People consider taking two jobs for several reasons. Whether to maximize their income to pay off debt or to build on a newly acquired skill. Having two jobs can be a daunting task, one has to strike a balance between having a healthy lifestyle, having time for family and friends while coping with the stress that comes along.
Part-time jobs can be a great idea, they provide many opportunities such as helping to build up your resume, improve the financial status, test newly acquired skills, and help enhance your social life. When people seek new jobs they are often oblivious of the dangers of not properly managing both jobs, most especially when they have pre-existing full-time jobs.
Without proper management and planning, what was thought originally to be a great idea, could turn out to be a nightmare. In a worst-case scenario, you could lose out on both sides.
Your employer may not be comfortable with the idea at all or may notice a lack of commitment towards your primary job. This could be potentially costly to you, as the aim of getting the job in the first place is defeated. Finding the right job for yourself is the most important step which means you should find a job that is well suited for you.
By weighing the pros and cons of your new job and making proper enquiries, you will be guided in making the right decision. If getting a second job is the right decision for you, here are some tips that will help you manage working two jobs at the same time without pushing yourself beyond your limits.
Job Selection
When choosing the right job, you must consider some important factors that will ensure you don’t face the challenges that come with handling working two jobs. By answering the following questions, you’ll be guided in your decision towards choosing the right job that suits you.
- Does my schedule permit have a second job? If your primary job offers decent free time then getting a second job would be just the best for you. In such cases, you should consider getting a higher paying full-time job. Most especially if the main reason you got the job was for making some extra money.
- Is it worth the extra effort? It is ok to work two jobs to make extra cash, but the question to ask yourself is, if the job is worth the extra time and effort. Handling two jobs can be difficult, for this reason, make sure the extra money earned is congruent with the extra effort spent.
- Will you enjoy the job? It’s not about working two jobs for the benefits. What determines the longevity and success of having a second job is your attitude towards work. This is largely dependent on how you feel about the job.
- Will the new job affect my primary job? Most times the primary job offers you a better paycheck at least when compared with the second job. While working two jobs it is important to keep at the back of your mind, what job helps pay the most of your bills?
- Do I have the required skills? A lot of people find themselves hopping from one job to the other because they lack the necessary skills. Their motivation for working several jobs is primarily for making more money “which is okay” when you have the required skills.
By spending time improving your skills you make personal investments, that would help you achieve your career goals and secure your dream job. The labor market is a competitive one, most companies prefer employing experts and experienced individuals.
By polishing your craft, you earn a trump card that will help you secure the position you want. In your working environment, you will be surrounded by professionals who are just as ambitious as you are, therefore, you need to have up-to-date skills that will give you the upper hand.
Do Your Research
One important phase when seeking a second job is the research phase, you will need to find an opportunity that fits your qualification, expertise and skills. Check out websites and look for firms whose vacancies are best suited for you.
If you find employers who require your services, look for details of past success stories from people who have worked there before. You could also check-up LinkedIn profiles of people who work the same job you are looking for. Join the relevant social media groups available, this will help you learn more about the firm.
Proximity
Now you have got the second job and—”the pay is great”. But you have to travel miles to get your second workplace. When finding a second job always put into consideration issues of transportation. You are advised to get a job close to your primary workplace, so you don’t have to go through the hassles of shuttling between workplaces. Depending on the job, proximity might not be a thing to worry about, many jobs require you to work on a computer, this can be done anywhere even in the comfort of your home.
Consider Legal Limitations
It all boils down to your employers contractual agreement conditions. They may be constraints as regards your contract with your employer. You may be required to agree to certain terms by your primary employer, some of which may form limitations much later when working two jobs.
Provided you manage working two jobs without conflict of interest or break in the terms of your primary job then you are all set. A lot of people work single full-time jobs with work hours equivalent to working two part-time jobs. The challenge, however, is maintaining a tight schedule that prevents conflict between both jobs.
Employers Flexibility
A flexible workflow system offers many opportunities, as well as provides you with many benefits. Your full-time job should be at the top of your priority list. You may need to ask your second employer for adaptable work arrangements.
Many large businesses offer flexible work arrangements since these large-scale businesses are often adequately staffed, hence they run multiple shifts for their staff. On the other hand small-scale businesses, sometimes are short-staffed and may be unable to accommodate your request. As a consequence, you’re required to find a job that fits the flexibility you need.
Time Management
Working two jobs requires hard work and discipline. Nonetheless, one of the most important skills you should have in life is proper time management. Without proper time management, it is almost impossible to reach your goals, be it your career goals or your life goals.
You will have some successes, but with poor time management, it is always going to be a struggle. So if you want to enjoy the benefits of having 2 jobs without stretching yourself beyond your limits, you will need to set goals and plan your time. The simple trick is finding a proper time management plan and working on it.
Planning Your Schedule
By creating a schedule, you plan your activities in such a way that you can achieve your priorities within your time limits. This helps you understand your daily activities and prevent you from taking more than you can handle. Establish when you want to do your scheduling, at the beginning of the month or beginning of the week, it all depends on what works best for you. One easy way is to get a pen and paper and draw out a weekly plan or download a weekly planner document from the internet.
Another option is to explore available applications that help you plan your week with inbuilt functions. To succeed in working two jobs identify your free time and establish how much time you intend to spend on each job. Prioritize your activities in your workplace, make a to-do list and start working on essential tasks first.
You should also arrange your tax in such a way that important tasks are done at the time of the day when you are most productive. Due to the nature of working two jobs, you should make time for contingencies. Sometimes things may come up at your primary workplace, by making time available in such a way that you will be able to make effective workarounds that will help you solve these issues. As you work your second job, frequent interruptions could take up so much valuable time.
Some of these interruptions can be difficult to predict. By making your schedule flexible and creating some available space in between, you should be able to circumvent these interruptions easily.
Set Your Goals
Setting goals at your workplace will help you in balancing working two jobs. Your personal goals should support that of your company’s. Some companies may tend to be better at helping employees achieve their work goals. Some employers may know the benefits of goal alignment and will help employees set their personal work goals.
This offers many opportunities and will also serve as a launch-pad for your career growth. By doing so you make clear to yourself what you want from your job, this will go a long way in guiding you towards getting the most of the benefits of having 2 jobs.
Plan for the Rest
We all are familiar with the phrase “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Working long hours without rest can be harmful to one’s health and well-being. While planning your schedule, do not forget to make available rest periods in between shifts. Working two jobs comes with some degrees of stress. Keep track of your stress level so you don’t end up “popping” pain relievers anytime you feel stressed.
Managing Funds
Considering the extra hours and effort spent on making extra cash, should offer you enough motivation to work prudently. Being in debt, while working two jobs can be a terrible situation (the one you don’t want to find yourself in).
This is why you have to make a budget so you don’t end up spending more than you earn. Poor money management sounds terrible. But the truth is a good number of people are poor at managing their income.
If you find yourself among this group of people then you are in luck. There are many available strategies that will help you manage your funds properly. Proper management of money takes time to master, it requires discipline and some level of sacrifice.
To balance the financial aspects of working two jobs, you will need to understand your financial situation. Understanding your financial situation will go a long way in helping you create your budget.
Draw Your Budget
The number one question that comes to our minds when we try to create a budget is “do I need this?”. The answer to that question is a straightforward “Yes!”. It takes one thing to draw a budget but takes another to stick to it. It may be difficult at first but there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
By making a budget plan, you begin to see clearly your financial situation. Having a budget also helps in managing debts, savings and expenses to be incurred much later. This ultimately helps you have some sort of control over your financial life.
Plan for the Bills
Many people are unaware of their monthly expenses, some are unable to keep track of how much they spend in a week. By understanding your income and expenses you will be able to plan adequately enough, so you don’t end up incurring unnecessary debt.
Many people take up a second job, so they can make extra income to help them with their bills. Take note of your daily expenses including groceries, gas, electricity and water bills.
Write them down and calculate your monthly expenses. Doing this will help you have an insight as to how much you spend monthly. This will also serve as a reminder for your future expenses. Working two jobs can be much easier with good money management skills, your spending habit determines to a great extent your motivation to keep going in the job.
Save Money
Saving money each month from the extra income can help you build a good financial habit. These savings can be automated easily in such a way that money is transferred directly to your savings account and you do not need to manually transfer money.
Managing money can be quite difficult at the beginning, it takes a huge level of discipline to properly manage your income. However, the moment you inculcate these habits into your life, the easier it gets.
Keep Your Primary Job
Remember the reason you got the second job was to make extra money. Working a second job shouldn’t be at the expense of your primary job. Your full-time job should always take priority. A lot of people who work two jobs, tend to lose focus and take their full-time jobs for granted. You shouldn’t be among this category of people.
Do Your Job
When working two jobs, always try as much as possible to excel in your jobs. Remember there are equally skilled individuals, who are available to employers and will gladly swing into your position
Help Your Employer
Strive to maintain a good relationship with your boss. As far as job security is concerned, this is more or less the number one rule. Especially for someone who wants to balance working two jobs, your relationship with your employer will determine a lot. You should be seen trying to make work a lot easier for your team. Your boss may appreciate your effort and may reward you with some extra free time or even a promotion.
Beef-up Your Resume
It is always helpful to keep your resume current, by doing so you take another step towards maintaining your primary job. Try to have the upper hand by adding your recent career achievements to your resume.
Consider Informing Your Employer
Handling two jobs will be a lot easier if your boss is informed. However, the decision whether to inform your employer can be a tricky one—as you would have to put a lot into consideration. This may not be much of a problem when working part time jobs. Some companies do not permit employees working for competitors, this clause is always stated clearly in your contract with your primary employer.
In such instances, you are advised not to get a second job in a similar company or act in any way that violates your agreed work terms. However, in instances where the contract in your full time job does not take into account working for competitors, you shouldn’t bring it up if you don’t feel the need to.
Ask for Help from Family and Friends
Having two jobs can be a huge burden. Your family and friends are always there to help you, whether it’s searching for part time jobs or running errands. When asking family and friends for job opportunities, be more specific about the type of job you need. You should also inform them about your plans to work two jobs.
That way they can understand your situation and inform you about available jobs that meet your specification. Whether family or friend, remember that asking for help involves their time and effort. For this reason before making your request, understand that they also have things to do as well and they have to go out of their way to help you.
Your friends or family can also help you with errands. As you work two jobs some of your free times are no longer available to you due to your busy schedule. You may need help with things like buying your groceries, feeding your pets (if you have one) and other personal tasks. Do not hesitate to ask people close to you for help. Always make sure you appreciate those who help you out. Be nice and express your gratitude. Because you definitely will need their help again.
Do Not Overwhelm Yourself
If having one job is enough stress for you. Then working a second job can be nerve-racking. Know your limits and stay within them. Be careful not to take up more work that you can manage easily. It can be proved to be counterproductive when you make more money at the detriment of your health. A study on long work hours revealed that people who worked more than 11 hours per day are 2.5 times more likely to develop depression.
The more reason, you have to be careful when choosing your second job. You should try as much as possible to avoid having two physically demanding jobs at the same time. Your full-time job may have the better paycheck, but is twice the stress. Try to balance the stress with the income and see if it weighs out. If not, only go for a second job, when you are sure it will not be a multiplying factor to your stress level.
Know When to Take a Break
You should consider taking a break at your second job, if it begins to place a significant risk on your primary job, or when you begin to have trouble with coping with the stress. People with full-time jobs mostly work during the day, this provides them with plenty of rest-time. On the other hand, people who work night shifts or work in the evenings have little time to relax and rest for the day. This particularly places stress on them in the long run.
Maintain a Healthy and Social Life Style
As well as there are benefits to having two jobs, there are also downsides some of which affect your health directly. While planning your schedule remember to reserve some time for yourself. Make sure you eat healthily, always try to have breakfast before going about your day. Stay hydrated and plan for lunch, if you do not have time to eat at a restaurant close by, ensure you take some healthy snacks along with you.
Having a meal before heading out will help you stay focused and remain productive throughout the day. Working two jobs may mean you are busy all the time, but that doesn’t mean you should throw your social life into the garbage-can, make time for family and friends. Remember the key to having a balanced lifestyle is largely dependent on your state of mind and relationship with other people.
