For two years, Charles balanced his primary work with his side hustle freelance work. When the gig ended, he realized he had become accustomed to the extra income and began hunting for other remote opportunities.
“There were times when I was just sitting around with nothing to do at my main job for weeks,” he shared.
“So, I’m either going to stay productive by finding other remote work or just wasting time and leaving money on the table. Why wouldn’t I take on more responsibilities if I can manage them?”
The side hustle expedition
Since starting his journey, Charles has juggled a mix of remote full-time and contract jobs, keeping his over-employment a secret from his employers. This strategy paid off handsomely: he earned over $300,000 in 2021, more than $200,000 in 2022, and over $100,000 in 2023. This substantial income allowed him to pay off debts, make home improvements, buy a rental property, invest in a personal business venture, and purchase a new car.
“Why would I leave the good job that I have where I’m 100% remote and I don’t have to go into the city?” he asked.
Despite the lucrative nature of juggling multiple jobs, competition for remote gigs has intensified.
Yet, demand remains strong, with remote roles accounting for nearly half of all applications in December, according to LinkedIn.
The secret
To maintain his dual roles without raising suspicion, he uses separate laptops, phones, and calendars for each job. “If I am in a meeting with one job that doesn’t require me to speak up, I will be doing work on the other laptop for the other job,” he said.
If an employer were to discover his overemployment, Charles said he wouldn’t simply give it up. “I do my work from home, and people are happy with what I do,” he stated. “If a company wants to come after me for extra earned income because of some anti-over employment policy, I’ll fight it.”
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