How to get a side hustle and what to consider?

I can say that I am writing on this topic from first hand experience - my main, full-time role is as a Careers Consultant at Imperial College London, and I also provide private careers coaching on the side in a freelance capacity.

I have to say that a side hustle is not something that crossed my mind much in previous years (most often people find one job is enough right?). But it seems I am not alone; according to the ONS, in between November 2024 and January 2025 they saw an increase of 1.262 million people take on a second type of employment!

However on the way, I've learnt some interesting lessons from taking the plunge:

1) Just because it seems scary doesn't mean you shouldn't do it

If you have a main job that you want to side hustle around, then at least you are starting from a position of stability. This can help provide you the feeling of safety whilst you try out some options for what you can do on the side. Of course there are the commonly heard of options like food delivery and hospitality, but there may be other options to consider. If you end up finding something that you can provide as a product, that may feel new and like the unknown - but not insurmountable. You simply need the knowledge of how to put the steps in place.

2) Learn from others

For me, one of the biggest barriers I initially felt, was not knowing how to handle the business side of the work, such as tax assessments! However, I have a couple of close friends who freelance for part or all of their roles and they had great advice and recommendations for tax advisers, websites and more. This really helped to feel like it would be achievable and to see others already succeeding. Think about who you already have in your networks and get talking!

3) Consider what you have to offer

Like I said, there are popular side hustles that we have heard of that can be easy to fit around a full time working schedule, but I also think it is tempting to consider what you might have to offer beyond this. What do you have experience of that you could advise on? What creative outlets have you not had a chance to let flourish?

4) Look after yourself

Last but not least, the prospect of taking on more work alongside a full time job is not a small thing to consider. Extra income can be welcome in a cost of living crisis, but you still want to keep an eye on your workload and make space for breaks and time off. Some people actually find this harder to do on a freelance basis!

If you are considering a career move or even adding a side hustle and can't identify what you might be interested in doing, don't hesitate to get in touch with me to discuss how my career coaching services could help you!