In response to a growing gig economy, the New York State Dept. of State recently launched a new campaign to promote jobs that require a state-issued license.   

The ‘Be Your Own Boss’ campaign is a public service message to inform New Yorkers about the dozens of licensed professions they can venture into, whether they’re seeking a full career change or flexible part-time work. 

With its large number of small businesses and diverse workforce, Queens is uniquely positioned to benefit from the ‘Be Your Own Boss’ campaign. The borough’s strong presence of licensed professionals across various industries, coupled with access to vocational training programs, offers residents valuable opportunities to formalize their skills, pursue new career paths, and contribute to the local economy.

The campaign is focused on promoting the most in-demand professions, such as barbers, home inspectors, nail technicians, and real estate agents. However, lesser-known licenses for jobs such as hearing aid dispensers and fire alarm installers are also available.  

The Department of State’s licensing division distributes 35 different professional licenses. It processes applications, administers examinations for the licenses that require them, and oversees renewals. Depending on the profession, licenses must be renewed every 1-4 years.

So far, the agency has issued over 900,000 licenses across the state, but it hopes to see more New Yorkers become their own boss in a profession of their choosing. 

“A campaign like this only comes about when there’s a high demand,” Secretary of State Walter Mosely said in an interview. His agency is also responsible for protecting consumers from scams and spurring economic growth. 

For this initiative, they’re working jointly with the state’s Department of Labor, which has an active database of 700,000 job seekers. Mosley believes that many of them are open to career changes or a way to generate additional income in what could become a second flexible gig. 

“We understand that fiscal situations vary from family to family, but at the same time, we want New Yorkers to understand that there are opportunities for them to change their professional careers,” he added.

As part of the campaign, the department is releasing a series of videos they made to feature some of the licensed jobs that New Yorkers have taken on. One showcases a former NHL player turned real estate agent, while in another, a longtime barber of 40 years talks about mentoring new apprentices in Spanish.

Oscar McDonald, a former U.S. Marine, shared how his career as a licensed security guard has kept him fulfilled and always learning over the past 25 years. 

“When I retired from the military, I wanted to continue my service to the public and entered the security profession,” McDonald said from his workplace. “Every day, I have opportunities to help others from all different backgrounds.”

Now, he’s a supervisor, making sure his staff follows safety and ethical practices. His job allows him to work with other professionals in similar industries, such as private investigators and armored car carriers—two professions that are also licensed by the state. 

For each of the 35 professions, there’s information on the requirements, application fees, and instructions on how to renew a license on the Department of State’s website. Those interested can also sign up for email updates on licenses they are most interested in. 

“It’s really all about just getting out the message and making sure that people are aware of what we do,” the secretary of state added. “If they need assistance, we are here for them. That’s the ultimate goal of our licensing division, and that’s the goal for this campaign.”