The prolonged pandemic and the resultant lockdowns have forced many professionals across industries to re-evaluate their life goals, careers and how exactly they want to live their lives. As a result, many people have sought to reclaim a healthy and unstressed lifestyle by voluntarily dropping out of the corporate rat race and moving to their hometowns, or even offbeat locations like Himachal, Uttarakhand or Goa.

The phenomenon is, in fact, universal. It has been named ‘The Great Resignation’ in the US, referring to hordes of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs after the pandemic, primarily because of dissatisfaction with mundane 9-5 routines. Europe and China have seen similar trends.

However, livelihoods still must be earned. So these professionals are increasingly turning to the gig economy and seeking high paying but short-term projects, called ‘gigs’, to make their living, now that they are out of full-time roles. Even people laid off during the pandemic are now choosing short-term gigs and assignments over finding full-time positions that require mandatory work-from-office.

Fortunately for them, a handful of platforms are now offering high-end gigs in various domains, from programming and software development, marketing, writing and editing to even specialized skills like sourcing and procurement. Below, we list five such platforms that newly independent professionals can tap to make a living on their terms.

1.            GigVistas, a platform for curated gigs

GigVistas offers short-term assignments or gigs for high-end professionals in coding, programming, copywriting, editing, marketing and several other domains. The platform uses a proprietary algorithm to match candidates or gig seekers with most relevant gigs. It also enables transactions between professionals and employers for short-term, project-based work. Finally, it comes with additional features such as hyperlocal search to enable gig work near the location of the professionals.

2.            BuyHive, a global B2B sourcing platform

Hong Kong-based B2B sourcing platform BuyHive recently rolled out its Expert-Assisted Sourcing Program in India. As part of this program, BuyHive will be offering sourcing gigs to experienced procurement professionals who sign up for this program.

BuyHive’s ‘Expert-Assisted Sourcing’ program will match global buyers with India-based independent sourcing professionals for short-term sourcing projects. These gigs will require the sourcing professionals to find the most suitable suppliers or manufacturers in India and work with them to procure goods per the buyer’s terms and specifications. Quality audits and control may be further part of their gig description.

BuyHive aims to recruit over 5,000 independent sourcing professionals in India over the next 12 months across a diverse set of categories, including apparel and textiles, home décor, handicrafts, metalware, garden and outdoor furnishing, electronics, hardware and hand tools. More details are available on their website.

3.            Gig India, B2B marketplace for on-demand work

GigIndia is a B2B marketplace for on-demand work. The platform offers targeted gigs for experienced professionals, as well as freshers and homemakers. On the demand side, GigIndia features gigs and assignments from companies like Reliance, Amazon, Paytm, Swiggy, Cred and others.

GigIndia has built a technology infrastructure that enables trust between employers and gig professionals. As a result, even if someone is not a full-time employee, they can still deliver equivalent quality work for an employer. In turn, gig workers get engaged with reputed and well-known firms that offer them better salaries and even benefits.

The platform has over a million app installs on Google Play Store, and has a registered workforce of over one million workers across 200 cities in India. It also claims it has recorded a 3x growth in revenue since the beginning of the pandemic.

4. Flexiple, a platform for pre-screened freelance developers and designers

Flexiple is a gig platform that pre-screens freelance developers and designers. Flexiple helps startups and entrepreneurs source and work with freelance developers and designers with diverse backgrounds and skillsets. The gigs are available for a variety of skillsets and are suitable for backend developers, UX experts and illustrators.

Flexiple has a multi-level assessment system with pass rates ranging from 45.4% to less than 1%, which ensures only the crème de la crème of the tech talent greets businesses that sign up to hire for gigs. Among the attributes they test for are technical prowess, communication skills, background checks, and performance consistency. The young startup has a community of more than 200 freelancers from seven countries. Some of them have worked at big multinational companies, including Amazon, Adobe, Microsoft, Ola, and Goldman Sachs, to name a few. It also offers a one-week trial period to enable companies to assess the synergies with the gig workers before plunging in for free.

5. GigZoe, a marketplace for services gigs

GigZoe is a marketplace for startups or small businesses to find and hire credible professionals for their immediate gigs. For employers or businesses, the platform offers access to qualified professionals in domains like filing of taxes and other regulatory compliances, accounting. It also lists professionals across a wide range of skills: from graphic design, video animation, and web or app development to content and marketing services, among others.

In addition, GigZoe also enables small businesses to pay their gig workers in instalments, thereby reducing their burden. There’s also a community where users can interact with each other, ask questions, and get their queries resolved. Gigzoe has built an end to end contractual hiring marketplace for both short term and long term projects.