How Students Can Benefit From The ‘Gig’ Economy

In an ever competitive marketplace, it is getting harder than ever for young people to stand out and secure valuable opportunities for work placements, internships and even apprenticeships. The value of these roles is evident, learning on the job is a vital part of the learning process and a candidate with real ‘industry’ experience is much more attractive to an employer when considering their next hire. However, it is not always easy to secure the right work-based placements for your chosen area. Perhaps there is too much competition, or your location limits the options available to you. Thanks to the rising popularity of the ‘Gig’ Economy, it is possible for a growing number of students to gain valuable ‘real life’ experience, through securing project-based work, freelance work and short-term day-rate contracts. In this article, Michael Kosmas reveals how students can maximise the opportunities provided by the ‘Gig’ Economy, not only making money but gaining valuable experience too.

With short term contracts now commonplace in today’s business arena as a student you can benefit from the Gig Economy by working alongside your studies. A number of options are available to you due to advancements in technology for instance working virtually for a company on a part time basis or freelancing. Project-based work is much easier to find today as a result of an increase in freelance websites like People Per Hour and Upwork matching employers with freelancers for a plethora of tasks. As a student you can take advantage of these sites to find ad hoc work, adding beneficial experience to your CV and build a portfolio all before graduating. This additional work experience will help you stand out in the overcrowded job market.

Essentially due to the Gig Economy alongside technological advancements the world is your oyster - you can work remotely for companies all over the globe from your student accomodation or the University Library at the click of a button. The GIg Economy relies on online intermediaries and apps to match employers with potential freelancers and to submit the work virtually. Many international tech-based companies have taken advantage of the Gig Economy offering temporary project-based work including market-leading brands such as Uber, Deliveroo and AirBnB.

The flexibility of working in the Gig Economy can be very beneficial for students, it gives students the opportunity to make the most out of their spare time outside studying, it also helps bring in some extra money. The Gig Economy provides the perfect opportunity to try out different career paths before deciding what career to commit too after graduation.

With National Student Money Week taking place on the 12th February now is the perfect time to seriously consider how you as a student can benefit from the Gig economy financially as well as boosting your employability.