How to Keep Your Side Hustle Thriving (Without Jeopardising Your Full-Time Job)

By TheDriveGroup

•

14 October 2025

Balancing your 9-5 with your passion project, and how to make it work for your career.

In today’s workforce, the “side hustle era” is well and truly here.

As of March 2025, more than 950,000 Aussies (6.5% of the workforce) are now juggling multiple jobs, according to the ABS. This is up from 5.1% in 2020.

For many young professionals, especially in tech and marketing, a side hustle isn’t just a financial buffer; it’s a creative outlet, a learning opportunity, and in some cases, the spark that accelerates their primary career.

But how do you maintain a healthy balance between your full-time performance and building something on the side? And if you’re interviewing for new tech or marketing jobs in Sydney, how can you talk about your side project in a way that adds to your credibility and makes you more hireable?

As a Sydney-based tech and markerting recruitment agency, we’ve seen how some of the best candidates balance side hustles and full-time roles – here are our top tips for getting it right.

Know WHY you’re doing it

Is it for extra income, creative fulfilment, or skill development? Knowing your motivation helps you decide what opportunities to take on and which to turn down.

If your goal is to build skills that strengthen your full-time role (like learning SEO, managing campaigns, or building apps), your employer will likely see it as a win-win.

Use your side hustle to propel your career forward (not backwards)

Your side hustle and your 9-5 can actually fuel each other. Think of it like cross-training; the skills you build in one can strengthen the other.

Treat your side hustle like hands-on professional development. Set clear goals for what you want to learn and bring those insights back to your main job, whether that’s better time management, creative problem-solving, or client communication.

Set clear boundaries and time blocks

Your side hustle should fit around your full-time job, not compete with it.

Use time-blocking to schedule your side hustle hours outside of work.
Communicate availability clearly to clients or customers.
Protect your evenings or weekends, and don’t forget to take some downtime.

Keep performance at work your top priority

Your full-time job pays the bills and gives you structure; don’t compromise that.

If your manager or clients start noticing fatigue or missed deadlines, it’s a sign you’ve taken on too much. The most successful side hustlers know when to scale back temporarily during busier seasons at work.

Use your side hustle as a STRENGTH in interviews

We hear this question a lot as recruiters: “I’ve got a side project… how do I tell a hiring manager without making it sound like it’ll distract me from the job?”

Done right, it can be an opportunity to show initiative, problem-solving chops, and that you’re keeping your skills sharp.

Try this simple framework to strategically tell your story in a way that will highlight the positives of your side project:

By adopting this approach, your side hustle serves as proof of your adaptability, self-motivation, and ability to juggle multiple priorities – all qualities that hiring managers in Australia’s tech and marketing sectors highly value.

Keep your wellbeing in check

Most important of all is to make sure you’re still getting rest, downtime and time for fun things like other hobbies or socialising. Creativity thrives when your energy is restored.
If you’re running on empty, both your job and your side project will suffer.

Whether you’re freelancing in marketing, coding apps on weekends, or running an online business, the key is balance, intention, and communication.

Handled right, your side hustle won’t just boost your bank account; it can boost your career story too.

If you’re looking for a tech or marketing role in Australia that complements your side hustle, reach out to one of our recruiters today, or check out our latest jobs to find a position that matches your skills and passions!