Here is some news for those who often assume that youngsters today want things the easy way out! They are opting for freelance jobs and not because they are easy or high paying. Juggling between jobs, courses and following their passion they strike a balance to sustain. Parallely, a previous study by University of Oxford shows that there has been a 26 per cent increase in the amount of work sourced from freelancers. They must be doing something right then?
Jithin Joseph freelances as a food photographer; his way of making his love his life. When asked why he didn’t opt for a regular 9-5 he says, “I did try it initially but it is very difficult to find jobs these days. They prefer people with experience in fields like these. Moreover it doesn’t pay very well either. Right now, as a freelancer I have the option to choose what I want to do and work accordingly. I’m not under pressure to take up anything that I don’t like. And if I reach my target, I make '1,800 per day which, for a 22-year-old, is a decent sum. I get to choose what I want to learn and exactly how I want to do it.”
Then, there are a few who opt for such jobs for the mere reason that their interests are spread across various areas. The wanderers, the dreamers!
Abhay Kishor is one such person, an engineering graduate who never wanted to be one in the first place. He says, “You hear this a lot, ‘I never wanted to do it but I didn’t have much choice’. I didn’t want to be stuck with something I never liked. I like bikes and adventure and anything unconventional. Finding regular jobs in these fields is as difficult as it sounds. So, the one option I had was to freelance. I freelance for a couple of firms, enough to make the money I require to travel and take care of my bike. It might not be the most stable thing to do but I’m happy and that is all that matters.”
There are various questions that come to play when one chooses to take up a job as such when opposed to the regular/traditional ones. The belief is that stability and exposure goes out of the window in such scenarios.
Talking for the younger generation, Elizabeth Moyon, a lecturer in International Institute of Hotel Management, says, “There is no hard and fast rule that one has to take up a job of a certain kind. Money is what matters, especially to youngsters. It doesn’t mean that they compromise on the efforts and work they put in, the fact that they get paid more says it all. They are very smart and well informed, thanks to the digital era, and updated about everything. At the end of the day they need to be satisfied with what they are doing, stability is secondary.”
Seeking the help of an expert, we find out if this is a positive or a negative tread. How does it help an individual grow and adapt to the demands of society and oneself?
Anikha S.J., a psychologist, says, “A freelance job gives an individual the chance to be creative, open and a space to reach one’s full potential. This helps a person to create an identity for himself/herself and feel worthy. A sense of worthiness can help an individual to have a fulfilling and quality oriented social life and relationships.”
