Happy Friday! This week I had an interview to be a part-time dog walker -- something to supplement my translation income as I get started as a freelancer. Just wondering if anyone here has had any fun part-time jobs while making the transition to freelance (or at any point, really)! Before I moved to Philadelphia, I was a barista in DC. That was an okay job, but I never got that good at making latte art ? So I decided in Philly I'd try something new ?

Happy Friday, @ninadepalma ! And here's to an awesome weekend! ? I've had many different jobs during my uni days but never really when transitioning to freelance. My favorite job was working as a lifeguard at a swimming pool when I was living in DC one summer (I was on Work and Travel program together with my wife). Fun times! The swimming pool was outdoor so I was really tan that summer, lol ?? ?

I haven't had another job since becoming a freelancer. My other "occupation" is full-time mom ? which means: cooking, cleaning, doing laundry (for myself and another 3 human beings), driving around to different classes, helping with homework... and being a doctor/nurse when they are sick. But, as you might guess, that's all unpaid. I know a translator who is also a yoga teacher.

_marocca My other "occupation" is full-time mom ? which means: cooking, cleaning, doing laundry (for myself and another 3 human beings), driving around to different classes, helping with homework... and being a doctor/nurse when they are sick. But, as you might guess, that's all unpaid. The most important occupation of them all! Unpaid but very rewarding! ?

ninadepalma Me too! I am a part-time dog walker and just became an ESL Teacher (teaching English to children in China - all remotely). ?

Dmitry So cool! How did you like DC, by the way?

izabelcka Nice! How do you like dog walking?

izabelcka I am a part-time dog walker and just became an ESL Teacher (teaching English to children in China - all remotely). @izabelcka Remote dog walker? How does it work? ? Just kidding. I was offered to teach English more than once, as a matter of fact a group of French-speaking students who study game development is coming over to Toronto to practice their English and they reached out to me a few days ago to see if I'd be interested in teaching English. I said no, but I'd probably going to meet with them anyway to show them the city and chat about game development and localization. ? ninadepalma So cool! How did you like DC, by the way? @ninadepalma We had a time of our lives in DC. We even had a car (provided by our company) and we spent a ton of time driving around the city. Here's a very old pic

Dmitry We had a time of our lives in DC. We even had a car (provided by our company) and we spent a ton of time driving around the city. That's awesome! Must have been a really great adventure. I sometimes wish I'd had a car when I lived in DC. But I lived in Adams Morgan, so parking would have been a nightmare! Philadelphia is a...totally different city, haha. In other news, I should be meeting some dogs this week for my new job ?

Hey, my two cents about an extra work is that it is awesome if someone manages to make time for it. You know if you are a busy freelancer (not just for freelance translator) arranging the time according to your life-work balance is much harder than it looks. If the secondary part-time job doesn't prevent someone from doing her/his main effort (I mean main job), that could be great. Right now, I have a contracted job for example beside freelance translator which I consider as my main effort and arrange all my work-life balance accordingly. So that is a matter of planning and programing as well as doing your likes. ?

linguistceviri Yep, definitely. I just finished grad school in May, and after taking a vacation in the summer, I sat down behind my computer and decided I was a freelance translator. But...I was earning about ~200 USD a month doing that, and my expenses were, oh, I dunno, eight times that! So I needed something part-time to pay the bills until things got started in earnest with my translation business. Now that I've moved and my expenses are way lower [edit: and I'm earning way more translating!], I'm looking for an even smaller part-time commitment. I hope that in 8-10 months I won't need another job at all! It's obviously all based on circumstances. Just figured others might have been in the same boat as me at some point, so I was curious to see if anyone had held any fun/interesting jobs!

Interesting/fun part-time jobs

linguistceviri

ninadepalma
That's very nice. All the best! ?

eleonorang

@ninadepalma Ever since I became a freelancer I've been thinking of getting a part-time or side job, both because at first, I wasn't that confident that I would make a living out of translation ? and in case working from home turned out to be lonely and isolating in the long-term. I've always dreamed of working in a small and cozy bakery ? but even a part-time shop assistant role would do. Thing is, it's so hard for people to find a job in Italy right now, even part-time...

ninadepalma

eleonorang Aww, a bakery would be so nice! I really hope you can find something soon, if you still want to in the future. I'm sorry the situation is so bleak in Italy...

_marocca

eleonorang aww that sounds lovely! I bet it wouldn't be good for my weight if I got a job like that ?

eleonorang For example, I know that if my earnings went over a certain threshold, the taxes and expenses I'd need to pay would at least triplicate. I should be able to make my business grow, not be careful to avoid that because it'd mean paying more taxes. Great way to promote innovation and growth, uh?

same in Ireland... if you earn until a certain amount, you pay x%, if you earn past this (which is not much already) you pay 3x%... it's awful! Governments should be taxing people less, so that they could actually spend more money ?

I was asked why didn't I open an online shop, I could sell the stuff I knit and crochet. But I hardly have time to finish my projects as hobbies, with my current life-work balance. Besides, I'm sure it wouldn't be enjoyable if I HAD TO knit or crochet for a living ? I prefer to keep them as hobbies instead!

eleonorang

ninadepalma Unfortunately, it's going to be like this a bit longer, we'll hardly be getting a functioning government this year, let alone jobs ? Luckily, people are finding more and more ways to survive, be it through startups or freelancing or by going abroad!

ninadepalma

eleonorang Ugh if only I could dislike posts...

I'm glad you're freelancing, then!

I was in Italy this summer, and my great-uncle (who lives in a small town near Salerno and commutes to a bigger town to work as a teacher) was talking about taxes in Italy. The numbers were pretty shocking to me, as an American. And he certainly was unhappy about them, either, or the economy/government in general. (My Italian isn't great, but I think my mom is a decent interpreter ?)

eleonorang

@ninadepalma So your family has Italian origins! I'd noticed your last name looked Italian-ish, but these days you never know! You could be Americans since generations ?
Tax amounts are shocking when you compare them to the average of salaries in the country. Also, freelancers and companies are the most taxed and it is so hard for startups to grow. For example, I know that if my earnings went over a certain threshold, the taxes and expenses I'd need to pay would at least triplicate. I should be able to make my business grow, not be careful to avoid that because it'd mean paying more taxes. Great way to promote innovation and growth, uh?

ninadepalma

eleonorang So your family has Italian origins! I'd noticed your last name looked Italian-ish, but these days you never know! You could be Americans since generations

Yes, all of my grandparents are from Italy ? You're so right about how it's impossible to tell with Americans.

Sorry for the delayed response! Been so caught up in work stuff lately.

annagiuliam

_marocca same in Ireland... if you earn until a certain amount, you pay x%, if you earn past this (which is not much already) you pay 3x%... it's awful! Governments should be taxing people less, so that they could actually spend more money

I know what you girls are talking about!
I appreciate the fact that they try to help people in the beginning of their career, but they should also encourage growth! It looks like people who make only a bit more than that threshold get "punished"...

eleonorang

annagiuliam I know what you girls are talking about!
I appreciate the fact that they try to help people in the beginning of their career, but they should also encourage growth! It looks like people who make only a bit more than that threshold get "punished"...

Exactly! ? Those rates cannot be called anything but punishment.

_marocca aww that sounds lovely! I bet it wouldn't be good for my weight if I got a job like that ?

? I feel you! One piece of cake here, when no one's looking... another piece there... one on the house... ? lol

eleonorang

ninadepalma No problem at all ?

coveredweb

I teach German haha and I program as well.