Freelancing: The New Face Of The Workforce

December 19, 2014

 

Move over, full-time jobs. Freelancing has become one of the best ways to work flexibly. Whether you’re gainfully employed (and looking for a little extra income), or are trying to on-ramp back into the workforce, a freelance job can be the perfect addition to your resume—and the next step in your career.

But if you think freelancing really isn’t for you, think again. Here are three things to know about the freelance job market right now.

1) Freelance jobs now represent a staggering 34 percent—and growing—of the U.S. workforce.

That explains why the face of freelance work is as varied as the reasons job hunters seek freelance gigs. For example, a freelance job can be either part-time or full-time. You may get to work from home or go into an office only a couple of times a week. It can be comprised of short-term or long-term projects. You may be even able to customize your own schedule, working the hours that you want and leaving you free to pursue other projects, or simply score some much-needed work-life balance.

2) A huge range of companies hire for freelance jobs.

FlexJobs, the leading online service for professionals seeking telecommuting, flexible schedule, part-time, and freelance jobs, recently released its list of the 55 Top Companies Hiring for Freelance Jobs as part of its 100 Days on Freelance Jobs campaign. Designed to help job hunters of all ages and stages find a freelancing gig, the 100 Days on Freelance Jobs campaign listed a whopping 100 stories that would help any professional pursue (and get hired for!) a freelance job. Compiled from August 2013 to August 2014, the companies included in the list offered the most job postings for freelance (or contract) work.

The top ten companies that hire for freelance jobs are:

  1. US-Reports
  2. About.com
  3. K12
  4. Razorfish
  5. Overland Solutions, Inc
  6. LanguageLine Solutions
  7. CompuCom Systems Inc.
  8. Carolinas HealthCare System
  9. Appen
  10. Judge Group

And, in no particular order, are some of the more well-know companies that made the list: Shutterfly, Appen, Expedia, Nintendo, Walmart, GoPro, About.com, Ancestry.com, and Bloomberg.

3) Some industries are more freelance-friendly than others.

While virtually any job in any industry can be a freelance job, there are some industries that are more freelance-friendly than others. Analysis of the data found that the top career categories for freelance jobs are education, entertainment, healthcare, graphic design, computer and IT, accounting and finance, translation, writing, web development, consulting, and sales and marketing.

And within these categories, you might find current job listings like medical interpreter, photographer, archival digitization specialist, and even an HR advisor.

So if you think that you may be in the market for a new gig, chances are you’ll find what you’re looking for in a job—and more flexibility in your work life and personal life—in a freelance job.

[Photo Credit: thinkstockphotos.com]


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