10 Second Job Ideas for Full-Time Workers

Whether your everyday job does not bring you enough to cover all of the life expenses or you seek for fulfillment you do not find from 9 to 5, this list of 10 second job ideas for full-time workers may come handy in finding a solution to your financial and motivational challenges. Part time engagement may also be a smart way to start your own business by doing something you enjoy. Whatever the reason, if you are looking for a second job, you’re one of the many. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 8 million Americans are listed as multiple jobholders.

The good news is there are many options on the market out of which you can earn a significant amount of extra cash outside of a full-time job. For some part-time posts employers will be looking for a specific set of skills, but not all of them. If you set clearly your goals and do some research on this subject, you can find what you are able to do. Firstly, it would be more than recommendable for you to set the limit on how much additional work you are willing to handle. When it comes to the famous stress issue, your regular job is taking its toll. For sure, you don’t want your additional stretching out to get you in a jam.

Be fair and realistic with yourself on how many hours you can manage, and more importantly stick to the schedule. You have to make a balance between making extra money and keeping your health and social life. If not so, you will be feeling overwhelmed all the time. Financial liberation for which you started your second job soon will be replaced with another form of imprisonment.

The second step in the whole process is to identify what is best for you. Start searching for a job after you make a list. It is a good idea to ask friends and family what they think you are good at. Maybe it can clear your vision and give you a fresh perspective. If you are just putting your leg through the door of the business world our article 12 Highest Paying Part-Time Jobs for 18 Year Olds can help you choose among many different options. For all other seasoned professionals we recommend you start researching by looking at these 10 second job ideas for full-time workers.

10. Freelance Writer

If you are able to create interesting and compelling stories, maybe it is time to put to use your writing skills. Writing for websites, magazines or blogs as a freelance writer can provide decent additional income. There are plenty of paid blogging jobs you can choose from. Ones of the commonly recommended sources are Problogger and BloggingPro with a variety of topics and working arrangements. What you need to do is to check the availability of the jobs every day and apply as soon as you find something interesting. Offers of jobs are many but competition is following new posts very zealously. You may also try sites like Constant Content, Writer Access or ArticleBunny.

All you need is to invest a certain amount of time, in the beginning, to find what suits you and a business partner to whom your skills are most suitable for. By building your portfolio and gaining experience, writing may become your regular job one day. And now, let’s see what else we have in our list of second job ideas for full-time workers.

9. Lecturer

Giving lectures to adults who need assistance in tackling certain issues or just want to gain new skills can be a good way to go if you are a patient and systematic person. For teaching a course usually you would need an Adult Education Teaching Credential, but a number of community education programs offer non-credit classes on everything from flower arrangement to business planning. Familiarity with the topics you want to give a lecture about is, of course, a prerequisite.

If you own a restaurant or work as a chef, you could teach a cooking class or a management class on the topic of restaurant opening. If you are an accountant, maybe you can help people managing their finances or teach them accounting basics. Are you a web developer eager to share your knowledge? Then this is a job for you.

A lack of formal education doesn’t have to be an insurmountable obstacle in your lecturing career. Maybe your grandmother taught you how to saw as a child? Another opportunity to monetize on your skills. However, some programs do have requirements you need to fulfill so it is good to check everything before applying to be a tutor for a certain program.

8. Transcriptionist

Medical and legal transcriptionists rank 8th in our list of second job ideas for full-time workers. They are in highest demand but normally they require experience. You may find general transcription work which is available for beginners as well. If you are serious about this job, it may be a good idea to finish a course because earning opportunities are more than attractive.

As a medical transcriptionist, you would be required to listen to doctors or health care professionals speaking and write down their very specific industry jargon into reports. Flexible working hours and part-time engagement are a common feature of this job, so working alongside your regular job is quite possible.

There are different rates you can count on, depending on whether you search for a general transcription work on the job boards or you join communities of transcriptionist professionals where your earnings start from $20 per audio hour.

7. Customer Service Agent

We are continuing our list of second job ideas for full-time workers with customer service jobs which you can do from home can be ideal if you are looking for a stable job with regular pay and position without in-person supervision. Since angry customers will be your regular clients, patience is highly recommendable as well as the ability to avoid conflicts. What you need to find is a legitimate company that hires home workers to deal with customer calls and emails on a part-time basis. Some of them are:

American Airlines
Answer One
Arise
Ge Money
HSN

6. Search Engine Evaluator

If you are inclined to stare at your computer for hours, maybe you can earn from it as well. As a web search evaluator, that ranks 6th in our list of second job ideas for full-time workers, you can work for a few hours a day and earn a steady paycheck. Search engine evaluators are responsible to conduct research and evaluation and to give feedback on search engine results by measuring the relevance and usefulness of web pages based on the predefined queries. They must be detail oriented, have a broad range of interests and have an understanding of various online research tools. If this sounds like you, check following opportunities:

iSoftStone – where you can earn between $12 and $15 per hour and get paid monthly via Paypal or direct bank deposits.
Leapforce – where you can choose when you want to work and earn between $13 and $16 per hour.

ZeroChaos – where you are required to work between 10-25 hours a week.

5. Mystery Shopper

If you want to earn money while making a difference in some company, you can consider becoming a mystery shopper that ranks 5th in our list of second job ideas for full-time workers. Many market research companies, watchdog organizations or companies by themselves hire mystery shoppers to review the quality of services in banks, retail stores, hotels, restaurants, spas and many more. While the rates of pay are relatively low, in some cases you can earn a decent amount of money by doing this job. Mystery shoppers are usually repaid any money they spent in the stores, and sometimes it can be allowed to keep the products they bought. It is essential to keep in mind that legitimate companies never ask for a payment from you in order to send you the list of available jobs. If you want to be certain, you can check whether the mystery shopping company is a member of the MSPA. Some of the most popular are:
Sinclair Customer Metrics
Best Mark
Market Force

4. Join a focus group

Out of 10 second job ideas for full-time workers one of the interesting can be to join a focus group. Many companies would pay to know about your opinions, beliefs and shopping habits. It is usually the practice of the companies that are about to launch a new or improved product to collect consumer feedback about that product before they actually launch it. Focus group participants may be asked to go in person to a specific location or to participate in the online consumer group.

Here is a list of well-known market research companies that you could consider:
FocusGroup: For each successfully completed survey you would be paid between $75-$150.
MindSwarms: You can do surveys from home, but you would be requested to give the answers using a webcam. Surveys are usually about 20 minutes long bringing you $50 of additional income.
20/20 Panel: Surveys can be performed at the location or by online sessions. It may take you a few hours to finish your work, or it may spread over a few days, depending on the subject. You will receive from $50-$150 per focus session.

Because consumer focus groups pay pretty well, competition for getting the job can be harsh. In any case, most of the companies have a pre-screening phase you should count on.

3. Part-time Chef

If you are a professional cook or your cooking skills are rather impressive, maybe you can take some of your free time and become a part-time chef, the number three on our list of second job ideas for full-time workers. Applications like LeftoverSwap and Shareyourmeal enables you to inform your neighbors if you made too much for lunch or dinner. You don’t have to go anywhere since the interested parties will come to pick up their dinner and pay you to enjoy your delicacies.

If you want to provide food for the larger public you can check the demand for catering on Mealku or list yourself as a private chef on Kitchensurfing.

2. Virtual Assistants

As a virtual assistant, who ranks second in our list of second job ideas for full-time workers, you can provide administrative or creative support for multiple clients in a variety of industries. You will be in charge to schedule appointments, do online research, update information by doing some data entries or read and respond to emails.

If you like to be in touch with current events in specific industries maybe you can be employed by companies or individuals in need for a quick update. If you like traveling someone may be wanting you to find hotels, book air tickets or map out trip itineraries for business or pleasure trips.

According to the website All You you can make from about $10 per hour if you are connected to the client via the recruitment agency or up to $30 per hour if you work directly with clients. You can register with an agency such as EaHelp or Zirtual or advertise your services on Craigslist.

1. Craftsman

Many people today earn extra money by making their crafty hobby a business. Whether you love knitting, painting, soap making, sewing clothes or making jewelry, there are vibrant markets for your creations. Most popular platforms to sell your crafts online and reach customers all over the world are Etsy or Amazon Handmade. Few extra hours of the day can get you significant extra cash and make way for a more secure future. Many individuals make their livings entirely through Etsy with some reaching six-figure annual sales.

We hope you got a couple of interesting suggestions from these 10 second job ideas for full-time workers.