Upskilling – the ‘best perk’ of taking on a side job

Candidate survey conducted by Robert Walters Japan

Analysis from Robert Walters Japan’s latest survey conducted on professionals (20s to 50s and over) shows companies in Japan that permit side jobs are more attractive for potential employees. The data also suggests that respondents believe upskilling is a more enticing reason to take on extra work than increasing income.

Upskilling – the ‘best perk’ of taking on a side job

When we asked respondents who already have a side job what the key benefits were, the largest percentage (40%) said that it helped them to ‘improve their skills’, followed by ‘increase income’ (37%), ‘broaden horizons’ (37%) and ‘expand their network’ (29%). In addition, around half of the same group (46%) said that there were no downsides to having a side job, indicating taking one on does not have a strong negative impact on their main job.

Majority of 20s and 30s respondents interested in investment-related side jobs compared to 50s and over who are interested in consulting-related side jobs

In terms of the type of industry for a side job, more than half of those in their 20s and 30s said they want to take on investment-related jobs (e.g., real estate, stocks, virtual currencies) whereas most of those in their 50s prefer to take on consulting work. This may infer that younger people in their 20s and 30s have a strong preference for building passive income streams, while senior workers are more interested in leveraging the years of expertise they have gained for use as advisors and consultants.

This correlates with the data from those who already make money from a side job, with the top industry being consulting (31%) followed by investment (29%). 

Creative and digital work the most interesting side job for respondents in their 40s 

Creative and digital work was the most desired area for those in their 40s (35%) who want to take up a side job. This work includes blogging, digital design, and computer programming. Like those in their 20s and 30s, investment-related work was a close second (33%). With remote work becoming part of the new normal, jobs that can be done from any location have become more desirable. Furthermore, nurturing creative and digital skills can more easily translate into a benefit for many people’s main job, especially with the growing push towards AI and digitalization in Japan.

To summarize, side jobs can be an important tool for employees to not only secure additional income but also to upskill, one that can open up work for them in entirely new industries.

Press Release(PDF)

About Robert Walters Japan:

Established in London, United Kingdom, in 1985, Robert Walters is a specialist recruitment consultancy with operations in 31 countries around the world. Robert Walters Japan established its Tokyo office in 2000 and Osaka office in 2007.  For over 20 years, we've been a driving force in the Japanese bilingual recruitment market, providing high quality candidates for our clients and access to the best jobs. Our consultants are experts in their respective industries and work in teams to provide recruitment consultation services across a wide range of industries and job categories.