Maybe you’re thinking of someone who works from the comfort of their home with their laptop and smartphone nearby. But how could you not? Thanks to digitization, this is a reality for the freelancers of the 21st century. And this is good.
The fact is that freelancers have been around for centuries. References to the word “freelancer” date back to the early 19th century. However, as we know, freelancing has really taken off in the 21st century. In 2017, Upwork reported that the growth of the freelance workforce is accelerating, outpacing the growth of the US workforce by more than three times since 2014. Freelance work was also expected to account for the majority of the workforce.
Why do freelancers have more options than ever?
Why has freelancing become so popular that it is considered the future of work?
Well here’s why.
Technological advances.
As technology advances, freelancing is becoming more and more common. Because of this, there is a wide variety of workers, skills, and jobs available. Technical skills are usually required first and followed by creative skills.
Nowadays, it is almost impossible for companies to satisfy all their technological needs with just a few or a single employee. They rely on temporary workers to solve specific problems. Freelancers are evolving as technology advances.
In addition to what the World Economic Forum calls “accelerating the adoption of new technologies” automation has uncovered a rapidly growing skills gap in artificial intelligence, encryption, big data, the Internet of Things and non-human technologies. Positions that require these specific skills are difficult to fill for many companies. In addition to hampering productivity, it also increases financial stress.
Are self-employment and the future of the workforce different?
As companies struggle to find qualified staff, they are increasingly relying on contractors to complete tasks that require specialized skills. Data analysts, big data experts, artificial intelligence and machine learning specialists, software engineers and IT security analysts will be in high demand for the foreseeable future. The availability of contract work creates many opportunities for freelancers with these skills to take on contract jobs to fill in the gaps and choose which companies to work with and how to spend their time.
Self-employment is also on the rise in other sectors.
At the same time, freelancing isn’t just for the creative industries anymore, says Hayden Brown, president and CEO of freelancing platform Upwork.
Brown told Fast Company that this applies equally to all types of businesses. We serve the 30% of Fortune 100 companies that are harnessing freelance talent in newer ways and family businesses. Small businesses are realizing that this is a workforce to turn to. So it affects all sectors of the economy and all kinds of skills.
Freelancers have lots of opportunities to develop their creative skills. Access to different cultures and approaches in all areas is facilitated by exposure to international markets and different industries. In this way, the self-employed can adapt their activities and projects to the different markets and thus develop their activity.
Unlike an in-house or full-time team, employers can save money by hiring freelancers on demand. For example, they can outsource a web designer or IT specialist to help build or troubleshoot their website.
On the other hand, the independent lifestyle allows them to save money by not having to drive to work or buy clothes, meals, etc. expensive. Getting started as a freelancer is not expensive. For the first few months, you may just need to register with freelance websites and platforms and pay for your internet service.
Ultimately, even if the world returns to normal, hybrids and remotes aren’t going anywhere. In fact, 90% of companies surveyed believe they will gain a competitive advantage in the future by shifting their talent model to full-time employees and freelancers.
Workers today also have more freedom to live where they want and still have access to various job opportunities. A number of non-technical workers, such as marketing consultants, insurance brokers, and finance clerks, are asking for permanent remote work opportunities.
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