Fred Michel is one of 7.2 million Americans who moonlight. Once a week, after his day job as medical director of a mental health center, the 40-year-old psychiatrist heads to a part-time job at a treatment center for young people. Twice a month, he travels three hours to another teenage treatment center.
Last year, 5.4 percent of the American workforce held second jobs, according to the US Labor Department, and that looks set to increase t
his year.
Many workers like the safety that moonlighting provides, says Carl Hausman , the writer of “Moonlighting: 148 Great Ways to Make Money to the Side”.
The information from the US Labor Department shows that 40 percent of US moonlighters take a second job to meet household expenses or pay off debts. Others save money or buy some special things.
People also take second jobs with an eye to the future -- wanting to try out a new field or gain experience.
Michel started moonlighting when medical systems were unstable. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t tied to one system that ended up failing.
Just as the purposes for moonlighting vary, the moonlighters cross all ages and racial groups. And they work in a variety of industries -- no longer just service, office and sales jobs.
“Technology just affects your ability to make money,” Hausman says. “That makes a frequent change in moonlighting.”
As its name means, moonlighting
still occurs mostly at night. And that results in some pressures. Chief among them is time.
Full-time employers could misunderstand, too. Some companies do not allow after-hour work because they fear it will affect their employees’ 9-to-5 performance.
“The primary employer is saying, ‘Wait, I’m paying you for the sharp, fresh, energetic you,’” says Tom Gimbel, president and founder of LaSalle Staffing in Chicago. “If you’re burning yourself at both ends, it’s going to show.”
Still, the good done to the moonlighters can be great. Besides extra income, moonlighters enjoy variety, freedom and chance to do something new. They may also find their part-time jobs strengthen what they do full time.
Besides, “it’s fun,” Michel says. Not only do his part-time jobs offer a chance to network, stretch his professional skills and make more money, but they also give him the variety he wouldn’t find just in a full-time job.
“
It’s a way of pulling from the spice cabinet,” he says, “and offering a little variety throughout the day.”
小題1:The reason why Fred Michel began to moonlight is that ________.
A.he found it exciting to do a part-time job |
B.he needed to make ends meet with more money |
C.he feared he would lose his present job one day |
D.he felt more and more pressure from his employer |
小題2:Some companies don’t allow their workers to moonlight because they are afraid ________.
A.their workers cannot do extra-hour work for them |
B.their workers will be too tired to try their best at work |
C.their workers will one day turn to some other different jobs |
D.their workers will not get to work and be off work on time |
小題3:The underlined sentence “It’s a way of pulling from the spice cabinet.” in the last paragraph means ________.
A.moonlighting gets you away from the job you don’t enjoy |
B.moonlighting offers you freedom to make extra money |
C.moonlighting strengthens your professional skills |
D.moonlighting brings you chances to do something different |
小題4:What is the article mainly about?
A.The ways of moonlighting. | B.The reasons for moonlighting. |
C.The problems with moonlighting. | D.The kinds of people who moonlight. |