Image Credits: Indian Folk The past few months definitely made us realize that everything adapts itself to the changing times. We have seen new brands coming, new trends becoming a part of the industry and therefore giving rise to, and providing more chance to the gig economy. The growth has been tremendous. This has made way for a lot of freelancing opportunities as well. A ‘gig economy’ is a rather new term that defines the concept of companies hiring people for temporary, flexible jobs rather than recruiting full-time employees. The Growth of The Gig Industry A study conducted by McKinsey tells us that around 20% to 30% of professionals in developed markets are engaged in gig economy. The factors responsible for this include i ndependence, freedom to choose the kind of work they want to do and better financial prospects . Another key driving force is technology that has made all of this possible. Most importantly startups are driving the growth of this industry. In India, the freelance industry is estimated to grow to $20 to 30 billion by 2025. Freelancers are in demand because of the following reasons – they are cost-effective, they offer flexibility and domain expertise, networking & reach. The Meaning of a Freelancer Freelancers are professionals who are self-employed and work with an organization or a team for a particular time. If you are someone who plans to step into this industry, you have to be ready to market yourself and be a part of the platform. Once you step into the market, you will meet like minded people who are keen on working for smaller projects or working for different companies. It involves work in which talent is paid for a task assigned, it includes diversified workers with many sources of income, contract workers, freelancers, small business owners, and temporary workers. For more information, the government of India has also engaged gig workers for projects like Digital India, Swacch Bharat, and Smart Cities. The various Survey results show that in terms of skillset, IT(41%), Marketing(23%), and design(21%) are leading the way. Freelancing is popular and the reason is the benefits it provides like a greater job opportunity, independence, higher income, and a move in the direction of wage equality. While 83% of freelancers work from home, 17% work from other places like coworking spaces, library, and private offices. Who can Become a Freelancer? Anyone can become a Freelancer. The key to becoming one is that you need to have some kind of niche expertise; as long as you have some kind of skill, ability, or wisdom that will help in the recognition of a brand, there will be somebody willing to pay for it. I also want to elaborate on how to go about becoming a freelancer. Firstly, remember to be motivated enough and be ready to present yourself as a brand who offers expertise in the field. There is a higher demand in all sectors that allow previously full-time-only workers to seek more […]