The Advantages and Disadvantages of Two Jobs
My neighbor Sue lives in a nice house and has two luxurious cars in the driveway. Her overtime hours at work are being eliminated, so the money she is used to making is becoming less. So, Sue must decide whether or not to take on a second job to live the way she is accustomed to. There are numerous advantages and disadvantages in working two jobs. Before deciding on working two jobs, it would be a good idea to consider these positives and negatives.
We should consider the benefits in deciding to have two jobs. The main reason for working two jobs is to provide enough income to survive and pay the bills. The additional income might make a difference in paying for a certain quality of life that someone is accustomed to living. In working two jobs, there is an opportunity to improve your skills in different areas. Sometimes the skills learned in the second job can improve the skills for the primary job. People may develop entirely different skills from the second job. You may have a competitive edge from working two jobs in the job market because you may have different skills to bring to your new job. You may have better experience than someone else has making you a more desirable candidate. Working two jobs provides more networking opportunities and interacting with more people. This could provide you with additional references and recommendations for future jobs. As a result of working two jobs, people develop stronger time management skills. These skills develop from the demands of different schedules, deadlines, and other elements of each job.
Although there are advantages of having two jobs, we must consider the disadvantages too. People who work two jobs commonly become very fatigued. This is particularly true if a person has family responsibilities to take care of in addition to the two jobs. One of the first things people sacrifice when working two jobs is sleep. Sleep deprivation makes it difficult to keep up with a busy working pace. Being constantly tired and fatigued from working many hours will decrease one’s overall productivity. The quality and quantity of work slows down when the body becomes exhausted. If the person’s quality of work suffers at one or both jobs, their superiors may take notice. If the quality and productivity decreases due to fatigue this could put one or both jobs at risk. People who work two jobs often lose focus and motivation if this continues infinitely. The body needs a break from the stress of working two jobs, and if it does not get it, it would most likely get burned out. Once your body gets to the point of exhaustion, you could be open to other health problems. The lack of sleep may increase blood pressure, create headaches, and reduce your immune response. Working two jobs reduces or eliminates important family time. The less time you get with you loved ones, the more important moments and activities you miss. Another result from working two jobs is marital problems. As you are working more hours, you spouse or partner is taking care of the home alone and may become resentful of all the time you are spending at work. Increased pressures and higher level of stress may be another disadvantage of working two jobs. You may also want to consider that you will have two supervisors, two groups of coworkers, and two sets of company policies and procedures to keep up with.
When deciding to work that second job, it is important to consider if you really need or want the job and if the negatives will outweigh the benefits. One must also consider the potential problems at home from taking the second job. While the extra money would be appreciated, it may not be worth the potential problems. The best of luck to you as you carefully consider this important decision.