Full time workers with a second job, what do you do and how do you manage it?

SaSkiller

If you can give general details on the firld you work in, hours, and pay it would be appreciated. I'm considering a second job but it seems untenable to do something in my current field, but I want to hear from people who have done it.

TomkoTech

What's the reason for the second job? If money is the ultimate motivator here, you should consider using that time to prepare for and pass certifications that will help you attain that goal. I decided to go into IT so I wouldn't have to worry about working multiple jobs.

Personally my full time job I work 7-4 M-F. However I frequently end up working late into the evening and on some weekends, so if I wanted an official part time job I really couldn't do it.

With that said I do side work when friends/family need and my schedule allows. My background is in the trades, and I help a friend flip houses frequently which I don't do so much for the money as to spend time with my friend doing work we enjoy. And there is the ever infamous fixing the computers of friends of friends/family.

GirlyGirl

I personally have worked two full time jobs twice in the past few years. The second jobs were 100% about the money and nothing else. I was working nights in a SOC, which I prefer so finding a day time job was really way too easy. It was a Desktop Support role that paid about 60K a year. Desktop support is a thing of the past, but like I said it was just about the money. The second night job I had was very similar to the first. Both jobs paid significantly less than my "real job I liked", I just wanted the money to help eliminate some bills.

How I did it:

I would bring my food to work, throw it in the microwave for 6 minutes then eat in my car. I suggest eating in the car to minimize people talking to you and killing your lunch break. After I ate, I would go to sleep for whatever time I had left for lunch, dinner, etc minus the time it took to walk back inside. Working in a SOC at night equals a lot of down time. Unless it was an incident on the other part of the world that equated to our nights and there days, it was down time. I have had more than one night job in my life, and every night job I have had enabled me a lot of down time. People would go to the gym, go eat, go home see the wife, etc. I would go to my car and go to sleep. If you leave for an hour nobody asked where you were or even cared.

When I worked a night job as a second job everything was basically the same as when I did the day as a second job. You had breaks and lunch/dinner just like the individuals on day shift. Well, I was in my car getting a nap in.

I suggest if you're going to do it your jobs should be close to your home. I went home in the morning showered, changed clothes, got a few hours of sleep in my bed, then went on about my day. I would not suggest working two jobs if you have family and children, but I know people that definitely do it. I actually gave my very expensive full blooded dog (to a no kill shelter) because I wasn't spending what I felt was enough time with her.

The advantage:

I personally know two individuals (not me) that have two full time jobs with both paying over 100K a year. So, it does have significant advantages from a financial standpoint. Even if you did it for 6 months. Working two jobs is not for everyone.

TechGromit

SaSkiller wrote: »

If you can give general details on the firld you work in, hours, and pay it would be appreciated. I'm considering a second job but it seems untenable to do something in my current field, but I want to hear from people who have done it.

I did it for a couple of years, I worked a few nights at a simulcast race track for Autotote, maintaining the machines that accepted cash and printed the betting slips. I worked two or three nights a week about 4 hours a night and all day Saturday for 8 till 4, usually no more than 20 hours a week, I think the union rate at the time was $13.50 a hour and I was making around $20 a hour at my full time job 40 hours a week, as a hardware tech at a casino. I didn't get rich, but made enough to pay off my car loan and some of my bills. I gave up a lot of Saturday's, I ended up giving it up because it was having an impact on my dating life.

Another reason was I foolish agreed to help a friend build there new house doing the electrical work (I was previously an electrician helper) I was spending all day Sunday and several more week nights working on there massive 4,000 sq. foot house, it took me a lot longer than I originally estimated mainly because a few weeks into the project her other two friends that agreed to help me stopped showing up. Took me a long time but I finished the job and she passed all her electrical inspections. I got burned out from all the work I was doing. This was about 15 years ago, I earn more than both job's hour wages combined now per hour.

tpatt100

I would last less than a year doing this....

JoJoCal19

Agree with TomkoTech, and also in a previous thread about this, dave330i was a very huge proponent of using the time you'd invest into a second job, towards bettering yourself and searching for a higher paying job. I was contemplating it too toward the end of the year but I took his advice and did just that, instead of getting a second job just focused on not just higher level certs that were in demand, but my job search in general. I was able to land a position making $20k more ($30k with bonus) and now a second job is just an afterthought.

SaSkiller

Thanks, at this point I don't have a viable path to "improving myself" to a point where it has a significant effect. Job doesn't require any specific skills, and company isn't going to shell out for future growth certs. Most beneficial would be to gain and practice skills in either pentesting, forensics or malware analysis but there just aren't many positions in the area, and those that do exist seem to be slated for people with more experience in that skillset. Company offers no real progression (contracting). and a even 30k bump doesn't compare IDT to 50-70k.

So I think the best idea may be a second job, maybe even something that is less mentally tasking like a support job, or alternatively something like a SOC job. I went from being able to save half my monthly pay to the only savings I have being my tax return.

tpatt100

Thanks, at this point I don't have a viable path to "improving myself" to a point where it has a significant effect. Job doesn't require any specific skills, and company isn't going to shell out for future growth certs.

You can still find some skills you would like to learn more about and just try and teach yourself for self enrichment. If you keep at it and keep your online presence up to date (Indeed, LinkedIn, Monster, etc) you might get lucky.

Danielm7

I know you're not going to want to hear it, but you're not going to find a lot of people here that will agree with the mindset. There is almost always a way to improve and a way out. You have decent certs. You can only do 2 jobs for so long, even if the other is part time, that's 8+ hours a day in your regular and likely 4+ in your other job. Before long you'll be wiped out every day in your regular job.

Can you move? How about self-learning, not everything is about certs. How are you searching for jobs now? Are you in touch with good recruiters? You passed the GPEN, can you get a remote pentester job? Are you in security now? There are usually better options then burning the candle at both ends for with a 2nd, lower paying job.

Raystafarian

If you need money you can always pick up the odd job at odesk assuming they fit your skillset.

jdancer

Another option is teach courses at colleges. Just check with your state board of higher education on degree requirements to teach.

SaSkiller

Danielm7 wrote: »

I know you're not going to want to hear it, but you're not going to find a lot of people here that will agree with the mindset. There is almost always a way to improve and a way out. You have decent certs. You can only do 2 jobs for so long, even if the other is part time, that's 8+ hours a day in your regular and likely 4+ in your other job. Before long you'll be wiped out every day in your regular job.

Can you move? How about self-learning, not everything is about certs. How are you searching for jobs now? Are you in touch with good recruiters? You passed the GPEN, can you get a remote pentester job? Are you in security now? There are usually better options then burning the candle at both ends for with a 2nd, lower paying job.

Well I moved down here for weather and to be closer to work. Best careers are in locations I really don't want to work. You might get paid well but COL cuts into profits, and then having to deal with ridiculous traffic.

I have offers for new jobs, but they are SOC analyst positions, I want to grow out of that area. Pentesting is something I might be interested in, but I have no experience, just knowledge. I am working on practicing but my attention is split as I said.

TomkoTech

Getting your CISSP would open up a lot of doors for you. With the certs you have listedm how do you have no experience in pen testing?

SaSkiller

The Cissp might help in future negotiations but i dont know how i would use it for that purpose. And I dont want to go into management.

As far as my certs go, i got them for knowledge, my career has been all on the defensive side. The hope was that once i was in security i could move around.

philz1982

I am an integration program manager and work 60+ hours a week. Outside of this I am beginning to monetize my blog through videos, podcasts, and e-books. I am also building a training course on the Togaf cert. This takes me around 20+ hours a week.

I get up at 4am to work until 7am and work from 7pm until 10pm. I am utilizing my blog posts to drive consulting opportunities. I plan to incorporate next year with an LLC. I am also working on an affiliate deal with a few vendors that I use regularly.

-Phil

coreyb80

I have my full time job M-F and I also DJ on the weekends as well. I definitely couldn't handle a FT & a PT job at this point in my life.

UnixGuy

@SaSkiller: you have GPEN and GCIH, those are good certs. How about doing the OSCP? this will add great value to your skillset and will open up doors for you.

I would defenitly use the time to do more labbing and more certs