Side Hustle
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Hi All,
I would like to try my hand at some design work on the side (side hustle). Im currently a project engineer with a mechanical engineering background. I have completed an advanced engineering apprenticeship and started hands-on from the bottom. I have almost finished a master's in engineering (design and materials pathway), which I have been studying part-time for. I have around 15 years industry experience.
I currently use SU Pro and AutoCad 2021, I get involved with many types of schemes at my job, and I use SU and CAD at any opportunity to help me deliver the schemes. I pay for this myself as being a Project engineer isn't necessarily about "design" per se. I am getting to a point in my life where I have proved I can deliver schemes, and I find the project management and task managment fairly easy. I find much more enjoyment in design/ being hands-on.
Looking forward, I have two options to make more money which are to become a project manager "more money, more problems (stress)" or create a side hustle in design work with metalwork design/ building design etc.
Are there any people on here in this position and doing design work as a side hustle? Also, what advise can people give me on how to start etc?
thank you
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Maybe a little different but I do furniture design projects for several professional wodworkers. They contact me with with a brief of what their client is after and the ideas they've talked about together. I take that information and work up some different designs to send. A final design is eventually arrived at and from their I make shop drawings and other required stuff like CAD files for CNC work or whatever.
The first woodworker contacted me about learning SketchUp but he decided he was too busy in the shop to do the design end of things. He asked if I would be interested in doing that end of it. It's been at least a decade that I've been working with him.
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Portfolio is in places like Artstation, Behance, Instagram are great but lots of noise.
Your own site adds credibility so that would be worth exploring too.
The short answer is promote yourself until you becoming annoying. There's always someone out there looking for design work. They just have not found you yet....
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Thats a good idea. Never really thought of a portfolio. ALthough the work I do at work I probably couldnt use as its for an employer. I suppose it gives me a good excuse to do some design stuff for myself to get some models.
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