From Experience to Expertise: How Grit and Growth Shape Modern Careers

The modern job landscape is changing, especially with the rise of gig culture and job hopping. It has become outdated for people to stay at the same job for decades, hoping for a promotion to climb the career ladder, as hustle culture is growing.

Hustle culture has changed the nature of work. Whether you’re hustling through the gig economy, taking on freelance work to build out your resume, or knuckling down to do an advanced degree like adn to msn bridge programs, it’s important to understand that the job market has transformed. 

The job market has shifted over the past two decades, with modern careers requiring more than just undergraduate degrees. They require grit and experience if you’re looking to advance through the career ladder, either through hustle culture or advanced degrees.

If you’re interested in learning more about hustle culture and the importance of grit for growth, this article is for you. It delves into what hustle culture is, the gig economy, and how they can shape your career.

What is hustle culture?

Hustle culture can be described as a mindset or working environment that emphasizes hard work and long hours as the key to success. In recent years, hustle culture has become increasingly popular, especially among freelancers and entrepreneurs.

The hustle culture mentality is focused on productivity, ambition, and success. Ways that this could manifest in a workplace, for example, is an employer expecting employees to come in early and stay late, working overtime.

Another example of this could be a freelancer picking up extra contracts from the gig economy to improve their pay and build up their resume. Unfortunately, while the hustle culture is transforming modern careers, it can also be a double-edged sword.

The double-edged sword

How hustle culture has shaped modern careers has had its ups and downs. While there have been benefits linked to the mindset, recent research has also revealed negatives. For example, the pressure to constantly hustle can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and burnout.

An article from the BBC reporting on the “rise and fall” of hustle culture states that it can overglorify overtime. The article suggests that it goes against the idea of work-life balance, and the idea that “there’s always more to strive for” can be harmful. 

If you’re considering a hustle mindset, it’s important to take a measured and healthy approach. When done improperly, hustle culture can have negative physical and psychological impacts, including:

• Chronic stress

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Burnout

• Fatigue

• Impaired cognitive function

• Weakened immune system

The constant drive for success can also create a sense of “never feeling good enough” as there’s no ceiling. This can lead to self-doubt, impaired self-esteem, and impostor syndrome. There is, however, a flip side: hustle culture can be a strong and real motivator.

Understanding the gig economy

It’s impossible to discuss how grit and growth have shaped modern careers through hustle culture without delving into the gig economy. The gig economy is an alternative to the typical traditional 9–5 occupations, allowing people to work when and where they want.

The gig economy, as defined by Time Doctor, consists of temporary contracts or independent labor and encompasses a wide range of industries. In particular, it’s popular for technology, marketing, and creative services.

The term “gig” was adopted from the music industry. Musicians would take on “gigs” as a source of income, which generally consisted of one-off gigs or short-term jobs comparable to contracts.

Primarily, the gig economy consists of freelancers. They seek out short or long-term contract opportunities. There are many platforms that facilitate the gig economy, such as Upwork, which connects freelancers with employers.

While the gig economy has always existed, it soared during COVID-19. During the pandemic, with unemployment and underemployment on the rise, many were turning to the gig economy to stay afloat.

The pandemic demonstrated that work from home was feasible for many industries, and the traditional 9–5 wasn’t the only option. The cultural shift towards embracing flexibility has also contributed to the growth of the gig economy.

Together with hustle culture, the gig economy has transformed the current job landscape. Experience and varied resumes are no longer seen as a negative, and demonstrated ability to show grit and commitment to a job through overtime is a positive. 

How modern careers are being shaped

The explosion of hustle culture and the gig economy has transformed modern careers. Statistics reveal that there are somewhere between 154 to 435 million freelancers working globally.

This figure includes people who work freelance full-time or just as a side hustle. Additionally, the same data also reveals that freelancers account for 12% of the global workforce. The report states that freelancing is becoming a “new lifestyle”, especially for Gen Z.

The gig economy has also been revolutionary for employers and workers in the casual space. Gigs, or “short-term contracts,” are more cost-efficient and effective for hiring (and working) temporarily for a company. It cuts down on paperwork and increases efficiency.

The rise of hustle culture and the gig economy has also managed to lift the stigma that surrounded freelance work. No longer is freelancing associated with negative terms such as low pay or stress. The gig economy has expanded to include even roles for manager or supervisor positions.

The future of hustle culture

It’s hard to deny that hustle culture has played a huge part in work culture over the past decade and contributed to the rise of the gig economy. However, that doesn’t mean it needs to stick around forever.

With more literature being published regarding the potential toxicity of hustle culture, there is a cultural shift for better work-life balance and a push for a separation between an individual’s professional and personal life.

While hustling encourages people to work as much as possible throughout the day, a lifestyle focusing on work-life balance promotes people to remember self-care, foster social bonds, and pursue hobbies.

It’s also important to note that the increasing awareness and prevalence of a healthy work-life balance wouldn’t have been possible without hustle culture. The negative, toxic examples of hustle culture showcase the importance of balance and how it can improve employee satisfaction, increase productivity, and create a positive work environment.