Freelancing to the power of 10
Image: Avi Richards/Unsplash
Did you know that that freelancers make up about 10 percent of employed residents in Singapore? And out of this, another close to 10 percent (9.2 percent to be exact) are media workers? While according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the proportion has hovered steadily between 8 to 10 percent in the past decade, the landscape for freelancing has been transformed quite dramatically over the years.
As we do a countdown to CAW’s 10th anniversary, let’s take a look at some of the key trends that have shaped the outlook for creatives in the freelancing space:
Disruptive Tech, Digital Nomads
The 2010’s was a decade of disruptive technology from the rise of Netflix to mobile editing apps. Digital transformations have not only enabled better outcomes in terms of the end product, it has also paved the way for freelancers to work from literally anywhere.
For those who have embraced freelancing as a means for greater flexibility and control over their creative pursuits, the past few years have provided the best opportunities for going from testing the waters to taking the plunge. In the case of the latter, many have even taken to “work-cations”, travelling the world as they work. In recognition of this trend, more than 25 countries and territories have launched digital nomad visas.
The Pandemic
We can’t talk about disruption without going into how Covid-19 has accelerated digitalisation and the desire for greater control. In the first two years of the pandemic, remote work became the norm and the Great Resignation signalled the desire of workers to rebalance their priorities and seek new areas of growth.
In tandem with this trend is the willingness of employers to engage freelancers. As early as 2018, it was reported that the number of firms hiring gig workers was on the rise. Reasons cited range from the agility of having “on-demand experts” at a fraction of the cost to access to the performance advantage of accessing top talent that would have otherwise taken months to hire.
Professionalisation
With the demand and supply for freelance work comes burgeoning of platforms where the matchmaking magic happens. Within Asia, CreativesAtWork was started in 2012 to help its network of freelancers obtain more projects.
Many creatives go into freelancing for the freedom to chase work that will foster personal growth. In this regard, skillsets such as personal branding, became part of the requisite equation to score coveted projects. Recognising the need for freelancers to stay relevant, CreativesAtWork started its first Freelancer 101 training BootCamp in 2016.
In its years of development, what had started out as a freelancing platform had evolved into an ecosystem which looks into project management, training and creation of original content.
Rights and Regulation
According to a global survey, majority of freelancers indicated that they are paid fairly and generally treated with respect. With that being said, the same survey cited that one-third struggle between a feast or famine situation. This appears to be paralleled somewhat in Singapore, where many account workers had concerns relating to finding sufficient work and spoke of anxieties relating to healthcare and retirement.
In casting safety nets for freelancers, the Singapore government announced measures that looked into the healthcare, savings and training needs of freelancers in 2020. For those in the creative industry, the Infocomm Development Authority further introduced the Tripartite Standard on Procurement of Services for Media Freelancers, which specifies a set of fair and progressive employment practices for service contracts, so as to provide media freelancers with fair contractual terms and support.
From freelancers in the field to thought leaders in human resources to independent organisations like the World Economic Forum, there is much optimism regarding the growth of freelancing in the future of work.
In adherence to Moore’s Law, digital transformations are paving the way to further disruptions of work processes, blockchain technology that capture the full scope of freelancers’ contributions and NFTs that unlock new revenue streams for creatives among others.
How should you, as a freelancer ride the crest of web 3.0? In our next article, Jayce Tham, founding Chief Businesswoman of CreativesAtWork discusses the requisite competencies a freelancer needs to thrive as we move from a Gig Economy to a Creator Economy.
Until then, log on to our Freelance Creative Exchange (Have you listened to our latest series, “How to NFT” yet?, or join our communities on Facebook and Discord for insights and takeaways to supercharge your freelancing career.
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