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unbranded – Lifestyle
In an employment market in which job options are plentiful, many people are choosing to work for themselves as freelancers or contractors.
More than one-third of workers identify as independent contractors, including those taking on side gigs to supplement full-time jobs. In addition, most freelancers, along with the companies that hire them, say they expect these types of engagements to increase.
“Side hustling is a massive market,” said Shannon Denton, co-founder of Wripple, a website that matches employers with freelancers. A lot of employers want to pay for workers only when they need them, as on specific projects, he said. And plenty of workers want to control their own schedules, assignments and more.
What are the benefits of freelancing?
Frank Vitale, a commercial digital artist in Phoenix, has been working as a freelancer for 25 years, helping businesses portray their products or services in ways that help educate customers, employees or others. Vitale said he enjoys the variety of assignments that freelancing provides and likes “being my own boss and deciding what to work on.”
Mischa Aurita of Phoenix has taken jobs as a freelancing social media strategist and content creator. She has also worked as an employee in the same field.
“After gaining valuable experience as a full-time employee at a local ad agency, I decided to transition into freelancing, leveraging the skills I gained during my time there,” she said.
Freelancing, Aurita adds, provides the flexibility to work remotely and to craft her schedule as she desires.
“This also meant I had the freedom to choose inspiring, creative environments like local coffee shops, the library, or other shared spaces, rather than being confined to an office setting all day,” she said.
Who is hiring freelancers? For which jobs?
Roughly 38% of workers around the United States engaged in at least some freelance or independent work last year, one survey estimated. The proportion has been rising.
Independent workers include those driving for Uber or Lyft, making deliveries for DoorDash, or filling other such roles, but many other positions are white-collar focused, according to a Wripple study. According to the study, 82% of worker respondents and 92% of the companies that use them said they expect freelance engagements to increase over the next two years.
An especially common job is that for marketing copywriters, Denton said. Others include video editors, animators, graphic designers, software developers and engineers. Even senior managers sometimes fill temporary “fractional executive” roles, he said, such as by serving as chief marketing officers on a project or campaign.
Do freelancers get benefits?
The biggest problems freelancers face are earning enough money and not receiving company-provided health or other benefits, Denton said. According to the Wripple survey, which elicited feedback from 200 freelancers and 214 employers, independent workers sometimes also complain about not having a good sense of their responsibilities.
“While freelancing had many benefits, one missing thing was the constant feeling of stability,” Aurita said. “Many of my clients were on a monthly contract, which meant they could stop working with me at any moment.”
She has gone back to full-time employment but plans to resume freelancing down the road. The lack of health insurance was another factor that convinced her to accept full-time employment again.
Is freelancing a good idea? What are the pros and cons?
The top reasons freelancers turn down jobs, according to the Wripple study, include a lack of clarity in terms of roles, along with inadequate pay. Employers, in turn, often reject applicants because they aren’t good fits or because they’re asking for too much compensation. Curiously, though, some employers participating in the Wripple study also reported that they don’t take freelancer applicants seriously if they request too little pay.
Freelancers also need to be ready to wear multiple hats and to hustle.
“The most difficult aspect of being a full-time freelancer is it’s all you, everything is up to you, and at times there may not be work available and it’s your job to find it,” said Vitale, who operates under the business 33north.net. “I’d say I spend at least 70% of my time seeking work out, 10% doing administrative work and 20% doing actual production.”
While many people like to branch out on their own, some full-time employment is usually a prerequisite, so that they can learn the necessary skills on the job.
“Many young people want to do it, but it’s hard to freelance if you don’t have experience,” Denton said. “We see people working full-time for at least three to five years, then going out on their own.”
Before striking out on his own, Vitale said he worked in both the visual effects business and the video gaming industry and still accepts jobs in both areas. He deals with multiple clients and continues to seek out more. “In this business, it’s very important to stay in front of people,” he said.
Vitale concedes that the “dependability of a consistent paycheck is very alluring” with full-time employment. But in his view, the “pros (of freelancing) outweigh the cons.”
Reach the writer at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com.
