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Finding Programming Work on the Side?
vistaconfig wonders: "I work as a developer for a certain fairly small company. I'm very happy with my work/pay and I wouldn't consider changing my job. However, I find myself bored at night since I never take any work home (as per the boss's orders). Since I'm not capable of working without some kind of motivation, I'm trying to find some kind of a side job that pays whatever money, and has deadlines (that's the only way I can work, unfortunately). There doesn't seem to be a website for side jobs. I'm willing to take something on, but I don't know where to go. How do other Slashdot readers deal with finding the side job in the first place? "
However, I find myself bored at night since I never take any work home (as per the boss's orders).
You are bored, because your boss won't let you take work home. You're kidding, right?
OMFG. What are you working for, anyway? Jesus H. Christ! Go out and HAVE SOME FUN. Meet a WOMAN (or a man, if that's your thing).. Go out and DANCE. Go to a production of something. Take some music lessons. See a provocative movie about provocative people with provocative people. Learn how to play bridge, backgammon, how to take pictures, how to bluff a Texan out of a pot. But for fuck's sake DO SOMETHING. EXPAND YOUR HORIZIONS.
Kids these days. Ay carrumba!
Since I'm not capable of working without some kind of motivation, I'm trying to find some kind of a side job t
Working? WORKING? What are you, a retard? This is your SPARE TIME. YOUR TIME OFF.
Find the nearest tall building, and jump. That's my advice, for you are not living and I see very little hope for you.
Mod down people who tell people how to mod in their sigs
I tend to agree with the comment suggesting that you look for something different, like a life.
... project?
/., of course).
However, if that's not feasible (e.g., maybe you need more money; maybe you don't want a life right now), then how about a pet
You could work on an open source project. Or you could think of an "unmet need" and code the solution, get some angel money, parlay that into VC funding, cash out and criticize the government full time (on
If you're happy with your pay, why not join one of the many thousands of open source projects out there that could use your help?
I don't know your situation, but your boss may think he's doing you a favor. Talk to him, take on more responsibility. Run the company. Do you think there's nothing more to do there? It's a rare company that can't use some extra, motivated, help.
Yup, I was in the same predicament that you're in; home after work, and bored out of my skull. So, I started contracting at night working with a small firm writing accounting software, and with a hotel writing banquet management software. One night when I finally got to bed at two in the morning, my wife looked at me and said "you've been so distant for the past six months, have I done anything wrong?" That broke my heart. I realized that I'd come home from work, eat dinner, and head on upstairs to my home office and code all night.
It was also affecting my full time job. I was constantly late, and groggy and grumpy until sometime around lunch. My boss at the time finally got tired of the complaints and gave me an ultimatum: fix my attitude problem or find another job.
I finally realized what an a-hole I'd been to my co-workers and more importantly to my wife. So, I gave up the contracting work.
What I'm trying to say is that instead of burying your head in coding 16+ hours a day. Take some time for yourself after hours. Hang out with friends. Surprise your S.O. by doing something that's fun, offbeat, and different from your normal routine. To sum it up, enjoy life.
-ScottMy other sig is a Glock
Someone mentioned OSS...but that isn't the only path for free time. Have you ever contacted local non-profits and seen what kind of help they need and if it fits with the type of programming you'd like to do?
As the subject says.
Instead of programming in your spare time, find another area of interest and pursue it. You never know when you're going to snap mentally and not be able to write a single line of code again. My employer doesn't know it, but in the last month, I haven't done a thing, and I don't know what will happen when he finds out... I have reached a point in my life where coding absolutely disgusts me. And I'm not alone - many programmers I know are in a similar position, some have even resorted to drugs to be able to work.
Not helping the fact is that my right wrist is starting to hurt. Sooner or later, I fear that it will require surgery.
Anyway, lately I've been into digital photography. I go out and take pretty pictures of people, animals, flowers, buildings... I love it, but I don't think I can make a career out of that. Who knows, though.
So my advice is that you find something that would classify as a backup plan, in case you wake up one morning, look yourself in the mirror and ask what the hell you're doing with yourself.
If you use computers, I know that you have run into software that totally sucks. In fact, not only did it totally suck, but every piece of software that came close to doing that thing sucks. Or you have run into wanting to do something that simply no software out there does.
There are still LOADS of gaps like this anywhere from tiny utility software up to enterprise level stuff. Pick one. Whatever one bugs you the most. Write some really good software. Open source it and sell support. Or don't.. whatever. Just write good software.
So you need some deadlines to keep you going? Not uncommon. Have someone do it for you (isn't that what you would do by contracting?). Either get yourself a partner (preferably someone who is keen on handling all the _other_ parts of creating and running a company in exchange for the possible rewards) who is also a good deadline-setter and will not let you slack. Or hire yourself a business coach if you do want to try your hand at the other aspects of running a company and just want someone to egg you on.
Read Paul Graham's essays for encouragement and why starting your own software company is (still) a good idea. http://www.paulgraham.com/
Oh yeah - ALSO find yourself another engaging hobby or two. They must involve at least the following:
Social interaction. Yes you need this. You cannot work in front of a computer at work and do programming all day and then come home and do it all night. Your boss made that rule for a _reason_ . In order for your creative programming side to flow the rest of your mind must be fed. If you just program all day every day for primary job and then your side job your productivity will drop like a rock. This should ideally involve more than one person - a significant other will severely cut into the time you can spend on the stuff you need (socializing with more than 1 person and getting outdoors (see below)). It is a trade off.
Get out. Out of the house. Out of buildings. Gardening maybe. Or hiking. Bicycling. Whatever appeals really. This is important for all the same reasons that social interaction is. It will tend to give your mind a break from thinking too heavily and the opportunity for creative thoughts to bubble up. It will also keep your body healthier. Not Olympic gymnast healthier. Heck - gardening will leave you a fat slob (if you are, and want to remain so), but it will bring your health up a slight notch nevertheless. If you want to be time-efficient, find a hobby that combines social activity plus getting out - this would possibly allow the space to date. But I do feel that doing something relatively mindless (BUT NOT IN FRONT OF A SCREEN - no video games and no TV. They are not mindless enough) is also fairly important even if it is only for a short amount of time..but regularly. At least once per week. Heck - just sit outside in a lawn chair in the sun and make chain mail. No thought involved, but you get fresh air and sun.
Remember, the hobby must be engaging enough that you will continue to do it in spite of the pull to spend all of your time in front of the computer. Try out a few and see which one sticks with you for a while. Plop a reminder in your calendar a few months down the line to start the programming part (ie: don't get so sucked into the hobby that it cuts off your original plans). Plop a reminder in your calendar a few months down the line to re-examine your hobby(ies).
Yes, this will severely cut back on the total amount of time that you spend in front of the computer programming. In fact, you might get only a tiny bit of code done per week (best done in extended-concentration burst I know - maybe one weeknight and 6-8 straight hours on one weekend day). But it will be much higher quality and you will get a LOT more done during that time.
If you are concerned about the time issues and you happen to watch TV cut it out. Watching TV fulfills neither of the requirements for a healthy body and mind needed for programming. If
Start a side business.
I believe posters are recognized by their sig. So I made one.
if motivation is your issue then volunteer to help a charity. Good IT help is hard to find for these kinds of operations and you can go to sleep at night happy that you've helped others less fortunate.
I agree with the AC parent.
-Get a life outside of work. But, if that's not right for you,
-Craigslist seems like a worthy option. Local jobs and contacts. You never know...
-Robots for fun is a worthy idea, as is pretty much any other OSS project, as (many) other people have mentioned.
Personally, I would say that you should FORCE yourself to do something non-programming related.
-I'm guessing you're in your early 20's.
-20 years from now, you'll be kicking yourself for spending all your time coding and not doing something "different" .
--Like movies? Make one.
--Like music? Play some.
--Like books? Write one.
--Like food? Learn to cook.
--Like coding THAT much? Teach it to kids.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_World
Being pedantic is fine, as long as you're correct.
First off - if you're only getting a few extra hundred a month for that amount of effort, you made yourself a bad deal. I finally caved and did a side project - a friend of mine asked for help, and it seemed interesting enough, so I agreed but only within very strict limitations signed in a contract, including my maximim amount of time I would spend.
I would also recommend that you only work on POC's and transfer knowledge, if you're doing side projects, unless you're intending to make them fulltime. I wound up doing about 40 hours work with about 500 LOCs, integrating 3 separate systems together in a base framework that wound up being as robust as they needed. (IOW, the POC is actually very near to their final code requirements, meaning they only have to do minor tweaks). They're very happy, I'm happy, and I'm done. New work = new contract.
Even though this is a friend, on the biz side we made it clear from the get go that we would work within strict limitations. Don't get caught in the trap of "well, I need one more thing". Every time something like that comes up, my response is - it's possible, but only if it fits in with my schedule, otherwise I can't perform to the expected level.
Even with the low 40 hours of work, this still affected my family life for 3 weeks, as I have a FT job and family.
Last note, just because you think you have lots of spare time and are "bored", I'm willing to bet you don't have near the amount of time you think you do. Take on a small project first, with strict limits on how much of your time will be used. Make damn sure you can accurrately estimate how much of your time it will take. That last bit is very very important.
The cesspool just got a check and balance.