Is It Worth It To Quit Your Job And Become A Full-Time Social Media Influencer?
Lately, one trend that has taken social media by storm is watching content creators who have been working a traditional 9-5 quit their full-time job to pursue content creation full-time. And this has elicited a lot of mixed reactions from the audience. In a day and age where the world is decidedly unstable, it is hard to see whether or not this is a good idea or not. The rise of remote work and TikTok in 2020–2022 has led to a new generation of workers who not only like to document their work but also copiously share their day-to-day lives both inside and outside the office.
But in early 2023, that came to a grinding halt with the inevitable tech layoffs and more and more people taking voluntary severance in order to avoid being laid off from their organization. What that has led to is many different reactions among workers and content creators, among others. Many seemed to feel disillusioned with working a 9-5. Many others did not want to continue to balance a 9-5 with their after-work side hustles and passion work. There has been a rise in both 5–9 content for people who work best in the morning and 5–9 content for people who work best in the evening. If you add that all together, it might seem like people are working sixteen-hour days, and that is because in our ever-connected world, many, especially the young, actually are.
Sixteen-hour days are a recipe for burnout, and both Gen Z and Millennials are suffering from it. Combine that with the worry of being next on the proverbial chopping block in the next wave of layoffs, and many prominent creators have decided to opt out. Some are opting out for smaller, part-time roles at other companies. Others are opting out for the stability of graduate school. But there is a group who are taking a full sabbatical from corporate life all together, taking a risk, and testing out the content creation waters holistically.
Creating content is hard. It is not as easy or glamorous as the influencer on Instagram makes it out to be.
Of course, with this new and swift change, audiences are left a little befuddled. Unlike the traditional influencer, audiences flock to 9-to-5 content creators because they are relatable. Audiences wanted to see an average twenty-something balancing their responsibilities at home and at work and also being able to have somewhat of a social life or thrive in their dating life. Some wanted to see this because they wanted to know if it was possible and if they could do it too. Others wanted to see a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at certain jobs or certain fields that they would never have had access to if they didn’t have the internet. 9-5 content creators showcased the best (and worst) of corporate life and did it unapologetically.
Without the corporate job as the buffer, there is a wonder if there is much to sustain interest with the audiences that were built on that specific niche. Now there are some creators that can seemingly seamlessly go from being a work influencer to a content creator without skipping a beat. There are some who take the opportunity to build businesses and brands that have longevity and stability. But for every creator who is successful at this, there are many others who do not know what to do.
That is mainly because their job was a core part of their online persona and identity. They existed online and spent the majority of their time talking about their job, their co-workers, their managers, and the like. Without this, it might seem a bit boring to watch because their daily routine and life might change for these creators after leaving.
And this can be risky.
Audiences might start to disappear if they are not engaged for long enough to support the transition. Though some are able to pivot into other popular niches like health and wellness, fitness, career advice, and relationship advice, It can be hard to suddenly change your content to match your new reality, and some might not be able to do it in a way that is still relatable to their core audience. It also takes a while to rebuild and capitalize on a following. There has to be one, and it also takes an even longer time to convert that following into brand deals. And brand deals, at least in this day and age, are not always as lucrative as they used to be. Brands are reinventing their ad budgets, and sometimes they are paring back on working with influencers or only taking a chance with big influencers with lots of followers or engagement.
But the real question is, "Is it worth it?
One of the biggest drawbacks of working in content creation is the lack of stability. You have to manage yourself and your time every day. Then there is no formal collaboration. You have to seek out other creators or others in the space willing to collaborate and work with you. There is no real team or boss who can help guide you or give you pointers, advice, or a second eye. There is also a lack of income. Unless you have a significant amount of savings, it might feel scary to take the leap without a constant stream of reliable income. The average time for someone to really see the fruits of their content creation labor can vary. For some, it's within six months. For others, it might be twelve. And for others, it might never materialize in a substantial way, or at least not in a way that would replace their traditional nine-to-five income.
That isn’t to say that it isn't worth it to give content creation a chance or to take a sabbatical from the nine-to-five, but it is not easy. The mental peace that might come from not having to deal with a toxic or fragile workplace may be worth it alone. It is also worth it for many to pursue their real and creative passions. For many, the workplace does not leave time or energy to really dedicate to being creative for the sake of being creative. And for a lot of people, especially women of color, the workplace can be downright antagonistic to their desire to carve out space to work for themselves, even when their work outside the office does not directly compete with their work inside it.
Still, it is interesting to note that right now is not an easy time to make a decision on this one way or another. With layoffs in both the media and tech industries and the looming rumors that AI is poised to take all of our jobs any day now, there isn’t much room for error when it comes to taking any career leap, whether that is to freelance, create content, or start your own enterprising business. The thing about it is that risks scare some people, and people who engage in risky behaviors can cause a visceral reaction. When people look at others quitting their jobs in droves, they may wonder if that person will be okay. They might be wondering about the logistics of it. How can someone finance taking a break in this economy? They might secretly want advice on how to do it because they are also drained from their job and looking for a way out. But in all honesty, it can be scary for a casual viewer to see someone taking a risk that they have been advised against.
Most people realize that there is no guarantee between working in social media and working for oneself. And seeing one strike it on their own as an influencer or content creator is no different. Nine to five is still the biggest marker of a stable life and a life that will hand you the keys to success (car, house, big job title, trips to the beach), even if that means giving up the opportunity to be creative. Most people know intuitively that there is not much help out there if you quit your job, and if you don’t strike it hot within a certain time frame, it is possible to run out of money and have the worst come about. A content creator who worked a nine-to-five job saying publicly that they are willing to take the risk of losing stability in favor of the unknown is jarring to people who have been taught to value stability over everything from a young age.
But it really does not have to be all doom and gloom. Creators start out creating content for themselves or via social media and realize that what they really want to pursue is their own venture, with them reigning at the helm. The best bet may come from doing and dabbling in multiple things as one figures out what makes the most sense. That might mean having multiple streams of income in the realm of content creation. It might mean partnering up with brands, selling digital products, selling your digital knowledge and digital services, collaborating with small businesses, or taking on small projects as a freelancer. Content creation is now best used as a launching pad, and if done right, it can lead to more opportunities, including job opportunities, than letting skills atrophy at a traditional job.
That may mean, if you are working in marketing, that you leverage it to find freelance clients while using your Instagram to give out marketing tips. If you are someone who is good at operations, that might mean starting your own virtual assistance firm or collaborating with one in order to grow and sell your expertise. Leaving your nine-to-five does not have to limit your career journey; if anything, in the long run, having a personal brand, a robust social media presence, and a great work ethic can take you places that you never thought possible.
Ultimately, social media offers a kind of job freedom that hasn’t existed before. And we are seeing the impacts of that unfolding in real time and we will continue to see for a long time coming- for both better and sometimes for worse.