3 Tips On Handling A Side Gig With A Full-Time Job

A lot of us struggle to keep up with our full-time job – having a side gig on top of this seems out of the question. But it doesn’t have to be. There is a large group of Singaporeans who keep their 9 to 5 while earning an additional stream of income through side-gigs.  

In this day and age, if you’re not already participating in a side-gig – you’re losing out and here are the reasons why you should start a side hustle.

My friend Linda, handles two side-gigs while keeping her day-job. She works full-time as a marketing executive for renowned agency in Singapore. She has the typical 5-day work week with standard working hours, there are even days where she is required to work overtime as well. She’s still in the first 5 years of starting her career, so, she is very career-driven and goes the extra mile at work to climb up the corporate ladder.  

So where exactly does she find the time to work two-side gigs while maintaining a full-time job? Linda told me that her secret is participating in side-gigs that she would typically do as a hobby. Being a fashion enthusiast and an avid social media user, she spends a lot of her time researching, shopping and posting about her fashion-related endeavours – so why not make an additional income out of it?  

Her side-gigs include being a freelance social media marketer for an apparel company in Singapore and owning her own clothing store on Instagram. Because her side-gigs are related to her passion and something she would traditionally do after she clocks of her full-time job, she finds it easy to make time for them. She believes that having a side-gig is all about proper time-management, instead of wasting time away on social media or watching Netflix pointlessly (a lot of us are guilty as charged). She manages her time such that she makes full use of her free hours while taking an adequate break.  

She has set her own long-term goals. She wants to be a full-time business owner and designer of an apparel store in the future. Having these goals in mind, she makes sure her current side-jobs aligns and bolsters these goals. Having a long-term plan makes it easier for Linda to stay motivated and prevent burn out.  

Setting these boundaries make it easier for Linda to maintain her full-time job while having two side-gigs. Want to be like her? Here are three valuable tips on making this balancing game a lot easier:  

1. Make Sure You Set Goals for Your Side-Gigs

What are you trying to do in engaging in side-gigs? Are you solely trying to find another avenue to make money? Are you attempting to grow your portfolio? Setting a goal is very important and here’s why.

Acknowledging your goals will make it easier for you to stay motivated while having a side-gig. You have to understand that assimilating into the side-gig journey is not going to be an easy transition at the start, you need to find the time for this additional responsibility and you need to put in the effort to make this a sustainable source of income.  

Our pro tip: find a side-gig that you actually have interest in or one that you have the relevant skills for. Having a side-gig that you find simple to do will be easier to find the time for.  

2. Exercise Proper Time Management to Include Your Side-Gigs

One of the biggest challenges you’ll face is finding the time for your side-gig. If you have the habit of procrastinating – you’ll have to change if you want to embark on the side-gig culture.  

Our pro-tip: Set a timetable. Yes, this sounds cliche but it is an effective way of managing your time. Map out your free hours in the week, splitting them to make time for your side-gig, to give you sufficient rest and for your social life. It might take a while to get used to this routine lifestyle but once you get a hang of it – managing your side-gig while having a full-time job will be so much easier. 

3. Understand The Scope of Your Full-time Job

First of all, you don’t want to get fired. Understand the scope of your full-time job’s contract, are you legally allowed to have a freelance gig? If you’re good to go, make sure you don’t work on your side job during your full-time hours to remain respectful to your company.  

Understand the scope of your full-time job. Is it already too draining for you? Do you find yourself already working overtime too much? If this is the case for you, side-gigs might not be your best answer, delve into investments and passive income streams instead.  

At Bridge, we provide several gig opportunities for freelancers and self-employed persons, do be sure to sign up and check out what is available. 

Check out our career guidance page for more useful lifestyle and career tips!   

Stay Connected! Join Our Newsletter

Weekly tips and articles to empower you in landing your dream job!
SUBSCRIBE
close-link