Side projects can be an important and useful part of your career path. They can also be a huge distraction from your day job if you let them. In this episode we talk about the impact our side projects have had on our careers and what we’ve gotten out of them from not only an educational perspective, but also for our own personal growth. The itch to work on a certain type of project could mean that type of creativity is missing from your life. We discuss how we use our side projects to feel creatively fulfilled and share advice for if you have ideas but are unsure of starting a side project alongside your day job.
0:34 – Intro to today’s topic
1:18 – Project catch up
4:18 – Fem’s switch to a side project that aligns better with her career
6:38 – Do our side projects have a positive or negative impact on our jobs?
7:15 – How side projects help you to stand out when applying for jobs
9:10 – Side projects can have a negative impact on your day job if you let them
9:50 – Letting your day job be your whole life
11:00 – Long term side project plans
11:45 – Our listener’s thoughts on if side projects have a positive or negative impact on their jobs
12:20 – Using side projects to improve your skills
14:00 – Separating your side project from your day job and allowing time for both
16:30 – Splitting your energy
17:30 – Using your day job to your advantage
18:50 – Should your side project be in the same industry as your day job?
21:15 – Getting a craving for a certain type of creativity
24:00 – Applying side project skills to your day job
26:00 – Our attitude towards careers
27:00 – Are your side projects just for fun, or for a step on your career path?
30:15 – Advice for people who haven’t started a side project yet
36:30 – Personal growth from side projects
