The Gig Economy: What You Need To Know Before Getting Started

Thinking about a career with flexible hours? How about a career where you can switch employers or even industries every few years? If you answered yes, the Gig Economy might be right for you!

What Is It?

When you hear the term “Gig Economy”, platforms like Uber and SkipTheDishes come to mind, but there are other jobs in the Gig Economy where you can use your specialized skills to earn an income, or just enhance the skills you already have!

In Diane Mulcahy’s book The Gig Economy: The Complete Guide to Getting Better Work, Taking More Time Off, and Financing the Life You Want, she describes jobs in the Gig Economy as an alternative to the traditional way of working and building relationships with employers. It is when you, as an employee, know that there is an end date for the working relationship with a current employer, either because the work contract ends or you find yourself ready to move on to the next industry. Anything from month-long projects, years-long wage or temporary contracts, part-time work, and summer internships can be called Gig Work in the Gig Economy. There is a specific end date for your time with an employer, then you move on to work for another employer or industry.

Why The Gig Economy?

There are many reasons why you might choose to participate in Gig Work over a more traditional job format. Maybe you’re a student who can only work part time and during the summer, or maybe you just prefer to work for multiple employers or on multiple projects. It’s easy to visualize the different options and freedom the Gig Economy can provide for Arts students.

The Gig Economy Is Not Just A Transition Into A Career — It IS Your Career!

Many of us Arts students have specialized skills and participate in freelance work, such as writing for magazines, creating digital content, tutoring, part-time jobs, and many more. We often view this type of work as a transition period before moving on to start a career; however, as more and more entry-level jobs start with temporary or contract work and more individuals take on projects while working part-time, it’s important to rethink the value of Gig Work with the awareness that all of these experiences are valuable parts of a career. The skills and networks you gain while working in the Gig Economy can help you build the career you want, or it can even be an alternative type of work if you’re seeking a greater variety in projects, employers, and industries!

4 Secrets to Successfully Working in the Gig Economy

So how can you, as an Arts student, navigate and make the most out of working in the Gig Economy? Here are four tips from Huong Bui, a Career Coach at Gigify Work who specializes in helping individuals transition to a gig career in Edmonton, and Emma Hole, a BA Media Studies student in the Faculty of Arts who does Gig Work on creative projects such as illustrations and photography in Edmonton.

1. Be Confident!

Trust your skills and advocate for yourself. This sentiment rings true for temporary or contract workers and those engaged in freelance work.

Huong: As a student, it is important to develop the ability to talk about yourself and sing your own praises in an authentic way. This is not bragging, but more so being able to present yourself and your skills confidently. It’s all about understanding what others need and how you can help fill that gap for them. Being able to articulate your skills in the context of what others struggle with will help you achieve success in the Gig Economy.

Emma: Confidence and being able to advocate for yourself is an asset. As a student, people may have low expectations for what you can do. They might take advantage of you by saying your work is not worth much. For Arts students, it is important to explore different opportunities on campus that can help build confidence, like participating in the Arts Work Experience (AWE) Cooperative Education Program. Through AWE, you get the chance to participate in an environment where your work is valued and you can be mentored. It teaches you, as a student, to value your work and view yourself as an important part of the team.

2. Build & Maintain Positive Relationships

Since you decide the work you take on, you also determine the type of work you would like to participate in. Finding that work can be done through social media or tapping into your personal networks, so it is important to build and maintain positive relationships with employers, colleagues, community, and clients.

Huong: Networking doesn’t have to be uncomfortable, even for introverts. Start with people that are close to you, or those who are already familiar with your work. Share what you’re excited about and ask them to keep you in mind when they come across opportunities that may fit you. Better yet,ask them to introduce you to other people who may benefit from your skills and knowledge. You can also make networking more comfortable by asking people to join you in an activity that you both enjoy, like hiking or going for a walk.

Emma: There are multiple ways to build relationships. You can volunteer for positions that make use of your creative skills, such as volunteering to create posters and postcards. You can reach a wider audience this way because your work will be distributed on campus or across the city. Positions like these can be found on campus. You can also use social media because it allows you to post a link to your website or wherever you sell your projects in your bio. It is also smart to use as many social media platforms as you can because each platform exposes you to different audiences. You can expect different clients from Facebook versus TikTok.

3. Try New Thing & Keep Improving Your Skills!

Take Gig Work as an opportunity to develop new skills and become an expert in certain domains, such as grapic design or photography.

Huong: In my work with clients, I often refer to what I call the three Circles of Practice. The first circle, Mastery, includes your current areas of expertise. The second circle, Development, includes areas where you’re actively training and learning to build capacity. The last cirlce, Growth, includes skills that you want to develop at a later date. Understanding your circles or practice allows you to be strategic in choosing your gigs. Your Mastery circle would likely
be your main streams of income. Gigs that fit under the Development circle might not pay as well financially but will help you build valuable experience. And you may want to take on unpaid gigs that fit under the Growth circle so you can develop new skills and stay ahead of the curve. After all, continuous development and improvement is the only way to secure your future in a changing labour market.

Emma: Gig Work can also be a fun way to escape the monetary aspect of creative projects. For example, you can work on a creative project for a client and in turn they will teach you a new skill, like playing the guitar. This isn’t for everyone, but if you aren’t in need of additional income, skill swapping could be a good way to learn new skills. It can also be a project swap where you and your client exchange projects. These are just some ways to learn new skills while doing Gig Work. Since you can choose the work you take on, you have the flexibility to decide how you get compensated for your work.

4. Keep Close Tabs on Your Finances!

It’s important to pay attention to your finances, including your costs, monthly expenses, and insurance. The precarity of Gig Work and market volatility means people will receive varying amounts of income depending on the amount and type of work available.

Huong: The Gig Economy, in some ways, is a new type of employment. Until the law starts to catch up and provide more protection for freelancers, it is important to think about strategies you can use to mitigate some of that risk. It’s important to review your finances and create a budget so you understand your financial obligations and target income. Understanding your target income and the number of hours or projects you can work will help you determine your pricing. Also, seek advice from people who have done Gig Work in a similar field for a while, find a good accountant to help with your taxes, and work with a financial planner to help you manage the inevitable fluctuations in income.

Emma: As a student, it is important to advocate for yourself and the work that you do. This is especially important when conducting business with clients and for the financial aspects of Gig Work. For creative projects, you can show clients components of the project, like a colour palette, to make sure you are both on the same page. You can also ask for a deposit beforehand because your client can say they don’t like what you made, yet you still need to be compensated for the work that you completed. The project’s costs depend on the scale of the project, so it’s important to have a method for tracking the hours you spend creating the project.

So, Is The Gig Economy Right For You?

Gig Work has a lot of benefits, but it’s definitely not for everyone. Some enjoy the flexibility of getting to choose their work and being able to say no to certain projects. Gig Work offers more opportunities for skill building, but in order to accomplish this, you need to put yourself out there and be comfortable networking and advocating for yourself. These skills might come naturally for some, while others may find these situations uncomfortable.

There are also challenges like precarity, risk, and lack of insurance within the Gig Economy. As Huong says, “participating in the Gig Economy can be a good starting point for new graduates who do not have a ton of experience building their careers. You can build skills a lot faster and accumulate more skills that can accelerate your career versus being in a full-time job where the skills you learn are constrained by what the employers want.”

Check out the Gigify Work website to learn more about Huong Bui’s work.

Need something creative? Check out Emma’s website to see her creative projects, including illustrations, animations, and photography.

Take the first step in your Gig Economy journey by signing up for the Arts Work Experience Program on the AWE website (learn more about your choice of 4, 8, 12, or 16 month co-op placements) or email artswexp@ualberta.ca for more information.

Author bio: Fea Gelvezon is in her fourth year of her Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Political Science, minoring in Economics with a Co-operative Education designation. Fea is excited to return to working at the U of A Career Centre as a Career Peer Educator in Fall 2021.

Editor bio: Claire Wasel is a fourth year Honors Psychology student in the Faculty of Arts. She is currently on a 12-month co-op placement working as the Arts Work Experience Communications and Program Support Intern. Claire is looking forward to completing her Honors Research Thesis and attending graduate school in the future.

Edited June 21, 2021