7 Reasons Millennials Love Their Side Hustles More Than Their Jobs

7 Reasons Millennials Love Their Side Hustles More Than Their Jobs More and more millennials are starting to maintain a side hustle (a second job outside of their regular, full-time jobs).This increase of young people choosing to work over 40 hours a week is often attributed to lower wages, student loan debts, and other financial issues that millennials struggle with. However, while making more money is definitely part of why so many young people continue working after work, there are many other reasons that side hustles are much more than just extra cash. Heres why millennials love their side hustles. Side hustles help them develop as an individual While side hustles range from baking to driving an Uber, many side hustlers use this time as a chance to further develop themselves in many ways. A recent survey by Simple states that 57% of millennials say their side hustle helps them to develop as a person. By adding more responsibility into their daily routine and stepping outside of their comfort zone in many cases, it helps them to grow both personally and professionally. The money they are earning is for things they want, not things they need Millennials maintain side hustles for things like vacations, concert tickets, expensive makeup or anything else that makes them happy. Earning things that are more tangible or a life experience can be a lot more fun than paying your electric bill. This adds a layer of optimism to the work that side hustlers do and make the work more fun as a result. Learning new skills Approaching a side hustle as a learning opportunity is a great way to sharpen skills you may not be able to at your 9-5. From the same Simple study, 44% of millennials with a side hustle say it teaches them skills that make them more valuable as an employee. People in industries like the arts, IT and travel all allow you to sharpen your technical and people skills while making extra cash. Even if a side hustle isn’t mentally stimulating, millennials use that time to better themselves by reading, or studying other things.  Side hustles can be more fulfilling Most full time jobs require a lot of sitting in an office typing on a computer while making an effort to better a larger company or companies and not necessarily helping individuals or smaller businesses. The opposite can be said for side hustles, which are often an effort to help a small businesses, customer service or helping individuals in some way. This leads to millennials feeling more fulfilled in their work, because its easier to make a difference for an individual than it is to make a difference in a larger company setting. More Freedom Side hustles are part-time and usually much more flexible than a traditional full time job. This allows for more freedom around when hustlers are working and makes them feel more in control of their time spent. For example, dog walkers on the platform Rover can request to walk dogs whenever they have time, as opposed to being scheduled to walk a certain time. Meeting new people and communities Interacting with communities of people outside their usual bubble help side hustlers to meet new people and interact with groups they usually would not. Something as simple as learning how an unfamiliar group of people function, or react to different situations can be incredibly beneficial to any person’s personal growth in a passive, yet impactful way. Side hustles improve your mental health According to Psychology Today, there are studies that show millennials are at a higher risk of clinical depression than previous generations. This group values happiness over money in many situations, but as poetic as that sounds, this can sometimes lead to fiscal stress. While looking for a job that really fulfills them, side hustles are good way to achieve the “spark” they seek. Side hustles offer an alternative to putting the blame on a workplace when they feel dissatisfied in their work and offer an opportunity to take control of their own happiness. All together, side hustles are not only ultra trendy, but beneficial to a generation of people who have had a hard time financially. In more ways than just extra money, side hustles help millennials grow as people, learn and improve their overall mental well being. Finding the right side hustle for your way of life and your interests can be a great way to work on yourself and earn a little cash for the things you want. Its no wonder millennials love their side hustles! This guest post was authored by Elizabeth Shutty : Elizabeth is the Vice President, Marketing and Sales at Investor Junkie, a personal finance and investing website founded to help individual investors prepare for retirement. She is based in New York City and serves readers by staying current on all things fintech related that could make their financial lives easier. Investor Junkie’s team of expert analysts have reviewed and compared over 100 personal finance products and the website currently attracts over half a million readers a month. Elizabeth’s side hustle for 4 years now has been working for a popular nutrition bar as a brand representative when the company sponsors athletic races, music festivals and community events in the NYC area. . Image credit.