Monday Mashups: Jobs On Demand and At Your Fingertips

We wish something like this had been around when we graduated. Not because of the fact that everyone thinks Millenials seek instant gratification (besides us Millenials) but because we came out of school with an immense amount of debt and were unable to find a job in the industries we wanted. With this new London-based startup Gig, you can pick up shifts in the hospitality and retail sectors whenever and get paid within 24 hours. Similar to an internship, you can bounce around from job to job, gaining a ton of industry experience, before settling down on one career path.

Not only is this impactful for those having a difficult time finding a job or not wanting to be tied to a 9 to 5, it is also impactful for those hospitality and retail businesses that are short-staffed because of their odd hours. With Gig, there’s no obligation to work a minimum number of days or a minimum number of hours when you sign up. You simply apply for the shifts that work for you, presuming they are available, and just work. Kind of amazing, right?

We now live in a world where switching jobs constantly, becoming more worldly and living in the moment are more acceptable than longevity and security. Taking the next opportunity that comes along and fits your needs better at that time typically always wins. As this remains true, we foresee Gig and other platforms of this variety really exploding over the next 3 to 5 years. Yes, we may find our next job via app and we don't see anything wrong with that!

Employment, as it once was, embodied all things contrary to the above. It’s structured, you work set shifts or set days, which are planned a week or more in advance and you don’t get paid until the end of the week or month. No one may know this better than Riaz Ladha, Chairman of Omni Group, a “traditional” recruitment agency and facilities management company operating in the hospitality industry. Ladha has been on-the-grind for years as you can see by the position he holds. But again, with the high turnover in these industries, need for flexibility and growing demand for jobs, Ladha signed on as one of Gig's investors, noting the needs for this 21st century economy,

To fund its London launch, the startup has raised £1 million. You can find out more about Gig on their website and get started on devouring the details of a better work-life balance today.