I was recently in this position. I hated my full time job last year and wanted OUT immediately. I was so burnt out from doing real estate rental sales. I quit because the money I was bringing in was far below the personal toll it took on my time, energy and social life. However, I did had no idea what I wanted to do for work. Getting into another unfulfilling job was the last thing I wanted. So I set out to find a way that I could make enough money to survive without having to commit to a full-time job until I was certain that it was what I wanted. To discover what I truly wanted to do for work, I also wanted to have ample free time to reflect on what I truly desired to do full-time.
So I had four wants: to make enough money to live comfortably, to have ample free time to figure out what I really wanted to do for work (and to apply to jobs), to avoid committing to any full-time position until it was sure it was what I really wanted, and, if possible, to build my resume so that I could get the best position possible when I interviewed. How did I solve this problem?
The simple answer is that I created a system of working multiple easy, high-paying part-time jobs. I wanted to work easy jobs so that I would be able to stay relaxed, even while I was working. But I needed the jobs to be high-paying, since I live in Boston, one of the most expensive cities in the nation. To fulfill these wants, I needed to find jobs that would fill these requirements, otherwise I would be no better off than when I was working my awful full-time job.
Unfortunately, part time jobs often do not build resumes - so I also needed to solve this problem. My solution was figuring out the fastest possible track to get promotions to management positions in these part time jobs. That way, I would be gaining management experience, which is an excellent resume builder.
Working part time granted me the ability to choose my schedule, all the time. I could interview whenever I wanted. I could take extended vacations if I felt like it. And, if I wanted a lot of money at the moment, I could work a ton of hours and bring in a huge paycheck for that week.
It requires discipline and mindfulness, but it is able to meet all my requirements. I was able to work easy jobs and make great money. In fact, over the course of last year I made almost $40,000 working only an average of 24 hours a week doing only part time jobs. It is possible.
I wrote my book, Scraping By: The Smart Way to Turn Small Jobs into Big Money, to outline exactly that process. Through a lot of trial and error, I was able to perfect a system that kept me well-paid and relaxed. In fact, I loved these jobs. They were easy jobs, my co-workers were tons of fun and I was able to gain great management experience.
To read about my system, go to www.scrapingbysmart.com. I detail exactly what I did to make great money with high-paying, easy part time jobs, as well as ways to save money, bargain shopping and all sorts of tips to live well between full-time jobs.
-Erick Broderick
About the Author
Erick Broderick is the author of Scraping By. The book can be found at http://www.ScrapingBySmart.com. Erick's goal is to give people choice and power over how much money they make without risk. In his book, Erick cautions against taking jobs that pay by commission, sales or tips, since they result in making your weekly paycheck a gamble.
