For an unfortunate number of Americans, especially in the younger generations, a regular 9 to 5 job just doesn’t pay enough to get by. Even if you make enough to meet your basic needs, you may also have to deal with student loan debt, credit card debt, an auto loan, medical bills, and so on. That’s why many young people are picking up a side gig and growing what’s now called the gig economy.
The “gigs” of the gig economy are short-term contract work, the kind of thing you can pick up and put down with no obligation to keep working at it and no employment contract tying you down. Contract work tends to make more money than employment since contracts don’t have to support benefits and they don’t have to withhold taxes, but in some cases, they make far and away more money than a traditional job and so the gigs can become a full-time job. But what kind of gigs are there? The answer is, “a lot,” but the following list should give you somewhere to start.
Ride Sharing
This is a fairly high-profile gig job, mostly thanks to the way Uber and Ryde have sprung up in major cities throughout the United States. Joining a ride-sharing network as a driver is easy enough, although if you want good tips you’ll need to practice your politeness, clean your interior, stock a few water bottles, and don’t forget to get a dash cam that can flip all the way around.
Reselling and Direct Sales
These jobs involve buying products from a vendor and then selling them on to consumers either online (reselling) or in person (direct sales). You’ll need a good understanding of demographics and marketing strategies if you want to make a decent profit at this kind of job, but it’s possible to make a living if you’re good at it.
Deliveries
Possibly inspired by ride sharing, a growing number of companies and organizations are using freelancers to deliver packages, food, and other goods on a flexible schedule. Even Amazon is getting in on the action.
The reasons behind the gig economy’s growth may be depressing, but the fact is that the internet is making it easier for young people to find work quickly and set their own terms on how much work they’ll do. Of course, for many of these online gig jobs it’s important to have a strong home internet connection. Without that home internet, you might risk losing out on jobs or dropping deadlines thanks to a bad connection. As such, it’s in your best interest to make sure you invest in your home internet connection by choosing a fiber line if it’s available in your area.