Side Hustles and Gen Z

Side Hustles and Gen Z

Gen Z (11-26 year olds)  is big on the side hustle

As of July 2022, there were 21 million people aged 16 to 24 in the U.S. workforce, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and these young workers are paving different career paths than previous generations.

The most noteworthy shift? Side hustles. Nearly 65% of Gen Zers, ages 18 to 25, have a side hustle, according to a LendingTree survey.

A February 2023 global survey by Kantar found that 40% of Gen Z workers are currently combining at least two roles for work. Experts suggest this reflects an effort to set themselves up for long-term employability and enable them to move between workplaces, rather than remaining in one job long-term. The youth of today are placing much greater importance when looking for a job on enjoyment and meaning, rather than just money. So having those extra passion projects can provide that needed sense of fulfillment.

As this tenancy to have side hustles become more common, many employers are starting to accept it and acknowledge it. So what are some of the common side hustles of the generation Z lot and is this for you? 

Create Niche Pages on TikTok

“One side hustle that is extremely lucrative and has the potential to grow beyond a side hustle is creating niche pages on TikTok and growing an audience that can be monetized through sponsorships, ” said Kyle Dulay, co-founder of Collabstr, an online marketplace to find and hire content creators on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

“The idea is pretty simple, you pick a niche that is interesting to you and post consistently until you build your audience over 10,000 followers. The great thing about TikTok is that it’s much easier to grow on there compared to other platforms like Instagram or YouTube. I personally accumulated over 100,000 users across two pages in less than 12 months. As you grow, it will become much easier to make money off of your page. At first, you may have to reach out to brands manually and pitch them on a potential sponsorship, but as you grow you’ll begin to get more deals coming inbound.”

Creating content

“Content creation can extend to blog writing on trending topics, creating TikTok and YouTube videos for companies, graphic design, and even podcasting. What brands are looking for is authenticity more than anything else–they can supply the experience and expertise while Gen Z content creatives provide the engagement.”

Sites such as Fiverr is a good place to start looking across a range of freelance gigs. Fiverr is a great site for all types of beginning writers. It accepts submissions for many writing ventures, such as transcribing, proofreading, editing or article writing. The pay does range, as you can set your own rates based on your personal skillset and experience. You can upload a résumé and other writing samples to your Fiverr profile and get started.

Creating digital products

“These include fonts, design templates, document templates, Shopify store themes, e-books and music. Unlike traditional jobs, you don’t have to answer to anybody and you can work at your own pace whenever is convenient for you. Plus, you can work from home and actually make decent money. Creating digital products is the perfect side hustle for anyone with a computer who is looking to earn extra money without having to make any type of commitment.”

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