Millennials are also known as Generation Y, the generation that enjoys simple lives. They have seen the major transformation from 2G networks to 5G and watching WWF to Xbox. The last generation who understands the pain of tangled phone cord wires is also the first who knows the luxury of having mobile phones.
Generation Y or Gen Y are the people born between 1981 and 1994. The first to be born in a globalized world, having grown alongside technology, thus, experiencing many technological advances and the development of world powers.
They are also known for having high ambition and being insubordinate. However, in the work environment, they like challenges and seek professional growth. They are seeking innovation and modernization, looking beyond the traditional.
From a professional point of view, Gen Y is more autonomous and individualistic. This drastically contributes to their job choices and the fact that they tend to work at what they like. These traits are passed on to subsequent generations.
To get an idea of the autonomous revolutionary perspective of this generation, we can look back at the previous generation, which many characterize as its opposite.
In the workplace, millennials strive to innovate. However, Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980), the predecessor, prefers to preserve the stability and balance of the existing work environment.
Millennials have grown up in a technologically oriented culture, which may lead them to consider expanding their work environment technologically if they consider it.
It is no wonder that the presence of millennials in the job market is drastically growing; after all, they quickly adapt to the changes in the human condition, which are almost entirely in charge of technology.
Freelancing vs. 9 to 5 Jobs
A freelancer is a professional who works without a formal employment relationship with companies. Instead, a freelancer is a self-employed professional who not only works with different corporations but also captures clients independently.
So far, we can already see why it is a potential choice for millennials. This type of work conflicts with traditional employability, usually 9 to 5 jobs, and what you are probably doing or seeking to do. 9 to 5 jobs are routine, classified as tedious, unchallenging, rigorous, or unsatisfactory.
The fact is that the characteristics of millennials make them more inclined to choose to be freelancers. This is mainly because the pros are higher and go hand in hand with the prospects of an excellent work environment for millennials. However, a significant part of the population still prefers the security of a 9 to 5 job for a variety of reasons. Of course, the most significant factor is financial security.
However, amidst all the controversy and the benefits of permanent and conventional jobs, the pros of being a freelancer still outweigh those benefits, causing this market to grow continually.
Millennials are a changing generation, as one can say that the recession gave birth to the millennial generation.
In the 20-to-25-year-old age range, the unemployment rate is approximately 13%. The millennial generation has been conditioned to expect economic disruption and, as a result, is becoming risk-averse. Millennials’ fear of putting all their eggs (read: careers) in one basket shows up in job turnover and the exploration of more flexible labor sources.
With that in mind, here are five reasons why the internet generation chooses freelancing and makes 9 to 5 jobs look old-school:
1. The “Be Your Own Boss” Classic
Autonomy is something not usually found in a conventional job, where you are under strict and irrefutable orders. In traditional employment, you are the hands of a body whose brain does not belong to you.
Working in a corporation, you are liable to this administrative submission; you are also liable to its various faults, such as working overtime due to the lack of effective administration or doing other jobs that sometimes have nothing to do with your area.
Of course, these scenarios and requests are not excluded from freelancing; you have the advantage of yes or no. The choice is yours.
As a freelancer, you are your own boss; you have the power not to work overtime or accept assignments; as long as you are within clients’ requirements and their projects, you remain a professional.
This flexibility allows you to balance your life, molding your work around your life and not the other way around, as in previous generations.
2. Your Work Space Can Be Anywhere — Even From Igloo While Enjoying Northern Lights
One of the best aspects of freelancing is mobility, the freedom to not be stuck in an office for hours and every day of the week, which is entirely different from the corporate scenario.
The only tool needed is a reliable internet connection and laptop. Most freelance work is digital; this allows them to work wherever they want — from the couch at home or the cafe or beach or on the hills — anywhere!
The bottom point is that comfort is needed for a productive work session regardless of your space.
I have even worked from the airport lounges while waiting for my flight, cruises, and while waiting for my surfing sessions to start.
Millennials like the freedom to discover new places and travel the world. Being able to work amid adventures couldn’t be a better option.
3. Absolute Control Over Workload
We talked above about the traditional workload, where sometimes you have to sacrifice working overtime. This is often because of work overload and because you don’t want to be labeled a terrible team member even though you are not getting paid for overtime work.
Everyone has their own pace of work, and this is something that is not considered in corporations. As a result, millennials are under pressure and live with a black cloud over their heads, which hinders their ability to grow professionally.
That’s why being a freelancer becomes the most viable option. Because the choice of projects is at your command, you shape your workload, and you can also shape it according to your routine.
Freelancers have the freedom to accept or reject proposals and even adjust the deadlines for work delivery. You can set the pay scale or per project pay. Upgrade your skills whenever you like and always have an ace up your sleeve.
4. Great Learning Opportunities
In a corporation, there are different sectors and people in charge of each one of them.
The Freelancer is the body of his corporation, fully responsible for each of the tasks. This trait contributes a lot to his professional growth and therefore has a lot of weight in the millennial’s decision to embark on Freelance.
Performing various tasks adds knowledge, experiences, and skills, building great professionals.
5. Set Your On Timings
Some jobs require the professional to work from 9 to 5 hours daily; others are even longer, making the work environment dull and unexciting, plus wasting time. Don’t forget the amount of time you spent on transportation.
Millennials and their descendants tend to be most productive in their comfort zones, not while unhappy and counting hours to sleep with zero social lives.
Setting the working hours is up to you when you are a freelancer.
This is beneficial because, in addition to being flexible, it allows you to schedule your workdays around your well-being without losing your earnings.
Speaking of earnings, working as a freelancer, you can have higher yields than in a salaried job. This is because you can have multiple sources of income.
As we can see, balance is far from better than a challenge.
Final Thoughts
Over the last few years, employers have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars due to the turnover of millennial workers. In addition, the Covid-19 makes things worse.
Thus, adding more freelancing, crowdsourcing, and flexible hours may be necessary for employers to keep up with the changing workplace. By doing so, employers can help millennials fulfill various career requirements by allowing them to take on various roles and jobs.
There is no radical difference in priorities between this generation and previous generations — they are just meeting their needs differently.
If you enjoyed reading this blog, you might want to check out other blogs:
Thanks for reading! Check out more of my articles by clicking on my page.
If you enjoy reading stories on Medium and want to support me and others as a writer, consider signing up to become a Medium member. The membership cost is $5 per month — less than your per day Starbucks Coffee 🙂 and it will give you unlimited access to stories on Medium. Read more and learn more!
Furthermore, you can support me as a writer by buying me a coffee — https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lakhwanishweta
Stay safe, and have a great day!
—
This post was previously published on medium.com.
***
You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:
White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism | Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box | The Lack of Gentle Platonic Touch in Men’s Lives is a Killer | What We Talk About When We Talk About Men |
—
Photo credit: Daria Mamont on Unsplash