Will an extra job help me with the cost of living?

With living costs rising by the day, you might be starting to get a little hot under the collar. Between paying rent, bills, food and petrol, just surviving your day to day life is getting a little more stressful, isn’t it? So what about taking on a second job? 

Finding a part-time job is a sure way to inject some extra cash into your bank account and help pay for living costs. And although you might be worried about burning the candle at both ends, you may only need to work an extra 4-8 hours per week to feel the benefit and take the edge off those rising expenses.

What should you look for in a second job?

When it comes to looking for a second job, you need to remember it’s just a side hustle, not your career. So you want to find a job that is going to easily slot into your life with minimal effort, and not add extra stress.

No experience required

Jobs that don’t require any experience tend to be fairly low stress. The less skill that’s required, the less that will be expected of you. And remember – you’re not looking for a new career, you just want the easiest and quickest route to earning some extra cash.

Little responsibility

Make sure you check the job descriptions to see what would be expected of you in the role. Any managerial positions will come with a whole world of responsibility, so it’s best to avoid those if you want to keep your stress levels down. Equally, try to avoid jobs that are heavily centred around deadlines. These types of roles are high stress and often employers will expect you to work beyond your contracted hours to get the job done.

Flexible hours

You need to make sure your second job can accommodate your schedule. One of the first things to check in the job description is the hours. How will they fit in with your other job role? Is the company open to changing the shift pattern to suit your needs? There’s no point in applying for roles that clash with your current commitments. 

Popular part-time jobs

• Bartending
• Waiter/waitressing
• Admin assistant
• Cleaning
• Customer service
• Kitchen porter
• Warehousing
• Events work
• Food delivery
• Retail
• Mail sorting
• Hotel porter
• Tutoring

How to find a second job

Know your finances

If your aim is to help with living expenses, you need to work out exactly how much your living expenses are, and how much extra money you’d like to be earning. This will help you determine how many hours you’ll need to work in your second job. 

Be realistic

When looking for a second job, don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you take on a job that requires a lot of hours, you’ll end up burning yourself out. Only look for jobs that you know you can manage alongside your other commitments. 

Update your CV

Make sure you update your CV with all your latest skills and experience. It’s important that your personal statement tells employers you’re looking for a part-time job. Remember to highlight only the skills that are most relevant to the role you’re applying for, and tailor your CV to each job vacancy.

Apply daily

Taking 30 minutes per day to apply to jobs is the fastest way to find a new role. If you use the SonicJobs app, you skip any long application processes as you only need to tap once to apply to a job! You can even activate our SmartApply feature to automatically apply for appropriate jobs while you’re busy so you don’t miss out!

Boost your bank!

Finding a part time job can make a huge difference to your finances and relieve you of a lot of stress. You don’t need to give up all your free time – just working an extra 4-8 hours per week can be the difference between sleepless nights and feeling rested.

To bag yourself a part-time job near you, browse our latest vacancies and get applying!