I’m curious to hear from others in the field, who have elected to pursue additional employment outside your 9-5 job. I know there are many areas within HigherEd (Orientation and Res Life, for example) where your schedule is often atypical and would not allow you to explore another form of income. I’m talking about a good old fashioned part time job.
I’m sure there are many of you out there who are somewhere in the realm of agreement with the statement “higher education professionals are not fairly compensated for their work” and therefore have at least considered the idea of picking up a second job to help boost the bank account.
Perhaps there are some out there who have previously balanced several jobs and can share their words of wisdom on the matter. How much does level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction impact one’s drive to pursue additional positions outside the institution? I’ve weighed many a pro and con on the situation and here’s a bit of what I’ve come up with:
DO IT
– Save now, you silly millennial: my generation has a tendency to be known as the “instant gratifiers” i.e. we don’t have a nice savings account to support us when its time to settle down. And that thought makes me feel really unsettled. [I’m afraid that I must admit, while this note only gets one bullet point, money is a hugely motivating factor in life and a hugely motivating factor in the discussion, whether it should be or not.]
– It is an opportunity to meet new people.
– Learning a new skill/trade is always valuable, even if it is something in food service or retail. Having an opportunity to get a new perspective on the world is appealing.
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
– You will be a zombie: It seems tough to find a position that’s 100% compatible with a work schedule. I’ve heard from some that only weekends are plausible, but from others that bartending until wee hours of the morning is more their thing. As someone who really values balance it’s a little terrifying to think there is no happy medium when dual employment is in play.
– It could make me more unhappy at work and less productive when I’m there.
– Will my decision to spend more time at another job have a negative impact on relationships with loved ones? As a relationally-driven individual, the thought of negatively impacting those around me is not one I’m fond of. I’m a people-pleaser. Even if the additional employment seems like the right move for me I still want to know how it will affect person A, B, and C in my life whether they are near or far.
I love a good pro/con list. So, what am I missing? Anyone out there who can speak from experience on the topic at hand? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
> BONUS <
