The ‘gig economy’ is something of a new term, brought about in recent years thanks to an increasingly digital world and a desire from workers to be their own boss, spending more time doing things that they love and in a pursuit for more freedom.
The gig economy is an economy where temporary or contract positions are undertaken. Having a job for life is no longer the standard way of doing things, and as job security has decreased over recent years, workers have looked for ways to secure their future while enjoying their work at the same time.
This trend is only increasing, and it is predicted that there could be as many as 50% of workers working remote by 2020. But how can you benefit from the increasing popularity of gig jobs?
The first thing to note is that the gig economy includes a huge variety of positions, and you can choose how extreme you want to go on that scale. This means that you can make involving yourself in the gig economy a full-time job, with multiple contracts or long-term projects on board. Alternatively, you can choose to keep your permanent job, and just undertake a few small gigs on the side to top up your income.
Becoming involved in the gig economy doesn’t mean going freelance if you don’t want to. It’s simply about finding ways of benefiting from the rising digital age and taking back some freedom for yourself. Below we’ve listed some ways that you can get yourself involved in gig jobs.
Platforms for Finding Gig Jobs
Freelancer platforms are one of the best places to find gig jobs. Websites such as PeoplePerHour, Fiverr and Upwork are all great platforms that allow you to set up a profile, bid on jobs relevant to your skills and set your own hourly rates.
You only work when you want to, meaning you can make it a full-time thing, or just do a little extra work on the side. You’ll quickly realise that there are hundreds of ways you can sell yourself on these platforms, and setting your own hourly rates means you have flexibility when it comes to how much you earn.
Apps that hire self-employed workers such as Uber and Deliveroo are also great ways at only working when you want to, either full-time or to top up your income. These apps now absolutely dominate the market and have allowed thousands of people to get themselves involved in flexible working. You can’t set your own rates with contracts like these, however, so you’ll need to weigh that up against some of the platforms mentioned above.
Consider combining the idea of platforms and apps with services such as handyman services like Task Rabbit or cleaning services such as Handy. This allows you to sell your skills through a platform without the stress of setting up your own website, but also to keep a little more control over your hourly rates too.
Also consider having a look on databases such as RemoteOK, where you may find yourself some short term contracts that would be perfect for someone of your experience. These may even turn into permanent jobs if that was of interest to you. While these are similar to freelancing platforms, these tend to offer longer-term contracts as opposed to short gig jobs. You can even turn to Glassdoor to find temporary, contract or freelance work — just search the appropriate keyword in the search field!
Gig jobs arose from the fact that we are now more connected than ever. It means you can have a job done instantly, simply by having one quick look online and sorting through the best available candidates. Gone are the days where you have to rely on expensive consultants who may have to fly overseas.
This sharing economy is only going one way, and we’re sure to see more and more ways for people to get involved over the coming months and years. Whether you want to take on multiple contracts, or you’re just looking for a little boost to your bank balance, gig jobs allow you to have a great deal more flexibility in your life.
It can seem scary at first, thinking about taking on work where it’s only you that’s accountable. But once you get started, you’ll realise how exhilarating it actually is not always having to answer to someone else, no matter how minor that job may be. Start with something small and who knows, maybe soon you’ll find yourself wanting to take advantage of the flexibility more and more!
