They don’t do it for the money. They can easily earn that with one job. Yet Pascal de Vos (37) and Lissy Cornelissen (23) still have a job. Some call them crazy. They are actually happier with two jobs.
Although relatively many people in the Netherlands tend to have a part-time job instead of a full-time job and where some people get a burnout just thinking about two jobs, De Vos and Cornelissen regularly work long working weeks of more than forty hours. However, this makes them happier. Occupational and health psychologist Oscar Breetveld smiles when he hears the stories of these people. “It’s actually super healthy what they do.”
In his practices in The Hague and Heemstede, he often sees people with a burn-out or a bore-out, caused because they are only concerned with one thing. “They often cannot put all their passion into this or do not get enough satisfaction from it.” He briefly explains the various processes: ,,With a burnout you actually go on working too long and too often. Also with work that just makes you happy. You keep putting in effort, without doing enough for yourself. You are only busy with work.”
With a bore-out, employees drop out because they are not happy. “Then the work is so monotonous that they are less present at work.” According to Breetveld, people should continue to play correctly and challenge themselves, also in their work. If they can find that variety by working two jobs, that’s fine.
Looking for what the world needs
Breetveld often uses the popular Japanese concept of ‘ikigai’ in his practice: ,, Loosely translated, it means ‘the reason for existence’. Everything comes together in this. Not just systems that we know from positive psychology or how the brains work together. But also how you can live a more balanced life as a person. When you look for your ikigai, you look for your passion, what the world needs and what you can specifically offer.”
Also read at Intermediary: ‘Is it fun to make your hobby your job?’
You also investigate whether this passion makes you happy and whether you can earn money with it. ,,When you find your ikigai, you enter a kind of playing mode. Where your creativity is challenged, where you can look for solutions and where you feel useful in your work. By finding the balance between passion and work, you become a happier person and I think that is exactly what De Vos and Cornelissen do.”
Still, Breetveld argues that two jobs at the same time are not for everyone. “Not everyone can find their passion in work. But it is good to have a passion as a person. In your work or next to it. It is the perfect medicine against a burn-out, bore-out or other boredom.”
‘Breaking of the goats a relief after a week of calling’
Lissy Cornelissen (23) from Herveld is a telephone operator and goat milker
“Something I really can’t do is sit still. Three guesses what you do all day as a telephone operator? You literally sit still all day and that for 32 hours a week. The work is also fun. It is varied, I have different people on the phone every day.”
,,However, I did a training in animal care. This is where I came into contact with the goat milker profession. I’ve already done that six days a week. That was intense, however, because you then had to get out of bed around 4 a.m. every day and then work part of the day in the stable. I therefore opted for an office job and also cleaned for many hours. But recently the opportunity came along to milk goats at least one day a week. And I couldn’t pass that up.”
,,It is wonderful to be busy with 3000 goats for six hours that one day. Personally, I find the whining of those beasts a relief. Especially after a week of phone calls. Then you don’t have to say anything for a day. I also see it as good exercise because you are busy all day. People think I’m crazy, but I think it’s a very nice change from my office job. Sitting still would really break me up otherwise. In addition, I like that I still do something with my training. It remains your passion, those animals.”
‘Good variety of screen work and working with your hands’
Pascal de Vos (37) from Huissen is a care coordinator and bicycle repairman
“I have been working in home care in and around Arnhem for about 13 years. There I just started in cleaning and from there I grew into a coordinator. I studied management, but at some point I wanted more. I found it difficult to get enough satisfaction from my work as a care coordinator. It got monotonous.”
“During this period of doubt, I happened to see a message on Facebook. That person was looking for someone ‘who could fix a tape’. Well, I can. I’ve been working on bicycles all my life. I used to like that. And although that call felt like a joke, I went through with it anyway.”
“It has been 3.5 years since I set up my own company as a bicycle repair shop in addition to my work as a care coordinator, and bought a bus that I can use to visit people. I am now a bicycle repairman 30 hours a week, I have about a thousand regular customers. In addition, I am also a care coordinator 28 hours a week.”
“I like doing both this way. The care, because it is a permanent team with which you can work easily and with which you still provide people with a good service. And making cycling because you really help people in the short term. It is both very rewarding work and a good variety of screen work and working with your hands.”
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