The Future Of Work Is Freelancing
Considerations and advice on starting your freelance career
Becoming a freelancer can be a hard decision to make because of the preconceptions society has instilled in us. Having freelanced most of my life as a digital consultant, some friends and family still believe having a full-time job is the best option. This may be true if you‘re interested in becoming a doctor. However, with the rapid advancements in technology and the internet of things (IoT), you might want to consider freelancing first.
Sure, full-time jobs offer a steady income, paid sick leave, health benefits and sometimes retirement plans. But today we live in a fast-paced society where many industries are being disrupted; having a full-time job can leave you with one skill and one skill only. Most roles within large organisations require their employees to execute and serve one function which can mean limited opportunities to grow professionally.
More and more people are choosing to start freelancing. According to a recent survey on contractual work vs full-time work, 74% of Millennials were interested in contractual work.
When I started freelancing, being in-between jobs would give me anxiety. I learned that this was a good type of anxiety because it made me hungry to learn and better understand the digital world’s changing landscape. This led me to go after jobs with clients that are advancing the ways we interact online.
Having the ability to embed yourself within multiple businesses and the experience of working with different clients can give you a greater understanding of your industry. I’ve been lucky to create content and develop products for the IoT with AMEX, McDonald’s, LG, Toyota, Woolworths, GE, Westpac Bank (Australian Top 4 Bank) and multiple TV series and film productions for Australian Broadcasters.
Of course, I didn’t start freelancing for established brands and Fortune 500 companies. As I did, you may have to cut your teeth working for startups and smaller clients for five years before you get a freelance opportunity to work with the biggest brands and brightest individuals.
Here are 5 reasons I love freelancing, and some considerations for anyone beginning their own journey to become a freelancer.
1. Better pay & creative diversity
The ability to work for different companies can accelerate the skills you have in your toolbox. Having the opportunity to work with companies across different verticals can give you a better perspective. This will allow you to extend your creative thinking from working with many different creative professionals and in turn, make you an expert in your field, opening doors for higher pay.
From my experience to work with people who can help elevate your skills at companies that allow you to grow in your field will always serve you better in the long run vs chasing a higher salary.
2. Soft skills & the emergence of AI
As the world adopts automation and artificial intelligence, there will be an increased need for people with social and emotional skills in the workforce. As a freelancer, you will need to go after your own clients, hence develop these skills as a default. The McKinsey Global Institute graph below shows that there will be a 24% increase in the need for people with better soft skills by 2030.
Freelancing doesn’t always mean you’re free to work on your own terms. In fact, in my experience, it has meant I’ve had to learn to be more flexible with not only my ideas but with ways of working too. Being flexible is a brilliant attribute to have for many reasons:
- An agile approach to executing projects helps streamline efficiencies.
- Having smaller budgets forces you to think outside of the box.
- The open collaboration will allow your ideas to breath & evolve for the better.
- Shifting deadlines helps you build rapport with people.
- Allowing goal posts to shift gives you an overview of the bigger picture.
3. Building your expertise
With the intersection of technology and creativity in the digital world today, you will need to understand both if you aim to manage large teams or lead companies into the future. As a freelancer, you get to work on multiple products, with many different teams, across industry verticals instead of focusing on one product or service.
Freelancing has given me huge insights and appreciation into how businesses operate, from learning how boutique advertising agencies grow their client lists all the way through to understanding how large corporations act and structure cross-department functions.
Exposure to how different people think, why products are built and where brands market themselves will help you create better opportunities when growing your business, stepping into a leadership role or building the next billion-dollar platform.
4. Living a passionate life
Starting your own business to be a freelancer can be daunting. The quickest way to overcome this fear is to set up a business and see how easy it actually can be. Once you can look back at this achievement, you can then allow yourself to chase a life that you’re passionate about, doing work that consistently pushes you to be better than yesterday.
“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
— Mark Twain
Alain de Botton wrote a brilliant book called Status Anxiety. I read this book when finishing University and remember thinking how well it encapsulated how older generations expect us to live versus the reality of how the world around us is changing. We can get caught up thinking about what we want to do for a career instead of asking ourselves what we want to do with our lives.
5. Quality and output
After cutting your teeth on a few projects, clients will quickly see value in bringing you on board. Larger, established companies often need specialists in the digital world because of its nuances and recent growth. This could help them think differently about the way they’re approaching design, all the way to changing their systems and processes structurally.
Even though companies pay more for freelancers, they typically save 20–30 per cent annually. This is because companies don’t have to factor in benefits and may only need a freelancer with your expertise for 8 out of 12 months.
Since you’re a freelancer running your own business, you will need to have a high output to make sure you have repeat work. This means you will eventually build a decent portfolio and build strong relationships, giving you an advantage in the job market.
How to start your freelancing career
There has never been a better time to start a business freelancing. Many successful entrepreneurs have been quoted saying “there has never been an easier time to start a business”. This is true; however, it isn’t easy to build and sustain a profitable business, so below are some tips to get started.
1. Keep your costs low
Think about building your presence online whilst tapping into communities though platforms like Behance & Unsplash.
2. LinkedIn is a great resource
You can add slides showcasing creative work or publicity releases through LinkedIn. It’s also great for connecting with people in your industry and finding clients to work with.
3. Connect on social media with freelancers
Connecting with other freelancers through Facebook groups will provide you with many benefits.
- Freelancer groups are active communities with daily opportunities.
- Teaming up with freelancers will provide you with leads to new clients.
- Having a support network will help you through slower times.
- Finding passion projects can build your offerings.
4. Freelancer platforms are a wealth of information
Below are three freelancer platforms which can help you better understand rates to charge clients and give you global exposure. Angel.co is great for anyone looking to join a startup.
5. Be proactive and get started
Don’t doubt yourself when you’re considering freelancing. As new technology companies come to life, being able to add more skills to your toolbox will mean you’re always going to be one step ahead of people working at companies that are being disrupted. No one could have predicted the advent of companies like YouTube, Facebook, Netflix or Amazon creating new jobs and fields of expertise in technology and design never imagined before.
Life isn’t a linear journey.
Put yourself out there & enjoy the journey.
The best way to move forward is to keep creating.
🧠 📚 Want insights and strategic tools on how to turn your side hustle into a successful business? Read my book on Amazon → Content Titans: How To Create 6 Figures in The Digital Economy.
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