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Moonlighting: Is Working Multiple Jobs the New Norm?

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As I sit in my parent’s living room, watching 13 Going on 30, marking up my fall calendar with personal and professional obligations, one reoccurring trend is my financial stability.

I recently graduated with my Masters and with that comes a bill, a big bill. Between my 9-5 job and networking events, I am also coaching JV field hockey, and planning babysitting dates all to pad my pockets and gain new experience.

To no surprise, I am not the only recent grad experiencing such emptiness in their pockets. A Bureau Labor of Statistics survey revealed the main reasons for people holding more than one job (aka moonlighting) is as follows:

  • To earn extra money – 35.4%
  • To meet expenses or pay off debt – 27.8%
  • Pure enjoyment of a second job – 17.4%
  • To build a business or gain experience – 4.6%
  • Other reasons – 12.5%

These reasons have us saying bye to the green and hello to the online applications. Supplemental income can be fiscally beneficial for future planning. Having the choice to allocate your money as you please between bills and savings is a comforting feeling. However, something that is more valuable than money- is time. Balancing multiple positions is a tough act.

According to the Department of Labor, the number of part-time workers rose from 13.5% of all employees in 1968 to 18.5% as of May 2016. Of the 7 to 8 million working Americans, more than 5% work multiple jobs and due to the lack of full-time work, more people are having to combine part-time jobs.

If working multiple jobs is the new norm for you, here are some tips on how to avoid becoming overwhelmed with your side/part-time job:

  1. If you are searching for permanent employment, why not work two part-time positions to fill your time, pockets and professional skillset. While you’re in those positions be sure to express your professional goals and keep your ears open for any opportunities to network, or gain a permanent position.
  2. Part-time and side positions in photography, coaching, event planning, administrative work, personal training, tour guide, contract positions or retail, along with many others, may help to supplement income as well as personal fulfillment. These types of positions can help with burnout as well by having a diverse working skills set.
  3. Take time when transitioning from position to positon. Take a moment to step away reflect on the day’s work; analyze your hours worked, and make a to-do list for the next day, and let your mind shift gears. Once you are able to reflect, look to start making hourly goals for the next positon in what you need to get done.
  4. Strategically deciding your positons, you might find that one positon improves/compliments the other. This could be through skills learned, networking, or a break from the routine. As well as work with clients on one role, but also work with them in another. Remember the advantage to your time and talent spent in two different positions.
  5. Remember to own your schedule, try to have consistency in the shifts you work to avoid being over whelmed with a changing schedule. Cut back on hours if you can to regain control of each positon.

As gears continue to shift and moonlighting becomes more of the norm, it’s important to maintain a basic standard of living. Working multiple jobs can be professionally and financially rewarding, but managing your time can be the most challenging part of all.

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