Building gig worker financial resilience

Resilience starts With the Art of the Pivot: Traditional employees often can’t pivot this quickly. They’re locked into job descriptions, reporting structures and company priorities that might not align with market changes. But, you’re a gig worker, or at least you wanna be one

- Ilyce Glink, Tribune News Service

Over the last few years, as the world went topsy-turvy, I was able to pivot quickly. I already had the expertise, the contacts and the platform. Within weeks, I was fielding requests for proposals that wouldn't have existed months earlier.

Resilience starts With the Art of the Pivot: Traditional employees often can't pivot this quickly. They're locked into job descriptions, reporting structures and company priorities that might not align with market changes. But, you're a gig worker, or at least you wanna be one. So, here’s my best advice on how to make this work to your advantage. Keep your skills current: I spend about 15% of my time learning—reading industry reports, taking online courses, attending conferences. It’s not billable time, but it's essential.

Maintain relationships: Those loose connections with people across different industries often become your lifeline when you need to pivot. I stay in touch with former colleagues, conference contacts and fellow freelancers even when I don't need anything from them. And I'm not afraid to ask them for consulting or content production work. Test new waters: I regularly take on small projects outside my wheelhouse. They don't pay much, but they give me insight into emerging opportunities.

Building Your Financial Fortress: Here’s a hard truth I wish more Americans understood: You can't be resilient — or take advantage of an opportunity — if you're living paycheck to paycheck. Financial stress clouds judgment and limits options. So, building financial resilience is imperative if you're hoping to make a living as a gig worker and enjoy the freedoms that come along with the lifestyle: The Emergency Fund Plus: Traditional advice says 3-6 months of expenses. Gig workers need 6-12 months because our income is less predictable. I know that sounds impossible when you're getting started, but build it gradually—even $50 a month adds up.