The gig economy is a sector of the jobs market that offers gig workers flexible job opportunities that are usually paid by the gig rather than by the hour. Examples of gig economy jobs include all sorts of freelancing jobs from writing jobs to pet sitting, food delivery to accounting, and finance.
The term gig is thought to have come from the word engagement, first coined by jazz musicians in the 1920’s who used the term as slang for a live music performance. The term gig is now used to describe any short-term job from grocery deliveries to project management.
Workers participating in the gig economy may rely on gigs in place of a full-time job, including freelance business owners or they may use the ability to find gigs on-demand as an additional source of income. Gig economy jobs can be a great way for example to earn extra money, especially if you are saving money for something out of the ordinary.
Gig economy workers can use traditional job search techniques or specially designed gig economy platforms that link business owners with independent workers. There are a number of gig economy apps that serve various popular gig economy sectors and specialize in linking freelancers’ skills with businesses that need them.
Whether you are looking for new business ideas or just to earn some extra cash here are lots of gig economy examples that could help you earn extra income or even become your primary source of income.
Examples of Gig Work
What is a gig economy example? Examples of the gig economy include:
- 1. Delivery drivers: Including grocery deliveries, restaurant deliveries, and package deliveries. You can find gigs using a delivery app.
- 2. Chefs and front-of-house restaurant staff: Restaurants are always looking for reliable and talented staff and gig work can be great for career development within the industry.
- 3. Pet sitters and dog walkers: A great option if you love animals and dog walking can also be a great way to earn money while keeping fit.
- 4. Accounting and finance: Including bookkeeping and personal finance. Of course, you will need the relevant education and training.
- 5. Social media management: Including roles such as Instagram marketer. If you are good with words and pictures then this could be a great career option.
- 6. Software development: Often a remote job that can be done from anywhere you have a good internet connection.
- 7. Graphic design: A skill most online business and offline business models will need to make use of at some point and a good way to make money online.
- 8. Virtual assistant work: Becoming a virtual assistant is an online home-based opportunity that is perfect for those who are highly organized and good at administrative work.
- 9. Care work: This is another area where gig work is on the rise and more carers are choosing short-term gigs over permanent jobs.
- 10. Labor jobs: Whether your skills are in painting and decorating, carpentry, plumbing or gardening there are lots of labor market jobs you can do as an independent contractor.
- 11. Freelance writer: Writers are needed for all sorts of things from website content and writing blogs and product descriptions to report writing and even helping people write job applications. It tends to be flexible and can often be done from anywhere.
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list but it gives a good idea of the range of work that could be included in the gig economy and a great place to start if you are looking for a change in career paths or the opportunity to earn some extra money on the side.
Gigs on Demand
There are lots of examples of gig work. Once you have decided on the right type of gig job for you the next step is finding suitable work that will allow you to achieve the perfect work-life balance. The most common example of gig economy job searching is to find work through an online platform or job board or to use a mobile app such as Shiftpixy.
There are of course pros and cons to gig work so you need to make sure you find the right platform for you and ensure you are thinking about health insurance, retirement provision and tax, putting aside enough to pay for these things. There are examples of gig economy platforms that end up paying giggers poorly for the work they do so you need to do your research and make sure you are happy with the money you will receive.