Would You Rather Have One Job or Multiple Jobs?

Would You Rather:

Work for a business as a financial officer, working more than the average person and being paid accordingly, or as a financial director, maintaining a 40-hour working schedule and spending the extra time pursuing other interests? Let’s use these numbers as an example:

For roughly the same number of hours, and the same amount of money, which would you choose? This is an interesting question that I asked myself and others to help determine what future path might be good for them. Each choice has its advantages and disadvantages, and the point of this question is to figure out what you prioritize. Let's talk about why you might choose each one: 

Scenario 1: One Job

The idea of being a high-level employee at a company is a dream to many, they love being in charge and love being compensated well for it, even if they must put in some extra hours. The people who generally choose this option assume that they are going to like what they do so much that they can tolerate those extra hours, or that the extra money will be enough to offset the cost of working those extra hours. Positions that might follow this pattern of one job for a large amount of money may include: public accounting, law, or investment banking. 

Scenario 2: Multiple Jobs

The idea of having multiple jobs may be intimidating to some at first, but when compared to working extra hours at the main job (like in this example), it can be appealing to those who like doing more than one thing. Even if it means working extra hours outside their main job, the time spent on these side projects is worth it because it provides fulfillment in an area that the main job cannot. Examples of these side projects can be part time positions, a YouTube channel, or a website. 

How Should I Choose?

You should choose the option that makes you feel happier at the end of the day. The reason why I made the money and the working hours the same in this example is so that you could identify what option might be more fulfilling while controlling for everything else. In reality, it's possible that having one part-time job and a couple side projects ends up being more hours than just working as a high-level employee, but those extra hours are worth it to someone who likes doing multiple things. It might be extra work to get yourself in a position where you're paid for these part-time activities, but for some people, that extra effort is worth it. 

So What?

As always, if you made it this far thanks for reading. I hope this exercise has helped you figure out what you might want to do in the long term with your career.

If you decided that you would rather spend more of your time and make practically all of your money from one position, that's great! You should actively work on making yourself better at your job so you can reach your goal. This could mean reading extra books outside of work or putting in some extra hours to learn something new that helps you do your job better.

If you decided that you would rather have multiple jobs and switch your income between a full-time position and other part-time commitments, that's also great! You should take some time to look for ways to monetize those side commitments (if you like) and to break up your time so you can devote the necessary amount of time to be successful. 

Whatever path you have decided on, I hope this exercise has helped you figure out how to start planning your future today.