Should you cultivate a side hustle?

A side hustle is usually for most people what they do to earn extra income. But side hustle is more than a side job. It can become an important career building activity that inspires and grows you. Here are several reasons why developing a side hustle can be good for you.

Increases your professional scope:

There are only so many skills your day job requires you to use in a workplace that gives you freedom and opportunity to do several things. Your side hustle, if well chosen, can enrich your career because you get to develop or use other skills, indulge in and expand your areas of interest and professional horizons. Key question: What could you actively engage in outside your day job that feeds your passions, nurtures your aspirations or draws on your talents? Whatever you go for, make sure it’s part of your overall career plan not something done on a whim or randomly.

Tames your expectations of your employer:

Besides a salary, employees look for professional growth and opportunity. These are fair expectations but when your day job is your one and only professional endeavour the tendency can be that you expect your employer to meet all your professional development needs which these days is unrealistic. Key question: What side hustle can you take up that will not constitute conflict interest with your employer and gives you room to advance your own development? Make sure you are not jeopardizing your day job; don’t violate the terms of your employment and don’t work on your side hustle during your day job hours.

Makes up for an unfulfilling job:

Whether your side hustle is income generating or not, having a professional pursuit outside of your day job gives you some creative and career development freedom and has the psychological benefit of helping you cope better where things on the day job are not going well. You don’t even have to necessarily quit a job because it’s not satisfying but you can introduce interesting components to your career via a side hustle. Use your side hustle to test new ideas, fields or even to test-drive a new career if you think your current one is going nowhere. Your additional experience from this broader activity will make you more interesting, which is always an advantage career-wise. Key question: What side hustle activity would counter the unfulfilling bits of your day job?

Now take action:

Would a side hustle would be appropriate for you? Which one?

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