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When you have more dreams than money, a second job can seem like a good way to bridge the gap.
However, a lot of people don’t think of what they can gain from a second job outside of the money.
There are also some downsides outside of your typical loss of free time.
Let’s take a look at how a second job can impact your life positively – and negatively.
The Opportunities
The most obvious opportunities afforded you by a new job are those that come from the additional income stream, but of course, there are other non-monetary opportunities.
As far as personal development, you open yourself to a wider social circle. The people you work with can become friends, and depending on the job you might also meet new people while interacting with customers.
Not only can this bring new people into your life to hang out with in your downtime, but you may also find yourself adding people to your professional network that can help you down the line.
From a professional development standpoint, you may find that you pick up new skills, or even have the opportunity to develop existing ones. For many of us, our full-time job has security while not being the thing we always want to do – but taking the leap into a new role or new industry can cause concern as far as losing the security of what you have now. Doing so as a part-time job to test the waters offers a great bridge from one to the other.
For many people, they may find that a second job freelancing or consulting provides them a path into going full time with a new career. Perhaps you’re an accountant who wants to get into data analysis – you can take on freelance jobs (from your local network or through many of the online freelancing platforms) to build up both your skills and client base. Once you have a solid foundation and find your side job is as profitable as your main gig (or even brings in more money), you should be all set to make the leap.
All that being said, yes, having additional money from a second job can set you up for a smoother path through some of the more expensive times in your life. Maybe your kids are about to start some new activities at school that have high costs to join, such as a sport that requires a big upfront investment of gear. You could also want a cushion going into the Christmas season, or maybe one of your kids has a milestone birthday coming up. Maybe you just want to work for a few weeks to get a centerpiece aquarium for your home.
A second job affords you all of these luxuries.
The Risks
The risks that come with a second job are many and varied.
First of all, the physical toll of rolling from one job to another can be tough for a lot of people. In particular, people who work physically demanding jobs such as construction or even lawn work really do need their downtime to make sure their body isn’t overworked. In this instance, going from that job to another job that is physically demanding, or even just for example a waiting job that requires several more hours on your feet, can put you at a risk of your body giving you a hard no.
There’s also the risk of overloading your brain with trying to do too much. If your regular day job requires eight hours a day of problem-solving, logic problems, or just generally intense concentration, you might find that having a second job that also requires more of the same will have the effect of overtiring your brain, and in a worst-case scenario, you might find the SOPs and procedures from one job bleeds over in to the other in your mind.
There are also risks inherent in some jobs – working in a convenience store puts you at risk of someone trying to rob the store, and even if you take a relatively safe job like driving for Uber, there are a long list of passenger scams that you need to be aware of.
Finally, you may also find yourself spread too thin, leaving you no time for family and friends. As much as you want to provide for your family, they also need you to be there in person. Make sure that you are not filling all of your days with work, rolling from bed to job to job to bed, or you’ll wear yourself out – and your family too.
Conclusion
Nobody can tell you whether getting a second job is right for you. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to look at what roles are available to you, weigh up the risks – and make the leap if it’s right.
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