Each project arrives with its purpose, milestones and first tasks written out. Here is how the first three read.
The career goal a side project must serve
Most side projects are chosen because the idea is fun, then sit in a portfolio that no hiring manager connects to the role you want. Writing down the specific door you want opened in the next 18 months, a move to data engineering, a design lead role, a first client in a new sector, gives every later choice of idea, stack and audience a test to pass.
First tasks
- Write the role or opportunity you want in one sentence with a timeframe
- Read five job adverts or briefs for that target and note recurring asks
- List three gaps between those asks and your current record
- Revisit the target sentence and rewrite it if it has drifted @recurring(yearly)
Employment contract and IP clause check
Many employment contracts claim ownership of anything you create that relates to the employer's business, and some claim anything made on their equipment or in working hours. Reading the intellectual property, confidentiality and outside work clauses before you build means you know what you own, rather than discovering it when a project gets traction or you try to sell it.
First tasks
- Find your signed contract and the current staff handbook
- Copy the IP, confidentiality and outside work clauses into one note
- Write a three-line plain summary of what the employer claims
- Send your unclear points to HR as written questions
Outside activity disclosure to your employer
Employers in regulated sectors, consultancies and larger firms often require you to declare outside activities, and a project that touches a client's market can look like a conflict even when it is not. Disclosing early, in writing, with a short description of the project, turns a possible disciplinary surprise into a recorded approval.
First tasks
- Search the intranet or handbook for the outside activities policy
- Draft a five-sentence description of the project and its separation from work
- Submit the disclosure through the form or email your manager
- File the reply beside your contract summary
- Renew the disclosure and update the project description @recurring(yearly)
