Build Your Side Hustle While Working at Your Job

It is not once, neither is it twice that we have seen people quitting their jobs and starting their own businesses. Sometimes, scrap that, most times we find ourselves in companies or organisations that don’t fit our soul’s desires. But since bills wants to be paid, oh well, let’s giddy up.

There is a famous adage that goes something in the neighbourhood of, “if you don’t chase your dreams, you’ll help someone else chase his.”

Here is a clear picture of how that happens:

You wanted to be a lawyer but your highschool KCSE grades landed you in a journalism school. But since you love writing, you’re social and quite enthusiastic about current affairs, you accept and press in the acceleration gear.

Let’s move boy!

You graduate, with honours, wow. What’s the next phase? Looking for a job. And that’s where the nightmare lies, waiting to pounce on you and tear you into pieces. You tarmac, you knock on doors, you write CVs, you rewrite again, all a debacle.

“We will call you,” they promise, with plastic smiles on their faces – plastic promise, plastic smile.

You start wondering, what didn’t I do right? Which word didn’t I use in my prayers? Or am I over-qualified? Eeh? Ebu tell me.

After an year of praying hard and applying for jobs that none gave a feedback, you finally land a job. But there is one issue here, it is nothing close to what you were trained for – you got a job as a programs coordinator in one of the NGOs in town. The pay is good, the office is, well, fun, the colleagues are good too, but one more thing, the pressure keeps on piling everyday. You have deadlines to beat, your boss is grouchy and you know nothing about that job post. Nothing.

Work pressure
There is a thin line between doing what you like, and doing what you’re expected to do. At your workplace, there will always be things that your boss will expect you to do, and there are things that you will do out of passion. Example: Your boss might expect you to be at work at exactly 8:00 AM and leave at 5:00 PM. But since you like your job, you might end up reporting earlier and leaving the last one.

When praying for a job, also pray for a good working environment. Pray for understanding and cooperative colleagues. Pray for everything that will be surrounding your day to day grind. What determines the attitude towards your job is the people at your workplace – how you relate, how they conduct themselves and the culture of the organisation/company.

There are thousands, rather millions of people in wrong careers. There are lawyers who wanted to be engineers, Journalists who would have been fishermen, Writers who went to law schools, and a good number of artists who can’tremember where they hid their degree certificates. Such is life.

Balancing passion and career
There are people who discovered their talents quite early and they went extra miles to even monitize the talents. And then there are those who have never figured out what their talent is. Where do you lie?

Balancing passion and your career is one thing that can save you a big one. Even if you are not sure of what your talent is, there must be something that you like doing that you can, absolutely, change it into an income generating activity.

Most people depend fully on their jobs. It is the biggest risk that one can take. We all remember how Covid-19 punched us under the belt last year, pushing a good number into the jobless sea.

It is good and advisable to have a side hustle. This side hustle might morph into a full time business in future and grant you your dream life.

While writing for that job application letter, also remember to scribble a business plan. You can work that 8 to 5 job and still water your side hustle when you get home.

Wherever life stages you, germinate and grow. Build networks, gain experience, polish your skills and MOVE.

Mr. Ogonji is a highly professional and talented journalist with a solid experience in covering compelling stories, reporting facts, and engaging audiences. He is driven to uncover the truth behind today's most pressing issues and share stories that make a genuine impact.

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