Why "Parallel Careers" is Better Than Side Hustles

When I think about "side hustles" and people taking on an ever increasing number of "side gigs", it's not surprising that burnout rates are higher than ever.

Adding more and more to our plates is not sustainable and often not worth the long-term cost to our health and well-being.

Instead, I would like to introduce you to my concept of Parallel Careers*.

*I am not talking about working multiple jobs simultaneously without telling your bosses - a.k.a. "moonlighting" - because that is also not sustainable, not to mention that it likely violates your workplaces' code of conduct.

Parallel Careers is the strategic and intentional process of prioritizing opportunities that advances two careers of your choosing simultaneously.

I was inspired to create this term after reading three bestselling books on careers - "Essentialism: the Disciplined Pursuit of Less" (2014) by Greg McKeown, "Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World" (2019) by David Epstein, and "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success" (2013) by Adam Grant.

Read on for the 3 things you can do today to start incorporating the Parallel Careers approach.

1. Identify careers

Why: If you look at the definition of "hustle" - to crowd or push roughly; to convey forcibly; a dishonest plan for getting money - it's mostly negative and not very attractive terms. But if you look at the definition of the word "career" - one's calling in life - and note that it originates from the French word carrière, which means "road", it's a much more positive and uplifting concept.

What: Start off by identifying two career tracks that align with your values, allow you to live the lifestyle you want, maximizes your talents, and any other reasons that resonate with you.

How: You could spend some time talking it over with your family and friends, engage in spiritual or religious reflection, or just pick two that you gravitate towards (no matter your age, you can always change careers later!).

2. Identify skills

Why: The definition of "skill" is the "capacity to do something well". Skills are usually learned, as opposed to "abilities", which are often thought of as innate. The origins of the word "skill" is from the Old Norse skil, which means "a distinction, discernment, knowledge". So identifying the skills that we want to learn is also the process of determining the knowledge that you want to gain.

What: Next, start writing down the the skills that are relevant to both career tracks. Some industries and professions might even require the same credentials or accept a wide range of credentials (e.g., Bachelor’s degree in statistics, economics, other social science field or a related field).

How: Identifying skills requires breaking jobs down into its component parts. Start by looking at job descriptions of positions you are interested in and note which skills they tend to look for. I wish I could have read Epstein's book "Range" when I was younger; it would have really helped me to combat the pressure to specialize in academia.

3. Identify opportunities

Why: In McKeown's book "Essentialism", he outlines a model to intentionally doing less in order to discern what really matters to us, both in life and in our careers. So essentially (sorry! could not resist the pun), it's important to say "no" to everything except the things that can advance your goals.

What: Start by figuring out what opportunities exist in your current job, at your school, or in your community can help you build the skills you identified in step 2. Then, only take on the opportunities that allow you to build the skills that apply to both the careers you identified in step 1. The key is to build the skills simultaneously, hence the term parallel careers.

How: Be creative in thinking about what actually counts as opportunities. It's often not about taking, but about giving. Grant's book "Give and Take" showcases the rewards of being someone who naturally prefers to give more than they get.

The key differences between the Parallel Careers approach and hustle culture is that you are nurturing both career tracks in a strategic way to thrive in both simultaneously. One career isn't "lesser" than another or considered a "side" pursuit. You might be making less money in one career track than another, or have to put in more time towards one career track for a period of time, but the main thing is that they are both considered essential.

If you enjoyed this article, please let me know in the comments. If there is enough interest, I might even create a series of articles on how to adopt the Parallel Careers approach!

If this approach feels overwhelming and you are not sure how to begin, you could consider working with a career coach. There are many wonderful coaches out there who can help you get started!

If you would like to work with me to pursue the Parallel Careers approach, please DM me or add your name to my waitlist: www.sallyyuelin.com/waitlist.

**Note that all three books that I recommended are written by white cis-gendered men from the United States, so if you are racialized, a woman, trans, non-binary, and/or part of equity-deserving communities, then some of the advice within those books might not be easily applicable. We desperately need folks with lived and living experience to write books for diverse professionals; perhaps that author can be you?