As workers face pay freezes, inflation and fear of layoffs, some have decided to leave traditional careers behind. They’re starting side jobs or adding second, third, and sometimes fourth jobs (some call it “polyworking”) to the mix to bring in additional income and provide a backup plan in case their jobs disappear.
Take Caitlin Cusick, 29, for example. Her full-time job is as a visual merchandiser for Patagonia, beautifying displays. I then work 10 to 15 hours a week as a side job managing social media influencers for a German shoe brand. She also runs an Etsy shop where she sells her paintings. If that’s not enough, she also serves as an usher for concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area. Here’s how to watch live shows for free.
“Every day is different and every day feels like a new day,” Cusick said. “At the end of the day, that’s why I started these side hustles. I wanted a change of pace. I didn’t want to just do the same thing every day.”
She said the extra income also helps her pay off her student loans and cope with high living expenses, which have been flat for several years.
Some people are drawn to side hustles because of job instability or the idea that their income may be reduced. Still others are reluctant to rely on one employer to provide them with consistent, stable work and supplement their primary roles with gig work on apps like Uber and Grubhub.
“Beyond the anti-inflation measures, we’ve seen salary stagnation, inflation, and an overall increase in the cost of living,” said Alexandria Ravenel, a sociologist and gig economy researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “So people are looking for ways to supplement and create a little bit of a safety net for themselves.”
Some people build “portfolio careers” where they work on a variety of jobs, each acquiring different and valuable skills. For Cusick, her side hustle keeps her social media marketing skills current.
“Rather than having one job that lasts for years and thinking of career advancement as a linear path, some people make money by putting together multiple side hustles based on their skills and interests and having multiple sources of income,” said Elaine Chen, director of the Derby Center for Entrepreneurship at Tufts University.
Career experts and side hustlers share tips on how to get started and what to avoid if you’re considering quitting your 9-to-5 job.
follow your passion
If you’re embarking on a side hustle in addition to your full-time job, you’ll be spending a lot of your free time on the venture, so consider choosing one that naturally interests you.
“You’ve got to love it,” Chen said. “Usually it’s something that the person is really passionate about.”
For 31-year-old Josie White, that passion was mental health. After battling schizoaffective disorder and finding effective treatments, she wanted to help people with mental health issues feel less alone.
While working full-time as a fundraiser for the Salt Lake City nonprofit Shelter the Homeless, White decided to pursue public speaking on the side, and began looking for opportunities to speak at groups and conferences where she could share her experiences with mental illness “to reassure people that there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel.”
be realistic about money
Starting a side hustle may require an initial investment, and it may take a significant amount of time before you start earning an income.
When White started her side business, she started by providing speaking services as an unpaid volunteer. She took jobs training staff at nonprofit organizations and speaking on fundraising efforts, but while that wasn’t her original purpose, those opportunities helped her gain experience.
In the past year, she has booked 10 speaking engagements, four of which will be paid. She has reinvested the money she has earned into improving her public speaking skills.
“The ultimate goal is to get paid, but right now we’re just trying to get there,” White said. “It’s starting to snowball.”
Kevin Glennon, senior director of hardware at Tovala, a startup that sells smart ovens, has started a side business helping Frisbee golf players find lost discs. After losing one of his discs at a high lead during a competition, Glennon, 34, set out to develop a device that attaches to a disc and makes a beep to help players find it.
He began designing the device over a year ago, investing his own money, and expects to break even and start turning a profit when production begins next month. “We still can’t live on profits alone, but it’s moonlighting,” Glennon said.
Know the risks of gig work
Side jobs like delivering groceries or driving passengers can provide quick income.
In addition to his full-time job, Tom Ritter of Syracuse, New York, supplemented his income by working as a workforce management specialist for a nonprofit organization and making deliveries for Instacart and Walmart’s Spark delivery platform. Particularly when I recently lost my day job, my side job helped me cover my living expenses.
“For me, just a few hundred extra dollars a month made a huge difference, and still does,” said Ritter, 39.
Ravenel cautioned against relying too much on gig work for income. Returning to a full-time, permanent job can be difficult, it typically takes workers more than two weeks to get their first paycheck, and gig work is stigmatized among some employers, she said.
Additionally, if gig workers are earning good wages, Ravenel said platforms will typically change their algorithms so that they earn less. “When it comes to live platforms, the house always wins,” she said.
Be skeptical
Those who have started looking for a side hustle should be wary if an opportunity they find online seems too good to be true. Some online influencers promote business ideas that border on scams.
In Ravanel’s research, he spoke to people who watched online videos about making money selling microgreens.
“They thought they could make thousands of dollars a month by working from home, growing microgreens in their kitchens, and selling them to high-end restaurants,” Ravenel said. “No. The people who sell you grow lights and give you classes are the ones making the money.”
find time
Starting a side hustle or career can take away from your personal time, leaving you with fewer opportunities to exercise and spend time with family and friends.
“I’m not doing anything. I don’t have a life,” Glennon said. To see his friends more often, he turned them into disc golfers. That way, he was able to work on his product and visit friends at the same time.
White works at Shelter the Homeless Monday through Thursday, putting in 40 to 45 hours a week. Since she has Fridays off, she spends the day practicing her speaking skills and generating new business.
“My life is far from balanced,” she says. “But do I enjoy it? Yes. I think that’s important.”
Bussewitz writes for The Associated Press.
