I've previously shared several posts about my experience working in media, so today I want to share my side hustle journey with you.
First, let me explain why I started taking side gigs. My first job actually paid enough to cover my expenses, but after switching careers, my salary dropped. Looking back now, I think I made an impulsive decision without considering reality.
I call it impulsive because my expenses are enormous. Beyond my monthly student loans, rent, insurance, credit card bills, and living expenses, there was a period when I also had to help my family pay their mortgage. In that situation, I barely broke even each month and couldn't save anything.
Before I quit, a practical colleague told me, "I know this place feels too comfortable, but you need to think about reality." But for someone fresh out of school, the word "reality" feels heavy and all too real. I ended up giving up salary for "ideals," and my monthly income dropped by 10,000 yuan instantly.
I once read an article that said: Earning 26,000 or 36,000 per month—if the former is work you love and the latter isn't, isn't choosing the latter just telling yourself your ideals are worth only 120,000 a year? That article deeply influenced me to make this crazy decision. If I had to choose again now, I honestly don't think I could do it.
"Because of ignorance, comes courage. And some things, if you don't do them, you'll regret for life!"
Of course, this pushed me to start my side hustle life. With experience from my first job and nearly a thousand articles written, I began looking for side gigs in copywriting and content creation. Here are some side hustle channels and real examples I tried (I'm not doing side gigs anymore):
1. PTT SOHO Board
https://www.ptt.cc/bbs/soho/index.html
There are many clients posting here recruiting talent. They usually specify salary, project details, and collaboration format, and you apply via private message.
Like this ↓
The employer info and budget are quite transparent. I did land a project here writing and distributing press releases.
【Project Process】
【Discussion Phase】 No face-to-face meetings, communication via LINE and phone to confirm execution plan.
【Collaboration Phase】 Sign contracts online, discuss budget and project timeline (the freelancer should provide these).
Since it was a simple collaboration lasting about a month, with the client's agreement, we drew up a simple quote. But you still need personal info, company details, collaboration items, amount, date, and notes—it's protection for both parties!
For the press release distribution, I outlined two main angles and nine headlines, so the client could preview my content and understand the direction. This reassures the employer.
Then came completing the press releases and distributing them to media, followed by a completion report.
【Completion】 Final Report
I couldn't find my original file, but I created a Word table with screenshots, titles, and dates to show the results to the client.
【Follow-up】 Labor Reporting Form, Payment
Finally, sign the labor reporting form, submit ID copy, wait for payment—project complete!
Through PTT, I also took on a statistical analysis (SPSS) project, which helped a bit. However, PTT side gigs tend to have a few characteristics:
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Individual clients: means they're probably inexperienced too, but they're willing to communicate since their reputation might be on the line.
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Tight timelines
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Low budgets
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Client identity uncertain, so contracts are crucial
【Benefits】
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No extra cost to view projects; you can assess your ability before accepting.
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You can post a profile, and many clients will proactively approach you after seeing it.
2. 104 Outsourcing Network
After taking a few PTT jobs, I felt the variety was limited and it was tedious clicking through each one and messaging. So I paid to join 104's outsourcing membership.
You can search projects directly on the homepage.
↓ Below the homepage is where clients post jobs
↓ Click to find jobs and browse all available ones, with filtering by time, frequency, and number of bidders.
↓ Without membership, you see the budget but not job details or client contact info.
↓ As a member, you can see complete details and contact information.
You can bid directly on the platform or contact the client via email. Platform bids ensure contract protection for both parties. Of course, you should still sign an agreement. The advantage of private contact is avoiding commission after the deal closes.
Actual membership plans:
Fees vary by short-term or long-term, with short-term plans charging commission. Here's how transactions are calculated:
Since 104 is a business platform, completed transactions are charged a percentage fee—more on the first one. I once forgot this, bought a three-month membership, took a cosmetics review writing job for 500 yuan, and the commission was also 500 yuan. I made nothing. After that, I was careful about it. Of course, it also depends whether the client actually completes the transaction.
【Project Process】
【Browse】 Before paying, I checked if there were enough projects I could handle, since I only have evenings to work on side gigs after my main job. I needed to consider difficulty level and, of course, budget—it has to have good value for money! What's "good value" varies by person: some prioritize interesting work, others prioritize earnings.
【Pay for Membership】 After finding several appealing projects, I paid for membership twice—once short-term, once long-term.
*Pro tip (don't tell your parents): To avoid transaction fees, I chose a three-month plan this year, but over 3,000 yuan in membership fees is tight, so I split the cost with two friends. That way they could also use my account to browse projects.
【Discussion Phase】 I emailed clients based on their listing information. Some don't provide phone numbers and just use 104's platform for proposals, and they usually respond quickly. Or if you have a portfolio on the platform, many clients will directly contact you with proposals.
【Collaboration Phase】 Last October, I took on a book-writing project and media consulting work. Since the media part was a formal company, they sent proper contracts in duplicate, signed by upper management. The contract specified complete collaboration methods, quotes, payment terms, and breach penalties—much more reassuring.
For the book project, since it was a three-month timeline and more complex, we met in person. We discussed their book vision, then I drafted an outline and project proposal.
After writing the title, outline, etc., I made sure the client felt confident.
Later they said they had consulted two or three other people, but my direction matched what they wanted best, so they chose me. During writing, since it was a book about overseas volunteer work, I conducted four interviews and then wrote based on the materials they provided.
【Preparation】
Each interview was scheduled for two hours with recording. I sent an outline beforehand so they could prepare too, avoiding wasted time. After each interview, I'd go home and write. The whole process took about three months, and the word count exceeded expectations. But since we'd already agreed on pricing and signed a contract, there were no additional charges.
Final Book: Fearless at 19: Chasing Dreams Across 18,300 Kilometers
【Experience】
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Diverse project types and higher budgets, often starting at 5,000 or 10,000 yuan. But you need to be careful to avoid sketchy projects.
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Most clients are companies. Of five projects I took on 104, four were companies and one was an individual. Companies tend to communicate clearly in advance, explaining their internal rules and what they expect from your work. During execution, they communicate and adjust direction as needed. It's somewhat stressful, but think of it this way: they're paying you, so just cooperate.
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Build your portfolio and skills. As mentioned above, since these are company projects, your work has exposure opportunities. If you want to pivot to different industries later, side gigs are a great way.
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High protection. First, 104 indicates there's no guarantee you'll get projects, but if you trade through the platform and a client goes silent, you can ask 104 to help. Regarding contracts, the platform offers templates you can reference, with different contracts for different industries that you can download and modify—it's thoughtful service, but limited to members.
(Contract templates free download >> https://case.104.com.tw/contract/)
That's my experience with the platform.
What's the painful life of balancing full-time work and side gigs like?
Many people complain they don't have enough money, yet they watch Korean dramas and hang out after work. For me, rather than sit and wait, I take action to increase my income. I used to think it was impossible with a 2-digit salary, but the "everything is difficult" mindset prevented me from acting, which only made things worse. Through teamwork, new creative sparks ignite.
After I started freelancing, sometimes handling multiple projects simultaneously, some became quite regular. My extra monthly income peaked at 27,000 yuan—almost matching my full-time salary! With three income streams, I suddenly became a 5-digit earner (though only for a month or two...).
But the downside? Quality of life plummeted. My full-time job has extremely long hours and high stress, so I couldn't relax after work. Instead, I had to continue freelancing, often until midnight. Day after day, I'd collapse, then wake up early the next day for my main job. I really felt like I was going crazy.
Plus, my full-time and side work are in similar industries but different ways of working. Sometimes confusion would muddle my thinking and affect my abilities. I had to constantly adjust my mindset—that took about a month of hard adjustment. Seriously, it was exhausting, exhausting, exhausting. There's no other word to describe those days. But you do what you have to for survival. (Fortunately, I'm not doing side gigs anymore.)
