Unlike the old days when people had only one occupation, nowadays, there are more and more people having multiple jobs. In this essay, I am going to illustrate the reasons behind this phenomenon and the pros and cons of having an extra occupation.
Economic crisis in many countries has led the providers to find their main occupation insufficient to cover their bills. In these settings, most of the working class are in debt and are challenged by the high cost of living. To compensate for the gap between their main income and their family expenses, they are often convinced to exchange their free time for another job to earn more. Another reason for this matter can be the greed-driven culture promoted by the media, which ties happiness to people’s bank account balances. This mindset convinces individuals to trade their well-being for a few dollars more.
There are several merits and demerits to working in two separate occupations. Firstly, their effort will be rewarded with money, which can be spent on whatever they desire. Secondly, they can save or invest some of the extra earnings for emergencies. Lastly, their loved ones will experience more prosperity due to the higher economic freedom brought by working a second job.
On the other hand, most people have a leisure activity as a recovery method to unwind and relax. Having enough free time for relaxing would definitely boost performance at work. In addition, parents with second jobs have less time to spend with their offspring. This separation between parents and children will probably impact their relationship negatively. Finally, by working two jobs, people become vulnerable to burnout, which is unhealthy.
In conclusion, low economic status and the new definition of happiness are the two main reasons for working second jobs. Although the main benefit of having more than one job is a higher income, it poses several risks to the lives of those doing so.