Navigating the Pros and Cons of Working a Side Gig

Ever since I was 20, I’ve almost always worked two jobs. Part of it was because I needed to stay busy all the time. You can blame the ADHD for that one.

But I also couldn’t always afford the life I wanted. In college, my main job paid me just a little bit above minimum wage. I worked internships that didn’t pay me at all. Even when I graduated college and got my first full-time job, I was barely making ends meet. 

So I often found myself spending my free time either working in retail, waitressing, bartending, or working many other gigs just for some extra cash.

For the first time in my life, I’m finally in a position where I can survive off of my one job, but even doing that makes it hard to save for a solid emergency fund or even travel as much as I’d like to. 

This means that every summer, I find myself still working a second job. 

Luckily, I love bartending and I’m blessed I work will all of my friends at our job, but that doesn’t mean working a side gig is always rainbows and sunshine.

While there are often a lot of pros of working a side gig, there are always going to be cons to these jobs as well.

Pros of Your Side Gig

It’s easier to start on the lighter side of the bed. Let’s start by talking about the best parts of working a side gig. 

For almost everyone, the best part of a second job is the extra money. There’s something about knowing you’re getting more than one paycheck a week that makes living a little bit easier. Knowing you have an additional income is helpful when you’re living paycheck to paycheck, or you’re trying to save for something.

Last year, I was able to put all of my income aside from my second job and put down a pretty nice downpayment on a new car. If I didn’t have a second job, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get the car in such a short amount of time!

Another perk of working more than one job is getting to meet more people. My full-time job is a work-from-home job, and while I love the flexibility of it, I don’t get a lot of personal interaction every day. But when I go to the bar to work, I get to talk to my friends and coworkers, along with meeting loads of new people who come in and out of the bar all night. 

Working in the service industry specifically has allowed me to open up and meet a lot of wonderful people in the world. Besides getting great tips at the end of every shift, I also get to hang out with some of my favorite people in the world.

If I have to be honest, one of the best parts of working a side gig is having something to fall back on. I work in media and whenever big layoffs happen at other companies, I always think to myself, “If this ever happens to me, at least I can fall back on bartending.” 

While being a full-time bartender isn’t my dream, it’s for sure a great gig to have in my back pocket. I’ve made great money from the gig and I know I could support myself off that job alone if it ever came to it. 

I’ve also learned a lot of great skills from bartending that I often translate to my everyday life. Whenever I'm interviewing for a new job, I always find myself talking more about my bartending job and the skills I learned there than a lot of my "professional career" jobs. 

If I’m ever in a hiring position, I would always choose someone with loads of service industry experience in a heartbeat. 

Cons of a Second Job

Of course, no one wants to work a second job. It’s great to get the extra money, but working so much takes up a lot of your free time. 

For the past few months, I haven’t worked my second job, and I’ve finally been able to enjoy my free time. Weekends are spent hiking and working on personal projects instead of telling people they're cut off after they spilled their third drink all over the bar.

I’ve missed holidays, events, parties, and so much more because I’ve had to work two jobs. Working two jobs takes away a lot of your free time and freedom.

 Plus, if your friends don’t work more than one job or maybe never worked in the industry you work in, they might not understand why you work so much or what the work entails. You'll see friends going out on Saturdays or planning trips while you're working nearly seven days a week.

Taking care of your mental health is even more important when you're working so much. One summer, I worked three jobs. From 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. on weekdays, I worked my full-time job at a local TV station, then Friday nights, I waitressed at the, and on Saturdays and Sundays, I drove an hour away to work as a beverage cart girl at an expensive golf course. 

That summer was one of the most taxing summers of my life. All of my off time was spent sleeping and feeling miserable about myself. I never saw my friends and my shifts at the bar on Friday nights were the best part of my week. 

I had to be honest with myself if working all of those jobs was worth it in the long run or if I was just slowly killing myself with all that work. 

Safe to say, I found myself in a much better position by the next summer, when I eventually left the terrible TV station job and only worked at the bar in my free time. 

Depending on what industry you work in, you'll find that each profession has its downsides. I found working in retail boring and pointless. I hate the nights of bartending when I only make $40. I get overwhelmed with the amount of work I have when I’m doing some freelance writing gigs. 

Everyone in every industry will have to deal with the consequences of the specific job, but ultimately, it’s up to every single person if it’s worth working in these fields.

To Work More or Not to Work More

If you’re thinking about picking up another job, be honest with yourself if you can handle it. Sometimes, getting a second job isn’t just about the money, but it might be a great way for you to make new friends and grow your skill set. 

There will be great days when you’re working two jobs and some days, you’ll go home exhausted and frustrated. But being honest with yourself about why you need or want a second job is important.

While I’m loving this extra time I have to work on my projects right now, I’m excited to get back behind the bar with my friends and earn some extra money this summer. 

If you're thinking of getting a second job, give it a shot and see how you feel! Maybe you’ll end up loving it like I do!