The Side Job
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Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Side Job
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I was an on-call firefighter for nine years. Made for a great way to get out from in front of a computer screen. Also made for some long days at my day job (who were super cool about it) when we were out all night.
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Many years ago I needed to better support my family while working a job 7:30am-5:30pm, so I got a second job working 6:00pm-10:pm. When my main employer found out, I was told to drop the second job or lose my position.
Rick
Disaster Recovery = Backup ( Backup ( Your Backup ) ) -
Ten years ago, two of my daughters were taking violin and viola lessons from a professional violinist. He sells some things related to violinists and viola students. He wanted a website, and he asked me if I would create it and maintain it. I've done so ever since. I created a side gig based upon writing websites and continuing to maintain his. However, it has basically been a bust. I've tried to do websites for other small, local companies, but no one is interested. Either they haven't the money to do anything other than just survive, or they'll get a niece or nephew to do it. And the guy whose website I wrote and maintain, only has updates to it every other year. So, I've learned that trying to do local business's websites doesn't pay.
I'm interested in exploring other ideas.
Rod
- Steve Hoyer wrote:
I was an on-call firefighter for nine years. Made for a great way to get out from in front of a computer screen. Also made for some long days at my day job (who were super cool about it) when we were out all night.
That is a very cool job, and much respect. I know a few fire fighters, and it's quite the job
- skeleton567 wrote:
Many years ago I needed to better support my family while working a job 7:30am-5:30pm, so I got a second job working 6:00pm-10:pm. When my main employer found out, I was told to drop the second job or lose my position.
I've had that as well when it was a related job. When I worked in restaurants or non-IT stuff, they were more accepting, though I wasn't making much $$
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I've done some after hours IT consulting to an assortment of small businesses early on in my career, usually as an "off the books" exchange of services situation. Had a close friend whose business helped other small businesses set up standardized office processes (accounting and payroll mostly) once they had outgrown the "company owner has a checkbook" phase. I was one of the guys she'd call when they had no idea where to start with IT. Outside of IT, I've made a few dollars selling some wood turned items I've made. Not something I could make a living off of, but enough to partially offset the cost of the hobby.
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Cool. I've sold a few pens (and made more as gifts), and I agree. Not much more than offsetting costs.
Here's one of mine.
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Also, my daughter learning to turn
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Very nice. Funny how quickly you realize you don't like disposable pens anymore. 🙂
The stuff I have sold are mostly sewing related. Seam rippers and stilettos mostly. Every time one of the ladies in my life goes off to a quilting class / retreat they come back with a requests for a half dozen or more of them. There is definitely a market in the quilting world for high end seam rippers, but that market seems to be only being filled by hand turned ones. Kits are ~$6 these days, take 30 min to an hour in construction time, and are grabbed up quickly in the $20 - $30 range.
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As I near retirement, the concept of a side job has been on my mind more often.
As my career winds down, I find myself wondering what, if any, technical skills I have that MIGHT translate into a side job and that I would enjoy doing.
The skills that I have continued to use throughout (and have enjoyed the most) have been database modeling and the use of SQL to develop and to troubleshoot issues (e.g., trying to understand and fix poorly written and\or confusing code).
I am thinking there must be smaller companies out there that could benefit from short contracts to have somebody like me come in for. Has anybody ever looked into this or given it a try? I'm thinking it would be a part-time retirement "side gig" at most.
Thanks and Happy New Year.
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Good luck in retirement and a side job.
I have to say, this weekend was my side job, coaching volleyball. Practice Sat am (and then some chores) and then all day yesterday at a tournament.
Nice to have the break, and it helps when getting back to the day job today.
- netmikem wrote:
As I near retirement, the concept of a side job has been on my mind more often.
As my career winds down, I find myself wondering what, if any, technical skills I have that MIGHT translate into a side job and that I would enjoy doing.
The skills that I have continued to use throughout (and have enjoyed the most) have been database modeling and the use of SQL to develop and to troubleshoot issues (e.g., trying to understand and fix poorly written and\or confusing code).
I am thinking there must be smaller companies out there that could benefit from short contracts to have somebody like me come in for. Has anybody ever looked into this or given it a try? I'm thinking it would be a part-time retirement "side gig" at most.
Thanks and Happy New Year.
Hi netmikem, I made a long reply, but something happened to it. I thought I sent it, but it never showed up. Anyway, I'd like to collaborate with you on your new adventure. I've started following you and I invite you to follow me.
Rod
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