The Nomad’s Guide to Micro Jobs: How They Changed Our Lifestyle and Travel Freedom
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You must have heard of or read about micro jobs by now. Maybe, you’ve even found yourself a micro job from time to time. But how exactly do they impact your lifestyle and consequently travel freedom? Do these micro jobs help us as millennials with our careers and travel aspirations in life? In this post, we’ll try to answer all your questions about micro jobs and explain why they are so important for digital nomads who want to work remotely. You see, in this digital era where the remote work market has never been so saturated, it’s become increasingly difficult for digital nomads like you and me to stand out from the crowd. And what better way than to re-package our skills into various micro jobs that can be performed online, anywhere and anytime?
What is a Micro Job?
A micro job is a very small, quick task that can be done online. Micro jobs are usually done either manually or with the help of software. Micro jobs can be on-demand tasks, freelance work, or other projects that are paid per hour. Micro jobs often pay less than $50 per hour. The term “microwork” was coined in 2005 by a research team at Intel Research, led by Gary Bradsky, to describe “small, easy-to-do tasks that are useful to people or businesses.” Microwork is also known as “micro tasking,” “human intelligence tasks,” or “human-powered internet tasks.”
The Advantages of a Micro Job as a Digital Nomad
– A steady source of income – Micro jobs are great sources of passive income. You can work on them at your convenience, whenever you want and get paid on a timely basis. – Variety – Variety is the spice of life and that’s why you should try to pick micro jobs that offer you a variety of tasks. This way you can keep your mind fresh, and inspired and learn new skills at the same time. – Pick the type of task you like – You can choose the type of task you like. You can work on tasks such as surveys, data entry, writing, editing, content creation, virtual assistance and many others. – Networking – By completing micro jobs you can also network with other people and get referrals from them.
Why Millennials Should Care About Micro Jobs?
– You can make a living even if you’re not a freelancer – You don’t have to be a freelancer to make a living with micro jobs. You can pick regular tasks that pay you on an hourly basis and earn a good amount. – You can work on your schedule – One of the greatest benefits of micro jobs is that you can work on your terms and schedule. You can work whenever you want, wherever you want and as much as you want. – You can choose the type of tasks you want – You can choose the type of tasks you want to do based on your skills. If you are an expert in any field, you can pick tasks that are related to your area of expertise. – You can earn at home or on the go – You can work from home or on the go depending on the tasks you pick. You can also mix and match different tasks to make the best out of them. – You can build a reputation online – With time and consistent effort, you can build a reputation online and get referred by others. You can also pick up referral tasks and earn extra money this way. – You can earn money while you learn new skills – With micro jobs, you can earn money while you learn new skills and get better at your craft. This also helps you avoid burnout when you are starting out in a new skill.
The Downsides of Micro Jobs for Millennials
– Micro jobs pay very little – While micro jobs can be great ways to make some extra cash, don’t expect to make a living out of them. Yes, you can earn good money if you pick the right number of tasks, but don’t expect to earn a living out of them. – You have to deal with a lot of rejection – One of the major downsides of dealing with micro jobs is that you have to deal with a lot of rejection. This is especially true if you are a newbie in the field. – It can be time-consuming – Another downside is that it can be time-consuming if you are dealing with a lot of micro jobs. You have to keep track of the tasks, set your priorities and manage your time wisely. – There isn’t a steady flow of income – Last but not least, there isn’t a steady flow of income with micro jobs. You have to be consistent with your tasks and complete them on time to earn good money.
Wrapping up
Now that we have talked about what a micro job is, its advantages and disadvantages, you should have a pretty good idea of why millennials should care about micro jobs. The fact is that in this competitive business world, you have to do something to stand out from the crowd and that’s where you can make the best out of micro jobs.