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Laura Rowley Money & Happiness

Laura Rowley, Money & Happiness

A Second Job: The Right Choice for You?

by Laura Rowley

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Good (145 Ratings)
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Posted on Thursday, July 2, 2009, 12:00AM

Kelli Conway, 23, graduated from the University of Louisiana last year. By day she’s a junior publicist in a small public relations firm in New York City, by night a restaurant hostess. She works at the agency weekdays from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., then pulls a shift at the restaurant from 4:30 to 10:30 three weeknights and one Saturday or Sunday night each week.

Conway told her boss at the PR firm about the restaurant gig when she was hired. “The founder of the company was great about it from the get-go; he completely understood that I need two jobs to be able to survive in the city,” she says.

Moonlighting is becoming ever more popular as households struggle with layoffs, wage cuts, furloughs, and rising expenses. Unemployment is at 9.5 percent, and employees are averaging a workweek of 33 hours, according to the Labor Department -- a record low. In the first six months of 2009, 7.5 million people held multiple jobs, or 4.8 percent of workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In a Yahoo! survey of 2,000 Americans conducted in April by Decipher, 12 percent of respondents said they had taken a second job in response to the recession. Separately, the survey found 28 percent of workers felt less satisfied in their jobs than a year ago; of that group, 68 percent said they were not making as much as they desired, and 42 percent were concerned about job security.

Consider the Toll

But carefully consider the toll of moonlighting before jumping in, says Andrea Kay, an author and career consultant based in Cincinnati: “If the second job detracts from time with your family, will you be creating new problems in your life? Who do you need to have a conversation with about that? How will it affect your health? People can get easily overwhelmed when they take on second roles.”

Conway admits “there are days, especially after working 12 or 13 hour shifts a few days in row, where I come in exhausted, I’m not completely up to par. But at the end of the day, I’m getting my job done.”

Lay out the financial costs -- commuting, day care, taxes on the extra earnings, or equipment a second job may require. For example, several legitimate call center companies allow employees to work at home and earn $7 to $8 an hour, such as liveops.com, alpineaccess.com, and willow.com. But workers have to have a designated landline to answer calls -- which can run $25 or $30 a month. Make sure you know what your full-time employer’s policy is on moonlighting, and be wary of conflicts of interest.

In addition, put a time limit on your moonlighting plan -- three months, six months -- so you can see a light at the end of the tunnel. To stay motivated, attach a specific goal to the timeframe, whether it’s saving a certain amount of cash, paying off a debt, or gaining skills that will boost your salary in your day job.

Look Into Other Options

Moreover, if the motivation is strictly extra cash, first consider other options to boost your paycheck in your current industry, says Kay: “Is there something you can do on the side -- education, training -- that would enhance your value so you’ll be paid more at your current job or at another one? Or help you build toward that goal in the future?”

On the other hand, a career change often motivates workers to put in a double shift. When I was transitioning from a print journalism job to television, for example, I worked as a freelance writer on a morning news program from 2:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. and then put in a 9-to-5 shift at my day job. (It was brutal.) After five months, I was hired by the new company.

Nearly one-third of dissatisfied workers in the Yahoo! survey said they “don’t feel part of a career path.” Robert Lorber, president of Lorber Kamai Consulting and a professor at University of California, Davis, advises career-shifters to ask themselves four questions before jumping into a second job:

1. Who are you and what do you want?
2. Where are you and why are you there?
3. What will you do and how will you do it?
4. Who are your allies and how can they help?

“Think about what you’d like to learn and what gets you excited,” says Lorber, author of several career books.

Mark Mansfield, 37, is vice president of sales and marketing for a Minnesota company that sells point-of-sale systems and other technology to restaurants. At night he works on his start-up, boolaka.com, a social-networking site for independent filmmakers that's something like LinkedIn meets YouTube meets the Sundance Film Festival. Filmmakers and others in the business can post their needs for a project or resumes seeking work; find resources, tools, and expert advice to get a project done and noticed; and upload finished films for visitors to watch.

Mansfield argues that there's an upside to having a second job. "It's an enormous challenge -- but it's a blast; it evolves and changes every day," he says. "It keeps me from getting burned out on my day job because it's not all that I think about. I can unplug from my day job and come back with a totally new perspective on how to tackle a problem. That's been very valuable."

If a second job is out of the question, consider asking for an unpaid leave of absence or a one-day-a-week furlough for a period of time to explore the new career, says Kay, since many employers are looking for ways to reduce costs in the current environment. “Be careful about how much detail you share with the company” regarding why you want the time off, she adds.

There’s also the allure of launching a small business. In 2008, 1.6 million workers, or 1 percent of the workforce, earned wages and salaries in a primary position and were self-employed in a second job, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Bridging the Gap

Even if the job that pays the bills seems unrelated to the passion, look for potential “allies” who can bridge the gap. Kay knew an artist who took a second job as a hostess at a popular restaurant and eventually convinced her employer to display her artwork on the walls, which helped drive her business.

Just beware “daylighting” -- the practice of managing a side business while you’re on the clock. Although there are no formal statistics on daylighting, a 2008 Salary.com survey found that 73 percent of respondents admitted to doing activities unrelated to their jobs while at work -- up 10 percent from the year before.

Lorber says daylighting is a major no-no. “If you take another job while doing your own job, it’s totally out of integrity,” he says, especially if there are conflicts of interest or you are competing with your employer. On the other hand, “if you are doing something additional at night that’s not taking away from what you’re doing at work, that’s a personal choice” and doesn’t necessarily need to be revealed.

Conway works on commission at the PR firm, so she can’t always count on a weekly paycheck. But she’s making the most of her opportunity. “I get to go to some events -- it’s a great way to meet people in the city,” she says. “When you want to move up, networking is everything.”

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74 Comments

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  • Annie - Saturday, July 18, 2009, 2:54PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Having two jobs may not be a good idea. Think about high stress level and to have a double the risk of being terminated if something goes wrong. Having one job is simple and you learn to concentrate on responsibilities, duties and performance. Imagine one not making the night due to poor overall performance while working at two jobs.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Friday, July 10, 2009, 10:23AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    I DONT NEED TO WORK because Obama's got by Back!

  • pisgah - Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 11:04PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 3/5

    I have four jobs. Some weeks of the year I put in over 100 hours a week. My bank account is fat. Obama is not taxing me to death. I rarely drive. All my jobs are close to my house. Iowa is the greatest vacation spot in the world. If you want free lunch, buy some stocks that pay dividends.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Monday, July 6, 2009, 5:47PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 2/5

    I'm getting tired of seeing all these comments from people whining about having to work hard and long hours to both survive and get ahead. About 100 years ago as America and the World was coming into this modern age, you worked at least 6 days per week and long hours, typically 53 hours / week in 1900 according to some statistics that I have seen. If you had a farm, it seemed that work was never finished. At the same time there was no Social Security safety net. Yes taxes and the governments who waste our money bailing out loser companies suck big time, but this is what we end up with when everyone wants something without having to work for it. I also wonder how many of the comments are serious such as the married into wealth woman who only know how to use capital letters. She can't be real. Anyhow back to poor Kelli Conway, is she real and where did Laura find her? If she is really 100% on commission, surely she should work harder and longer hours at her publicist job and thus make more money. Do PR firms really have their juniors on commission? I find the point of the column is lost when Laura leads in and finishes with Kelli's life.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Monday, July 6, 2009, 5:06PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 2/5

    This article was ok but I just don't understand why we have to work so hard in this country. It seems that one can never get ahead in life.

  • Yahoo Bill - Monday, July 6, 2009, 3:31PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    Although nothing earth-shattering is in this article and most of it is pretty obvious I do think that at least Laura gives some practical real world advice which makes this article much better than most of the other garbage from the Yahoo "experts".

  • Chris - Monday, July 6, 2009, 2:03PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    Ha, ha. . .it's funny to see the Conservatives railing at their loss in the 2008 election. Now, Sarah Palin is once again center stage and the new laughing stock. Now, the Progressives are entertaining a consumption tax replacing income tax. As the Borg said, "You will be assimilated."

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Monday, July 6, 2009, 1:30PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    the pig is making140000 salary is the problem....too many pigs....oink oink

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Monday, July 6, 2009, 11:11AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    If you have critical comments about the article and disagree, E.G. suggest Kelli get married to a nice man and have a couple kids and not work... then the Yahoo socialist ultra liberal editors who monitior these posts, then, THEN they delete your post!! HOWEVER, if you AGREE with the author (and have a liberal attitude) and call other posters who disagree and rate the article with 1 star "NUT JOBS"... then they allow these posters to insult other posters. YAHOO STILL SUCKS!!!

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Monday, July 6, 2009, 11:01AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    It should have been titled "How To Be Happy As America Is Exploited For Its Wealth By Wall Street".

  • Renee OBrien - Monday, July 6, 2009, 10:55AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 3/5

    A second "job"? No thanks, a side business? Definitely. Additonal income from www.SlumberPartiesbyReneeO.com was what I did to supplement my income on my terms, on my chosen evenings plus a way to meet lots of new friends. PLUS tax write-offs.

  • BobP - Monday, July 6, 2009, 9:26AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    A person would be crazy to work harder with this rigged charade. The USA is garbage and going to China wages by design. Oh , get a 3rd job and get your kids to work too. How about another bailout, FOLLOW THAT MONEY, WHO EXACTLY HAS IT,,NO CORP VEILS OR GOVERNMENT, WHO GETS THE MONEY. Be a slave to them, la de da,, Yahoo,,,What a joke,, Laura Rowley, I personally think you're a liar.

  • GeraldK - Sunday, July 5, 2009, 2:45PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 3/5

    The answer to all this is simple: Find yourself a job--hopefully one you are passionate about and find fulfilling--and work your butt off to keep it. Go to work each day pledging to yourself "I'll do the best I can". Many times, we don't have control about being laid off or having hours cut back. Be happy and appreciate what you already have.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Sunday, July 5, 2009, 11:11AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 3/5

    Those last two comments make me kind of sad. She works 30 hours/week at one job and 24 hours/week at the other...that's 54 hours per week. The married wealthy lady, money doesn't equal security and I'm glad you married into money. I hope you have a good marriage and a good family, but the other 95% of the country does work for a living and there are ways to work and be happy.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Saturday, July 4, 2009, 9:50PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    The girl in the article works 2 part time jobs. She is not even working 40 hours per week and is complaining how tired she is. That is one lazy girl. This article is pretty much pointless.

  • Lizzie - Saturday, July 4, 2009, 4:03PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    Some folks are complaining about this article because they believe it lacks relevance, especially because they don't have a job period. I'm fortunate to have one full-time job, without needing to supplement it with a part-time one. I do have a number of friends, however, who to have to cobble together a living with multiple jobs. This article is relevant for them, and many others, I'm sure.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Saturday, July 4, 2009, 3:58PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 3/5

    My company bores me to the point where I enjoy my side contracts that I can do on the weekend. I will only be in my intellectual prime for maybe 20 years and I would be happy to work two jobs during this time.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Saturday, July 4, 2009, 2:02PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Heck people can't even find a first job let alone a second job. Besides that why should people have to work like slaves just to get by? Oh that's right, our corrupt government is currently trying to enslave us and say they are protecting us or helping save the planet, what lies.

  • FSUguy - Saturday, July 4, 2009, 1:08PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    What a terrible waste of time to read this article...

  • Steven H - Saturday, July 4, 2009, 11:18AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    This article goes completely against the data on multiple jobholding maintained by BLS. There has been no clear trend in multiple jobholding since the late 1990s. I don't think more people are taking on a second job during this recession. Over 6 million jobs have been lost since December 2007 so how can people find a second job? People have enough trouble find one job. But there are a fair number of multiple jobholdings, as the author points out. Their number is not increasing though!

  • DUES - Saturday, July 4, 2009, 10:42AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    This is one of the worst article I've ever read for a long time

  • Eric J - Saturday, July 4, 2009, 10:29AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 2/5

    I give two stars because the article is what it is. There might be legitimate reasons for a person to work two jobs and there is some basic information about that here. HOWEVER Mobyware is very accurate this article advocates slavery. Looneytarian what planet are you living on? When Bear-Stearns shuts down or GM closes a plant and people are laid-off how does that create job openings? Do you think all janitorial jobs are skill-les work that just anyone can do? Enjoy your chains of bondage everybody. Happy Independce Day.

  • Mobyware - Saturday, July 4, 2009, 8:27AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Laura is part of the problem. Articles like this make is seem like the answer is to just work harder. The real answer is to find out why you have to work so hard. We should not be teaching people that slavery is good and that you need to work harder as a slave. Our government (not picking sides here) is the slave master and we are WILLING slaves. Time to drop our plows and rise up against the slave drivers. Only then will be truely free to pursue happiness.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Friday, July 3, 2009, 2:49PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Each time i read Laura's work it is so obvious there is nothing i gain...total waste of time.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Friday, July 3, 2009, 12:03PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Working 10 to 4 as junior publicist and requiring a second job? Allowing for lunch, that is 5 to 5.5 hours per day. That isn't even a full-time job. Why not approach her boss and ask for full-time work 7:30 to 5 like me for 8.5 hours per day allowing an hour for lunch? Some people in my office put in longer hours but I'm only too ready to catch the bus home at 5 and no longer aspire to higher positions as I approach retirement. If she is coming in to work and performing sub-par in the morning and only just performing by the end of the day that won't help her to get promoted nor a better salary and may result in her being shown the door. When I was young (and even now), I had to be flexible and available for out of town trips at relatively short notice. Gave me some good job experiences that help me stay employed through the ups and downs of the last 40 years. I also used the evenings for further studies as you have to stay current and continue to expand your knowledge. As a manager rather than a technical expert, you don't have to be an expert in every field but you should at least have a background knowledge of the fields to ask the right questions. If you have a second job, one of them is going to suffer and you won't have time to increase your knowledge of your field. Networking may help but increasing your job knowledge and getting relevant experience is required when starting out at age 23. She should seriously look at quitting her hostessing job and concentrate on her chosen profession.

  • looneytarian - Friday, July 3, 2009, 11:53AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 3/5

    Honestly, it gets kind of depressing to read these comments because it tells me just how clueless many Americans are and it is no wonder we are in the state we are in. It is like everyone in the country sees in terms of black and white instead of shades of gray or more appropriately, in terms of the color spectrum. Politics, the economy and life in general is just not that simple. I have to give a nod to the poster who correctly identified the fact that both parties in the Whitehouse have led this country to where we are at: not just Bush, not just Obama. Anyone who thinks that ANY of our elected officials (as a party) had no idea about what has been going on is truly naive. But then, such naivete shows in comments like "If living in the city is that expensive: Move to a differnt city" shows absolutely no thought as to the girl's circumstances. What if her entire family lives in this city? She should move away from her family just to save a few bucks? Or this comment:"Doesn't answer the obvious questions for someone who is considering a second, part time, job. What does it do to your elegibility for unemployment? What are tax repercussions?" Maybe these questions aren't answered because they aren't obvious. Tax laws and unemployment rules vary from state to state; there wouldn't be enough room in the column to answer those questions for 10 states,let alone the whole country. This one was rich,"every second job is an unemployed persons first." Yes, I suppose that is true, but if a person was hired for a second job, then the opening was not at the expense of the unemployed person. The unemployed person had to have either quit or was fired thereby creating an opening that needed to be filled by the employer in order to maintain business. And for all of those whiners crying about 'what about getting a first job?'. How about picking up a newspaper and looking at the employment section? Are you trying to tell us that you are not qualified for ANY of those jobs? Or that you just can't find one that suits your sensibilities or pays enough to live like you want? Jeez, just get a job, even if it is janitorial position or flipping burgers, at least you will be earning something even if it is low pay. And yes, you MIGHT have to work TWO jobs! Then move on to better jobs as they open up. My point is that things in this country will never get better as long as there is so little independant thought and consideration. That has been proven by the fact that too many in this country have been hoodwinked by the mass media and politicians. Not to mention that self sufficiency, which was the conerstone of this country has been all but extinguished. I am hoping that this recession reawakens these characteristics in our society because if we follow the current administration into dependancy on the the government, we are going to be pretty much screwed for some time to come.

  • Fillup - Friday, July 3, 2009, 10:55AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 3/5

    My second job is being a value shopper. I have only analog T.V's My last desktop computer cost me $359 three years ago. My cell phone costs me $5.50 a month and its up to me to see that there are cell phone minutes available. I get all my news on the internet among other things. I retired in 1992 at 52 years old from one of the big three automakers (no I was not a union person). It's a great job and there is room for more of you to be a value shopper.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Friday, July 3, 2009, 8:13AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Maybe I can get a second job writing a blog specialising in, to quote Monty Python, "stating the bleeding obvious". Nice job Laura, I think I've read my last piece of your work.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Friday, July 3, 2009, 8:13AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Doesn't answer the obvious questions for someone who is considering a second, part time, job. What does it do to your elegibility for unemployment? What are tax repercussions? If you don't need benifits, are companies usually inclined to make up the difference with more pay?

  • Mary - Friday, July 3, 2009, 7:26AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 3/5

    I just received an IOU from the state. The next day I had to go to state court for a state speeding ticket I received, the fine was $400.00 dollars, the same amount as my IOU. I gave the clerk the IOU and he said if I don't pay in cash I will be arrested. What the HELL is going on. DEPRESSION IS HERE.

Showing comments 6-35 of 74<< PreviousNext >>
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