Should you have to work nights and weekends to succeed in tech? This is a question that has been doing the rounds on social media recently. Many people use their nights and weekends to build a side hustle and develop skills that are useful to have in their day job. This shows their passion and their ambition, but what about those who don’t want to spend this time outside their day job on their skills? Are they at a disadvantage? In this episode we discuss if it is possible to build your skills and grow in your career if you don’t hustle on the side and work only within your 9-5.
There is a certain amount of privilege in being able to spend nights and weekends working on your skills and side hustle. Many people don’t have the chance. The tech industry has encouraged and valued side projects for a long time, we can’t see this changing any time soon.
Passion shows. A lack of passion can put you behind other candidates. Working in tech can be lucrative if you find the right role, people who are only in it for the money without the passion for the product are easy to spot.
Working nights and weekends is more impactful earlier in your career. You might not have the evidence that comes from honing your craft over time, side projects are a way for you to gain experience in many different areas that you might later work in.
Side projects are one way to keep up your learning and innovation but there are other ways - reading, going to meet-ups and conferences, doing an online course. These are valuable ways of accelerating your career.
01.50 – Catch up
05.05 – How this conversation started
12.30 – Are side projects the only way?
17.35 – Why is the industry the way it is?
20.20 – How we can influence change
