Self-employment or freelancing were two rarely used terms about two decades ago. However, now freelancers are enjoying a huge popularity. More and more people are opting to work as self-employed professions and companies have become more willing to hire them. All signs show that this model of employment is here to stay. Nevertheless, it will undergo some interesting changes in the coming years. Some of them are well-illustrated by the latest and hottest self-employment trends.
Most popular self-employed professions remain the same – When it comes to self-employment, the most in-demand professions and skills will practically remain the same. Article, creative and content writing, translation, blogging, as well as computer, web and graphic design will still be very popular among companies looking for freelancers. However, it is IT and programming professionals and skills that will hold the biggest share in the sector. Design and media, as well as writing in translation will follow closely behind.
Self-employment business model steps into force – This trend will affect not only the freelance world, but the entire business field. That is because the companies are expected to adopt business models which are almost entirely based freelance. Many employers gave already started to recognize the advantages of hiring freelancers. They know that this is a cost-effective and really flexible employment model which is even used by the large corporations. As you can imagine, that will change the business climate in a big way.
Payments will continue to increase – A survey conducted during the last months of 2013 has fund that in the UK alone, self-employed professionals saw a payment rise of nearly 40% year on year. A similar tendency will be observed on most employment markets. As it was mentioned earlier, businesses have become more open to freelancers. Therefore, they are no longer viewed as a risky move, but as part of the basic strategy of the company.
Graduates step in – Until recently, self-employment was seen as a career move typically made by middle-aged professionals or even retirees. However, this seems to be changing as an increasing number of young graduates choose to work as freelancers. This is particularly the case with Generation Y individuals, who view freelancing as on very attractive career option. That is because it gives them independence and a better work-life balance. Most importantly, however, it allows them to work from home. The office environment seems to be no longer an attractive option for young professionals since they are said to view them in a similar way in which their parents viewed corner offices.
Freelancing as a side job – While some professionals took up freelancing as a main job, it has now turned into a side job. Even though payments are on the rise, people tend to adopt freelancing as a part-time occupation which they practice side-by-side with their primary one. That has more to do with the fact that younger generations are also entering the field and are searching for alternative ways to increase their incomes.
Not all business will be open to freelancers – Some companies still do not see the point in hiring freelancers. That is mainly because they do not understand the hybrid model in which on-site employees regularly work alongside freelancers both locally and remotely. Many businesses do not recognize that by hiring freelancer they can save money and add some fresh ideas to their business strategy.
If the latter trend sums up you business strategy, maybe you should take the time and reconsider it. Self-employment seems to be already playing a key role in the work of many companies. Therefore, avoiding it would be like avoiding the future.
