Is your side hustle in Bangalore damaging your career?

Is Your Side Hustle in Bangalore Damaging Your Career?

Consider Batman. A wealthy businessman by day, a vigilante superhero by night. That’s what you imagine your side hustle is like for you. A chance to explore your interests and skills beyond your day job, and maybe eventually find a place for yourself among the top startups in Bangalore. Meanwhile, your primary job role is what brings in the bacon. And having a side hustle is great, especially in an entrepreneurial hub like Bangalore. But if you’re not mindful, it could also end up hurting your full-time job.

If you’re unsure where you stand when it comes to balancing your time and energy, and if you run the risk of damaging your career with your side gig, we’ve got a list of signs that you need to watch out for. If you’re experiencing some or all of these warning signs, you might need to re-evaluate your side hustle. Take a look.

It overflows into your work time

Unlike your full time job which comes with a predetermined job role and responsibilities, side hustles are often about building your own business from scratch. And that requires time. But if you’re taking time out of your working hours to work on your personal projects, you could end up in a sticky situation. If you’re able to dip into work time and still meet your deadlines without compromising on the quality of your work, you may not get caught in the act, but there are always chances of your employer monitoring your emails or browsing history, especially if you’re working on your side hustle using company WiFi.

You’re stagnating in your role

If you’re putting all your energy and effort into your side hustle, you might not have enough to contribute towards your full-time job. With the race for promotions and salary bumps being so competitive, it’s often the candidates who go above-and-beyond for their roles that are recognised. But if you’re not able to put your best foot forward, you’ll find yourself being overlooked when it comes to appraisal season, and harm your career growth potential. If you’ve been turning down projects or avoiding staying overtime because of your side hustle, you need to consider its effects on your primary role.

It affects the company negatively

Of course, your side hustle should be aligned to your individual interests, but you also have to ensure that it doesn’t actively hurt your company. The reason for this is that you function as an ambassador for your company’s interests, so any actions or statements you make, even if they’re related to your side gig, could have repercussions on the company. This is especially relevant in two cases. The first is if your side hustle is directly related to your primary job. For example, if you work as an editor at a publishing house, but also provide freelance services on the side, you could end up taking clients away from your company through your side gig, impacting them negatively. But the reverse is also true, if your side hustle is a complete departure from your company’s brand, it could affect their image. So, if you work on the marketing team of a vegan food brand but your side gig involves meat sales, you might want to reconsider taking up the job as it could reflect negatively on your full-time employer.

It leads to burnout

Dividing your time between your personal venture and your full-time job was not what you had in mind when you began to check out the best IT companies in Bangalore at the start of your career. And keeping up with the competition at your workplace and the innovation required for your startup could be taking a lot out of you. It could begin to affect your mood, energy levels, and physical and mental health. The last thing you want is for your side gig to lead to total burnout in both your jobs. So, if you find you’re unable to maintain a work-life balance while working two gigs, it might be time to prioritize your career.

It violates your company policy

Most employment contracts contain clauses that might prevent you from taking up a side hustle. Particularly if your second job involves working for a competitor or using work products for your personal benefits there could be legal ramifications that you have to face. It’s important for you to review any such contractual grey areas before you take on a side gig so that you can avoid any legal trouble.

If you’ve been facing any of these signs with your side hustle in Bangalore, it might be time to pause and reprioritise. Even if you’re planning to turn your side-gig into a full-time role eventually, you want to stay on your employer’s good side and not damage any career growth prospects. So, be conscious, use your time judiciously and keep an eye out for these warning signs.

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