Moonlighting as a Second Option | The Communication Blog

Friday, January 7, 2011

Moonlighting as a Second Option

By Antonio Valdez


Applying for a second job while currently employed is what is referred to as moonlighting. There was once a time when moonlighting was employed only by underpaid employees and those who were cash strapped. These days, some people consider modeling as a second career; check with a reputable licensed modeling agency too see if this might be an option for you -- but watch out for those who just want your money!

Recent times, however, have dictated people to look for second jobs especially with the high cost of living these days. Now, you will find even successful professionals, as well as people from all walks of life try to supplement their income by having second jobs. For most people, moonlighting is not resorted to just for the money. Sometimes they do it just to learn more skills and get more training. It is worthy to note that even employers nowadays recognize the value of their employees having second jobs.

The main and most common reason why people like to do a little moonlighting is because of money. Having extra income can be a big help in augmenting daily expenses. According to an author, there are lots of professionals today who seek second jobs because they consider it as a fallback, especially when they feel that their full time job is not as stable as it used to be.

Most people also think that having a second job provides some sense of employment security. The scenario is that most professionals feel that their full time job is unstable, thus they look for a second job that will act as their back-up in case the first one falls through. Meanwhile, having a second job reaps different psychological benefits that include the thinking that the employee is not bound to his first job.

Contrary to those mentioned, however, is that there are also drawbacks in having second jobs. One drawback is that which related to time. Will you want to spend an extra ten or twenty hours each week working for your second job? Time management will be a major issue in this case because you will have to balance your time between your day job, your second job, your family and yourself as well.

On the other hand, having a second job will require you to spend an extra ten or twenty hours each week. There might even be instances where a conflict of interest might arise. This is mostly the case with software industries. This is because the training and knowledge gained with the full time employer will be used and applied on the second job. Sometimes, there are employers who insist on having rights to your thinking.

One of the reasons why employers discourage second jobs is the fear that their employees will burn out resulting to less, if not unsatisfactory work performance output. We cannot argue the fact that there are companies out there who demand more than the time allotted for them, even during off hours. This does not discount the fact that people get easily irritated when they lack sleep or are stressed. Meanwhile, having a second job can also lead to employer irritation in a way that gets them thinking that they're not paying you enough.

Considering all these, having a second job is not as bad as it might look. Everything will turn out fine as long as you reduce the risk of a burnout or perhaps even a conflict of interest. If your company has policies on moonlighting, try to know what these are. Supplementing your income is not a big deal but you should also think about the risks involved as well as the sacrifices you have to make.




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