Jobs in the content creation industry are really popular amongst Generation Z and they are one of the jobs that look certain to remain permanently remote rather than return to the office after the Covid-19 pandemic has subsided again. Content creators typically create website and social media posts and graphics. The job of content creator is somewhere between that of graphic designer and copywriter and many young people who have grown up with Instagram and TikTok are naturally adept at creating content.
Gen Z are True “Digital Natives”
Generation Z is too young to remember a time before the internet existed, they have had it in their lives from the time that they were born and are a generation that is really the first that can be considered true “digital natives”.
As a result of this, they have spent their lifetimes so far developing skills on the social media platforms that they use, including Instagram and TikTok and typically know how to create images and banners using popular free software such as the ubiquitous Canva. There was a Canva outage recently, the website went down for a period of time and it is said that there was an audible collective wail from the content creation community who had deadlines to meet.
Everyone wants to turn their existing skills into something that they can make a living from and this is something that Gen Z really wants from work. They see that their skills are in demand and realise that there is a living to be made in this field. Some try to go into freelance work on platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork whereas others look for Content Creation opportunities on more traditional job search boards.
Remote Work Opportunities
Following on from the pandemic, many jobs have returned to the office but one of the key attractions of being a content creator is the possibility of retaining the opportunity to work remotely. Content creators sometimes take part in things like “Remote Year” and this is something that is very attractive to the demographic who most identify with the job.
Another attractive potential perk that is sometimes offered to content creators is a “Workation”, which is a cross between working and a vacation. It is typically two weeks to a month in a sunny location, while working as well.
The possibilities that the upsurge in remote work opens for world travel are unparalleled and unprecedented in the history of employment and many people see content creation type jobs as being their gateway to entering into such an ideal lifestyle on a full-time basis.
Demand for Content Creation
There is a huge level of demand for high-quality content creation and this is because websites always need new graphical and textual content in order to promote themselves on social media and increase their following. The better the content, the better the reflection of its brand values and identity and the more resonance it is likely to have with its target audience.
One of the key skills of a content creator is being able to translate the wishes of their client into actual content that is in keeping with their branding and brand values. Many online courses can help content creators to hone their skills and a great number of them are freely available on YouTube and other such websites. There are some websites that offer paid-for video courses but many of them don’t really contain anything that you are unable to learn for free.
There is always demand for talented content creators but with so many people entering the field, it may be difficult to find work that pays the kind of hourly rates that your talent merits. This is especially true of some of the freelancer websites where it can seem like a “race to the bottom” at times in terms of prices.
Content Creation vs Travel Influencing
The scope of content creation jobs can also include video content and there are many people putting their photography and videography skills to good use, documenting their travels to exotic places. Some people aspire to make a living through travel influencing but very few actually manage to make this a reality. It is wise to temper your expectations when it comes to this as there are some well-established influencers out there and they don’t normally make as much money as people assume.
The level of work that it takes to make travel influencing a viable career is enormous and generally involves multiple people. Most successful travel influencers are a couple where the man is the videographer and the woman is the “star” of the show. Most successful travel influencers are young and considered to be very conventionally attractive, to the point where people who don’t fit this archetype are generally not as successful.
The Cons of Content Creation Jobs
Content creation is a market with so many people looking for work that it is at risk of becoming oversaturated. Many unscrupulous businesses are trying to take advantage of this and are asking young content creators to work for free “for a trial period” and once the “trial period” has finished they are discarded and the next content creator is brought in, meaning that the content creators aren’t being paid for their work and the companies are getting free content creation services.
Even though it may be tempting to “do it for the exposure” or for the experience, we would never recommend giving someone your hard work for free. If they are unscrupulous, you will have done good work for them, not been paid and won’t even have the chance of receiving a good reference from the arrangement.
Ask for what your work is worth, even if it seems more difficult at first. It may be tempting to feel self-doubt and a sense of impostor syndrome but if you are talented at what you do, you will find your way in time and manage to make a success of content creation as a career.
