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The #Gigster Series - Expert Gigster Types

4 Min Read
Sue   |   July 1, 2019
The #Gigster Series - Expert Gigster Types

The future of work is right here, right now. Technology is changing the nature of work every single day. Whilst your personal preference may be to have an ‘expert’ type of role, as a gigster, a person who uses technology to help you get gigs, there are some indicative Gigster Types that will match your values, strengths and context (the variables specific to your personal circumstances, location or industry).

To understand this a little more, think about your highest and most important values. One of my highest has always been to utilise my skills and expertise in a way that is most helpful to other people. Then think about the areas where you have natural and learned strengths. There are some areas of expertise that are simply not in demand, so I have had to adjust what I ‘sell’ to be in alignment with the needs of the market.

 

Think about the context you are currently living in – are there too many people offering similar services for a lower price? Will committing to regular gigs prevent you from providing the real gold to your ideal audience? Is holding out for a ‘big gig’ harming your income overall when perhaps a combination of gigs could ensure you have enough to live on during leaner times (like over holiday periods)? Personally, I am aware that maintaining a group or regular clients as well as some one-off clients helps me to maintain my expert status and income. I also constantly update my skills, knowledge and networks to ensure that I remain relevant and up to date across various areas of expertise. I am always adapting my content and resources and tailoring them for every individual or group I help.

 

By the way, I am the first person to admit that hanging out your shingle as an expert is not the easiest thing to do. It takes a level of courage and commitment that many people find overwhelming. If you are considering this as an option in your future, I encourage you to start ‘part-time’ rather than go from a full time professional job into being an expert gigster.

 

There are many different ways to source work opportunities, and some strategies are much more reliable for securing aligned expert-related gigs. My preference is to attract opportunities with a great online presence (self-generated and platform generated across multiple online locations in different verticals) and a very consistent offline reputation (in person at various events). That said, every person is unique and in my opinion, multi-dimensional. I would like to encourage you to be your own kind of peculiar!

 

I can happily report that I have experienced most of the 12 different Gigster Types throughout my working life. In the Gigster Types, each type has a different rating scale for the types of people they would like to work with (different or similar), the policies that exist in the workplace (different or similar), the level of variety in a role (low or high) and the level of autonomy in a role (low or high). The number 1 is on the lower end of the scale, the number 3 is either middle of the road or neutral and the number 5 is on the high end of the scale.

 

Here is the chart for the Expert Gigster Range:

Expert Gigsters

Suave Specialist 

This type of gigster has decided that they need to work with people who genuinely value and respect their expertise and contribution. They are highly motivated by a deep level of specialty and competence and may be highly recognised in their field. They may have a low tolerance for people who do not appreciate their efforts.

 

Master Magician

This type of gigster can instantly see what needs to be done and knows how to get it done, quite often much faster than anyone would expect which can make it appear as if it was ‘simple’ when it was actually quite complex and relies on a lot of inherent wisdom and experience. They can appear to just wave a wand and make things happen and are usually confident in their abilities, despite the negative comments they may receive from people who do not understand their ‘magic.’

 

Fabulous Freelancer 

This type of gigster is someone who needs to choose their own variety across tasks and times. They are often very creative in their skills or approach and are willing to go the extra mile to perform very specific tasks. As they are usually very competent in one area, they are often asked to pick up other tasks as it is often assumed they will be able to ‘do anything.'

 

Nimble Nomad

This type of gigster has found as many ways as possible to be autonomous and independent across tasks, times, devices and locations. They will look for ways to automate repeat tasks but they also understand that there may be repetition to secure regular income. They may be perceived as self-indulgent by their envious friends watching them travel the world for a ‘lifestyle’ rather than a ‘workstyle.’

 

Employees and Entrepreneurs have their own four types and these are discussed in other blog posts here on Weploy.

 

Please remember that these are indicative Gigster Types, you may find yourself a sort of combination gigster! There are also some really useful gigster competencies and super powers you can develop to really enhance your gigster lifestyle.

 

If you would like to learn more about the indicative Expert Gigster Types or learn more about the gigster lifestyle, you can either read future articles here on the Weploy blog or purchase ‘Gigsters – Any Age or Ability Employees, Experts and Entrepreneurs’ by following the links at https://120ways.com/books/gigsters-any-age-or-ability-employees-experts-and-entrepreneurs/ - paperback is AUD$24.99 and digital edition is AUD$7.99.

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