Holly Christine Brown

Freelance writer, proofreader, editor, and social media professional


Blog Post

The Changing Landscape of the Job Market

Holly Christine Brown • Mar 20, 2018

Support yourself in the gig economy

Desk with a laptop and 2 monitors

The gig economy is rapidly changing the way we work. It’s estimated by 2020, nearly 40% of Americans will be independent contract workers. We’ve seen it for years in the creative industry. Video producers, artists, and writers often don’t have traditional employment. So what can you do to support yourself in this new work environment moving forward?

Learn the art of networking

game pieces on interconnecting lines

There’s nothing I can stress more than making sure you’re effectively marketing yourself. When it comes to getting contracts, who you know can make a big difference. In my experience, these are the things that will help you the most.


  1. Make friends in the industry you want to be a part of and know who the influencers are
  2. Make yourself easily accessible on the appropriate social media platforms for your chosen industry
  3. Have business cards available at all times—you never know who you’re going to meet
  4. Keep your portfolio/CV up to date
  5. Build yourself a website

These are all important when it comes to getting your name out there. But what if you need a website and you’re not a designer? No problem. There are plenty of WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) website platforms out there where you can get free hosting. I recommend Duda and Squarespace as if you like a sleek look. Wix isn’t bad, but in my experience, it can be challenging to get things to look right in both the desktop and mobile views.

Having a mobile-optimized website is extremely important. More and more people are doing most of their browsing on their phones and tablets. Making something that looks good and is easy to access will make people more likely to stay and check out what you and your website have to offer.

Don’t forget to join LinkedIn and complete your profile. More and more recruiters are turning directly to LinkedIn to find candidates. There are also groups you can join to discuss the latest news in specific industries. You’ll be able to talk with others and stay current on industry developments. Sure, LinkedIn isn’t a fun social media platform in the way that Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are, but it will help you find work.

Join a work platform

Google search results for freelancing

There are a lot of different freelancing platforms out there. While a lot of employment coaches will tell you to avoid them, they’re actually very helpful if you’re just starting in the business. I’ve listened to a few of these employment coaches, and they’re generally only good if you have an established client base or an impressive work history where you can charge clients a lot of money.

Work platforms are great if you just want to get your feet wet. Want a side gig? This is a great way to start contracting and get experience without having to give up steady employment. Work platforms are also helpful if you want to explore a new career avenue and get experience. Using work platforms I’ve gotten contracts creating social media graphics, working as a virtual assistant, testing apps, and even voice acting.

I highly recommend you investigate a work platform thoroughly before accepting any work. Not all work platforms are created equal. There are a lot of good blogs out there that can help point you in the right direction. I personally work on Upwork and have had a great experience. But there are tons of other platforms out there. Work on these range from sales to coding to bookkeeping and more. If it’s a job, there’s a good chance you can freelance it.

Start a Patreon or online store

Facebook Marketplace

You may only think of Patreon as a tool only for YouTubers, but it’s a great way to get support as a content creator for virtually any kind of content. Essentially, if there is a finished consumable media product, you can probably figure out how to get support on Patreon. In fact, this article is brought to you thanks to Patreon. You can get patrons for virtually any endeavor, including non-profit organizations.

For physical goods, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Etsy are relatively inexpensive or free ways to open a store and put up listings or to advertise commissioned work. Facebook is also a great way to advertise services for any field of work. Can you help someone with their taxes? Can you teach piano lessons? Can you build custom furniture? Put an add up in the Marketplace!

Here’s where your ability market yourself really comes into play. This can also take a little more business knowledge. No matter how you earn money on a contract basis, it’s important to know your value—not just monetarily, but also how your time translates to money. This can be a balancing act. How willing are you to create something that you may not get compensated for as much as you’d like if you have a Patreon? Can you build up the inventory for a store? It’s a gamble, but here you can do work on the side without having to give up traditional employment to get started.

How to get started

a computer, a paper covered in charts, and a hand taking notes in a notebook

Making the transition from traditional employment to contract work can be scary. I definitely recommend building up a client base and stashing away some cash before you get started. Work a few contact gigs on the side. A lot of people find working at home or in a shared workspace difficult. Contract may not work for you as a main source of employment, and that’s totally okay!

You should also have a backup plan. I score essays standardized tests on the side and always have one small contact running. While these may not pay as much as I usually earn, they ensure that I’ve always got some amount of income.

What about working for exposure?

female artist contemplating at a computer

Only work for exposure if that exposure is actually beneficial to you. The first article I ever had published on a major site was unpaid content. However, that was an enormous boost to my resume, so I won’t ever make a sweeping statement like “Never work for free.” Do you have a skill that you could volunteer in a way that also serves your interests? That’s another great way to pad your resume and get your name out there.

Is that all there will be in the future?

While these tips mainly cover the work-for-yourself type of contact work, many companies are also turning to contact employment for their workforce. This type of contract job often comes with benefits depending on the employer. Sometimes this is just a general perk, or it can relate to the length of the contract or the number of hours you work. Check out employment opportunities at local companies you’re interested in if you prefer a more traditional work environment. You can also get long-term contracts through placement agencies.

Whether you want to work for yourself or prefer more traditional employment as a contractor, there are opportunities out there for you. Follow these tips to increase your chances of success.

Happy job hunting!

Holly Christine's Blog

By Holly Christine Brown 26 Apr, 2018
Find out what everyone's saying about the new Harry Potter game for mobile.
By Holly Christine Brown 02 Mar, 2018
Annoucing my new website
By Holly Christine Brown 13 Dec, 2015
Following a new path
Share by: