Four tips for adapting to the gig economy

According to some observers, the number of jobs linked to the gig economy – “the economy of odd jobs” or “work on demand” – is likely to increase due to the health crisis. While up to now, this type of job was more a matter of choice, the pandemic seems to have led the job market towards what many call the “transfer era”, that is to say an era where the gig economy is likely to become normal to the point of changing the traditional model of employment.

How can workers adapt to such an economy, and even come out as winners?

Develop your expertise

The principle of a gig economy is obviously advantageous for employers, because they can find the most qualified people to carry out specific contracts without having to pay anything for training. As a worker, it is therefore important that you have well-developed expertise in certain fields where supply is scarce in order to position yourself as an expert and thus attract the attention of recruiters.

Have more than one string to your bow

In addition to having a well-defined expertise, it may also be advantageous to specialize in several related fields in order to diversify your service offerings. You will be able to collect more contracts while being more versatile.

Create links with several customers

In a time of economic instability on such a scale as the one created in the wake of the pandemic, it is best not to put all your eggs in one basket. It is therefore wiser to have a variety of freelance gigs with different clients. In this way, if one of your clients is going through a particularly difficult time financially, the other employers you do business with may continue to provide you with work and your income will not completely collapse.

Work with people from all over the world

One of the advantages of the gig economy is that you are not limited to a geographic pool of potential customers. More and more networking platforms, Malt or Crowdguru, for example, can help you find new customers, all over the planet. While this can be seen as an undeniable advantage, the competition can be fiercer. You must therefore know how to take advantage of it and position yourself well.

In short, the pandemic has certainly accelerated the trend for small freelance contracts. While the changes are taking shape, many are already calling for better supervision of practices and, above all, more protection for these workers who are often excluded from government regulations and assistance measures.