Do you have a side hustle? Nowadays side hustles are becoming more and more common.
Taking time to pursue another job after your full time gig has become routine, especially among younger generations.The generational differences regarding side hustles is interesting. It seems that the younger you go, the more people are doing “unconventional” jobs and having less linear careers. My first years out of college were all over the place – I worked at a winery, an accounting firm, a tour company and a nonprofit. On the side, I was writing for fun and making sure to keep up my reading habits. I never forgot what I loved during the journey of figuring out what I enjoyed doing for work. However, that’s a huge privilege! Sometimes you have to choose a job and stick with it. I’m lucky that I was able to try different jobs and side hustles.
According to Forbes, “side hustling has gained mass appeal across all segments of society, though it’s far more common among those aged 25 to 34 aka generation side hustle”. This equates to the millennials. Why this generation? Millennials graduated and worked through the 2008 recession and experienced the economic turmoil firsthand. When you begin working or experience your parents going through this hardship, it makes sense that you’d want extra financial security. That’s where the “side hustle” comes in.
Gen Z and Millennials have tended to have more side hustles than Baby Boomers. If you ask your grandpa about his career, you might hear something along the lines of “I worked at the same company for 40 years”. That just doesn’t happen anymore. With all the new opportunities and technology, the opportunity for side hustles has absolutely exploded. Especially with technology. You can sell just about anything on the internet (within reason…).
When I started Feminist Book Club, I side hustled as a personal stylist for Stitch Fix. It was a blast and honestly, I’d still be doing it if I had the time!
Ah, how cool! I could have definitely seen you as a personal stylist.