What is gig economy? Here are the highest paying ‘gigs’ and job skills to save you from a mid-career crisis
Gig economy is expected to cover 25-30% of the job market by 2022. Here are the highest paying ‘gigs’, employment opportunities, various job roles, and skills you need to climb towards success with gig economy.
Have you reached 35 to 40 years of age and now feeling stuck at mid-career? Are you neither getting an adequate salary hike nor any promotion, and feel fed up of being taken for granted? Maybe you don’t feel the energy and drive to excel while getting ready for work?
When you are stuck in a mid-career crisis, getting a new job becomes difficult and you don’t even feel the courage to face the challenges of a new job. But it isn’t possible to resign at the drop of a hat due to liabilities and responsibilities. It’s too scary to leave a secure job in such insecure economic conditions.
A mid-career dilemma is a very common thing but you can climb out of this stuck-in-a-rot feeling by transferring to gig economy jobs which can prove to be a very promising solution.
What is a gig’?
- A gig is a project-based or assignment-based work taken by professionals
- The work is executed in a given time frame
- Compensation is given with respect to deliverables
- The work can be done remotely or on- site
- Many new collar jobs are getting into gigs now
What is gig economy?
Gig economy is an on-demand economy. In gig economy, you can work as per your time schedule and you have the flexibility to choose assignments location and areas.
With approximately one-third of the workforce shifting towards becoming independent workers, gig economy profession is gaining popularity in India and across the world as a mainstream profession, career or business.
Gig economy is growing rapidly in the world, may touch 30-40% of the workforce by 2025. It is expected to cover 25-30% of the job market by 2022.
Gig economy is churning out a large number of solopreneurs, microentrepreneurs. With the launch of various platforms giving financial security to gig economy professionals such as FlexiOrg, students and moreover professionals are opting for gig economy after leaving their permanent job.
Read: Why are workplaces changing for good?
Job opportunities in gig economy
The rise and advancement of technology has given people more options in the kinds of work they can do in the gig economy.
For example, mobile apps such as Grab, Uber, Ola offer just about anyone with an opportunity to work and earn well by driving passengers to their destinations while Deliveroo, Swiggy, FoodPanda turns almost anyone into deliverymen.
E-commerce websites such as Amazon, Flipkart, Shopclue, Ebay and Alibaba enable anyone to become a merchant and portals such as Flexiorg.com, Getmeexperts.com etc. provides work opportunity for anyone with specialised knowledge and skills or services by connecting them with companies that have such needs.
As per estimates, the gig economy is going to grow 25-30% per annum. HR professionals are also trying to revise their manpower planning which will include gig professionals -- not only for jobs at junior level, but also at mid-senior level where they need to carve out assignments.
With the increase of Millennials in the world of work, they are estimated to consist 75% of the workforce by 2025. Gig economy will give them what they need, flexibility, choice, work-life balance and continuous challenges.
Read: How to retain Millennials: Here's what the young workforce wants from their jobs
Over a period of time, there will be more and more full-time gig professionals and organisations will also have 30-40% of their jobs assigned for them.
As per a gig jobs study, some of the top paying gig jobs are in blockchain, deep learning, ethical hacking, AWS and robotics where the per hour rate is $80-120.
In India, content writing, translations, creative works, recruitment, sales, digital marketing, branding, SW development, architecture, BIM, accounting, data analytics, consulting, counselling are typical gig jobs.
4 ways a gig economy job can help your career
1. In a gig economy, you can work for many organisations at the same time.
2. There is no disparity between male and female GEPs in terms of assignment sharing and payment of course.
3. Gig economy profession is a prompt, inexpensive and better way to obtain the business education.
4. There is flexibility of work while managing other responsibilities.
There are two types of jobs in gig economy:
Lifetime jobs: Gig economy doesn’t only mean short term project, it also gives jobs with independence and work flexibility, pays very well, and also offers future opportunities.
Short-term jobs: If someone is looking for only short term option, with only 1 or 2 hours of working, you can get that option as well in gig economy with good remuneration.
Read: Top 5 jobs that can be done from home
Gig job options
- Creative Service-Graphic Design
- PR & Branding
- Content Writing & Marketing
- Project Management
- Virtual Assistance
- Engineering & Architecture
- Data Science & Analytics
- Accounting & Consulting
- Software Development
- Automation
- AI, IOT, ML
- IT Infrastructure Management
- Sales & Marketing
- Civil BIM
- Automobile Connected Vehicles
10 highest paying gig economy jobs
1. Deep learning jobs: $115.06/ hour
2. Blockchain jobs: $87.05/hour
3. Robotics jobs: $77.46/hour
4. Penetration testing (Ethical Hacking) jobs: $66.44/hour
5. Bitcoin jobs: $65.37/hour
6. Amazon Web Services Lambda jobs: $51/hour
7. Virtual reality jobs: $50.18/hour
8. React.js jobs: $40.75/hour
9. Final Cut Pro X jobs: $37.12/hour
10. Instagram marketing jobs: $31.23/hour
6 things you need for a gig economy career
A growth mindset: The belief that talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset.
Skill-specific expertise: Ability to utilise skills and apply them properly rather than just textbook knowledge of the skills.
Industry-specific expertise: Ability to understand the domain in depth (healthcare, real estate, smart cities etc).
Systems thinking: Adaptibility so that one can transfer learning and skills from one domain to another.
Entrepreneurship: Identify, create, and capture value in environments of extreme uncertainty.
Soft skills and leadership: Collaboration, influencing, teamwork, communication etc.
- Article by Ajay Sharma, Future of Work Expert, Founder, Get Me Experts & Flexiorg
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