Lost Your Job During The Pandemic? Here’s How To Find New Gigs

By Debarati Chakraborty

If your employment was impacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, you are not alone. With nearly one crore jobs lost in India, full-time opportunities have become scarce and the ones available no longer come with an offer of stability. It is hence, the perfect time to make the most of a booming gig economy.

As more companies open up to remote working and short-term contracts, this is probably one of the best times to dip your feet in the freelancing or consultancy work pool.

What Is Gig Economy?

As per the Oxford dictionary, a gig is ‘a job, especially a temporary one’. So, instead of permanent jobs, the gig economy is characterised by short-term, freelance or retainership contracts.

A thriving gig economy will allow you to not only work on multiple projects, but also to work remotely when required. But how does one make the most of this ever-growing platform?

Look Beyond Full-Time Roles

The first step is to stop looking at full-time roles as the only sustainable employment options. If you have lost your ‘permanent’ job, it is advisable to opt for alternate career choices, for eg. consultancy, freelance and gigs.

Open up your mind and your search options; instead of floating your CVs in the hopes of landing a full-time role, start looking for part-time jobs. With more and more companies resorting to remote work, it has become easier to apply for roles from all over the country or even outside.

Why should you restrict your search to just one city or one company, when you can work on multiple roles with multiple clients without geographical boundaries?

Remember, the wider your search is, the more options for you to choose from.

Make Changes To Your Resume

Does your resume match the requirement of the gig industry? Do your profiles on job portals specify that you are open to working part-time or as a consultant? If not, it is time to make these small yet significant changes.

Oftentimes, full-time roles have set expectations and limited KRAs and it could be possible that many of your skills went unnoticed in your previous workplace. If your talents were unutilised in the race to achieve KRAs and KPIs, it is now time to make the most of them.

To begin with, mention (in your CV/job profiles) that you are looking for freelance projects. Also, summarise the skills you can offer for such consultancy work across industries. Make use of the various apps and social media platforms to network with relevant industry people. Your aim should be to make your CV accessible and relevant for the gig industry.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket

It is a good idea to keep looking for part-time roles even if you are working on one already. Why depend on a single source of income, when you can earn more through multiple gigs. Try to initiate as many conversations as possible with prospective clients, so that even if a few projects don’t work out, the rest of them do.

Think of working beyond the industry you have been associated with for so long.

Let’s explain with an example:

When Ritika lost her full-time job as a junior architect last year, she decided to look for side gigs along with permanent employment options. Unable to land a full-time role, she started consulting part-time with an architecture studio. She began editing and co-authoring a book on architecture and also signed up to provide online classes.

Her part-time jobs not only helped her earn more than her previous job, they also helped her branch out into different industries and network with different clients. She used her teaching, writing and design skills to the fullest.

Like Ritika, you will also have multiple skills to offer as a freelancer. Why not make the most of them!

It’s Okay To Start Small

While it is important to pursue bigger projects, it is okay to start with smaller gigs. The idea is to get a hang of this ever-evolving industry and have a few projects under your belt before you approach more clients.

Aim for short-term projects in the beginning to gain experience quickly. Many companies have started roping in senior consultants for long-term roles, and the more work you have to show, the better chances you will have at cracking this.

Your proven ability to wrap up projects on time, by yourself, sometimes even remotely, will make a huge impact on your future clientele. You can even upgrade your skills through certification courses in the future.

In this booming world of gigs, side-hustling can land you some very rewarding projects. And the only way to get started is to begin the process today.