How to Hustle in a Dead Job Market?

Hey there, fellow job market survivors!

If you're reading this, chances are you've joined the illustrious club of the temporarily unemployed, or as I like to call it, "on a break from the corporate chaos." It’s the unexpected vacation you never wanted to take. And let's face it, the job market right now is gloomier than a Monday morning meeting.

But here's the good news – you're not alone. Millions are in the same boat, and there's a silver lining to this storm cloud. It's the perfect time to channel your inner entrepreneur, discover new talents, and make the most of your "vacation" from the corporate grind.

Over the past 6 months, I’ve been on a bit of a journey myself to figure out what I can do to stay busy, maintain my need for creativity and, duh, make money…because why not? After so many years in corporate talent acquisition, I know when the job market is not in my favor – so instead of diving so deep into the abyss out of desperation, losing my dignity and confidence, I decided to maintain my worth, remain diligent in applying for the jobs that are good fit and interesting, but pivoting my real energy and grit into learning more about the gig economy, freelancing, side hustle and all things about making money online.

I am finally in a place where I am ready to share some of this inspiration for others…so if you’re in the same boat – or care – keep reading!

Job Market Real Talk: Stats Don't Lie

The job market right now? Let's just say it's not exactly a job-seeker's paradise.. I won’t bore you with statistics, but let’s just say it’s rough. The competition is high because there is a high availability of job seekers – especially in the technology, business, admin (finance, marketing, HR, corp. etc.) space. Businesses that over hired in 2021 have all right-sized, and in some cases, over-arched in anticipation of a recession, so…here we are. If your profession isn’t bringing in the revenue – you’re probably either running the support department alone, or you’ve been cut. Now the market is saturated and there are not enough skilled jobs for us all….yet your local service industries are all struggling to find workers still….(Houston – I mean, Uncle Sam?, we have a problem here….)

Ok, so without diving into that pile of garbage – let’s get back to the upside – WE HAVE TIME! Don’t come for me about this – I know we all need money but let’s forget about that for ONE second and just say – without working those 40 hours a week, we now have time.

So, what do we do with it? How do we make the most of it?

FIRST - Discover Your Niche

Remember all those hobbies you had to put on the backburner when you were chained to your desk? Well, dust them off and give them a fresh look. Your key to hustling in this job market is to find your niche, your passion, that thing that makes your heart skip a beat.

Perhaps you're a spreadsheet sorcerer during the day, but secretly, you're a culinary genius by night. Or maybe you're the office IT whiz who's always dreamed of writing epic fantasy novels. It's time to remember what actually made you smile – aside from half day Fridays.

Maybe you know how to play piano, or write music? Maybe you love gardening? Do you find yourself scrolling Pinterest for the latest DIY home design trends because you love building and renovating? Are you obsessed with your kids and learning about childhood development? Do you enjoy fashion and makeup? Maybe you have an old car sitting in your garage that you bought on whim in the hopes of fixing up? Maybe you’re stuck in an accounting job right now, but you secretly love drawing and find yourself painting to relieve stress?

You see where I’m going with this – we all have “hobbies” that we’ve been conditioned to dismiss as nothing more, or the things we are only supposed to do when the “job” is done. The truth is – we should have been taught how to monetize our actual interests. Instead, we were taught how to be someone else’s employees.

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So how do you monetize any of this?

What I’ve really learned in the past 6 months is that the internet is booming with opportunities to make money – and it spans so far beyond e-commerce and influencers.

The internet allows us to make our talents available to the masses. We can do that in multiple ways:

• Freelancing: Offer your services to others in your newfound niche. Whether it's web design, content writing, or consulting, there's always someone willing to pay for expertise.
• Teaching: Share your knowledge with the world by becoming an online tutor or mentor. You'd be amazed at how many people are eager to learn what you know.

Additionally - (and this is a pro-tip) Learn how to market your talents to the masses in a way that avoids trading your time for money. If you trade your time for money – as most traditional "jobs" do – you’ll always be capped with income potential. So finding a way to build unlimited streams of income is the ideal way to capitalize on your talent. You can do this in different ways as well – all within your Niche!

• Affiliate marketing: Almost all established companies have affiliate programs now – where you can join, and promote their products and earn commission on any sales made. You simply find products within your niche, then you can use a blog or social media page to market the products.
• Digital Products: Get your creative juices flowing and design digital products like e-books, templates, or online tools related to your niche. There are different platforms that you can use to sell and market your products – many of which are free.
• Building Courses: Develop online courses on platforms like Udemy or Coursera. Not only will you educate others, but you'll also make some extra cash.

Most people are too scared to try any of this because they lack the confidence in their own expertise. Again – we’ve been taught that hobbies and interests are just that – and therefore, the idea of charging money for something or promoting something in that area may feel awkward because you don’t THINK you have the authority to do that. NONSENSE. Build your authority – this is all societal conditioning. If you have an interest – grow it, learn from it, and monetize it.

Remember, hustling doesn't mean you have to give up on your corporate life either. Think of it as a sabbatical, a chance to explore new horizons, and who knows, you might even discover a whole new career path you're passionate about.

?I know there is so much more detail for each of these bullets to dive into, but I'm sure I've lost most of the readers by now anyway….If you want to know more about what I’m doing, or how I learned some of these skills – let me know, shoot me a message, and let’s chat – I’ve got time…??

-Jaylene