Tips For Getting and Keeping Up With A Second Job

I’m going to start this post by providing a real life case scenario of a friend of mine who has been working two jobs for the past four years. The tips for getting and keeping up with a second job will actually be conclusions withdrawn from this example. Let’s call this friend of mine James.

The Example

James’ first job was in real estate, to be more specific, he was (and still is) a field agent for a real estate company in a big city. Evidently, this job requires him to drive around the town and show his clients various properties, negotiating prices, persuading them to purchase, closing deals and taking care of specific paperwork. Now, since he has always been gifted with the pencil and also has a degree in graphic design, he took his second job at a Manga magazine, as a character graphic designer.

His first job, as a real estate agent, is a full-time job, 5 days a week, 9 hours a day, with a one hour lunch time break. For his second job, as a graphic designer, he works 6 hours per working day, and 8 hours on each Saturday. Therefore, he is still free on Sundays, to spend quality time with his family.

When I asked him how can he keep up with both two jobs, he replied that he considers his second job as a break from the first job. That the work as a designer relaxes him by a lot and he couldn’t be happier with another job than that.

Obviously, he made a wise decision when he took the second job.

Now, based on this example, here are a few tips regarding the choosing and keeping up with a second job.

The Tips

1. Consider the risks, downsides and benefits of a second job. Obviously the main risk regarding this matter are extreme fatigue, and the primary downside is the lack of time for other activities. The main benefit is the extra cash. So, before even selecting a second job, you should ask yourself a couple of questions. For example:

– Will I have enough time to spend with my family?
– Will I have enough time to sleep?
– What level of stress will I be exposed to?
– How will this affect my health?
– Is the extra money worth the effort and the risk?

2. Consider a second job that is opposite from your main job. To put it differently, if your first job requires you to do office or sedentary work, your second job should require physical work, or activities where you can at least benefit from some fresh air. It’s a good idea to search for a job with flexible hours, a job that’s less psychically stressing. Jobs that usually fit to this profile can be found in food and hospitality industries.

3. Calculate the extra amount of money that you would need and figure out how many extra working hours will be necessary. You may not even need to work full-time for your second job, to gain the extra money that you need.

4. During the interview for your second job, avoid mentioning that you already have a job, unless the interviewer specifically asks you this. Not many would want to hire someone who has all the chances to work only at half capacity. And if you do mention that you already have a job, your skills and experience for the second job would better be outstanding.

5. Plan everything, especially your sleeping hours. Since free time or sleeping time is going to become very precious, planning each and every mundane activity, even meals, is of the essence. Having a full schedule for every week is a good idea. And whatever you do, make sure you sleep at least 5 hours a night.