all-time low of 5.67%. This is the lowest unemployment has been since 2009 when the unemployment rate was three percentage points higher.
2020 is the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdowns imposed since the pandemic’s announcement earlier in March have led some businesses to operate at a limited capacity. This means both in terms of staffing and hours.
Worldwide, these changes have led to the popularity of part-time jobs. The same is true in Canada. If you want to know some of the best ones with which to get involved, this article is for you.
These are some of the best part-time jobs you could get in Canada:
Home-Based Consumer Service Representative
The job descriptions of a consumer service representative in Canada involve addressing customer concerns and providing solutions to problems over the phone. Also, consumer service representatives are responsible for de-escalating complaints.
Often, you would find them working in office buildings or business parks. However, due to COVID-19, many call centers and business process outsourcing firms in Canada have decided to adopt more flexible work arrangements. Many now allow consumer service representatives to work from home.
Hence, if you are a consumer service representative, you may be able to work in the comfort of your own home. Hours are flexible and the pay is above minimum wage. This is great especially when a shift may just be five hours long. All you need is a stable internet connection, your computer, a quiet space, and a headset.
The following credentials on your resume would also help:
- A college diploma or a degree
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office
- Experience with call centre software (although not an absolute requirement for most Canadian call centres)
Taxi Driver
In Canada, one can easily be a taxi driver. The requirements are basic communication skills and a commercial driver’s license- both reasonable requirements for the job.
Not only is being a taxi driver an easy job to get. The pay for an average taxi driver is about 16.91 CAD per hour according to Indeed Canada. This is at least 1.25 CAD higher than the national average. With tips, taxi drivers could make about 20.00 an hour.
In cities like Ontario, a taxi driver could earn as much as 19,000.00 CAD per year.
For a part-time job, this is a lot of money. As an additional perk, you get to drive along the beautiful streets of Canada while meeting different people.
Retail Salesperson
This is one of the most popular part-time jobs in Canada. As a retail salesperson, you sell and promote a store’s products to customers directly. The interaction that is part of the job means that having interpersonal skills would help.
In other words, if you like interacting with people (and make money at the same time), you may want to consider a part-time stint at a department store or retail store.
At the time of writing, Canadian businesses including retail stores are slowly going back to how they operated before COVID-19. Hence, you will find that many stores are open to both business and hiring.
Based on data from Job Bank Canada, the national average hourly salary for retail salespersons is at least 12.00 CAD.
Other than a secondary school diploma (or its equivalent), you really do not need much when it comes to credentials. If you work in a car dealership or hardware store, your employer may require some training or certifications.
Rideshare Driver
Despite the lockdowns due to COVID, there is still a lot of commuting going on in Canada’s cities. This is an opportunity for you if you have a car.
Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft operate in many of Canada’s major cities. The Latter operates in Toronto and Ottowa. Signing up to drive for these companies is as easy as creating a Facebook profile.
You just need to sign up with either company online using their sites or apps. Also, you just need to upload copies of your personal identification and your driver’s license.
The vast majority of rideshare drivers in Canada could give you an idea of what makes this job great. Take any 10 Uber or Lyft drivers. You will discover that most of them are students. If you ask them why they took the job, they would tell you the same thing:
- The pay is great (14.00 CAD to 20 CAD an hour).
- It’s easy on one’s schedule.
- It’s a great way to see more of the city or town.
Food And Beverage Server
Pandemic or no pandemic, food and beverages will always be necessities. This means that establishments like restaurants, cafes, and diners will still be open. As business gradually opens in Canada, these establishments are experiencing a resurgence in customers.
Restaurants and cafes will need servers to accommodate customers. Food and beverage servers greet customers, take orders, and serve food.
For these reasons, a part-time job as a food and beverage server is “easy” in more ways than one. Not only is it easy (and fun) to do. It is also an easy job to get (you just need a secondary school diploma and SIN).
Food and beverage servers could earn at least 10.00 an hour. Tipping 20% is a practice in Canada so no server ever makes just 10 dollars.
Home-Based Freelancer/ Telecommuter
The term “telecommuting” has been thrown around since the early 2000s. Due to COVID-19, many businesses and companies allow workers to work from home so the usage of the word in job searches has surged.
According to Career Pro Canada, more and more people are looking to work online. Telecommuters enjoy schedule flexibility, good compensation, and job satisfaction. These traits add to the appeal of working as a freelancer or telecommuter.
Besides the aforementioned perks, there is one obvious benefit to freelancing online. You can work from the comfort of your own home. All you need is a computer and good internet connection, depending on the job for which you are commissioned.
You can do all sorts of work online these days. From writing to graphic designing, the possibilities are endless. As well, you can do this full-time or have it as a side hustle of sorts.
Dog Walker
Taking the dog out for a walk is a chore for many people. To some, it is a form of light exercise that gets the heart just close to that “fat-burning zone”. Believe it or not, doing this in Canada could add more dollars to your account.
Many households have dogs. With many Canadians and permanent residents getting ready for their daily commute, someone has to take their canine friends out for their daily dose of sunlight and exercise.
If you love dogs and physical activity, this is where you come in. As a dog walker, you could stand to make anywhere between 14.00 to 17.00 CAD per hour. If you want to make more, you can try taking more than one dog out for a walk. Do pace yourself, however.
Here is the fun part. You do not need a degree or diploma to be a part-time dog walker in Canada. You may need to network, as well as advertise your services.
If you are interested, you could create an online account with Care. Care is a Vancouver-based company that connects carers of all kinds to jobs in the community.
Nanny Or Babysitter
Some of us just have a soft spot for children. Throw in a natural disposition towards sharing and caring and you get an idea for another part-time job.
In Canada, you can work as a nanny or babysitter. Nannies or babysitters in Canada can make at least 13.10 CAD per hour, according to data from Job Bank. Most of the time, you could make more.
The descriptions of a nanny or babysitter in Canada are:
- Picking up the children from school
- Preparing meals for them
- (possibly) help the kids with their homework
Requirements may vary between provinces. Generally, you only have to show that you are capable of performing the tasks enumerated earlier. You may need to have a car depending on the requirements of a family.
To look for part-time babysitting jobs, you could visit two sites. One is the Federal government’s Job Bank. You could also go to Care if you live in Vancouver. At the time of writing, there are many babysitting vacancies in Quebec.
Conclusion
COVID-19 does not have to get in the way of your money-making efforts.
This article contained some of the most popular part-time jobs in Canada but the list is not exhaustive. In reality, there are many part-time job opportunities in Canada.
Start sending out your resume for the job you want. You might just find yourself with one that allows you to make money from home without the 9-to-5 hours.
