Friday, January 08, 2016

Should You Pursue a Side Gig?

Jane Porter has written a good article for Fast Company this month.  The article is titled, "How a Side Gig Can Be Your Key to Career Satisfaction."   Porter argues that side gigs just don't just provide us with extra money.  They can provide us meaningful work that makes us happier and more productive overall.   Porter writes:

Having a side gig to work on outside of your regular job isn't just about earning extra cash. Most importantly, a side project offers the opportunity to do meaningful work that can promote career growth and satisfaction. "Choosing a side gig is deeply personal; the right one fits like a favorite pair of jeans, stretchy in all the right places," writes Kimberly Palmer in her book The Economy of You. "Side-giggers find ways to exploit their unique skills and interests along with what’s currently marketable."

How do you select the write side gig?  Palmer argues that you should consider several questions.  Do you have the skills required to be successful in this side gig?  Second, are there low barriers to entry, meaning can you get started with limited expense?  Third, can you make the gig work in terms of work and family schedule?  Most importantly, though, you have to ask yourself:  Will this extra work be meaningful for me?  Is it about more than the money?  

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