What’s your take on Freelancing?

When I left Hong Kong for Australia in 2012 I was faced with a choice; where and how should I work? Having left traditional full-time employment several years earlier, my choice was more than deciding what brand to work with and in what role - it was also a question of how.

In the end I decided to keep freelancing. Despite the lack of so-called job security, I feel that my unique skill set is better utilised as a freelancer, and that it allow me more flexibility and the possibility of experiencing new and exciting projects regularly. It also helps that it is overall somewhat better remunerated than a full time role.

According to a recent survey by Expert360 (a talent marketplace where I find work) shows that I’m not alone in my search for flexibility and diversity of work. Almost a third of freelance professionals surveyed reported it as a key driver, followed by the ability to be your own boss (23.4%), increased earning potential (15%) and diversity of work (16%).

I’m often asked why I chose a freelance job and more often than not my response is that it’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle. When choosing a job you need to balance long and short term benefits including, job security, salary, culture, work life balance, accessibility, learning potential and your career path.

It’s not just about what you do to pay the bills. It’s about who you are.

While the freelance or gig economy is often reported on as being low-skilled, low-paid work, there’s a huge and growing contingent of highly-skilled, highly-paid workers.

This is a far cry from the coffee-hopping millennial that often springs to mind when you hear ‘freelancer’ or the person who is on every sharing economy platform known to man trying to make some extra cash. Freelance professionals are not only very experienced, but also highly educated, with 64% of responders in the survey having a postgraduate degree or MBA. We are motivated by the ability to do complex, interesting, and diverse work, which also promotes lifelong on-the-job learning.

Given freelance professionals fit a certain type of demographic, it’s not surprising that we want to be distinguished from the larger ‘gig worker’ group. In the survey, the majority (61%) of freelance professionals, myself included, said they identified with the term consultant, rather than as a gig worker (2%).

This demographic of freelance professionals also see a career as more than a means to earn money. This was brought home by the fact that for 18% of freelance professionals, no amount of money would entice them back into full-time work, followed by 29% who would need $100,000 or more.

I’ve actually found that my learning potential has increased since going freelance. Working contract to contract also allows me to spend time with my kids in-between roles  and while I have the same face time with them when I’m working. Currently, as a full-time freelancer I spend about half my time working in an office environment which gives me the ability to work how and where I want.

However, I’m aware the freelance work format isn’t perfect and it’s certainly not for everyone. With flexibility comes a lack of job security and you need to be ok with not knowing where your next role might be.

Large enterprises are also still adjusting to engaging with contingent workers. Personally, I think scope adherence and clarity of instruction need the most improvement and many of the Expert360 survey respondents agreed with me. Although I’m confident that as the freelance economy becomes ubiquitous, they’ll update their systems and processes to make sure they’re able to tap into the expertise they need.  

To date, I’ve had a range of wonderful experiences and while I can’t say for sure, at the moment Freelancing suit me, making it difficult to envision going back into a traditional employment relationship.

I’d be interested to hear from anyone else who has decided to leave their role in favour of professional freelancing. What is your take on Freelancing?