One of the main things plaguing not only the United States, but countries around the globe, is the unemployment rate. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, as of today, the unemployment rate is 8.3 percent, or 12.8 million people in the U.S. This is a scary number indeed, but the underemployment rate is at least double, with various reports placing it at between 15—20%.
While many people would say, “Well, at least the underemployed are able to acquire some income,” being underemployed can be just as difficult as being unemployed. This is especially true if your income is the same or only slightly less than what you might be able to claim through unemployment. For these underemployed citizens, their income is exactly the same whether they work the small amount of hours they are given or don’t work at all.
Social media has been working as a side income for many people who are underemployed. For the most part, they can do it at anytime of the day, even using apps like Hootsuite to schedule posts for different companies. Most of these companies will sign you up as an Independent Contractor, so be ready to take care of the taxes associated with that income when tax time rolls around.
If you are underemployed, but have a vast working knowledge of social media sites, you can get a side career off the ground pretty quickly. Try looking into companies you know a lot about and start contributing to their pages. Write thoughtful comments, post photos of products with reviews, etc. Then, if you can, reach out via message to the moderator of the site. See if they have noticed your posts and if you can ever be of help to them in regards to social media.
Also, do not be afraid to reach out to second or third degree connections through LinkedIn. There used to be a time when asking for help was far too embarrassing, but with as difficult as it is to land a career, reaching out to friends, or even friends of friends is simply just networking.
Checking sites like Mashable, and even craigslist for different side social media jobs is good practice as well. As you gain more ground in this industry, you may even decide to make a career change.
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