Can You Hold a Part-time Job While Working Full-Time?

Holding a side hustle or a part-time job in addition to a full-time job is the reality for many across the U.S. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this even more common, as laid-off or furloughed workers are turning to side hustle jobs or part-time jobs until they find a more permanent full-time role.

Regardless of your personal situation, the following thought has probably crossed your mind at some point in your career: “Can I take up a second job while working full-time?” With careful planning, ample communication, and commitment, you can pursue both. Take these steps to determine if you can successfully balance a side hustle and a full-time job.

Step One: Review Your Roles

If you’re intending on picking up a side job while working full-time, you’ll need to review each job’s responsibilities carefully. Look at your full-time job’s schedule to see if it allows for flexibility in having a second job. For example, do you have to work weekends? Does your schedule stay the same each week? Do you have to be on call for certain days?

From there, you can review your second job’s expectations. If your side hustle requires you to work on weekends, but your full-time job does not, you’ll likely avoid scheduling issues. If you must be at your full-time job during certain hours, that takes away from your flexibility and availability for a part-time role.

Step Two: Review Your Lifestyle

As mentioned, working a side job while at your full-time job requires planning. You’ll want to review your lifestyle and decide if working two jobs is feasible. In some cases, you may need to hire childcare or arrange for someone to walk your dog on days when you work both jobs. Reviewing your lifestyle to make sure it’s conducive to holding multiple jobs is essential to succeed in your career (and to prevent burnout).

Step Three: Clearly Communicate Your Needs

To effectively work two jobs, you’ll need to communicate with your managers. If there are days you cannot work at your part-time job because of your full-time job’s schedule, you need to tell your manager. Without communicating this need, your supervisor will fit you into the schedule as they see fit. This can understandably cause conflicts (and stress) down the road.

Similarly, let your full-time boss know that on certain days you won’t be available after the office closes. By being upfront, your manager will know you’ll be out of pocket, so they won’t expect to hear from you.

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Step Four: Be Realistic

Whether you’re working a second job or side hustle to make ends meet, pay off debts, or save up for a large expense, you can easily become overwhelmed. When juggling jobs, deadlines can slip through the cracks, and you can fall behind in productivity. If you don’t check in with yourself regularly, you run the risk of burning out and potentially losing one of your jobs.

Take time to ask yourself if your situation is really working for you. In some cases, you may need to cut back on hours worked or search for a different side hustle that provides more flexibility.

Remember, working a full-time job and a part-time job or side hustle is possible, but it requires extra effort. By keeping these tips in mind, you can set yourself up for success in all of your roles.

Start searching for your next part-time or full-time job – or both – on iHire.