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Getting a gig below your skill level to give you extra income and/or more time?

1 points by Greg-J ↗ HN
After burning myself out in the 2000s working 60-80 hour weeks and spending another 40 learning new skills, I took a different approach in the 2010s. Instead of going after a position I was qualified for, I took multiple positions below my pay-grade. It worked out great. I made more money, had less responsibility, and the companies I worked for were ecstatic to have someone with my skillset on their payroll. It was great and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone that is at the top of their field and good with time-management. There are caveats and it's not for everyone, but there are enough pros that it warrants consideration.

A few years ago I got an offer I couldn't refuse and gave it up for my current position that was effectively tailor-made for me. It's reward work and I get to solve a lot of problems ranging from ideation and design to development to productization, and everything in-between. Once I took the position, I got more comfortable talking to people about the way I worked through the previous decade and found that there were a lot more people that did the same thing, but only got comfortable talking about it when they moved on.

I find myself in a position with my current company where I am essential and effective, but I have a considerable amount of time to either pursue my own thing again or help out a smaller company in the way I used to.

Which brings me to my question. It was a hustle when I started working that way and with the number of people I've spoken with who had done the same, I can't help but wonder if there's a service or community of people looking to do the same.

Really just looking to start an open discussion around the topic.

2 comments

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sharemywin
Are the companies aware of what your doing?

I never really thought about it before but I guess a salaried position goes both ways. if your not being paid hourly then if your meeting the requirements of the job can you not work on other things "during work hours"

Greg-J
Whether you make both companies aware is a personal choice. I only worked with companies who had absolutely nothing to do with one-another, ensuring they were in different industries. I also always made sure that any contracts I signed were vetted and that I was in the clear.

For me personally, I always made it clear that my time belonged to me and that I had other things going on. I set realistic expectations based on my compensation and met those expectations. It was never a problem for me. That would sometimes mean that I was working 20 hour days if there was a crunch or emergency at both places, but that was also generally followed by ample time off.