How to Find a Second Job During a Recession
An economic recession, with the inevitable rise in unemployment it brings, may not seem like a good time to look for a second job. But there are plenty of part-time and freelance jobs available regardless of the economic situation. With a little work, you can find one that suits your needs.
The second income could replace money lost due to salary freezes and benefit cuts. If this happens to you, the income from a second job can help replace it. A second job is also protection against losing your main job.
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Instructions
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Second Jobs to Get During a Recession
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Become a freelancer. If you have a skill that's in demand--such as writing, photography or website design, you could put it to work in freelancing. Freelance job sites such as ifreelance.com and freelancejobsearch.com are a good place to look. If you want to stay closer to home, look for freelance work through former employers, local newspapers and other publications or business associations. Make sure to network with groups you belong to, such as churches and trade organizations, to put out the word that you are looking for freelance work. Freelance work can pay well sometimes because the work is specialized and usually offers a lot of flexibility in scheduling.
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Take temporary or seasonal work. Even in a recession, schools always need bus drivers; organizations need camp counselors; and lawn services need workers in the summer. Other temporary jobs include phone book delivery, census workers and sports referees. Whether seasonal jobs might work for you depends on whether you work full time or part time and what kind of schedule you have. For instance, if you have a full-time day job, phone book delivery, census work and refereeing would be good opportunities because you can usually set your own schedule.
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Find a traditional part-time job. The usual fallback for second employment is jobs in retail and restaurants. However, those are two of the industries that cut back the most during an economic downturn because they rely on consumer spending. Still, there are industries that have plenty of jobs during a recession. For instance, the health care industry likely will be one of the fastest-growing industries as baby boomers continue to age. In addition to health care professionals, hospitals and elder care facilities are always in need of support staff such as custodians and people to transport patients. Many of these jobs are often part time and offer flexible schedules. Another industry that does well during a recession is the grocery industry, because people can't stop buying food and necessities. Many of these jobs are part time and offer flexible schedules. Check local newspaper classifieds or local job websites such as Craigslist.
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Find an at-home job or start a home-based business. There are many companies that hire people to work at home doing things such as medical billing, taking customer service calls or taking surveys. LiveOps, West at Home and Alpine Access are some reputable companies that offer at-home opportunities. Another way to work at home is to start your own business. The easiest to do is a web-based business. If you like going to garage sales, you could try your hand at selling your finds on eBay. Or perhaps you are quite an amateur chef; if so, you could set up a web-based business selling your creations.
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Consider a medical company, perhaps a company such as Medical Data Systems. These studies, which usually involve drugs or substances going through the FDA testing process, pay hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the product and time commitment involved. Another medical-related route to go is to donate plasma. Companies such as Biotest and Grifols USA will pay up to a couple hundred dollars a month for consistent donors.
Another job to consider is delivering newspapers. Although newspaper circulation is shrinking, there are still plenty of routes to deliver. But it does require an enormous commitment. Most daily newspapers are delivered 7 days a week in the morning, meaning you must do it every day or pay someone to do it for you when you can't. The pay is decent .
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure whatever second job you find fits into your work and life schedule. Consider the tax implications of the additional income
Don't take on more than you can handle. Try to find a job with flexibility so you aren't forced to work a certain amount of hours. Don't let your second job interfere with your performance in your primary job.
