What Do People in the IT Field Do for Side Jobs? 1405
Flagg0204 asks: "Growing up in a primarily white collar household I wasn't exposed to 'side-jobs' until I met my girlfriend whose family was mostly blue collar. This got me to thinking. What do people in the IT field do for side jobs? Electricians, plumbers, HVAC, mechanic, these fields have many opportunities for a little extra cash on the side. What are some IT/IS side jobs that Slashdot readers do for extra money?"
I've never been able to make this work. (Score:5, Insightful)
Aside from that, I've noticed that the lion's share of part-time skilled labor still takes place between 9 and 5. There are plenty of 10-15 hour a week IT jobs, but very few where you're not on regular work hours. Even if you find one, any bit of success tends to pull the work towards business hours -- I briefly had a side gig as a trainer at night, but that quickly devolved into "can you do this during the day?" once companies started demanding our services.
As a consequence, you are forced to look for jobs which are both off-hours and feature very flexible schedules. This tends to translate into low skill and thus low paying. I don't mean to sound elitist here, but when you're making good money at a regular job I think you'll find that it's just not worth surrendering your free time for what you can bring in working at Starbucks. Remember: just because you're not paid when you're not at work doesn't mean that time is worthless.
If you're not making enough money, it might be a better use of your time to continue your education. Many universities cater to people who work a 9-5, and a lot of employers will help pay for you to go. The payoff isn't as immediate, but in many situations it's a far better plan overall.
The last thing I want to do when I go home is... (Score:4, Insightful)
I have a life outside of work (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Isn't it obvious (Score:4, Insightful)
drinking! (Score:2, Insightful)
i like it cuz it actually gets me out in front of people and keeps me from completely becoming a troll . . .
I exploit the mundanes (Score:3, Insightful)
When a local computer shop tells them $95/hr with a one hour MINIMUM, paying me $60 sounds a lot more reasonable.
For $60 they get a free antivirus program (Avast or AVG), Ad Aware, Spybot S & D, a scandisking, a defrag, updated drivers for all of their hardware, up to date patches for their games, and whatever else they "need" to get their computer running smoothly again.
It's an equitable solution, everyone wins.
LK
Best way to make side money... (Score:5, Insightful)
A penny saved, is a penny earned!
Just about anything I can. (Score:2, Insightful)
The real sticky part is making sure your customers pay by the job... otherwise you'll end up providing indefinite support for any computer you repair, set up, work on, etc. It's amazing how some people think that once you touch a network or a machine you're bound to provide free service for it forever. I often wonder if these people pay their car mechanics once and then expect all future automobile service, maintenance, and upgrades for free.
Whatever you do, just make sure that you let customers know that they pay you by the job or the visit. Otherwise they have to put you on salary.
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Just my 2 cents.
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:5, Insightful)
And on this point... (Score:3, Insightful)
So, I have an Aunt in another state, and she wanted to upgrade her computer (she's online and likes to look at the pictures of our bub up there, email us etc.)... so what did we do? I chose a computer for her, have bought it over here... am in the process of setting it all up AND I'm doing some video tutorials about how it all works so I get minimum heartache. Then we'll send it over to her.
Also... I'm installing VNC on it, so I will be able to remote access it (she's on ADSL, so reasonable bandwidth there) and fix any niggly issues from here without the painful...
Me: "OK, what's on your screen now?"
Them: "Some box thingy with a message in it"
Me: "Uh huh... ok, so what does the message say?"
Them: "The Program XXX has um... encountered an error and er... will now shut down... um... error code 1...433X....3 um, dash, Seg-men-ta-tion fault at..."
Me: "OK, OK, I've got it..."
Etc. etc.
I just hope it's going to work that's all
Start a business (Score:3, Insightful)
Personally I play some games, work out (Ju-Jitsu, weights, used to do Kenpo, ride a bike), read about non-tech stuff. None of this will bring in money unless I semi-retire and teach martial arts, which is something I am actually pencilling in for 5-10 years from now. This makes me a worse admin/engineer/whatever, but it makes me a better person overall I believe. Certainly more sane and pleasant, not to mention thin.
So what are your goals and priorities? Most money possible? In that case you should spend your free time getting business-savvy since there is no salary limit on salesmen or business owners. Prefer a balanced life? In that case don't work 80 hours a week, go find a non-tech hobby and sacrifice the extra cash.
After hours pager duty precludes second job (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't really want to clean megs of spyware off a family members' computer, but if they want to slip me some cash I'll be right over.
Trouble is, many family members do not want to pay you to clean megs of spyware off their computer and straighten out lord knows what goofy symptoms it has. They want you to do it for free.
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:5, Insightful)
But like the poster above, the last thing I want to do when I get home from working with computers all day is to touch another computer, even if it is something really cool. Every now and then I'll get hit with inspiration, and that is when I add cool new features to the cycling team database, or to my mail server, or my home jukebox, or whatever. The nice thing about it is that I can do it on MY TERMS. I refuse to do 'tech support' type work, however; even for family members. I didn't STOP using windows years ago just so that I could fix OTHER PEOPLE's problems with that PITA inflexible pile of crap.
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:3, Insightful)
WTF? Who says you have to work? Play video games, listen to music, watch some videos, IM some friends, read a Ebook, or the million of other things to do on a computer.
Every top programmer I know does side projects at home. They code for the pure fun and thrill of developing new applications, many give back to OSS since they work for a Corp all day.
Also, I guess you ONLY post to Slashdot from work?
Re:Blacksmith (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Consulting (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm a Cad Monkey, so... (Score:2, Insightful)
I also take old old old drawings (many of which are done by hand) and turn them into CAD files at $20 an hour (which is such a rip-off, 30$ is the average for such menial work). Lots of real estate companies, especially people with rental buildings and munti-unit developments, need this done and have no idea how to do it.
Since most of my new family is blue-collar (really, the white-collar members of my SO's family still do farmwork in their free time) I also have some blue-collar side-jobs. I wrangle horses, plant and pick veggies, and help build stuff all around Pritchard township. Thats also a good way to meet people who needs stuff designed (see side-job number one!)
Re:I've never been able to make this work. (Score:1, Insightful)
Yeah, just don't do any lecture prep, or give assignments, or have some lecture notes to give out. Sounds like a class I want to sign up for!
Mutual Satisfaction (Score:2, Insightful)
Make your own (Score:3, Insightful)
BDSM is the same way.. when your really into it you make your own stuff learn a hobby save some cash.. DomDepot (Aka HomeDepot) can be a sadistic place for someone with a creative mind.
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Ahh the joys of family. Does your mom charge you for Thanksgiving dinner? No, of course not. So we all get to "fix" our families pc's for free because it's what we do.
Poker as a "job" (Score:3, Insightful)
If you enjoy gambling, by all means, have fun--just so long as you treat it as ENTERTAINMENT and set a budget of how much you can lose and QUIT when you reach that limit (or quit while you are ahead. Considering it as a JOB (ie. depending on the proceedings of gambling as your livelihood) is reckless and possibly immoral IMHO (your opinion may differ but I'm stating mine because gambling addiction has affected more than one person I know):
* It is reckless because by law of averages the time will come where it is your turn to pay the piper. If you rely on gambling income for your livelihood then you may put you and your family out on the street.
* It can be considered immoral to live of the proceeds of gambling because you are putting your families quality of life on the line (if you have a family you are supporting), and less directly you are profiting from the exploitation of others--every time you win big others have to lose (sometimes big). Some of these people are gambling addicts ruining their lives.
This is my personal opinion so I hope I do not offend too many people. I enjoy going to the Casino from time to time but I am by no means a big player (I've never let my losses exceed $100). In a way gambling is like sex--it is a great recreational activity but when it becomes a way of life it tends to lead towards exploitation and ruins lives.
As for what I do on the side...well my day job keeps me pretty occupied and my personal schedule is pretty full too, so there is little in the way of "side job" work right now. However, I still have a mostly-dormant side business which involves PC upgrading, repair, virus/worm/trojan removalfrom Win2k/XP machines, etc. I do not depend on this income for my livelihood (it would only by me the occasional dinner at a fancy restaurant anyways).
In the case of the virus removal, if it gets me a bit of extra spending money and that money is willingly given (and giveable) by the PC owner than I'll do it from time to time. Besides being unenjoyable work I would not like to make a living off of others peoples misfortunes. I think that if Windows requires so much security maintenance that people can actually make a living solely from that activity that Microsoft should be the one footing the bill, not the end users directly. I'd prefer to make my living as a developer, thanks.
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:3, Insightful)
Having a real job generally involves a large amount of meetings, company politics and doing work that you don't want to do. Like if someone higher up mandated you use some specific tool, or setup your network topology a certain way, or put some stupid feature in a software package. You usually end up having to do it, even though you think it's a stupid. And nobody can have a passion about that.
The point is, in generally, working in the IT industry isn't something you enjoy doing 100% of the time, unless you are at an exceptional company.
I love designing, writing and debugging software. But most of my time is spent managing documentation revisions, discussing status in meetings, implementing dumb ideas that aren't mine, etc. I don't hate my job, if I did I would quit, but I can't say that I have a passion for being a software engineer.
I but I do have a passion for coding. But after a long day at work I'm really too burnt out to even play games. I end up reading a book, cooking dinner or watching a movie. By about 10pm I'm finally rested enough to do something on the computer. But that does not leave me much time if I have to wake up by 8am.
Re:Nothing (Score:2, Insightful)
For example, if you wrote a virus, would they want to take full responsibility for the damage it caused.
What about if you inadvertantly use code that has an expensive licence for commercial use in one of your own creations.
Your HR people may be a little more amenable to rewriting that clause to clarify that it doesn't include work that's not related to the company's core business, and that you do in your own time.
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Just because someone really likes doing something - even if they are passionate about it - people may well want to not do it all the time. Most scientists do not actually spend all their waking hours thinking about their work, most mucisians aren't always playing or thinking about music.
Most people, passionate or not, do want a life.
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:5, Insightful)
take a tip from Billy Gates.
nobody get's something for free. bill charged his family and that is how he started microsoft.
Aunt Meggie can either give you $50 bucks or she can give the computer super center $120.00 to fix her computer.
It works great, and the first time they get real prices to have a computer repaired and it returned to them with everything erased they will gladly feed you, give you a beer and 50 bones in cash.
I stopped giving away my weekends and weeknights to relatives and friends years ago. give them a deep discount like my example, but do NOT give it away free.
Re:Porn cleaner ... (Score:5, Insightful)
If the particular CC company is used by porn sites to process payments, that might just be the reason!
Re:in other words: why open source software's ille (Score:1, Insightful)
Do you have any idea of the damage you cause when you do stupid things like that??? Jeez! You have no self respect. People who sign those kind of deals should be "working" on their knees. I bet you would buy all those steel girders that link Brooklyn with Manhattan. Shame on you.
Re:Porn cleaner ... (Score:3, Insightful)
Unless the merchant site itself hosts pr0n, I see no reason for blocking it for porn reasons since presumably they'd be unable to get there from the blocked porn site, or back from there to the pr0n site.
It's more likely that the thing blocked the site to keep the kids from sneaking the cards out of mommys purse (or some numbers off IRC) and going on a shopping spree.
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:1, Insightful)
Things that will get people off my "free" list:
- Asking frequently.
- Asking frequently because they decide to "maintain" their system in imaginative ways.
- Asking me to 3 hours commuting and working on their system then pooh poohing my recommendation to buy a new part because, at $40, its "too expensive".
- Especially if that part is a SOHO router.
I still don't really like to do it because there is always a risk that what appeared to be a minor problem could take days to fix. As an example, routine Windows maintenance should probably include running Windows Update. If WU kills the system however, guess who's on the hook? (hint: not Steve Ballmer)
Re:Nothing (Score:3, Insightful)
Due to their own negligence, they might not have a very good case against you, but you are trying to mislead them in exchange for money. That's a little messed up.
What I'd /like/ to be doing on the side... (Score:3, Insightful)
volunteer? learn? women? (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm a contract Java programmer and work is spotty right now. I occasionally do volunteer work for non-profits, but they usually call me at odd hours and expect me to perform miracles on a shoe-string budget. Right now I'm helping my senior neighbors install and use their new PC. I'm moving at the end of the month and they bought a new machine and a store service contract (at my recommendation). They're paying me in free meals and beer.
I fixed a (non geek) friend's girlfriend's PC and she's asked me to help a few of her friends. I make it a point when I install things like Firefox to emphasize that I "customize it" with special features, so she when she bragged to her friends about her experience there was only one place to go to - ME. Another advantage is that if you're dating someone and she doesn't work out, either she won't bother you for tech support any more or she'll go out of her way to ensure that you remain good friends.
The best "side-job" I've found
I know some a creative mechanic who drives a "tweaked" car, an electrician with a fantastic christmas display, a chef who likes to throw dinner parties to show off, and a few carpenters with some really nice home interiors. If you're not happy using your skills outside of work, then you're probably not totally happy with your career. To me, that's difference between a career and a job.
Re:Drink. Heavily. (Score:5, Insightful)
As for seeking greener pastures, I worked 3 or 4 truly hellish jobs. One firm moved me 4 times in a year; my colleagues had resumes that spanned 20-40 job sites in 5 to 10 years. Another was small enough that the ceo and his wife split managerial duties, and their marital strife led to us getting conflicting orders twice a day. And so on... until I got in with a company full of wizards and acolytes that was managed with an eye toward us having balanced lives. Full telecommute privileges, anything-goes flexibility to hours we worked, etc. What I'd call 'professionals leading professionals' is so much better than the crap you're enduring. Yeah, I work wicked long hours, but I do it in my own fashion: I come in late, I stay a bit late, I go home and play with my kids and then go to my computer room and work for another few hours (or not) at my own discretion. From that first good gig, I've gone to another firm with similar rules. The work's fun and cutting-edge, with plenty of time for retrospection and self-training. Oh, and I make double what I did for any of the sweatshops. As the kid says, "I highly recommend it."
One last comment: having been around the field for quite a while, I suspect that we're still shedding non-geeks from the DotBomb years. The extra pressure and strain is a good thing in that respect: it gets rid of people that don't do this out of love. A few more years and we should be back to where demand exceeds supply just enough to give us more options.
Yeah, I know that flies in the face of outsourcing/etc, but a guy can dream. Everything I see still points toward no end to the problem of expanding complexity and increased I/T security risks. That, for me, means plenty of work to be done.
WHY you don't fix the family PC (Score:3, Insightful)
2 days later, the scanner software goes on the blink. Guess who is going to get blamed? Yeah, probably you, the kind relative that cleaned up the PC but didn't touch the scanner software.
That's why I don't touch family PCs.
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:3, Insightful)
If they want an imediate fix they can pay someone for it.
Blinking yellow 'Read This' (Score:3, Insightful)
Heh. No kidding. I once sysop'ed on a BBS. The old, dial-up kind, not the new, web kind. When "ANSI graphics" meant "colored text". Anyway, we had this one popular game, with a couple different variations, and some non-obvious rules. So we gave it a menu screen all its own, with a "Read Me" kind of option set apart at the top of the menu. It was labeled something like "Important information about this game". Next to that, in blinking-yellow-on-black text, was the phrase "Read This!!!".
At least once a month, I would answer a tech support request with the form letter:
You need to read the "Important information" file on that game's menu. It's the option with the blinking yellow "Read This" next to it.
It's amazing how people have brains which are so much more capable then these dumb computers, and yet still manage to be dumber then the computers.
*sigh*
Re:Porn? (Score:1, Insightful)
I'm guessing because you're currently high and not thinking clearly?
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:2, Insightful)
I couldn't agree with you more. I spend all day having to fix broken computers, troubleshoot the network, listen to arrogant bitchy lusers, etc. When I am not at work and someone asks me to take a look at their computer I reach for my gun.
I liken it to this. Say you are a cook who loves to cook but you are stuck with a shitty cooks job at Dennys. You get off work and go to a friends house only to hear your friend say "bake me a pie!" That is no different than when I get off work and go to a friends house and they say "fix my computer!"
Drink. Heavily.-Work for love at EA. (Score:1, Insightful)
Finally. Someone who's came up with a good excuse for the people working at EA.
"A few more years and we should be back to where demand exceeds supply just enough to give us more options."
It just will not be in the US of A. But keep up the hope.
Re:Porn cleaner ... (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't want to be in a position to have to "pass judgement" on them, nor do I want to narc on the kids. I figure that if they're having me clean up porn popups, then they've already figured out that "someone" has been visiting naughty sites. It's their job to deal with their kids, not mine.
As for me, I don't care for blocking software, and I don't have it in my house. I think parents need to be parental, rather than hope for some automated solution. Besides, I think most kids are smart enough that they view blocking software as a sign that "dad doesn't trust them." If you're running blocking software, then guess what? They're right.
Tutor! (Score:3, Insightful)
The upside is I have 20 something girls shopping for clothes for me (I'm colour blind) and women in their 30s teaching me how to cook.
What does 'a life' mean? (Score:2, Insightful)
What do you all mean when you use the term 'life' in these contexts?
Something like interfacing with other people with pointless chat, eating in a restaurant with other people, listening to music, dancing, doing sports, having sex, drinking alcohol, using drugs?
Rich irony (Score:5, Insightful)
The poster you were responding to is correct in what he said about *Taiwan*. While fighting back the attempts of the mainland to extend their tyranny over them, they yet wholeheartedly approve of Chinese tyranny over Tibet.
The Taiwanese and the Mainland Chinese, you and Bush, your use of "idiot", ah, the ironies are rich....
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:2, Insightful)
I maintain the basic belief that everyone you know (for the most part) is good with something enough to help someone else out. That someone else does not need to be myself, but there are people that can help me as well. For instance, my Dad is really good with cars. When I have car trouble, he is quick to help me. My Mom, well, she carried me around for 3 years or so.
So, when it comes down to it, I like helping. I like being someone that my family can count on to help them, whether it be with computers, or to come get them when they get a flat tire, or to visit them in the hospital.
I understand not wanting to help just anyone with their computer, but your family? Get off your high horse. The chefs in my family cook holiday meals, and love to discuss food with me, a bumbling hobiest cook. When it comes to your family, you can be generous, or you can be stand-offish. I know where I want to be.
Whoever modded this funny is an idiot (Score:3, Insightful)
He's being serious.
First off, I have a friend who makes chainmail. If you make it as armour, you can sell it for X amount of dollars. If you sell it as BDSM gear, it's about X*1.5. He started off selling at renfairs, and now sells at BDSM gatherings. So you might find it funny, but that's just how the business goes. For whatever reason, BDSM people seem have a lot of cash.
Another point - I'm a BSEE and write Linux drivers and software for my employer. And the first thing I do when I get home to unwind is make armour. I'm in the SCA, and there is something absolutely theraputic about smith work.
In some ways it's the exact opposite of IT work. In other ways, identical. It always leaves you wishing you could just simply use a raising hammer and beat a misbehaving computer into shape.
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:3, Insightful)
I seriously doubt that lawyers go home and work on their own private lawyering in the evening just for fun.
Plumbers probably don't re-do their piping every few weeks for the novelty factor.
Trust me, a lot of people in the industry who are passionate and skilled at programming, go home and make a point of disconnecting to a certain extent. (Yes, I still use my home computers, but I don't want my recreation and my job to blend.)
You can be passionate about something and still make a point of moderating the amount you do it. Really, for many of us, it's a profession, and not necessarily an all encompassing obsession. And, believe it or not, many artists also force themselves to take a mental break away. Otherwise you'll either burn out or start making crap.
Cheers
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:4, Insightful)
I can explain this for you. Everyone feels that whatever sort of work they do is superior to the type of work everyone else does. White collar people feel superior to blue collar people because they are rough and uneducated, blue collar people feel superior to white collar people because they are soft and lazy and don't know how to change their own oil or catch fish. And sociologists feel superior to of all of them, because they think they are the only ones who understand the whole thing. And me, I chuckle at the inferiority of all of you with your week minds and simple thoughts.
Re:The last thing I want to do when I go home is.. (Score:3, Insightful)
While I'll agree with you that management isn't physically demanding, I need to point out that sometimes the work is mentally demanding, and that can wipe out someone just as much as a physical job would.
I've done both. I worked as an auto mechanic for years, and also did a brief stint in landscaping. Completely different energy drains and types of exhaustion, but don't discount mental exhaustion; this is why Sponge Bob was invented.
Re:Getting my MBA (Score:1, Insightful)
I don't see many in the IT field (they say we will be pushed up the food chain into PMing or IT Architecture). But that will be offshored as well, as the basic backbone talent is not longer here.
If you are seriously considering your MBA, consider accounting, CPA's still make a ton of cash and are not fully outsourced yet. However, they are starting to be. Several financial analysts I met in the MBA program where "right-sourced" when their jobs left for India, and China's is around the corner. The marketing people said their jobs were going too.
Also, if you change into some other career in business, don't expect the same salary. I was making well above what my fellow students were making post MBA before I started the program. But I guess less money is better than no money.
If I had to do it again about going back to school, I would get either a Doctorate in CompSci so I could teach (those are nice jobs once you have tenure.... 6 figures and hard to lay off and like 50 days of vacation a year) or I would get a Juris Doctorate. Most people, sometime in their life, need a lawyer and to boot you work for yourself.