Year after year, side hustles keep growing in popularity. And young people, specifically, are leaning into the trend. Half of millennials — many of whom are in their 30s — say they've picked up a gig outside of their full-time job, according to a recent Bankrate survey of 2,505 U.S. adults.
If you yourself are in your 30s and are looking to earn some extra cash, there are many options available to you. "These are technology natives, right?" says Angelique Rewers, founder of consulting firm BoldHaus, of what people in their 30s might be uniquely suited for. "These are folks who grew up with a cell phone in their hands." They've also often been in the workforce for about a decade (or more) so have built some expertise in their field or even multiple fields.
Whether or not tech is your thing, here are three side hustles for 30-somethings to consider.
AI content assistant
These days, branding is a huge component of running a business, and "the bar has been raised for how much content you need to publish on your website and on social media" to really get noticed, says Rewers.
As such, businesses are looking for ways to create marketing brochures, blog posts, LinkedIn posts and more on a regular basis. That's where the AI content assistant comes in. This person would take wording from meetings, conferences, webinars and so on and turn it into this material.
With so many people in their 30s likely familiar with tools like LinkedIn and online marketing they've consumed since the early aughts, they're well-suited for the gig.
To begin with, they'd transcribe it using tools like Rev or Otter.ai. They'd then take whatever is relevant and input it into ChatGPT with a prompt like "turn this into a 700-word blog article that has five tips," says Rewers. They'd then proofread to make sure it's accurate and legible then post.
It takes about a week to learn how to use these tools, and "you can charge anywhere from $20 to $100 an hour," says Rewers. She suggests offering your AI content assistant services on sites like Fiverr or Upwork.
Notary public
Many official documents like property deeds and wills require a notary public to be present when they're signed. The notary ensures the parties signing are who they say they are, that they're willing to sign the documents and that they're aware of their contents.
"A lot of notaries are retiring," says Rewers. "They're older individuals. But notaries are still really needed." And they can make good money. Nearly 30% of part-time notaries earn more than $1,000 per month, according to the National Notary Association.
By 30, many adults have encountered such official documents — or at least seen conversations about them on their company Slack.
To become a notary public you'll need to submit an application, get training from an approved vendor, pass an exam and complete a background check. "It only takes about two to three weeks to become a notary and only cost a couple $100 to do it," says Rewers.
You can then list your services on social media or sites like Nextdoor.
Consultant
If you have particular expertise from your full-time job or any work you've done outside of it, consider offering your services as a consultant. Consultants help companies or individuals with projects, providing expert analysis and recommendations and sometimes doing the tasks involved in completing the projects themselves.
Daniella Flores, founder of the side hustle blog I Like to Dabble and the Remote Work Bestie Podcast, is currently consulting for a client on a technical writing project. The job can get get in the weeds, "working with that engineering manager, working with a team and then working hand in hand cross functionally" to complete the project, she says.
Flores is making $50 per hour for the gig, but consulting jobs on LinkedIn are listed for as much as $110 per hour. She recommends doing a search for consulting jobs in your field on the site to see where you can offer your services. You can also list your services as a consultant on your profile.
Just make sure your full-time employer is open to this kind of part-time gig. Reach out to your manager or human resources at your company to get acquainted with their side hustle policy.
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