Every day, social media sells us the dream: start a side hustle, buy a course, and become your own boss. Strikingly, most of these promises target the young. Since when did entrepreneurship become a rite of passage for twenty-somethings?
The gig economy is the secret behind the rise of young entrepreneurship globally. It is a type of employment that is flexible, temporary, or freelance as opposed to traditional full-time employment. Ultimately, it’s a system that encourages you to juggle different jobs and become your boss. Housemaids, research consultants, and other independent contractors are considered to be a part of this category.
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University students are among the most active participants in this trend. Each student has their own reasons for starting work at a young age. Three aspiring architects I interviewed emphasized this: Mena, Nebiyou, and Nathnael.
“Initially, we started working because we had some free time, and when we got the opportunity to work as outsourced architects, we jumped right in,” they explained.
When asked if money was a major factor, they replied, “It is not a major factor. It’s nice to have an income of our own. Since we live with our families, we don’t have to worry about paying rent or bills regularly. But mainly, we work to gain experience and apply what we’ve learned in class. You can’t depend on your first job to cover all expenses, so it’s better to get that experience while you still have your family’s financial support. Plus, it looks good on a resume.”
This phenomenon is not limited only to university students. High schoolers are also becoming a part of it. Some do the traditional teen jobs like tutoring or helping out with the family business, but the large majority take part in different odd jobs.
Blen is a high school student who has taken the odd jobs route. As a family friend was in the process of closing her store, Blen became a sales agent who conducted the clearance sale. She explains her reason as follows,” I did it because the opportunity was there and I believed that there was no harm in trying it out. Besides, extra cash never hurts anybody.”
Others who take on jobs as tutors or work in the family business raise another reason besides money: to study abroad. A large number of high schoolers dream of studying at a top US institution. These universities value extracurricular activities; therefore, students take on the role of a tutor to improve their application. Those who work in the family business mainly do so to learn the ropes of running a business that they might take over one day.
It’s becoming common for young people who have graduated from university and have entered the workforce to have multiple sources of income. Yohannes, who is a jack of all trades, says,” A nine-to-five is not enough to support yourself in this economy. It’s a necessity to have a side hustle or a freelance job. You need 9 to 5 to pay the bills, and another one for your passion( or even to support your lifestyle).”
Looking back, one cannot help but wonder why the older generation didn’t take on after-school or summer jobs. Although it’s tempting to think older generations were less ambitious, that’s simply not the reality- they lived in a different time.
Habtamu, a member of the older generation, explains, ” There weren’t many jobs that were suitable for us. Sometimes we might have tutored younger kids in our neighborhood, but our parents encouraged us to simply focus on school. The consensus back then was to go to university and get a job. Considering only a fraction of the population had a degree at that time, it was almost guaranteed that you would find a job right after graduation. Doing some freelance work as a student seemed like declaring I don’t want stability in my life. Unless your family were in a dire situation, your parents would never let you work. I had some friends who worked as daily laborers during the summer to pay for school expenses.” He emphasised that they always had to take the practical approach. “ We stayed in school to get a job and help our parents with the bills.”
Older generations weren’t lazy; they simply lacked today’s opportunities. But for today’s youth, adapting to the gig economy is both a necessity and an opportunity. This shift – away from traditional job paths and toward freelancing – is reshaping not only the workforce but also youth culture. Today, you don’t need to be in your thirties to start working.
The question that remains is whether this fast-paced, flexible economy is a stepping stone to stable careers or if it will redefine stability altogether.
