by: yuga

Anyone who has had work on several jobs concurrently will attest to the glaring fact that having double-jobs is not a joke. Ever since I landed my very first job back in 2000, I was already on the look-out for another part-time job. Primarily because my monthly salary was not really enough and I could only live by or save so little, more often than not I would end up having nothing left a week before payday. That was primarily due to our rent which wound up almost 50% of what I earn. That was too much actually, but considering the perks we are getting — phone lines, cable TV, ref, hot shower, air con, etc — one cannot deny that the cost of living is actually high. What more if you live in a condo at the heart of the Makati Business District.

It took me about a year to really get a good night-job which was a good financial supplement to my regular day job. And that was it, I was hooked online and constantly getting projects and other revenue-generating gigs. That allowed me to afford a one-bedroom apartment in the sub-urbs of Makati.

From then on, things got a little complicated. I spent more time facing the computermonitor - 8 hours in the office and another 4 to 6 hours at home. It was both tiring yet exciting, being able to earn and learn more than what I can from the office. It also forced me to learn things I would not have able to learn at the office. And much more than that, I have found a new and better way to transact with people — that is, online.

Having double jobs requires discipline and motivation. Instead of working 40 hours a week, you’ll end up having to spend 80 or 100 hours a week. The money is good but it will surely take a lot of your time away from gimiks and outings. Most of the time, you’ll be facing double-deadlines as well and end up not being able to get a good sleep for days.

Three years later, I still find myself getting bigger and bigger projects. Though I can say that my regular day job is paying really good and I can’t bear not accepting each project that comes my way. It’s not about the money anymore but the challenge I get from the new problems I have to solve. Besides, what better way to spend my free time but do some more work?