There is only one solution amid the continuing AI tech talent battle, budget and scalability limits, layoffs, and skills gap:
Freelancer
Tech CEOs are finally realizing that hiring freelancers with specialized skills is a good way to stay adaptable in a constantly changing and fast-paced business. Employers are searching for highly trained people to work on gig assignments; these individuals can finish difficult tasks quickly.
The most stressful quarter of the year is Q3 (July, August, and September), according to a 2024 Fiverr poll of 500 IT executives nationwide. As a result, 89.7% of respondents said they would be open to employing freelance talent to help them deal with the pressure of meeting deadlines.
Almost thirty percent of the businesses questioned use freelancers two or three times a week, and twenty-one percent draw from their freelance talent pool every workday. Almost thirty percent of the firms surveyed now include freelancers in their daily procedures.
According to a 2020 World Economic Forum survey, 41% of companies intended to increase their use of contractors for task-specific labor, while 43% of enterprises expected to decrease their staff as a result of technological integration (such as AI).
In the tech industry, it seems to be a win-win arrangement for freelancers and their corporate clients.
Why Are Tech Freelancers In Demand?
In addition to saving time and money by eliminating the need for full-time employee hiring, onboarding, and training, tech companies can relieve overworked teams and respond swiftly to industry challenges. They are also nimble enough to quickly develop new products or services for delivery.
In addition, independent contractors who offer high-demand, lucrative technical skills as a side gig have the freedom to operate independently or with a project team, enjoy complete flexibility and autonomy, and establish competitive pricing.
Being a highly skilled independent contractor with great subject-matter knowledge gives you the benefit of being in high demand and highly regarded, which may result in repeat business and recommendations. Even if you don’t work a typical 9 to 5 job, developing long-term connections and trust with your business clients—tech companies—finally leads to better financial security.
Which Tech Skills Are In-Demand As Side Hustles?
Of course, the most important question to ask when analyzing which side projects or freelance careers IT businesses are most interested in is: What skills and services are they looking for most from freelancers?
If you’re a freelancer, you should take advantage of the following highly sought-after and lucrative IT talents, as evidenced by research from several polls and reports:
- Data Science
- Data modeling
- Software development
- Cloud computing
- Cybersecurity
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
Make sure you are the greatest in the business if you want to land the top freelancing jobs. This isn’t your typical side project. You cannot afford to think that your meager ability and skill set would make you a highly sought-after independent contractor.
To cover their talent shortages, major companies in the computer industry are seeking to top 10%, of specialized, and niche freelance platforms. And since some freelancing platforms are more difficult to join than Upwork, TaskRabbit, or People Per Hour, you should carefully consider investigating and assessing them if you hope to be selected to complete a job. You should also assess their application procedure and selection criteria.
hone the technical abilities specific to your specialization. Develop your freelancing portfolio. Become a member of an exclusive talent community. You are the future of the technical workforce; you are a highly competent independent contractor providing services in the technology space.