Nowadays, it seems like everyone has some sort of side hustle. In fact, it’s becoming more and more common to balance a few different gigs and for all of them to contribute to your overall career goals in some way.
Here are a few things you should know before you get started with your own side hustle.
The word “hustle” is there for a reason.
Just like the name implies, a side hustle requires work. Because it’s done outside of a full-time job or a full course load, a side hustle requires a lot of commitment and a lot of energy. Remember, the time and effort you spend on your side hustle will be in addition to your already-busy schedule.
Passion is a great motivator.
It can be hard to find the motivation to invest time on top of your already-busy schedule if you aren’t passionate about what you’re doing. It’s much easier to carry on working after you’ve completed your homework or after you’ve left your internship for the day if you have a genuine interest in what you’re working on.
You can feature them on your resume.
Identify relevant aspects of your side hustle and add them to your resume, especially if you’ve seen successful results from your work. Focus on the important skills you’ve learned and highlight anything that’s relevant to your general career goals. Be prepared to talk these through in more depth, specifically with regards to how they contribute to your professional success. Your side hustle is also a great way to bring in some extra cash – for more money-making ideas, check out “12 Great Ways to Earn Extra Money in College.”
Prioritizing is key.
The busier you are, the more important prioritizing becomes. In order to effectively balance the time you spend on work, class, homework, and your side hustle (and all the other important things in your life), you need to pay close attention to what’s most important to you at any given time. Have a big exam coming up? You might need to dedicate some extra time to studying for a week or two. Have a free weekend around the corner? Make some major progress on that side hustle task you’ve been planning for.
Be prepared to adapt.
As things change, you’ll need to be ready to adapt accordingly. If your side hustle takes off and sees more success, you’ll have think about how to scale your processes to account for that. If things shift in your personal life, think about how that will affect the time and energy you invest in your side hustle. Remember that you’ll see ebbs and flows in your business, and it’s important to prepare accordingly.
Interested in starting a side hustle of your own? Check out 10 Side Hustles You Can Start Right Now.
