Four months into the coronavirus pandemic, I quit my full time job to move closer to home because they would not consider moving my postion fully remote. Since then, I have slightly shifted my field of work because that's where the hours were, and there continues to be a huge need.
Why am I apprehensive to mention this shift to my professional network?
Am I apphrehensive for the same reason that I am to mention that I've been working a food delivery side hustle for a year now?
The perspectives on side hustles seem mixed. I am reminded of the viral Reddit post post asking followers "What's classy when you're rich but trashy when you're poor?" Answers included being bilingual, as it is considered cultured when you're well off, but negatively foriegn and "other" when you're not; living at a hotel; day drinking; the list goes on, but I would add having multiple jobs. Side hustles have become more mainstream and accepted in popular culture, which is helpful. However, "working two [or more] jobs" used to colloquially mean you cannot land a job that pays enough to support yourself and your family. Is that still true, or are side hustles accepted enough that they're exclusively viewed as worked by people with broad horizons and an on-fire work ethic? Forbes seems to think the latter:
...the four essentials strategies you need to know to start your side hustle... 1. Separate your work self from your personal self... 2. Establish boundaries and structure... 3. Monetize your passion... 4. Surround yourself with people with similar passions.
I wonder if I'm apprehensive to share my side hustles with my professional (ASL interpreting) network because these values, while valid, are difficult to define on paper.
Counting my field of work shift as a side hustle for the sake of explanation, here are the values that apply to both of my side hustles as Forbes listed in the interview linked above:
Substitute teaching:
Separate your work self from your personal self: As an interpreter, the administrative work is the only place where I have my own voice and make connections. Following the Code of Professional Conduct, I cannot have any personal input into any situation where I work. As a substitute teacher, I have my own voice when I work with students and partner with teachers.
Establish boundaries and structure: As a freelance interpreter, the work can go on and on at all hours. Substitute teaching is income that I can control at very specifically defined hours. And in fact, I can complete a lot of my administrative interpreting work during off periods, independent work times, and lunch breaks in a productive environment!
Monetize your passion: Interpreting is a passion of mine, but work is work. Working with children has always been a passion of mine that I can monetize by substituting.
Surround yourself with people with similar passions: As I mentioned above, interpreting is a passion of mine, but work is work. I am inspired by interpreters with a strong work ethic, but they also inspire me to get back to the grind... and work is work. Working with teachers is inspiring because of their work ethic and passion for helping students, and this inspiration fuels me!
Food delivery:
Separate your work self from your personal self: Driving from restaurant to restaurant is about as far from my other field(s) of work as I can get! As an introvert, I love the break.
Establish boundaries and structure: The car is a wonderful physical boundary. As far as structure, I tend to use the time to listen to the podcasts I subscribe to, and I use the feed as my shift if I am not already signed up for a shift. While driving from place to place, I physically cannot check my email or do any other administrative work, which sets a clear boundary and structure for my other field(s) of work.
Monetize your passion: While food delivery is not my passion, the activity feeds some of my other passions. As I mentioned above, I use the time in the car to listen to podcasts I subscribe to, which are all related to different passions and hobbies that I have. Though it sounds cheesy, it is also fulfilling to help people and make them smile, and you're always happy when you see the delivery driver pull up with your food!
Surround yourself with people with similar passions: As I mentioned above, food delivery is a good solitary job for an introvert. However, through the podcasts that I listen to during my shifts, I am surrounding myself with hosts and messages that inspire me!
In college when I was attending my ITP, one of my professors used to joke (was she really joking?) that going to the movies was professional development. In her interpreting work the next day, her clients may very well be talking about that movie that just came out. She used to say that indeed, everything is professional development. So shouldn't I be excited to tell my ASL interpreting network that I'm substitute teaching during the day, interpreting some gigs in the evenings, and delivering food in between?
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