Recently, the internet was agog with youths scouring their Facebook pages for throwback pictures to join in the #10YearsChallenge. It was interesting to see how much we have all changed in such a short while. Have you noticed that people aren’t just changing? The landscape of the world we live in has also changed drastically.
Some jobs are being revamped completely and others are obsolete. One prevailing change we have enjoyed so far is the shift towards the freelance economy; the gig workplace. Millennials, young and old, are ditching conventional degrees and jobs for freelance jobs like photography, web development, and content creation.
This article goes into detail about the changes caused by millennials and how you can be a part of this revolution.
What are the Changes Caused by Millennials?
Here, the ways that millennials have changed the conventional workforce through freelance work will be examined.
1. Drive vs Degree
Millennials are proof that a degree or educational qualification does not dictate your career path. Many individuals have begun working as freelancers in the fields in which they have an interest. Some of these freelance jobs include photography, writing, baking, and graphic design.
Most of these jobs are motivated by passion and interest. Significantly, this is a far cry from a time when a degree was needed to work a conventional 9 to 5 job.
2. Working Remotely
This is one way that millennials have unarguably changed the regular workforce. It is important to note that while telecommuting has been used since the 1950s, technological advances have made working remotely even more popular and convenient.
Millennials can either be employed as full-time employees who work remotely or act as freelancers who provide their services from their home. Working from home has become even more convenient now that freelancers can receive orders, payments and deliver services online.
3. Turning side gigs into full-time jobs
Millennials have begun to destroy the status quo where certain jobs were identified as a side gig. Now, even the most unlikely job has been made a full-time job and career path by freelancers.
Jobs such as social media management and content creation exemplify an instance where an individual can work on his own terms and for multiple people at the same time. By doing this, the individual can successfully turn a side job into a full-time job while enjoying independence.
4. Networking for growth
The conventional 9 to 5 worker clocks in when due and goes home when the workday ends. The freelancer, on the other hand, is on a continuous search for growth and an opportunity to market their services.
In this sense, millennials have changed how the workforce operates. This is because, some freelancers have become expert networkers to ensure their clientele and partnerships grow. Using social media apps and networking sites, millennials are able to collaborate with themselves and share knowledge to ensure continued growth of the freelance economy.
This networking culture is not as popular in a conventional workforce where employees are trying to be noticed or in competition with each other.
5. Pride in your craft
The freelancing workforce is populated with millennials who to a great extent value creativity and showmanship. For this reason, while the conventional and older workforce did their assigned jobs and went home, freelancers tend to go the extra mile. This is because, millennials place a certain pride in the jobs they do. Hence, a large number of people hire freelancers for their creativity, productivity, and passion for their jobs and craft.
Overall, we can see that millennials have played a role in the evolution of the conventional workforce and growth of the freelance workforce.
