Thankfully, the gig economy took off well before the current extenuating circumstances, so you have a wealth of options at your disposal to scrounge together some extra scratch to help you get by.
Initially, the term “gig” was coined by jazz musicians and referred to a musical performance or studio set that was inherently temporary. That temporary mentality carries over to the use of the term today, where a gig job generally means anything temporary, whether the gig lasts for an hour, day, or longer.
As mentioned prior, a gig economy job is not like “traditional” jobs that you might be used to when working for a larger corporation or even a mom and pop establishment. For starters, most gig economy workers are not even “employees” in any legal or technical sense.
One thing to consider when getting into the gig economy is how often or how much spare time you want to put into your side hustle jobs and how much extra income you need.
Because of some of the benefits a gig affords, especially as it relates to personal freedom, it can be tempting to get a taste of success in one gig and decide you want to do it full-time.
While that is certainly an option, we recommend you take a gig as a secondary form of income to your traditional full-time job – at least until you establish yourself within the gig’s field. Part of the issue comes from the fact that many gigs, especially those with less oversight, can be a bit streaky.