A new article is out about what people are *really* making by taking on side hustles. The now traditional side hustles like Lyft and Airbnb don’t yield as much as you may think.
Safety professionals have a lot of side hustle opportunity due to certifications and skills we must have to be successful in our jobs. Do you have a side hustle? Is it safety related? Here’s some ideas based on side hustles I’ve done or would like to do:
Resume service: I had steady work a couple of years ago reviewing resumes for fellow safety pros and professionals from other industries. I charged a flat rate and included a finished product of a Word document, a “fun” resume in an alternative layout, and a PDF file that incorporated images of the person’s certifications if applicable. Careful with scope-creep on this and make sure to let your clients know how many revisions you will work through with them, charge more if it gets to be a long process. I’ve included the first step in my resume review service at the bottom of this post if you are interested!
Online Freelancer: I began my online safety freelance work in 2011 on Elance.com. That particular website is f.k.a. http://www.odesk.com and is now enveloped within http://www.UpWork.com. Check out my profile here. I used this site while bridging a gap between full time employment and full time consulting. I took on safety-specific jobs and was able to add “instructional designer” to my resume after developing training modules for online and computer based safety training. I leverage my entire work and college experience on this site and have written articles related to athletic training, exercise science, safety products marketing, and safety programs.
Trainer: This is the most obvious side hustle for safety professionals! Especially those with certifications like CPR, First Aid, and OSHA-authorized outreach trainers. While it’s difficult to generate interest in attending a training course, it is something that can be quite lucrative. I employ a combination of independent training for clients that I seek and earn myself as well as training attached to larger consulting firms, insurance carriers, insurance brokers, and colleges. Because this is my main interest, I monitor requests for proposals posted by local agencies and entities.
Inspector: Another obvious safety side hustle is part time site inspection. Often, this is related to insurance carriers and brokers. I have a job search saved within LinkedIn titled “independent safety consultant,” as that is usually the title used by this type of employer. Just click that little briefcase icon on LinkedIn to save your own search. Right now, there are 5 such jobs posted in my area, 3 of which are true independent safety consultant jobs. If you’re in a larger metro area, I guarantee these types of jobs are open ALL THE TIME. Go forth and apply to ALL OF THEM if you’re an aspiring independent safety consultant!
Volunteer: OK, so this isn’t paid, but it’s great exposure. Volunteer with your child’s school for career day to talk about safety as a career path. Contact your local girl scout or boy scout troop and volunteer to provide safety training for them before they build houses or take on similar tasks. Coordinate a Habitat for Humanity volunteer day or week with coworkers and provide the safety training for the entire crew for the days you’re onsite. Offer CPR and First Aid training to your church group. You never know who is going to be in your class or volunteering alongside you. A free volunteer gig can lead to many paid gigs!
If you’re currently employed full-time, check with your employer’s policies before starting a side hustle. I love hustling, but I also love rules – so do this the right way just in case you plan to branch out on your own someday!