Ask Amanda: Going from From Part-Time to Full-Time Work?

Each week, TopResume's career advice expert, Amanda Augustine, answers user questions like the one below. A certified professional career coach (CPCC) and resume writer (CPRW), Amanda has been helping professionals improve their careers for over 10 years. Have a question for Amanda?

Q: How do I turn a part-time job into a full-time position?

If you're strategic, some part-time jobs can lead to full-time employment. To increase your chances of a successful transition, I suggest following these tips below.

Be proactive at your part-time job

It goes without saying that you should be a model employee at your part-time position. Look for opportunities for full-time positions to pitch in and go above and beyond. Your manager will appreciate your initiative and may reward you with opportunities that are more challenging or require you to take on greater responsibility. This can lead to a full-time employment offer or help you build the additional skills that are required to work in one.

Share your goals of getting a full-time job

Supervisors aren't mindreaders, so make a point to tell them how much you enjoy working at the company and that you'd like to be considered for a full-time job, should an opportunity open up. When you make goals known, your manager will be more likely to think of you as a potential candidate.

Take stock of your resources

Depending on the size of your current employer, there may be an internal job bank that's only available to current employees once they've worked with the organization for a certain amount of time. Find out if such a resource exists and check it out. Also, take a look at the careers page on the company's site and other job boards for full-time job opportunities at your company that require your skills and are of interest to you. Internal applicants are often given first dibs on new job opportunities.

Make friends

Get to know your co-workers, supervisors, and regular customers who may hold some clout — there's no telling who these people know or how they can help you with your pursuit of full-time employment. Remember, not all job listings are published online. If you want to find the 'hidden' jobs, you need to make friends with the right people.

Take advantage of any company-wide events to meet people from other departments and learn more about your manager and his or her peers. Don't be afraid to grab a cup of coffee with a co-worker or someone in a different area of the business to learn more about their work and the company's business.

Recommended Reading:

• Should You Include Temp Jobs on Your Resume?

• Good Second Jobs to Earn Cash Outside Your 9-to-5

• Infographic: What's Your Relationship With Your Job?