Micro Jobs: Everything You Need To Know

Micro jobs—commonly referred to as "gigs"—allow individuals to work as independent contractors to perform small tasks and temporary work. You can use micro jobs to earn extra money as a side income or gain experience and skills as you work on building your resume or beginning your own business.

In this article, we discuss everything you need to know about micro jobs, including the different types of jobs available and tips to help you find them.

What are micro jobs?

Micro jobs are a type of temporary work that involves completing assignments or tasks for a fee per assignment. Micro jobs can include work that is completed online or in person. They could encompass tasks such as writing blogs, doing handyman work, babysitting, designing websites, entering data and performing other administrative tasks, running errands and acting as a virtual assistant.

Micro jobs have many benefits since they allow you to work a flexible schedule, choose only the kind of tasks you want to accept and help you build valuable skills and experience for your resume.

Related: 20 Side Jobs To Generate Additional Income

Types of micro jobs

There are several different types of micro jobs you can choose from, including:

Babysitting

You can offer babysitting services to parents who need someone they can trust to watch their kids for short periods of time. Many people find babysitting jobs by networking with people they know who have children or by posting their services to local babysitting job boards.

Dog walking

If you have the ability to get along with several different breeds of dogs and you have availability in the morning and evening hours, you can agree to walk dogs for people in your area in exchange for a small sum of money each time you walk the dog. Many dog walkers have several people they perform services for.

Handyman work

If you are good at fixing and repairing things around the home, cleaning or performing light housework tasks such as hanging pictures or painting, you can offer your services to people in your area who need help with these tasks.

Lawn mowing

If you don’t mind working outdoors, you can perform lawn mowing and basic landscaping for people in your area. This is a popular job for teenagers who have limited work experience. Some people will expect you to have your own lawnmower and landscaping tools, while others will provide the equipment for you.

Running errands

Many people need someone who can help them run errands such as grocery shopping, dropping off clothes at the dry cleaner, going to the bank and several other routine tasks. You could offer services to busy moms, business professionals, people with disabilities, seniors and more.

Data entry

Contracting out simple data entry tasks to remote workers online has become popular among many companies. To perform this work, you will need access to a computer, internet service and strong detail-oriented skills.

Freelance writing

If you are a strong writer, you can offer your services to private businesses and marketing agencies that need content written for their websites, social media and print advertising materials.

Administrative tasks

Many businesses also hire remote workers to perform basic administrative tasks such as payroll, electronic filing and responding to customer correspondence.

Graphic design

People who have a talent for creating unique graphics using computer software can offer their services as freelance graphic designers to businesses and organizations who need help with their website, social media or print advertising materials.

Surveys

Taking surveys is a great micro job for individuals who want to do side work in their spare time. There are several online survey companies that pay individuals to provide their honest feedback and provide reviews. This helps businesses collect insights from their target audience and the market. It is important to know that many survey companies pay in rewards points that can be exchanged for gift cards.

Related: 11 Online Jobs for Work Flexibility

How micro jobs pay

The amount of pay you can earn working micro-jobs varies based on the type of work performed, the fee you agree to work for and the amount of gig work you complete. Generally, micro jobs pay a very small fee for each assignment, but they also take only a short amount of time to complete. Fees can range anywhere from just a couple of cents up to $50 per task and should be proportionate to the amount of work and effort needed to complete the task.

Most micro-job independent contractors are paid in cash or through online transfers through direct deposit. Compensation is usually calculated in U.S. dollars but can be converted to a different currency if paid through an online transfer. Because those who complete micro jobs are not employees of the companies they complete work for, they are not guaranteed any minimum pay or benefits.

Individuals who can work quickly and complete multiple micro job assignments can maximize their profits from this type of work.

Tips to help you find micro jobs

Here are a few general tips you can use to help you when looking for micro-jobs:

• Use your network to find jobs

• Browse for jobs online

• Beware of scams

• Make sure you understand the terms

Use your network to find jobs

One of the first things you can do to try to find micro job work is to talk to your family, friends and personal network to see if they have any small tasks or odd jobs that need to be completed. This is a common approach used by young people who are looking to gain experience and develop their skills.

People within your personal network are more likely to already have a relationship they trust with you and might be happy to have you complete some small tasks to help you earn extra money. Even if someone you ask doesn’t have work available right now, they may know someone they can refer you to, and they may remember you in the future if they have small tasks they need help with.

Browse for jobs online

Another way to find micro job work is to use the internet. This is becoming a more popular method for posting and finding micro-job work. You can find micro job work online either by browsing existing micro job postings for work you are interested in doing or by creating your own advertising to let people know the type of work you are open to completing.

Related: Guide: Using Indeed.com Job Search

Beware of scams

There are several legitimate micro job websites, crowdsourcing sites and job boards that list available micro jobs. However, there are also scams that pose as legitimate websites offering micro job work. One way to quickly identify a potential scam is when the website requires you to pay a fee to join their site before you can begin browsing and accepting work. Some legitimate micro job websites will charge you or the employer a fee for the service the website provides, but this fee is usually deducted from the compensation you earn, not required to be paid in advance.

Make sure you understand the terms

People who complete micro jobs are independent contractors, not employees. This means it is very important for you to understand the terms of the contract you and the company or person you are completing work for are agreeing to. For example, a popular micro job involves completing surveys online in exchange for reward points that can be used to purchase gift cards or other promotional offers.

In this case, it would be important for you to fully understand the terms of the contract because the terms identify how you will be compensated. Contracts may also contain terms that require you to earn a certain amount of money before you can transfer the money into your personal bank account.