femalenetwork.com

You can definitely freelance without giving up your job, especially if you've only started and have yet to expand your network.

However, before you launch your freelance career, make sure your side jobs do not conflict with your regular work. Here are some tips from the Anti-9-to-5 Guide and Ed90210 to help keep your day job safe as you provide service for others on the side.

1. Map your schedule carefully. You're actually lucky if your day job follows a fixed schedule, as this makes time management a breeze. If you're sure you can always leave the office at 5PM, consider manageable "night gigs" such as tutorial services, writing, and even photography. Allot time for travel if your side job requires you to be somewhere else.

2. Squeeze your side jobs into appropriate time slots. You will never run out of time for side jobs if you can trim your idle time at work. "Some part-time freelancers do their writing and research before work, some do it on the bus or train they take to work, some do it during their lunch hour, some do it evenings and weekends, and many do a combination of all these," says Michelle Goodman of the Anti-9-to-5 Guide. Brainstorm while you're commuting. Your hour-long lunch break can be profitable if you actually eat for not more than 30 minutes and spend the other half entertaining clients on your phone, writing your lead paragraph, or doing research.

3. Choose gigs that cover different topics and interests. It's much easier to avoid conflicting interests if your night gig is completely different from your day job. Familiarity does breed contempt, so this may guarantee you won't get tired of committing yourself to both of them.

4. Never serve your company's direct competitor. You can never come out clean from this major blunder, so don't even think about it.

5. Seek your superior's permission. There's no harm in informing your boss, especially if you're sure your freelance gigs do not conflict with your day job. It's always a relief to operate when you know that your higher-ups are cool with it. But check the conditions in your contract first, just to be safe.

6. Prioritize your day job. Give up a weekend gig if your boss asks you to attend a weekend meeting or planning session. Don't attend to your freelance work during lunch if you must focus on a report you're delivering after lunch. Remember: side jobs never make good excuses when you're expected to perform well at work.