Thinking about a 2nd job

[00ChevyScott]

I'm about to turn 25, graduated college with a pretty worthless degree, and am still working my college job only full time now. It's not a bad job, but not near as "professional" as I'd like to be. I'm currently making ~35-40k a year, working ~50 hour weeks. Me and a buddy are looking into renting a house in the near future, and he makes similar money.

I'm also not the most social person ever, so I work my 9am to 6pm shift, go home and do a whole lot of nothing most days, and then start things over the next day. I'm wondering if a 2nd job would be worth looking into, and maybe some suggestions on some places to look into. I was thinking something like 7pm - 11pm Monday through Friday would be do-able. For those of you who've been there and done that, was it worth it? I haven't been saving as much as I should the last year or so, and I'm wanting to make up for it. I've started a savings account and am trying to toss $100 a week into it, and am trying to limit large expenditures.

 

[Krav]

I'm about to turn 25, graduated college with a pretty worthless degree, and am still working my college job only full time now. It's not a bad job, but not near as "professional" as I'd like to be. I'm currently making ~35-40k a year, working ~50 hour weeks. Me and a buddy are looking into renting a house in the near future, and he makes similar money.

I'm also not the most social person ever, so I work my 9am to 6pm shift, go home and do a whole lot of nothing most days, and then start things over the next day. I'm wondering if a 2nd job would be worth looking into, and maybe some suggestions on some places to look into. I was thinking something like 7pm - 11pm Monday through Friday would be do-able. For those of you who've been there and done that, was it worth it? I haven't been saving as much as I should the last year or so, and I'm wanting to make up for it. I've started a savings account and am trying to toss $100 a week into it, and am trying to limit large expenditures.

2 jobs would burn me out. If I had to do it for my family, I wouldn't think twice. Maybe try it, but if it starts to beat on you, walk away.

 

[00ChevyScott]

2 jobs would burn me out. If I had to do it for my family, I wouldn't think twice. Maybe try it, but if it starts to beat on you, walk away.

I'm single with no kids, so that's a plus financially. I agree that it'd be hard, but I'm a hard worker and I know I could do it. I guess it just boils down to if I can find somewhere willing to hire me for the hours I'd be available for, that didn't completely suck. It wouldn't be permanent (hopefully), just wanting to really jump start some savings so I can have more stability moving into the next phase of my life. The more ideal solution would be to move to a better primary job or move into a career, but I'm not sure what I want to do at this point. A 2nd job seems like an easier fit, and easier to get out of if it turns out to not be something I want.

The only real expenses I have at the moment are the remainder of a car loan and basic rent/bills. I've got 30 more payments on my car loan ($9500) and my credit card is almost paid off. I've already paid most of the interested on the car loan, so I'm not too worried about trying to hurry and pay it off.

 

[RWT]

Double up on the work while you are young and can physically pull it off. Try to find something that interest you and you would do for free or little pay. Take the extra cash and save it. The more you save now the earlier you can get out and retire. If it is something you enjoy it will feel less like work and likely lead you into a path that is more rewarding. I speak from experience. I took a job 18 months ago primarily for the money. Yes 6 figures is nice, but I am seriously looking for a change and doing something I enjoy. I did the short run and put $ in the bank and now can focus on finding joy in my work. What field of work are you in now, what is your degree and what are you interest?

I read a book years ago titled "what color is your parachute". I am not one to believe in the psycho babble, but the exercises in the book taught me I enjoy builiding things and I obtain my job satisfaction from building an item or seeing a project to completetion. I then took that information and looked at what fields of work would pay me to do those task. Carpentry is great, but doesn't pay well and I don't have the physical skills. I then found sales. I can build a deal from sratch and once it closes receive the same satisfaction as I would building a table. Additionally sales pays well.

 

[Ernie1980]

I got a second job out of college by keeping my part time job at the YMCA after I got my "big boy" job. I still have it 10 years later- it gives me some extra spending money and some variety. I would go for it and see how it goes. The worst that could happen is you don't like it and quit.
By the way, where in Texas are you?

 

[00ChevyScott]

Double up on the work while you are young and can physically pull it off. Try to find something that interest you and you would do for free or little pay. Take the extra cash and save it. The more you save now the earlier you can get out and retire. If it is something you enjoy it will feel less like work and likely lead you into a path that is more rewarding. I speak from experience. I took a job 18 months ago primarily for the money. Yes 6 figures is nice, but I am seriously looking for a change and doing something I enjoy. I did the short run and put $ in the bank and now can focus on finding joy in my work. What field of work are you in now, what is your degree and what are you interest?

I read a book years ago titled "what color is your parachute". I am not one to believe in the psycho babble, but the exercises in the book taught me I enjoy builiding things and I obtain my job satisfaction from building an item or seeing a project to completation. I then took that information and looked at what fields of work would pay me to do those task. Carpentry is great, but doesn't pay well and I don't have the physical skills. I then found sales. I can build a deal from sratch and once it closes receive the same satisfaction as I would building a table. Additionally sales pays well.

Right now I work for an auto parts retailer, specifically doing commercial sales. I take phone orders from local shops and dealers for parts, and it's very fast paced. I take 30+ calls an hour most of the day, voice recognition is key (knowing who I'm talking to so I save time and get right to what they need). I also have to be quick with receiving information as well as producing answers for my customers. This includes being able to source parts that aren't readily available. It's a surprising challenging job a lot of days, but thankfully there are no hard line sales quotas or pushy gimmicks. It's 100% customer satisfaction based sales. I get them what they want, and make sure they're happy. We have an outside sales rep that does most of the programs and "extra" stuff. However, I feel I'm worth more than they're paying me. I have the ability to jump into just about anything and pick it up quickly, but I keep getting stuck with the "lets wait and see how you do" routine which winds up lasting much longer than necessary.

As far as my degree, it's a little bit complicated. I started out in the business program at the University of North Texas. I took lots of business related classes including accounting and the like, but really didn't enjoy it and there were just too many prerequisite classes. I transferred to the Public Affairs and Community Service department of the college and started taking Public Administration, Behavior Analysis, and Criminal Justice classes. My degree isn't very specific, but I enjoyed the classes much more. I actually paid attention in most of them, and most of the classes were "debate" style rather than reading chapters to be tested over later. I say it's useless because I can't think of too many jobs that it would open up for me other than the fact that I have a Bachelors degree from a decent school.

I got a second job out of college by keeping my part time job at the YMCA after I got my "big boy" job. I still have it 10 years later- it gives me some extra spending money and some variety. I would go for it and see how it goes. The worst that could happen is you don't like it and quit.
By the way, where in Texas are you?

I'm in the DFW area. For now I'd like to stay in this area, but if a great enough opportunity came up, I'd be willing to relocate.

 

[RWT]

Don't fret on the degree I have a BBA , majored in management and minored in english. I was going to tell everyone what to do and write it down so they wouldn't forget. Guess what, I hate managing people............. go figure. You can do very well in sales and if you are willing to travel some, much better. I didn't see the good money until I jumped on a plane. Now I travel 125K miles per year CONUS and 40K OCONUS and have been doing that for 7 years now. I finally decided to get off the planes and find a sit down job by the end of the year. I assume you are in your 20's and most people will tell you , "you can't sell anything until your mid 30's". Problem is most place won't give you an opportunity. If you want better $ I would suggesgt sales of some sort.

Based on your experience I would look for a sales gig covering west coast phone sales or as tech support/customer service of some sort working the hours that fit you. Don't sweat about being quailfied, just have teh atttitude that you can do anything and are willing to learn. Most companies will train you to handle the position, the key is being willing to.

 

[Harden Knives]

I know this sounds crazy. But have you looked for a sewing machine or vacuum technician position? I'm still in high school and have moved on to sales in the sewing and vacuum industry but being a tech is a nice easy job.

Not a whole lot of training is needed and you get to sit on your butt all day and listen to your jams. The only problem might be the hours but i know a few shops that do repairs at night so its not distracting to the sales people.

You could easily get $10-12 an hour and only work 4 hours a day.

Just a thought anyways, who knows, maybe you'd move into sales eventually and make the big bucks.

 

[00ChevyScott]

Don't fret on the degree I have a BBA , majored in management and minored in english. I was going to tell everyone what to do and write it down so they wouldn't forget. Guess what, I hate managing people............. go figure. You can do very well in sales and if you are willing to travel some, much better. I didn't see the good money until I jumped on a plane. Now I travel 125K miles per year CONUS and 40K OCONUS and have been doing that for 7 years now. I finally decided to get off the planes and find a sit down job by the end of the year. I assume you are in your 20's and most people will tell you , "you can't sell anything until your mid 30's". Problem is most place won't give you an opportunity. If you want better $ I would suggesgt sales of some sort.

Based on your experience I would look for a sales gig covering west coast phone sales or as tech support/customer service of some sort working the hours that fit you. Don't sweat about being quailfied, just have teh atttitude that you can do anything and are willing to learn. Most companies will train you to handle the position, the key is being willing to.

Yes I'm in my mid 20s. I had a discussion with a friend that's in the same field as me the other day, and the gist of what I was talking to him about was that I'd much rather be the guy that's too young for the job, than the guy that's too old. I'm not saying I want to rush into things, but I want to push myself and increase my value to my employer as well as build experience for a comfortable mid life. I don't want to be the guy in his 30s living paycheck to paycheck with no future. The fear of failure isn't my primary motivation, but it's definitely not something I ever want to experience. Luckily I've got a good family who has provided me with great support and didn't let me fall into the cracks like lots of other people out there.

 

[12345678910]

I wouldn't rush into sharing a house with somebody, if you don't really do much then you don't need all that extra space and expense


It's easier to spend less, than it is to make more.

 

[00ChevyScott]

I wouldn't rush into sharing a house with somebody, if you don't really do much then you don't need all that extra space and expense


It's easier to spend less, than it is to make more.

I'm not living in an apartment anymore. I've done it twice and its not something I want. A rental house is well worth the extra money to me until I can afford to buy one. But I don't want to buy until I start a career and know I'll be in that area a while.

 

[scout1sg]

I can sort of relate to your position, I'm retired Army and wasn't the most social type a person prior to enlisting. That eventually faded but I can understand why business may have not been your thing as you would have certainly had to interact with the public much more. I'm an transition educational counselor now assisting Soldiers formulate educational plans when separating and the 1st thing I discuss with many as well as day 1 of a day workshop is starting off by establishing goals based on your personal factors and interests. I don't know if your income is the issue more than your current work is becoming redundant. I actually make a little less than what you make and have a Bachelors and 2 Associates, with me its never been about the money but the work environment and how you are treated, of course my retirement pension helps fill the void which helps with having 2 kids still in HS and potential college programs to follow. I would certainly try to pursue what interests you most but like anything it takes some work experience. I know if I were younger and not attached I would probably chase after some of the work in the oil industry, both your state of TX as well as that of ND seem interesting especially for those who are putting some extra time in and earning up to 80k and better with only HS diplomas or a little college. Last is the military, I'm not stating that just because I was a former Army Recruiter but for the fact it helps many to find themselves and realize what other potential interests you may have because you are exposed to many occupational backgrounds in your daily activities. In any event I wish you the best but as others have stated, its not worth burning yourself out by working 2 jobs just to pay more back in taxes as well as any added anxiety and loss of sleep/personal time.

 

[Shann]

A second job might be okay, make sure its something you enjoy to some degree or is in the area of interest you are trying to get in. If its not so much about the money but the time (you say you do a whole lot of nothing), why don't you volunteer for something you like or get involved in a club activity that might help you socialize. Of course, that's only if you want to go out and meet people as opposed to just avoid boredom.

 

[AL903TX]

Sounds like you work for NAPA Auto Parts like me lol.

 

[cchu518]

I think you should think about doing something you wanna do and then go after it.

 

[scout1sg]

A second job might be okay, make sure its something you enjoy to some degree or is in the area of interest you are trying to get in. If its not so much about the money but the time (you say you do a whole lot of nothing), why don't you volunteer for something you like or get involved in a club activity that might help you socialize. Of course, that's only if you want to go out and meet people as opposed to just avoid boredom.

Volunteering is a good point, if anything just for the networking ability. Sometimes (and maybe often too many times) its who you know and not what you know.

 

[other memory]

I wouldn't recommend getting a second job. Here is why...

Don't measure everything monetarily, that's a mistake. It appears you're doing better than you're letting on. Also, you're young. You have a lot of time to invest in yourself through skill and character attainment. Contrary to popular thinking, crappy second jobs yield neither. Think about it, who thinks crap is worth investing in? You said you're not as social as you'd like to be in your OP. Believe it or not, that's a desirable trait in the corporate work place because believe it or not, not a lot of people have proper social skills. The good news is you can get better at it for free, you just need time to practice, which you said you have.

Work, work, work is not the key to success. It's the key to being distracted from what really matters. Work hard at what matters, not simply getting by until tomorrow. Read Penelope Trunk. Yes, she is a little egotistical and neurotic but her ideas work. More good news, a lot of her ideas are free.

 

[00ChevyScott]

I wouldn't recommend getting a second job. Here is why...

Don't measure everything monetarily, that's a mistake. It appears you're doing better than you're letting on. Also, you're young. You have a lot of time to invest in yourself through skill and character attainment. Contrary to popular thinking, crappy second jobs yield neither. Think about it, who thinks crap is worth investing in? You said you're not as social as you'd like to be in your OP. Believe it or not, that's a desirable trait in the corporate work place because believe it or not, not a lot of people have proper social skills. The good news is you can get better at it for free, you just need time to practice, which you said you have.

Work, work, work is not the key to success. It's the key to being distracted from what really matters. Work hard at what matters, not simply getting by until tomorrow. Read Penelope Trunk. Yes, she is a little egotistical and neurotic but her ideas work. More good news, a lot of her ideas are free.

I didn't mean that I don't have social skills. I'm actually very good with my co-workers and even complete strangers. I worked in a public retail position for 5 years (PT and FT), so I can easily talk to someone I've never met. I meant that I don't go out at night or go to bars/concerts and stuff. Most of my friends have moved on to other things and I only have 2 real friends anymore. So if they're both working, I really don't have a whole lot to do other than waste time on the internet or spending money I shouldn't out of boredom.

As far as investing in myself goes, I have a 401k that I invest the maximum amount my employer will match, plus I am enrolled in an employee stock purchase plan. I've only had the 401k for about 2 years and have gotten it up almost to $10,000.

 

[MikeH]

Brings back memories. I was 25 and was not a really socially active person, as I had recently tired of that scene, sour on women from a couple of experiences, had my first job just out of college (although a really good engineering job) and was feeling at loose ends and in a rut. Then I was invited to a party at which I knew almost no one. Walked into the front room and (boom!) the blonde sitting on the couch instantly jerked me out of my rut. Our 43rd anniversary is in July.

Moral: Things change. As static as your situation seems now, it won't be so for long. You are 25 years old. The whole world is out there! Go enjoy it! (And don't decline any party invitations.)

 

[coaltrain]

I'd like to share a little of my experience with you - maybe it will help - maybe not. When I was your age (without a degree) I was in the same exact position you are in now as far as a job just that mine was with a wholesale plumbing supplier. Like you say - very busy all the time (30+ phone calls an hour) and always up and around physically checking inventory in the warehouse. I really liked it then, but after 10 years it kind of burned me out.

I am now an early retiree - forced into that because of health reasons. I can now look back at me career(s) and easily see a pattern of sorts. Making a long story short, I had 3 different jobs in those 37 years of working. First was the one mentioned above, second was an equipment operator for the state, and third was a truck driver. I am also a very solitary person - can you guess which one I like best?

One thing prevails above all else with my job life - I absolutely must love what I am doing or I am miserable. There is nothing worse in the world than not looking forward to going to work in the morning. One job was so bad that it turned me to heavy drinking for a 10 year period - drinking so that I might forget about having to go back to work the next day.

Your position now is fine, and I applaud you for thinking about something better while trying to improve yourself and your income. Yes, money is nice, and that is what makes the world go around, but please don't let money take a front seat in your short or long term job selection. Making $100k a year doesn't mean a thing if you are miserable with your job.

My humble suggestion - keep doing what you are doing, but start trying out some different things on a part time basis in the evenings. It will help some with your present financial situation, but more importantly help you find what you really like in a job. My last job I had for my last 10 years of my working days I just loved. It was a big part of my daily life and I looked forward to going each and every day. I was quite upset when my health issues made me stop at age 55.

Have you guess which job that was yet? I worked alone with no supervision. I had one task to complete each day which was simple enough to do but it came with a huge responsibility. I didn't make great money, but for where I live it was more than most my age in the very rural area I live.