On Staying Relevant: A Gig Worker’s Approach
Staying relevant isn’t as easy as it may be for bootcut jeans and Barbie, especially when it comes to applying for jobs. We all become our parents whom we once mocked relentlessly for being “out of touch,” but relevancy for someone in the gig industry can be the difference between paying rent or not – whereas for our parents, it was just a matter of seeming cool.
The Challenge
We all stay relevant differently. From advanced degrees to professional training, there are plenty of ways to invest. For writers like me, it’s especially daunting. I have adapted to so many different trends and situations over the years, from B2C hospitality copywriting and journalism to tech reporting to B2B copywriting and agency work. I’ve managed to stay relevant until now – I like to tell myself – but it’s getting harder.
With threats from AI, ever-evolving tech vernacular, data and analytics permeating everything, sometimes I feel pushed out of my wheelhouse despite wanting to stay there.
When I see a job posting for a content writer or a copywriter position, I know how to do it. I have done it. I want to keep doing it. But sometimes with all my experience dating back to the naughts (I know, prehistoric, right?), I fear I don’t come off as competent, and therefore fall into the file of irrelevancy.
The – or Rather, a Solution
My solution, while waiting for that one big lucious job offer to come in, is to continue that which makes wise investors rich – diversification. I’ve watched too many colleagues and friends pigeonhole themselves into oblivion and have fought actively to do the opposite. Anyone who bet big on a career on Twitter (RIP) knows the feeling.
Diversification is a deeply personal approach, but one that gig workers and writers have probably encountered in one way or another. But between seeking new jobs and taking whatever work comes your way, do you really think about it? How is each gig and opportunity serving you? Are they like growth or dividend stocks that will yield you rewards, or are they penny stock gigs that are fun to play with but ultimately go nowhere?
If you want growth and dividends, think critically:
Does the job have a brand name you want on your resume?
Does the work challenge you or test your skills at all?
Does the job bring you any sense of satisfaction or joy?
Is the work fulfilling even if the money is a bit less than you’d like to earn?
Will you be talking about this client or job with future employers?
If you’re answering yes, then you’re diversifying correctly, or at least wisely, in my estimate. You’re probably gaining skills and clout that you can help land more work or a more permanent job in the future.
If you think you may be dealing with the penny stocks of gigs, ask yourself:
Am I phoning it in every day?
Do I forget I have this client?
Is the client logo something I’d want on my website or LinkedIn?
Do I feel connected to this brand or workplace at all?
Am I learning anything from this experience?
If you’re answering yes, then, well, it may be time to rethink your diversification process. Unless these gigs are paying embarrassingly high fees, it may be OK to cut them from your portfolio and seek something more sustainable if your bank account allows it.
Diversification vs. Specialization
It seems counterintuitive. You’d think having a deep pool of very intense, focused experience would be the way forward for a writer. But writing isn’t medicine or law – audiences and trends vary endlessly.
I am banking on my continued adaptability in an ever-evolving job market to be my selling point. Yes, I know travel issues, I know tech issues, I know copywriting, I know storytelling – but I am not just one thing. A tech company may need a copywriter who speaks French, a travel pro who can edit for SEO, or a content lead who understands style guides and also international money transfer systems. By diversifying wisely and choosing appropriate brands to work with, I can become all of those people.
This diversification, however, isn’t haphazard. I can’t write about everything (sorry crypto) and I don’t sell myself as that. The brands I choose to partner with and the work I do tells a specific story about me and my skills. Each new gig builds onto that story, and I aim to keep it cohesive, if just a little bit open-ended, leaving room for new chapters in the future.
And when, one day, a company needs something that none of us could have foreseen, I’ll be able to adapt with them and create whatever content and write whatever solutions they may need. Just wait and see!