The internet has certainly changed the world in big ways. Some good and some bad, depending on who you talk to! Working as a professional writer has allowed me to have the incredible opportunity of seeing the internet do its best to offer flexibility, connection, and professionalism. One example of this in action is the gig economy. Freelancers are everywhere, and so are content platforms. So, is the gig economy replacing the traditional brick-and-mortar career path? Read on to find out!

Working in the gig economy

If you are looking at professional writer jobs online, the first several hits you’ll find on your favourite search engine are content platforms. After all, you just need to create an account, list your qualifications, and wait for the writing projects to start rolling in, right? Here’s what it actually looks like as a career path.

• Client communication and scheduling: Unlike corporate positions where you have a set client list and projects within that scope, the gig economy offers you the opportunity to work with anyone around the world on one-off or long-term projects. This also means that clients can often contact you first, and you’ll be responsible for putting together proper communication and scheduling projects and deadlines. Working 9-5, 5 days a week, may not work well, depending on what you and your clients need.

• Pay rates included services and other conveniences: In my post about the differences between staff writers and freelance writers, most traditional career writing positions have a set pay rate for a set amount of hours per day and week. Gig economy writers will have to set pay rates, services, and other add-ons specific to the project. This can offer freedom when needing to set specific rates for complex projects.
    
• Employment benefits and job security: This aspect is a downside to working in the gig economy if you choose to see it that way. Corporate career paths have benefits and job security, most of the time. The gig economy doesn’t have those. However, this isn’t necessarily a downside to young writers; rather, it indicates freedom to move on to something different in the gig economy when things change.

Is the gig economy replacing corporate jobs?

From my point of view, no. Sure, it’s more popular than it used to be, but there are still plenty of corporate jobs, too. That being said, one does not need to outdo the other! Deciding to learn how to become a professional writer doesn’t mean you have to choose the gig economy or classic corporate career path. You can even do both.

In fact, working both job types at the same time is a great way to appreciate the advantages of each. It’s also a really interesting way to see how the cons or one are evened out by the pros of the other! I’ll be talking about that in the future, so stay tuned!

Do any of you have thoughts on the gig economy that you’d like to share?

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