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I have a full-time job and three part-time jobs. I work 40 hours per week for a large financial institution, but since the demise of our bonuses in 2008 I have added additional part-time work and assignments from time to time to bring in additional money. While it is not something I ever intended, with one child in college and another soon to be in college, it is a necessity.
First, my full-time employer is not aware of my additional work. Some might disagree with my approach, but I believe it is in my best interest to keep the additional work quiet. I work a fairly consistent daily schedule with little, if any, overtime. I have been able to keep what I do during my off-hours private. I think this is necessary, especially working in a financial institution, because of the implications. For example, some might assume that I am in a difficult financial situation or that I am facing some sort of financial crisis. Some might also assume there are personal problems at home. Ultimately, I strongly believe that a person's finances and off-hours are private.
Second, my part-time positions are generally flexible. One of my part-time positions is doing the accounting work for our small business. I travel from my regular job to my husband's office for about three hours of work every other week. I can also do the accounting work on the weekends, for example, after church on a Sunday. This is not really paid work, but because we own the company, the money we save my not hiring someone to do the work is money saved by the business which ultimately benefits us.
Another of my part-time jobs is writing. Lately, this has been a difficult job to pursue because this tends to be the work I perform when I have free time. With a child in high school sports, it is often difficult to find the time to create written pieces. I often use my lunch hour to type out short articles.
Third, it has been important to get the support of a few key work friends. One of my three part-time jobs is teaching one night a week at a local community college. This is the one job that has fixed hours and lacks flexibility. It is also the part-time job that pays the best. Because I have to drive from my full-time position to the college, weather sometimes means that I have to leave work early. My analyst knows about the part-time job and will cover for me if I have to leave earlier than normal. In addition, because I have a daughter playing high school sports, the boss often assumes she has a game when I leave early, rather than suspect anything else.
Finally, my family is supportive. Ultimately because my children benefit directly, it has not been too difficult to get them on board with the sacrifices they need to make to allow me to work these additional jobs. The biggest sacrifice is typically the night I teach, when they have to put up with dad's cooking. Collectively they have moved him away from attempting to cook, tiring of macaroni and cheese, directing him to ordering pizza or Chinese carry-out. In a way, the night has become something of a treat for the three of them.
Working three part-time jobs in addition to my full-time position requires some special management and planning. In order to make it all work, the part-time jobs are generally flexible, I have some key workplace support, and I have the support of my family.
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