Gen Z Worker Quit Her $94K Corporate Job To Try To Become An Influencer — ‘I Am Way Less Stressed & Don’t Cry At Work Anymore’
She's not alone as many Gen Zers are considering self-employment over working a corporate job.
Chay_Tee | Shutterstock In a time when technology and social media have expanded to match the digital world that we're currently living in, many people, especially those in younger generations like Gen Z, have turned their phones into a stream of revenue.
Being an influencer is one of the most coveted jobs right now, mostly because of how unstructured and creative it allows individuals to be — at least compared to working in corporate America.
In an interview with Business Insider, 27-year-old Amber Smith admitted that she wasn't happy at all working the standard 9-to-5, 40-hours-a-week job. She decided to take a leap of faith and become her own boss. Now, she's feeling more content than ever.
She quit her $94K corporate job to try to become an influencer.
In early 2024, Amber Smith decided to leave her stable corporate job to turn her side hustles into her full-time career. She explained that before she quit, she'd been gearing up to retire by the time she was 40, and while she still may retire early, it's not as much of a concern anymore.
"Now that I'm self-employed, I'm like, OK, I actually enjoy this, and I have the control to alter it however I need to, and I'm not stressed out, so I'm not as worried about hitting that goal," Smith told the publication.
She had worked in tech jobs for the last five years, and her last position before moving to full-time self-employment earned her a yearly salary of $94,000. Despite the money coming in, Smith wasn't happy in such a rigid workplace and craved more freedom.
"I was at this job, wasn't totally happy with it, and I knew I had been making decent money doing my side hustles part-time," she said. "So, I spent a lot of time doing the math, being like, could I actually make this work if I took them full time?"
Some of her side hustles that she was doing outside of her 9-to-5 included reselling items on secondhand websites, like Poshmark and eBay, and earning money through her TikTok and YouTube accounts from brand deals and other sponsored content.
Smith, who lives in Idaho, said that since becoming self-employed, she can make enough from her full-time job to cover all of the expenses that she used her previous salary to pay for. From making sales on Poshmark and eBay, Smith has earned around $24,000 and insisted that she hasn't had to take any money from her "emergency fund" and has been able to put away savings each month as well.
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"I feel way less stressed out," Smith said. "I'm just happier in general. I would actually cry about my corporate tech job way more than anyone should cry about their job, and my side hustles never made me cry, and they still don't make me cry now that they're my full-time thing."
To people who may not be aware of an influencer's job, it may seem like the easiest thing to do. All you have to do is post content on social media platforms that can engage people and bring more views and followers, which then leads to brand deals, brand trips, and notice from different companies and other content creators who want to work with you and bring in more money.
However, being an influencer can have its drawbacks as well.
You have to have a personality that people enjoy, and a lot of content creation lies in being able to sell things to the masses. Whether that's a product, an idea, or a lifestyle, being a good salesperson is integral to the role, which has become increasingly oversaturated over the last few years.
A majority of Gen Zers want to quit their corporate jobs and start working for themselves.
According to a report from Samsung and Morning Consult, more young people are seeking balance and fulfillment outside of the confines of a 9-to-5.
A whopping 50% of Gen Z aspire to become entrepreneurs or start their own businesses.
The report, which surveyed over 1,000 Gen Zers aged 16 to 25, revealed that young people are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the traditional workforce and yearn for more flexibility and opportunities to make a difference in the world.
The rising popularity of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube has opened up countless opportunities for creatives, from freelancing to coaching and a slew of other professionals who make their revenue by sharing and monetizing their expertise.
Since Gen Zers are considered the generation that is constantly online, it's no wonder that they're also the generation that sees an opportunity to gain success from being online as well.
However, making a career out of influencing and being a content creator means that there's not much stability. There's no such thing as health insurance, a 401K plan, or a consistent salary. But for Gen Zers like Amber Smith, losing some of that stability doesn't seem as scary as staying in a corporate job that makes you unhappy and depleted.
"I think the big thing is make sure you're ready," Smith said, offering advice to anyone who is thinking about making the big career change to self-employment and content creation. "Have a good idea of your expenses and your income so that you are truly prepared so that you don't find yourself having to go back to that job before you want to, if ever."
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.