Freelancing

Hello!

I hope you've had a good week. Welcome to those of you receiving my newsletter for the first time (and apologies for not being able to send it every week!)

In my career coaching drop-in sessions, more and more people have started to ask me about the pros and cons of working for themselves. My wife has recently started working as an independent and all of our coaches are self-employed. So this week, I thought it'd be helpful to dig into the theme of freelancing.

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Dipping in

It’s been nearly 15 years since I started building the network of professionals that use Movemeon and OnUpBeyond. Over that time, one of the biggest trends we've witnessed is the sheer number of people who are open to project / interim work. Today, that has risen to a staggering 44% of our entire community - 4x what it was just a decade ago.

This isn't just people opting to go freelance for the rest of their career. Whilst that number has increased, the bigger shift has been people dipping into freelance work between permanent roles and as part of a largely permanent career.

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Squiggly careers in 3D

When people talk about a "squiggly career," they usually mean switching between different industries or jumping functions (e.g, from strategy into business development).

But there is a third dimension that people rarely talk about: what I call the "3D squiggle".

This is the rising reality of dipping in and out of permanent and freelance work throughout your career.

When I started Movemeon, employers obsessively questioned "gaps" on CVs. Today, that has totally changed. There is full acceptance that freelance work is great work. Whether you’ve just gone through an exit process, or you’ve resigned because a culture wasn’t the right fit, project work has become a fantastic career bridge.

Because so many people are thinking about this path, I wanted to share a balanced look at our data—the clear pros, alongside the very real reality checks.

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The pros - what the data says

When we look at the numbers from our surveys and community polls, independent professionals report some massive wins:

• Higher overall satisfaction: freelancers score 7.5/10 for job satisfaction, compared to permanent employees at 6.9/10.
• Better financial feeling: compensation satisfaction sits at 7.2/10 for freelancers vs. 6.6/10 for permanent staff.
• Winning back your time: freelancers work on average 20% fewer hours per week than full-time employees (41.2 hours vs. 51.3 hours). 

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Why people freelance

When we examine why people choose this, work-life balance remains the #1 driver.

But looking at our data over recent years, financial benefits spiked to the #2 spot, followed closely by:

• wanting specific, high-interest projects and
• taking intentional downtime between working periods (e.g, school summer holidays) 

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The cons / what to be aware of

While those numbers look attractive, freelancing isn't for everyone. It comes with clear challenges that determine who it genuinely suits for the long term.

1. Sales requirement & the first gig hurdle. 
   The single biggest hurdle is landing your very first project. If you don't have an established freelance track record yet, getting that first gig requires serious proactivity. To survive long-term, you need to be someone who enjoys the sales function—updating your network, doing business development, and keeping up with former clients. If you are naturally more introverted or shy about selling yourself, this can feel tough.
   
   
2. It can be lonely.
   Working for yourself is by definition rather isolated. Freelancers frequently talk about the challenge of not being in a team, missing out on a consistent set of colleagues, and constantly shifting environments from project to project. If you thrive on deep workplace relationships, this is something to think about seriously. 

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The try before you buy

Ultimately, two groups have emerged in our network: (1) those who consciously commit to freelancing for the long term, and (2) those who dip into it as part of a largely permanent career.

And here is something that happens far more frequently than people think: your next permanent role might come directly from a freelance project.

Either the organisation you are freelancing for realises they want to keep you permanently and you're excited to join them (having had a "free trial"). Or the project introduces you to a network that in turn uncovers a completely hidden role.

This is happening because organisations are changing too. Companies are defaulting to using more of their budget for flexible resources. It gives them immediate talent without locking in a permanent expense on their P&L.

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My advice?

 Even if you always want to be in a permanent role, at times of career transition nowadays, I would advise being open to both. The supply of freelance opportunities is growing in lockstep with the talent pool. Embracing the "3D squiggle", doesn't mean you're abandoning a stable career—it just means you're keeping your eyes open to the full spectrum of opportunities that could suit you and taking advantage of the evolution in how the jobs market works today.

Best wishes,

Rich