Short term. Quick Jobs. On-demand.
When you dive into the meaning of the gig economy in general, it means that many people work as independent contractors, part-timers, or temporarily for a platform or service provider. By the term “gig” you can easily distinguish it as something that is lighter than entirely regular work. Gig originally is used by jazz musicians a century back, now it is widely used to distinguish what kind of work independent workers do.
Workers in the gig economy earn money by doing contractual work or freelancing, but typically most of the gig workers find a client that they can match with and offer their service to complete work or “gig” to earn clients their money. For gig workers, it doesn’t matter how long the work may last, as long as they have another gig waiting for them, to keep their income flow in balance and continuously.
It is difficult to distinguish how many adults are participating in the gig economy, but according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 1.6 million workers get their income from doing gigs. Their data also showed that many more are still participating in the gig economy, doing freelance or part-time jobs/side-hustle jobs.
What makes the gig economy so enticing to the people that many are jumping in the wagon to participate in it? Aren’t you curious? Well, you should definitely stay in this article to gain a little knowledge about the pros of the gig economy for an adult or aspiring worker like you.
Here are 4 reasons why you should invest in the gig economy:
There is a massive variety of opportunities for a freelancer like you.
1. Flexibility
One of the reasons why people should invest in the gig economy is that it can guarantee flexibility in terms of working hours. If you’re among the people who love to work while handling their own time and pace, then you should consider hopping into the gig economy. With flexibility in the gig economy, it gives the gig workers, the when and where the privilege of how they should work. Oftentimes, the gig workers, are given a job with a completion date, now it is up to the hustlers how they would finish it, as long as they comply with the given deadline or date.
Some workers choose working days like early morning on the weekends, weekdays with a day interval, or even a work-from-home setup. This kind of work nature is appealing to people who love to work around family schedules, or even to people who are still in school. If you are a side hustler wanna-be, then you should definitely exercise that flexibility privilege that the gig economy offers.
2. Guarantees Independence
We know that every working adult already has the essence of independence, starting from the time they hunted for their jobs. But, what the gig economy is bringing, is the fact that you get to work on your own, sometimes without the aid of other people. Gig workers often work alone, learn alone, and finish their job with very minimal help from others. But, that is the essence of it, it can boost confidence and independence, away from relying upon all the time to feed the need of completing your work. This kind of thing can help people in their early 20s or early graduates to rocket themselves up the working ladder.
3. Income
The income/salary of gig workers varies from company to company, they aren’t all on the same level. It is a given fact, that in this economy, expect that there are works that pay less, and there are works that pay just fine.
For students who are in the gig economy doing side hustles, it is very much fine if you try to pursue higher education while still in the gig, flexibility perk works very much fine in these case scenarios. With a higher degree obtained, this can help you make your CV/resume look good and make your freelancing career boost, to help you earn more money.
4. Job choices
In the gig economy, you can find a wide variety of jobs to choose from. As an independent worker with a flexible work schedule, you can choose and do more than one job. You don’t have to be stuck in a monotonous job if you don’t want to. If you’re in it into exploration and finding your capabilities, creativeness, and craft, then you should hop in and join the gig workers.
The gig economy is just right here.
Isn’t it cool, how you can manage your own time, schedule, and workload while putting your life first over your job? It is empowering in some ways, indeed. The gig economy is just right here, it stays. You have all the time to explore the gig life, and eventually, when you find what you really want to do, with the right discipline, resilience, and skill, you may be able to land a full-time job in the future. It doesn’t only you who will benefit from it, but, you will also contribute to the economy as it increases labor productivity or participation.
As time goes by, jobs in the gig economy will surely continue to rise.
As for whether the gig economy is for you or not? Well, it always depends on you. You need to know yourself better. Is it part-time/side hustle you want? Or do you want full-time job experience? You need to analyze critically and carefully the market you are looking for. But, for what is worth, you don’t need to feel pressure. There is no rush in here, the gig economy stays.
If you’re in the gig economy and wish to accept online payments: give us a visit at piccopay.sg for more info.
References:
Western Governors University. “The Pros and Cons of the Gig Economy.” Western Governors University, Western Governors University, 29 Jan. 2021, https://www.wgu.edu/blog/pros-and-cons-gig-economy1808.html#close.
André Gonçalves — Editor & Head Of English Market After studying and working in HR, et al. “Would You like to Be a Freelancer or an Independent Worker? Discover the Pros and Cons of the Gig Economy.” Youmatter, 10 Feb. 2020, https://youmatter.world/en/pros-cons-gig-economy-27964/.
4 Reasons You Should Invest in Gig Economy was originally published in Piccopay Pte. Ltd. on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
