How We Solved a Big Problem Fire Fighters, Nurses, and Meteorologists All Shared

Awhile back, I was shooting the bull with my friend Dave, who works as a firefighter. While I’ve always been fascinated by his stories of answering emergency calls, fighting fires and saving lives, on this occasion, our conversation wandered to what he and some of his fellow firefighters do during their downtime.

“In my department, firefighters work a “tour” consisting of three 24-hour shifts spread over five days followed by four days off,” Dave said. “That comes out to 10 or 11, 24-hour work days in a month which, as you can see, leaves a lot of time for other pursuits. A lot of guys I know start their own business on the side, since our work schedule makes it hard to pick up a job with normal hours on our off days.”

Thinking about Dave’s odd work schedule, I asked some other friends about their non-traditional work week. Janie works 12-hour shifts on weekends as an intensive care nurse and Scott is a forecaster for the National Weather Service, working a five day on/four day off schedule which rotates through three different eight-hour shifts. Though their hours and shifts are different, they both shared comparable thoughts about how they make the most of uneven work times.

“For me, weekend nursing is a side job that I took on to be with my kids during the week when my husband was at work,” Janie said. “Now that my kids are older, I’ve got the time during the week to do things for myself, pick up an extra shift at the hospital or help out friends who own their own retail businesses.”

For Scott, the odd schedule of days coupled with rotations through day, evening and overnight shifts, making the most of his off days can be difficult.

“The upside of the weather service schedule is that it does occasionally give me time to indulge my passions,” he says. “Working our schedule, it’s hard to find extra work that offers the kind of flexibility we need. If you do what we do, the few outside employment opportunities are with private weather companies that understand and will work around our odd schedules.”

As Janie, Doug and Dave’s examples noted, many people have regular jobs with odd schedules, but they might still want or need the opportunity for a side job. And if your main gig has you working odd hours, odd days, or you just want to pick up an odd job, Wonolo is on your side.

Do you work a non-traditional workweek or work schedule? Wonolo has one-day jobs available seven days a week. Want to work just in the mornings, afternoons, early evenings or only on Tuesdays? Just accept the job that fits your work window and start making extra money.

I also realize that many of you have a full-time job as a parent and, if you need to work around your family’s schedule, Wonolo gives you the flexibility to work when it’s right for you. Want to be home with your kids when they get home from school?  Just click “Accept” when they’re in class. Single-parenting with joint custody? Then be a full-time parent when you need to be and a full-time (or part-time) Wonoloer when you’re ready.

Just as fire departments, hospitals, and weather forecasters are always on call, there are Wonolo jobs that are open and at the ready 24/7/365. And, if you need a little extra flexibility in your schedule, or just extra money in your pocket, remember there’s always a Wonolo opportunity on call for you!