Work hard, work well, read a lot, find a mentor and follow the industry leaders are recurring themes in the repertoire of advice you are given and try to follow in your career life. Here is another; have something on the side.
Here are 4 reasons why
- You Help Others
Are you in HR? You can help job seekers with their resumes and cover letters. Are you a good public speaker and know your field very well; you can put the word out to be invited as the keynote speaker at events or you can speak on the topic at a school, higher learning institution or your local media outlet.
If you are good at accounting and finances; you can help growing businesses with their accounting issues as there are more and more small businesses out there that are looking for accounting services away from the big names.
Helping others is such a great way to spend your free time especially when you are good at what you do.
- You Hone a Skill
We have all had moments when we fretted about not having the chance to exercise our mind and learn new skills because we are busy doing the same thing day in and day out. When you start something on the side you are giving yourself the chance to use some of the knowledge or skill sets you do not use in your regular work day and you give yourself the opportunity to improve a skill.
If for instance the work day is full of handling and sorting data but, you are also good at web building; you can start a web building service. Using a skill that is dormant at your regular work place in a side hustle means you will get to hone the skill and keep it current.
Best of all you do not need any ones permission to improve your skill (if in doubt check your terms).
- You get a Hobby
If someone asked you what are your hobbies what would you say? Is it reading, cooking, basketball, sewing or going to the gym? Or is it nothing at all? Well, if you had a side hustle you can put it down as an answer to this question because even if it is a side hustle it does give you the same experience you would have were it a hobby.
While doing your something on the side you will find friends, spend time doing something different and have a different identity outside of the job.
A side hustle will also give you an opportunity to present another (interesting) side to you.
- You Will Grow
It may sound odd to say that to grow as a person you must take on more work. However, generally at your regular work place all you need do is to turn up and do what you were hired for. With a side thing the success of the venture depends on you and you alone; the team is you.
The side thing will make you step out of your comfort zone and nothing will be consistent. Also, every move you make will affect your confidence, resilience and capabilities. Things will change and you will be forced to change with the change.
You will grow and your CV will become richer and maybe at some point you will be able to quit working for someone else and become your own boss.
