As a freelance writer who has bolstered his income over the
years with a number of side jobs and work roles, I know just how important
microjobs can be to the self-employed.
However, while the idea of microjobs might to some seem a wonderful way
to free themselves from the normal work routine, they can at the same time be a
strange juxtaposition of independence and lack of freedom.
According to a Yahoo.com
article on the subject, “Odd-jobbers and freelancers are nothing new, of
course, but modern microjobs are an outgrowth of digital technology that brings
laborers and hirers together more efficiently than ever, often via smartphone.”
It goes on to note, “Yet for all the attention they’re
getting, microjobs seem unlikely to solve pernicious problems such as low pay
for many workers and a shortage of entry-level positions that allow college
grads to put their education to good use. Plus, microjobs rarely come with
benefits, and juggling a variety of part-time jobs requires more adept
time-management than showing up at an office day after day.”
A role in which you’re
the boss
As a holder of multiple microjobs, you might in some
instances realize that you’re not just an employee now, you’re the boss. While you might not own the company or
companies for which you are working, as a freelancer, you could find yourself in
charge of your hours, how hard you work, and how much time and energy you put into
your endeavors.
While this can be a great thing in some ways, it also means
that you may be assuming more responsibilities.
And it also means that while in a regular work role, you could find
yourself going home at night and escaping your boss and work responsibilities,
as your own boss, you never truly escape, which can at times be an aggravating
situation. Sitting on the couch watching
television or trying to relax and hearing that voice in the back of your head
nagging at you to “get back to work” could mean that even times when you’re
attempting leisure activities are now ruined with the thoughts of work and work
responsibilities.
More hats that you
ever expected
While microjobs can provide independence from a regular job,
you might find them binding in other ways, since now instead of just one work
role to focus upon, you might have three, five, ten or more. You could find yourself handling logistics,
accounting, finance, marketing and advertising activities, sales, customer
relations, information technology duties, and more.
This could work out in your favor or not. It could be that now, rather than one boring
work role, you’re able to spread your focus over multiple duties, finding that this
is more interesting and that it keeps your mind busier and more occupied than
before. Or, it could be that rather than
becoming really good at one sort of role and being able to get through the days
on cruise control, you’re being pulled in eight or ten different directions at
once, finding yourself frazzled and exhausted by the end of the day.
Still tied to
benefits
Sadly, in this day and age, and even with Obamacare
supposedly there to “free us from our jobs”, many of us are still tied to
employer-sponsored benefits. And when
working in the microjob environment, you may find that such benefits are sorely
lacking. But it’s not just
health-related benefits that you could be on your own to find. As a micro-jobber, you could be saddled with
funding your own retirement plan, handling your own employment taxes, and dealing
with similar benefits that might once have just seemed commonplace and were
just a part of a “normal” job.
So before you jump on the microjob bandwagon, you might
first want to consider whether it’s the right sort of work for you and that not
everything might be as fantastically freeing as some people make it out to be.
Disclaimer:
The
author is not a licensed financial professional. This article is for informational purposes
only and does not constitute advice of any kind. Any action taken by the reader due to the information provided in
this article is solely at the reader’s discretion.
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