Juggling Freelancing and a Day Job: It Can Be Done

Juggling Freelancing and a Day Job It Can Be Done

Having a day job AND doing freelancing work is something that is quite common nowadays. Many employees feel the need to take on freelance work for many different reasons.

Financial considerations are, of course, the most common reason for getting freelance projects despite having a day job. The chance to earn extra money is an opportunity no one wants to ignore. But there are also other benefits to getting freelance work while having a day job:

  • The security of having a regular job while at the same time dabbling with additional work that would allow you to add more to your savings.
  • Getting freelance work helps beat the mundanity of your regular work routine.
  • You’ll be able to experience new things and develop more work experiences outside of what you do in the office. You’ll further hone your present skill set and acquire new ones. This will make you more valuable as a professional.
  • Freelancing allows you to grow your network and make new business connections.

But you also need to realize that keeping your day job and getting freelancing jobs will take a lot of effort to make work. Here’s how you do it:

Know your limit

You should need to implement goals for your work and make sure that it is realistic and something you can achieve. You should ask yourself how much time and effort you are willing to spend for a freelancing product without having any negative effect on your day job. Make sure that your responsibilities are manageable.

Know Your Tax Situation

Holding down two jobs means more taxes to pay. Make sure that you know your tax situation especially with an added source of income. Ask an accountant about the things you need to do in order to protect yourself from any liability.

No Conflicts

Arguably the biggest problem a person who wants to hold down both his day job and a freelancing gig faces is conflict of interest. There are two ways conflicts can happen. First, you may start using your day job time for freelance work. Second, if you are going to rely on your present skill set to get a freelance job then there could be conflict with your employer’s company. For example, if you’re an art director who works for an advertising agency and you get an art director freelance consulting job then there is an obvious conflict there. Again, know your limitations and if you think a conflict is happening resolve it fast.

Day Offs

Most day job/freelancing jugglers are usually faced with a dilemma. How can they squeeze both responsibilities with a limited amount of work hours? The obvious solution is to work on weekends. But experts are saying that you should still have a day off from work. Although a two-day off is the most ideal, setting aside one day can still work. You need to rest and recharge your batteries, so to speak. Getting rest positively affects your productivity so always have some time every week to relax.

 

About The Guest Author

Sean Stone is the CEO of LikeJobs.com, a job vacancies site.

About Empress

Empress is a tech enthusiast who loves to read and write. She founded Empress Content Writing & Digital Marketing Services to help small entrepreneurs grow their business.

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