Creators at Work: Navigating Dual Careers in the Chilean Platform Economy

This chapter explores the dual professional lives of content creators who balance their independent work on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram with formal employment in organisations. Drawing on 25 interviews with content creators in Santiago, Chile, this study investigates how these individuals navigate the tensions between their parallel careers. The interview data reveal three key discourses: First, content creation is seen as an entry point into the formal job market, with flexible working conditions allowing creators to nurture their creativity and, for some, to make a full transition into content creation. Second, creators manage their dual identities in varying ways; some strategically integrate their roles within formal workplaces, while others choose to keep them separate. Third, creators view their dual roles as opportunities to build social, symbolic, and economic capital that benefits both their creative endeavours and formal employment. The chapter builds on existing research examining how individuals in various professional roles engage in the creator economy for multiple purposes, from promoting their work to fulfilling personal passions. The findings contribute to understanding the professionalisation of content creators and offer insights relevant to future research on evolving work dynamics, particularly in times of economic uncertainty.