You’ve already got a job, but part of you is thinking about getting another one. Obviously, it’s pretty impossible to work two full-time jobs at the same time, so you consider looking for a part-time career.
It’s a fairly big decision that will certainly impact your life in many ways. As a result, you’re really on the fence about things right now. One half of you thinks it would be great, while the other debates if this is a smart choice. Which side do you listen to? Well, you need to begin by weighing up the pros and cons of each. Then, you can take both sides of the argument and consider which points mean the most to you. If you’re really happy with some pros and don’t care about some cons, this could be a good path to go down.
Keeping that in mind, here are the main pros and cons of taking a part-time job on the side:
Pro: More money
Considerably more money, in fact.
Some part-time jobs can make more money than you think, particularly in this day and age. The growth in online technologies means almost anyone can do some part-time work using the internet. You could become an online tutor, work a few extra hours a week and rake in some serious cash on the side.
If you already have specific skills – like graphic design prowess – you could offer your services as a freelancer, working in your spare time. Again, you could charge good money for your services and really fatten out your monthly income. If money is currently an issue, or you want to save more money every month, getting a part-time job might be a very good idea.
Con: Added stress & less free time
The obvious counter to the money argument is that you get extra cash but you also gain more stress. You might work longer hours every day, eating into your free time. It gives you no opportunities to relax, which can be very detrimental to your physical and mental health.
Getting more money seems like a fantastic thing, but is it worth it if it means you’re hurting yourself? Think about how stressed you are when you come home from work already. Now, imagine the thought of needing to work on weekends or in the evening during the week. You need this time to recover and relax, or you are going to get very sick.
If you already struggle with stress and finding enough hours in the day to do everything at home, a part-time job is the absolute last thing you need. But, if you feel as though you can manage the extra work without being too stressed or overrun, then this argument won’t really bother you that much.
Pro: Added work experience
Sometimes, you have to think ahead to the future. Your current job is okay, but you aren’t planning on staying in the role forever. No, it was basically just a position to give you work experience, helping you transition to a better job at some point. Taking on an additional part-time job can be excellent as it provides you with even more experience.
Let’s say you’re currently working a full-time job with a new part-time job on the side. You keep this up for a year or two before targeting a new role that’s way better than your current full-time one. In your CV, you suddenly have twice the experience to note down. You’re not only doing this main job, but you’re also doing a second one that gives you some relative experience to brag about. Your job application looks more fleshed out already, making it more likely you’re noticed and picked for a job interview.
Moreover, you have more to talk about during an interview. You can call upon the things you’ve done in both roles to prove that you’re excellent at certain things. Also, the fact you are working two jobs at once attracts employers as they see you are clearly a very hard worker! So, with the future in mind, getting a part-time job is kind of a good thing.
Con: Job conflicts
Another possible downside to getting this extra job is having to juggle it with your current one. There is every chance you can run into multiple job conflicts. Your part-time boss might want you to work a shift that you can’t do because it coincides with your full-time one. It means you have to spend time looking for someone to swap shifts or possibly even calling in sick to your main job.
Sure, you can argue this is null and void if your second job is more of a freelance thing. That’s true, but then you have another conflict to think about. What if the effort you’re putting into your part-time job starts having a negative effect on your full-time one? You spent loads of hours in the evening working on something for one of your part-time clients. You did a fantastic job, but it means you’re going to sleep super late. Now, you wake up all tired and groggy, and your work performance is affected. Your boss is wondering why you’re performing so badly and could call you in for a performance review.
You get the idea – a part-time job might disrupt your full-time job, which can be problematic. Who knows, it might have such a bad effect that you end up getting fired from your main job.
Looking at both arguments, there’s a clear divide between the two. The advantages of a part-time job on the side are that it can generate more income and provide more active work experience. This benefits you financially right now and in the future because you can save more money or have more experience to get a better full-time job.
The disadvantages largely focus on the time spent working your part-time job. Are you able to deal with the added stress and workload or will it burn you out and make your full-time job performance get worse?
Truthfully, only you know the answer to that question. So, weigh up both arguments and see if this is the right move for your career/life.
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