Freelancing on the side/second job?

[Jay Sherman]

Hello SJ,
I come to you with another question, like an insatiable 5 year-old. My question is whether any of you guys work second jobs to bring in a little extra dough. I've written for a Web site that was posted on JJobs for a little money on the side. It pays $15 a story and I can do as much as I want, so I've consistently done some of that on the side to supplement my income from journalism.

Do any of you guys work a second job or freelance anywhere in addition to your full-time journalism job? I guess this question is more geared for the younger guys who are making sub-$30k, rather than the seasoned veterans around here or any bigwigs.

 

[Ace]

Hello SJ,
I come to you with another question, like an insatiable 5 year-old. My question is whether any of you guys work second jobs to bring in a little extra dough. I've written for a Web site that was posted on JJobs for a little money on the side. It pays $15 a story and I can do as much as I want, so I've consistently done some of that on the side to supplement my income from journalism.

Do any of you guys work a second job or freelance anywhere in addition to your full-time journalism job? I guess this question is more geared for the younger guys who are making sub-$30k, rather than the seasoned veterans around here or any bigwigs.

I wouldn't mow a lawn for $15, let alone write a story for that price.

 

[BYH]

Hello SJ,
I come to you with another question, like an insatiable 5 year-old. My question is whether any of you guys work second jobs to bring in a little extra dough. I've written for a Web site that was posted on JJobs for a little money on the side. It pays $15 a story and I can do as much as I want, so I've consistently done some of that on the side to supplement my income from journalism.

Do any of you guys work a second job or freelance anywhere in addition to your full-time journalism job? I guess this question is more geared for the younger guys who are making sub-$30k, rather than the seasoned veterans around here or any bigwigs.

I wouldn't mow a lawn for $15, let alone write a story for that price.

How about if I throw in a glass of lemonade?

For writing the story, that is.

 

[Ace]

Hello SJ,
I come to you with another question, like an insatiable 5 year-old. My question is whether any of you guys work second jobs to bring in a little extra dough. I've written for a Web site that was posted on JJobs for a little money on the side. It pays $15 a story and I can do as much as I want, so I've consistently done some of that on the side to supplement my income from journalism.

Do any of you guys work a second job or freelance anywhere in addition to your full-time journalism job? I guess this question is more geared for the younger guys who are making sub-$30k, rather than the seasoned veterans around here or any bigwigs.

I wouldn't mow a lawn for $15, let alone write a story for that price.

How about if I throw in a glass of lemonade?

For writing the story, that is.

Fresh squeezed. None of that powder crap.

 

[BYH]

It's a bad economy, Ace. Beggars can't be choosy. Take the powder crap or leave it.

 

[Ace]

It's a bad economy, Ace. Beggars can't be choosy. Take the powder crap or leave it.

Stir it up good, dammit!

 

[Jay Sherman]

I should clarify, the stories are How To articles that take little-to-no research and about 10 minutes to complete. They are tedious so I only write around 5 a week, but $75 in my pocket (er, Paypal account) is nothing to laugh at, considering an added $300 a month is a sizable portion of my twice-monthly paycheck.

 

[Ace]

I should clarify, the stories are How To articles that take little-to-no research and about 10 minutes to complete. They are tedious so I only write around 5 a week, but $75 in my pocket (er, Paypal account) is nothing to laugh at, considering an added $300 a month is a sizable portion of my twice-monthly paycheck.

That's cool. Hope I don't owe for that post.

 

[RossLT]

It's a bad economy, Ace. Beggars can't be choosy. Take the powder crap or leave it.

Stir it up good, dammit!

CountryTime is delicious

 

[BYH]

It's a bad economy, Ace. Beggars can't be choosy. Take the powder crap or leave it.

Stir it up good, dammit!

CountryTime is delicious

See? I can always find someone willing to write a story for $15 and some lemonade.

Blow it out your ass, Ace. Your services are no longer needed.

Ross, can you mow my lawn too?

 

[lono]

It's a bad economy, Ace. Bloggers can't be choosy. Take the powder crap or leave it.

FIXED.

 

[BYH]

BleacherReport.com baybee!!!

 

[RossLT]

It's a bad economy, Ace. Beggars can't be choosy. Take the powder crap or leave it.

Stir it up good, dammit!

CountryTime is delicious

See? I can always find someone willing to write a story for $15 and some lemonade.

Blow it out your ass, Ace. Your services are no longer needed.

Ross, can you mow my lawn too?

I ain't worth a **** with a mower but I am money with a weed-whacker

 

[Jay Sherman]

This thread was a great success, IMO!

 

[luckyducky]

Jay ... I worked at McDonalds about 10 hours/week when I was working my first FT job out of college. Needed the extra money to pay for rent and gas (back when gas was $2/gal). Always been willing to freelance/string on the side, too, as long as my boss at the time is OK with it. Was working at a coffee shop with my most recent job, but that wasn't 40hrs+bennies.

I have a buddy who is a desker at a decent-sized paper in a not-too-pricey town. Lives with a roommate to help costs, but works part time at a bookstore, too.

 

[RossLT]

I was told by a person at the paper I used to work at that we were not allowed to get second jobs because "it would reflect badly on the paper if our employees had to supplement their income with a second job". I asked because I was thinking of getting a job stocking at a grocery store at night.

 

[mike311gd]

I did two full-time jobs two papers ago. Did it for four months until I told someone at my second job to fist himself and walked out. Man, that felt good.

I had the next three days off at the paper to store the hours for a state tournament. I went slept in, went shopping and watched a whole lot of TV. Kind of what I do now except I don't shop.

 

[Barsuk]

I was told by a person at the paper I used to work at that we were not allowed to get second jobs because "it would reflect badly on the paper if our employees had to supplement their income with a second job". I asked because I was thinking of getting a job stocking at a grocery store at night.

You know what else reflects badly on a paper? When it pays so little that its employees have to get second jobs.

 

[mike311gd]

What do they expect you to do when you can't pay the bills?

 

[Rosie]

I have a small one-woman side business which I started a few years before I went back to newspapers. I enjoy it too much to give it up, plus I like the extra cash.

If you are going to do a second job, be prepared to do a major balancing act. Since I'm my boss for my "second job" I can do that. Which helps since my hours at the paper I'm at now are so weird. And I mean weird in a good way - I wouldn't know how to deal with a regular 9 to 5 schedule.