No one likes to be out of work, but sometimes life circumstances just shake out that way. Maybe you were caught in a layoff wave, or quit to escape a psychotic boss, without having anything else lined up. So now you’re working your network and applying to jobs but nothing has turned into a solid offer yet. And your household really needs the money.
It can be nail-biting to see your savings running down or to start living on credit cards, but you’re not actually in an impossible situation. Believe or not, the mobile workforce revolution has opened a lot of doors for people between jobs to make money with their skills.
The key is to realize just how many freelancers, contractors, and gig economy professionals are out there working hourly without any job lined up at all. And you can be one of them. For a week, for a month, or even take it up as your new professional style if you find success as a freelancer.
Today we’re here to talk about how to find paying work quickly when you’re between jobs and need a paycheck.
Sign Up for Temp Work
Temping has always been a stepping-stone into careers and job opportunities. It’s also a necessary part of the business world. Thousands of companies need skilled accountants, admins, associates, and technicians for a few months out of the year but not as on-staff employees. Teachers and college students use temping for extra work during the summer. Professionals sometimes use temping to broaden their industry experience quickly with a variety of projects and workplace environments.
Not only is temping now a respectable way to fill employment gaps, it can also transform into the permanent job of your dreams if a temp position works out really well with an employer you enjoy working for.
Start Freelancing Online
There are dozens of freelancing websites like UpWork, Elance, Freelancer, and even Craigslist. These sites feature jobs people need done and how much they will pay for the work. These are usually one-time project jobs that are available and need to be done right now. Paying work someone left lying around and if you choose to pick it up, you could be the freelance professional who gets paid.
All you have to do is browse around for jobs that need your skills. Pick out a few jobs you know you can do and make a bid. How long it will take, how much you want to be paid, and what the customer can expect from your work. If the customer likes your bid, you’ll have won yourself a project-worth of paying work to tide you over until a permanent job manifests.
Join the Gig Economy / Sharing Economy
The sharing economy or gig economy is based on the freelancer mindset, but with a more neighborly approach. In the sharing economy, the handshake goes in the opposite direction. You turn yourself into an individual service provider for something like Airbnb hosting, home cleaning, personal finance management, whatever you do. And then potential customers who need those things will find you online and offer to pay you for your time.
Task Rabbit and Fiverr are the two most popular platforms where sharing economy community members (providers and customers) where you can actually list a number of skills and tasks you’d be willing to do for others and customers come to you with requests. You can also search around other sharing economy services for things you might enjoy doing for money, like offering rides, pet sitting, and more.
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If you are worried about running out of money while you’re on the job search, take a look around at your real options. You don’t have to sit at home waiting for responses from your job applications. Keep your phone on you and put yourself out there. As a temp, as a freelancer, or as a proud member of the sharing economy. The modern mobile-workforce business world never stops moving and even without a permanent job, there is money to be made. If you’re willing to go out there and make it.
Your financial situation is never as static as it seems. For more information about working between jobs or temporary job opportunities, contact us today!
