Adapting to become a ‘Freelancer of Tomorrow’

August 18th, 2010 by matt One Response

Office

Whilst writing recently about the evolution of coworking spaces in the US and Germany I have been thinking more about how those using them are having to evolve too.  Indeed, most coworking spaces are available for professionals other than freelancers, but I think it’s fair to say that many who choose to work independently are finding such offices increasingly useful.  So how are freelancers themselves adapting to a post-digital coworking age?  And what modern skills are likely to be important to the freelancer of tomorrow?

The changing meaning of ‘freelance’

Even before the arrival of the internet, ideas of what a freelancer is and does have come a long way since its (likely) original meaning as a reference to a “free-lance”, i.e. a mercenary whose lance is not sworn to any lord’s services.  Independent professionals such as journalists and photographers typified the sort of individual seeking out subjects and creating ‘works’ before finding a publisher interested in purchasing the rights to the content produced.

Of course, the internet has since caused something of an explosion of opportunity, not only by making communications (and transferring content) easier between freelancers and companies eager to outsource, but also because of the development of online and digital industries, and the respective growth in jobs which can be done remotely.  The result?  Today it seems you’re as likely to meet a freelance social media marketer or online graphic designer as you are to find someone working in a more traditional context such as photography or journalism.

The multichannel freelancer

While the different types of freelance jobs available have likely grown over the past few years, the economic climate (particularly in the UK) and the high output of graduates has been seen to make many job opportunities more competitive than they were been before.  Subsequently, and particularly where digital work is concerned, many freelancers are working to broaden their skills base and naturally finding themselves having to work across channels – whether its combining blogging with social media or practicing videography as well as photography.

The need for companies to think in multichannel terms is something that is being endorsed by many forward-thinking marketing minds (Econsultancy’s JUMP event is a good example), but I would say that this will be increasingly important for tomorrow’s freelancer too.  For example, copywriters who are confident with adapting their writing for offline clients, such as press releases, to be suitable for online distribution or blog posts seem likely to succeed in tomorrow’s multichannel workplace.

Adapting to tomorrow’s workplace

And so what of ‘tomorrow’s workplace’ for freelancers?  After all, we know that coworking spaces are quite different to a traditional offices, so if their popularity continues to grow as it has done in the UK, US and Germany, an increasing number of freelancers may well need to adapt to working in this kind of environment.

Simon Mackie, in his article 7 Tips for Making the Most of Your Coworking Space over at WebWorkerDaily, goes into some detail on this idea.  An initial take-away from this for tomorrow’s freelancer is to start understanding and working with ‘the cloud’ (assuming it is still a new concept to some).  Big names, from Google and Microsoft to BT, are all offering cloud storage services making things easier for accessing (and collaborating on) work whether at your coworking space, at home or on location – and without having to worry about carrying storage with you.

Another necessary adaptation for tomorrow’s freelancer may stem from the aim of coworking spaces, such as our own Lemon Studios, to foster collaboration between people.  Those who may be used to working from home will likely need to be prepared to work in a place where they may well be approached for their own insights, and will likely find themselves urged to socialise and seek assistance from others they don’t initially know so well.  Of course, we would say this adaption to a new environment will be a huge benefit to freelancers.  After all, working in a multichannel world will no doubt see an increase in the need for individuals to learn new skills, media, technology and methods of communication, and we believe that those around you are the best people to help.

So, tomorrow’s freelancer will differ from those of the past…

Referring again to the etymology of the term, freelancers of the past may not have been sworn to any lord’s services, whereas the freelancer of tomorrow will likely not be sworn to any one discipline.  They will more likely be hybrid workers and more confident with working across a range of channels.  It is this preparation to adapt and learn new skills from those around them every day which will likely define their success – but while the challenges may be frequent and more unexpected, the benefits are sure to be even greater.

  1. An interesting thought, Matt. I think that whereas freelancers have traditionally toiled away on their own, they will increasingly be joining other freelancers for the length of a project, either to fulfil a contract one of them has undertaken, or to realise an idea they have dreamt up and want to bring to the marketplace. Coworking spaces are the perfect places to find the missing members of these short-term teams.

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