Side Jobs

[DWHA]

I was wondering what type of jobs engineers are working on outside of there main career. Engineers are very smart and versitile people, how have others used this to make a little extra money on the side?

 

[JMirisola]

I've done handyman work and consulting work. Both helped to keep me from feeling as though work were mundane. The consulting I did exposed me to other engineering areas, while the handyman work allowed me to work with my hands more while helping me get some much needed exercise. Finding work as a handyman was quite easy. You'd be surprised at how many people out there have no mechanical aptitude whatsoever. One couple hired me to put together their toddler's x-mas toys...

Jeff Mirisola, CSWP
CAD Administrator
SW '07 SP2.0, Dell M90, Intel 2 Duo Core, 2GB RAM, nVidia 2500M

http://designsmarter.typepad.com/jeffs_blog

 

[csd72]

Ive never really worked as anything else, but a former coworker did stock market investment.

He started off fairly small and built up his assets. In the end he was spending 2 days engineering and 3 days on his portfolio.

csd

 

[oldfieldguy]

I worked as an evening instructor for the local trade school, teaching electricians.

I see some of my former students now on the job as supervisors.

old field guy

 

[sms]

Preacher and taught PE exam prep classes.



"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?" Oddball, "Kelly's Heros" 1970

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[casseopeia]

Bartending doesn't get in the way of a day job too much if you stick to weekend nights. I work for a catering company and take only the jobs I want, so it's not even every week. I can leave directly from work on a Friday in my uniform without too much notice as well.

The money varies. Sometimes it's really good. My best is around $450 in 6 hours. But mostly it's just over the base rate of $17/hr. Another good thing about bartending is that it takes very little thinking, just stamina and a strong back for lifting kegs or crates of glassware. It's a welcome change from my day job.

I used to do some painting work (faux finishing and trompe de l-oeil), but that stuff required planning and shopping for materials. Also, there are always deadlines and unreasonable clients, so I stopped doing it. Too much pressure and too many wealthy mansion owners who think nothing of making you redo something several times over no matter how many times you quote the labor laws to them.




"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"

 

[ctopher]

I have also worked on handyman projects, still do. I used to build wood gates and fences.

Chris
SolidWorks 07 4.0/PDMWorks 07
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 04-21-07)

 

[ScottyUK]

$450 in 6 hours? Why did I ever become an engineer?! Mind, if you are a girl who can wrestle a keg of beer I raise my hat to you! The kegs I used to work with in my youth were barely liftable at about 125kg full (22 proper gallons + maybe 20kg for the keg). Once or twice during summer months we had the big 36 gallon barrels and on one occasion a monster barrel known as a 'hogshead'. 54 gallons of ale. Awesome. Took six or seven of us to get it onto the stillage - should have had you to help us, Cass!


----------------------------------

Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...

 

[xnuke]

My second job is as an adjunct instructor for a local university. I teach future engineers theory AND practical information. It gives me the opportunity to review material I haven't seen in a while to keep my brain sharp on the fundamentals, as well as a place to talent scout for entry-level engineers for the company. I've already received three recruiting bonuses so far in just over a year to add to my meager instructor salary and my adequate engineering salary! Oh, and the perks of being a faculty member are pretty cool, too: free desk copies of the latest textbooks and free or reduced-price software. I've gotten thousands of dollars of free stuff in the last six months. Not a bad gig for an additional 10-12 hours a week.B-)

xnuke
"Live and act within the limit of your knowledge and keep expanding it to the limit of your life." Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged.
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[Guest0527211403]

I used to teach Pro/E classes at my old college on saturdays. Good money but it got to be mind-numbing towards the end. I stopped when I decided to reclaim my weekend. I like teaching and have been considering going to teachers college, but every time I see a pack of insolent high-schoolers on the subway I rethink that plan.

I have my smartserve (allows me to bartend), but I don't actually serve anywhere. I'd rather be on the other side of the bar .

 

[RAH1234]

Writing MS Windows apps is a nice little side gig- there's always a market for simple utilities to automate people's redundant tasks.

 

[271828]

Consulting on odd jobs that don't compete with your employer. Software development, for example.

One of my former co-workers taught mechanics of materials at a local university. Another one taught elasticity. I checked into this, though, and the hourly rate wouldn't be competitive with consulting.

 

[casseopeia]

Hey Scotty,

There's little chance I could muscle a keg alone, at least not a full one. I've managed a partly full one though. It usually takes 2-3 of us girls to get a keg into an ice tub. We now use line coolers, so there's less lifting involved. I think that's because we can't get the male bartnders to help.

It's amazing the number of male bartenders out there claiming to have a bad back. They don't like to tap them either (because it might be messy).

I think the standard keg here is about 15-16 gallons, maybe 150 pounds. Yeah I wish all gigs paid $75/hour on average, but they don't. I've learned that hosted bars usually mean fewer tips. Weddings are the worst. Many a night I've gone home with NO tips.

The $450 in 6 hours was an Irish-Catholic school reunion where we were short-handed and they ran out of tickets for the bar, so people would throw 20's at us to pour them double scotches, and then they would just wander off because we weren't set up to give change. After awhile they didn't care, or were too drunk to remember the change.



"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"

 

[GregLocock]

I spend about an hour a day nursing my portfolio (that is, read the paper, read a couple of stockbroker's lies, do some vague planning as to what to do next, and set up some weird arbitreuge calcs that take forever to run. I don't actively day-trade) -up 37% last year, beat the index by 6% or so. So in that hour a day I make more than from my day job.

I have side projects but they are very similar to my current job, albeit with some drawing and FEA work.

I would be loathe to do much more, as I sail 1 day a week in winter, and 1.5 days a week in summer.

Cheers

Greg Locock

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[davidgentvalve]

I work at restaurant as waiter for $6/hr +tips. It lasts for 1/2 year only.

 

[NickE]

I run a small independant live audio production company, the career definately finances it. Though there is really nothing much more rewarding than seeing the whole audience enjoy the show. (Except maybe figuring out that difficult failure )


I work mostly with independant local theatre and bands, and its a good thing I have a career, I charge appropriately. I also hold the house soundguy position at The Old Miami bar in Detroit.

I get to apply engineering in a completely different way than I do as a metallurgical engineer. As an outlet for when I have to compromise at work, I'm my own boss at this. The work to put together a large musical w/ full rock band and 7 singers is paid for by opening night smiles, or maybe second night cheers.

I have a simple philosophy about live sound:
"I do what I do for this one time, for this one audience, and for this one group. Thats what counts."

nick e
Lyve Productions
Detroit MI 48201

 

[Ashereng]

My wife and I plan to work at Starbucks part-time when we retire. They have full medical benefits for those working a minimum number of hours I've been told.

Oh, and free latte this and that.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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[EngJW]

I have been learning to play drums. I wanted to do it when younger but didn't have the money, then later on didn't have the time. I don't think I will ever make any money at it, but it is fun, challenging, and you meet some interesting people.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

I've just started learning to tune and regulate pianos. Not charging anything yet as I'm still learning. Eventually I'd like to get into piano restoration (as a hobby, not a business). I hope the piano tuning eventually pays for the piano restoration.