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In the course of the COVID pandemic, as remote work turned the norm, the thought of secretly juggling two full-time jobs gained traction. This was the “overemployed” craze, and the /r/overemployed subreddit ballooned to almost half 1,000,000 members. The dream was to earn double the revenue, speed up the trail to monetary freedom, and subtly defy company America.
As we’ve come again to bodily places of work, overemployment has turn into much less widespread, however I used to be shocked when an engineer not too long ago advised me he was working two full-time jobs. He was having fun with the additional pay, however he was additionally wired about preserving secrets and techniques from each his managers. Past the nervousness of juggling two jobs, overemployment is clearly a career-limiting transfer for engineers.
Past the apparent contractual breaches—most full-time employment agreements explicitly forbid this type of moonlighting with out consent—overemployment is just a nasty thought.
With overemployment, you’re primarily making an attempt to “get by” in two roles. As a substitute of constructing sturdy relationships and genuinely contributing, you have to carry out a fragile balancing act, hoping neither employer catches on. That is extremely short-sighted. Your profession development isn’t about accumulating firm logos; it’s concerning the abilities you purchase, the influence you make, and the individuals who can advocate for you. You’ll develop exponentially sooner—and admittedly, have much more enjoyable— in case you commit absolutely to at least one function.
The momentary monetary bump of overemployment comes at a steep worth; your coworkers will doubtless cease trusting you. This concern will increase as you turn into extra senior. On the Workers or Principal Engineer degree, your job will depend upon the relationships you’ve constructed and your means to work with (and thru) different individuals. Overemployment, particularly when it’s a covert operation, is a basic violation of belief. How are you going to present significant mentorship or really collaborate if you’re hiding an enormous a part of your skilled life? I don’t imagine it’s attainable.
The final word profession hack is sort of easy: commit absolutely to a job the place you’re surrounded by good coworkers in an organization that’s rising quickly. That is far easier (and extra moral) than overemployment. This recommendation applies equally to engineers who imagine they will do a number of private tasks alongside their full-time job.
The compounding impact of actual ability improvement, sturdy skilled relationships, and single-threaded focus will present considerably higher returns than any short-term double-dipping scheme. And it’ll be extra enjoyable!
—Rahul
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