Three Tips for Getting Started in the Gig Economy
Unless you’ve had the pleasure of living under a rock for the last few years, you’ve no doubt been hearing about the rise of the gig economy. Particularly since the recession, many people have been taking on more temporary contract work in the form of freelance projects, short-term contract positions, and the now seemingly ubiquitous side hustle. Jobs such as these offer flexibility that a traditional 9 to 5 doesn’t allow and can open doors to additional contract employment, a full-time position and even, for some, a new stand-alone business. If you’ve been curious about how to break into the gig economy, here are a few simple suggestions:
Know what you’re doing: If you’re specialty is human resources you probably shouldn’t go looking for a design job just because it’s a freelance gig. There are freelancers in most every major industry, so put your focus on what you do well and then determine how to best sell those skills.
Make yourself visible: You can’t pick up gigs if you’re not putting yourself out there, so make a splash for your new venture across your social media channels and take advantage of every opportunity to network with potential clients that you can. Additionally, placing some strategic social media ads for your services may gain you some extra attention, depending on your industry.
Manage your time wisely: This is true whether you’ve got a side hustle or you’re a full-time freelancer. When you’re working for yourself it can be easy to get distracted, so you need to develop a time management system that works for you, whether it be a traditional paper to-do list or an online appointment scheduling software.
There are thousands of opportunities to take advantage of the surge in contract, temporary and freelance employment and the tips above can help you get off to a good start with the openings that are right for you. And, if you need a little help finding the right opportunity, AtWork has you covered. We place thousands of job seekers into temporary and permanent positions across the country, every day. Visit AtWork.com/locations to find a branch near you!
