Second job, anyone?

The art of the side gig

June 12, 2023

Hi pals! I woke up on the right side of the bed this morning and decided I’m going to have a good week, and I think you should too! Go grab your favorite coffee and maybe even a little midday treat, we’re accepting nothing but good things all week.

Monday’s music: Hyping myself up and playing “Break My Soul” before every meeting I walk into today.

—Rod

The Art Of the Side Hustle Gig

You mean I could have been getting paid to be a part-time professional sleeper this entire time?

Introducing the “side hustle,” which we’re calling the “side gig” since the word h*stle is about as bad at WorkDaze as the word Voldemort was at Hogwarts. A side gid is an extra job in addition to your main job that, according to a Deloitte survey, 46% of Gen Z and 37% of millennials are currently working.

I know you’re probably thinking, “But Rod, why would I want another job when I don’t even want the one I already have?” Some reasons:

To spark creativity: If you’re not passionate about your main job but it pays the bills, a side gig can help unleash that creativity your 9-5 doesn’t.

To make extra cash: If you want to pay off those fourth row Beyoncé tickets you just put on your credit card…extra money is never a bad thing.

To cure your boredom: Have free time on your hands and can’t rewatch The Vampire Diaries again? Getting paid for a side gig sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.

From driving Uber to standing in line for someone else (where were they in the Great Ticketmaster War of 2022?), there’s a side gig for just about any skill set. And thanks to flexible and remote jobs, it’s easier than ever to land one, whether you tell your boss about it or not. Some interesting ones you don’t need a grad school degree to do:

  • Pet sitting/dog walking: Rover is an on-demand pet sitting app where people hire you to watch their pet.

  • Taking online surveys: Why not take a few surveys to make a quick buck? You can do it in the middle of your 27th New Girl binge.

  • Test grading: Get paid to grade assessments and standardized tests like the ACT and SAT online. Fun fact: I fell asleep while taking the ACT...so this one might not be for me.

If you read those and thought, “It’s time to take my [insert obscure hobby here] to the next level and get paid for it,” I’ve got two things for you to keep in mind as you navigate a second job.

Choose something you like: If you enjoy what you do for your “real” job, try freelancing on the side. And if you don’t, make sure to choose something that makes you proudly say…

Don’t overcommit: Remember, this is another responsibility that requires time and, in most cases, at least some kind of brain power. Unless of course you land a professional sleeper role. And in that case, put in a good word for me, will ya?

Do you have a side gig?

Click one to tell me more.

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Things to Slack your work besties

…while you look up side gigs on your work computer.

”You don’t need to be fixed, you just need to feel.” Taking Sierra’s advice to heart the next time I cry watching the Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercial that’s been on the air for entirely way too long. IYKYK.

Be still my millennial heart. The OC and Laguna Beach crossover we always needed. Kristin Cavallari was recently a guest on Rachel Bilson’s podcast Broad Ideas and looks like the two became instant besties.

Y’all have room for one more?

Take a trip to Barbie Land and learn how Greta Gerwig had the Barbies and Kens prepare for their roles in the upcoming Barbie movie, including having a fancy hotel slumber party.

Thanks so much for reading! Wishing you the best week ever. See you back here on Friday to answer some more of your Qs!

IDK WHAT DO I KNOW?! LMAO!

—Rod

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