For years, the best way to ensure job security was to get a college degree and professional credentials. Today, the opposite is true. Where jobs for plumbers, electricians, welders and other skilled trades are booming, professional jobs in both government and private industry are contracting.
But, the news for professionals isn’t all bad. There are plenty of part-time gigs for pros. And many professionals find that both pay, flexibility and work-life balance improved after they went freelance. According to new research, many professionals who turned to freelancing now earn more than they did at their corporate jobs.
“Our research shows that freelancers with multiple clients are thriving, enjoying both higher earnings and better work-life balance,” says Pavel Shynkarenko, founder of Mellow, a global human resources platform that supports freelance work.
Part-time gigs for pros
Mellow polled 1,000 high-income workers — those earning between $100,000 and $200,000 — about contract work and found that contractors earned 127% of the wages of those who worked for just one employer. Nearly 18% started contracting because they had been laid-off or would otherwise have been forced to return to an office, after working from home.
But the bulk of freelancers chose contract work because it offered better pay, more flexibility and/or improved work-life balance, according to the study.
Finding clients
Finding clients, particularly when first starting to freelance, is often the biggest challenge. The good news is that there are many online platforms that connect professionals with temporary and part-time gigs.
Importantly, many of these platforms also collect payments for the contractor, which saves you from the often time-consuming process of collecting bills. But, they’ll typically charge a portion of your revenue for the service.
What online platforms are best for professional contractors? That depends on the type of work you do. Here’s a break-down by area of expertise.
Accounting, bookkeeping & finance
Robert Half places full-time, part-time and temporary workers with hundreds of companies located all over the country. It also has operations in many other parts of the world. The site focuses on five broad employment areas: Law, Finance & Accounting, Technology, Marketing & Creative and Administrative & Customer support. Dive into any of these categories and you find a wide range of job listings, including part-time gigs for pros.
However, the site is particularly strong in the accounting and finance sector, with jobs available for everyone from collection managers to controllers, bookkeepers and CPAs. All of the costs of matching professionals to jobs are shouldered by the hiring client, not the freelancer.
Business management & consulting
Catalant is an online platform that serves much like a boutique consulting firm, taking on a wide range of projects. The site brags that 30% of Fortune 100 companies use Catalant to solve vexing problems. And that means that many of the site’s contracts are generous.
The downside? Getting work here is competitive. And Catalant adds a 25% fee onto your rates, so it’s an expensive partner. Getting paid also can be slow. Finally, the site’s terms stipulate that if you find a client on Catalant, you are not allowed to take a job for that client outside of the platform for at least a year. That prevents you from giving the client a better rate by simply cutting out the middle-site.
That said, there’s no cost to listing your services here. And, getting access to the site’s clients to consider what you have to offer could boost your marketing reach without a tremendous amount of extra work on your part.
Engineering & Project Management
SMA Inc. is a long-time defense and government contractor, providing the engineering and expertise for massive projects like roads and bridges. In 2017, the firm launched TOD — Talent on Demand — to pull more talent into its pool of ready workers. This talent-on-demand network spans a wide array of roles, from proposal development to technical jobs, project and clerical management.
When you click through your business segment, a host of job listings come up. Almost all of the positions you’d find here are senior level — jobs that typically require 10 + years of experience. Each explains what the job entails, where it is located, the hourly pay range and the duration of the project. Some projects are for a month. Others, six months or more.
However, to apply for any of these positions, you’ll need to fill out SMA’s extensive application, which is likely to take two or three hours. The bright side: Once it’s done, you have access to all relevant projects without additional applications.
Insurance
A site called WAHVE specifically looks for seasoned professionals in insurance to work for small businesses that can’t afford full-time help. You need at least 25 years of experience in the insurance industry to apply and contemporary experience is best. The site places everyone from actuaries to underwriters, auditors to sales professionals.
Law
If you’re seeking flexible gigs in law, you have two good bets — job search site Indeed, and professional staffing firm Robert Half.
Indeed is simply a job board with a robust search engine and millions of job listings. You search the site for the type of work you want, including remote positions. The site spits back a raft of possibilities. However, like other job boards, Indeed does not get involved in your search. It simply provides free information about open positions and how to apply to them.
Robert Half, on the other hand, works with companies to fill high-end positions with vetted candidates. As a result, you’re likely to get more hand-holding here and potentially have access to better opportunities.
Marketing
Whether your marketing expertise is with email, social media, search engine optimization or conversion, there are plenty of sites that can help you find part-time marketing gigs. Some of the best include Mayple, GrowTal and MarketerHire.
Each site works a little differently, with some emphasizing pay by project and others inviting you to set your own hourly rates. However, all three have significant clients and invite experienced freelance marketers of all types to apply.
Medicine
Medicine is generally more than a full-time job. However, if the stress of working long hours and being on call is more than you want to live with, there are some part-time options for medical professionals. Among these are medical consulting and expert testimony.
Indeed, a site called Expert Institute regularly recruits doctors and nurses to review medical malpractice cases and other medical damage claims. Some are also asked to serve as expert witnesses at trial. Doctors and nurses can set their own rates. However, the site also has a calculator that can help. Nurses typically charge from $250 – $450 per hour. Doctors can command considerably more.
Psychology
Therapists, psychologists and social workers who want to practice at home can sign up with a site called BetterHelp. To qualify, you need to be a licensed therapist, social worker, mental health counselor, professional counselor or psychologist and have a National Provider Identifier number (for billing), and three years of experience in the field.
Because you practice online, you have no office expenses. But you also give pricing authority to the platform and therapists report that their pay isn’t the best — usually ranging from $20 to $70 per hour. BetterHelp is actively recruiting, however. As a result, the site often offers thousands of dollars in signing bonuses to therapists willing to work regularly.
Other
If your profession isn’t listed here, search SideHusl.com work options by industry.
