{"id":635,"date":"2022-06-22T10:47:42","date_gmt":"2022-06-22T02:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wewe.cc\/blog\/?p=635"},"modified":"2023-05-15T11:36:08","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T03:36:08","slug":"freelance-then-and-now-how-the-conversation-has-changed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wewe.cc\/blog\/freelance-then-and-now-how-the-conversation-has-changed\/","title":{"rendered":"Freelance Then and Now: How the Conversation Has Changed"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Freelance work has been around for decades, but it\u2019s come a long way since the days of trading work through classified ads in newspapers. Between the growth of the internet and the rise of social media platforms, freelancing is now more popular than ever before, and it\u2019s changed quite a bit from its early beginnings. Here\u2019s how freelance workers talked about it 20 years ago compared to how they talk about it today.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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What freelancers were doing in the past\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>

First, let\u2019s define the terms. As you might expect, freelancers is an umbrella term that encompasses a whole bunch of different types of workers (freelance designers, freelance developers, freelance marketing experts, etc.). Before the rise of freelancing platforms, there was no such thing as the gig economy or any clear language around it. People were just starting to realize that more companies were hiring freelancers than ever before. But these freelancers weren’t called gig workers or contingent labor. They were referred to as independent contractors or temps. Freelancing was seen as a transitional phase for people who didn’t want to work in a corporate environment anymore\u2014people who wanted more freedom over their time and their schedule but still needed a steady income. The most common way people got started with freelancing was by answering ads in local newspapers, but they also used online job boards and Craigslist.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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What freelancers are doing today<\/h3>

When people talk about freelancing today, there’s a good chance they’re talking about one of two things. The first is that they’re trying to figure out how to make money on their own terms, as opposed to getting hired by someone else. This includes careers such as freelance writing or freelance software development, but also spans into side hustles such as selling clothes online or becoming a virtual assistant. Regardless of how it’s defined, freelancing is becoming more common as more jobs move online and employees seek higher salaries in an increasingly competitive job market. Twenty years ago, when people talked about freelancing, they weren’t referring to making extra cash through Etsy shops or blogging. Instead, when you mentioned freelancer, you were almost certainly talking about a full-time career\u2014one where someone didn’t have a boss telling them what to do every day.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>


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What freelancers and employers should be doing now<\/h3>

The shift from traditional office jobs to freelance opportunities is affecting more than just workers; it\u2019s changing corporate attitudes about work, too. More and more companies are realizing that they can rely on freelancers to get projects done without having to hire full-time employees. Freelancers also have a tendency to be more self-directed, creative, independent thinkers\u2014and that\u2019s exactly what companies need today. Companies that embrace change instead of fighting it will find themselves poised for success in a world where freelancing is becoming increasingly common.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

But as important as freelance work has become over the last few years, there hasn\u2019t been much discussion between employees who choose to freelance and those who don’t. There are plenty of benefits both sides would gain from talking more often\u2014whether through social media or in person at events and meetups.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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What this means for those looking to hire a freelancer<\/h3>

Today, hiring a freelancer is much easier\u2014and even fun! There are now a lot of websites that allow businesses to post their project briefs and read profiles from freelancers who have applied for those projects. The process is so streamlined that some new sites feature an A\/B testing tool where you can try out different freelancers\u2019 profiles or previous work so you can choose who works best with your project brief. This makes finding a freelance worker less about luck than it used to be and more about getting off on the right foot in your hiring process.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In fact, many hiring managers report being happy with their chosen freelancers. Freelancing isn’t just for startups anymore; big companies are increasingly using freelance contractors to handle administrative tasks such as customer service calls or data entry. In fact, there’s evidence that more than 50% of employers plan on hiring freelance workers within five years\u2014which means jobs will only continue to grow in number over time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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Conclusions<\/h3>

Freelancing has come a long way over the past 20 years. In the 1900s, it wasn\u2019t cool to be a freelancer, so most people didn\u2019t talk about it. And there certainly weren\u2019t career coaches ready to help you with your freelance endeavors. The conversation around freelancing is so different now\u2014you can follow online communities on social media that are entirely dedicated to supporting freelancers; you can take free courses online; even LinkedIn offers free resources for freelancers. More and more organizations have realized that freelance professionals make great hires, too, because they already have entrepreneurial drive built in. Freelancers know how to start a business from scratch\u2014why not hire them?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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