{"id":168,"date":"2020-02-07T11:54:46","date_gmt":"2020-02-07T11:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/51.75.254.207\/Club-Freelance\/?p=168"},"modified":"2022-10-10T15:35:46","modified_gmt":"2022-10-10T14:35:46","slug":"freelancers-in-tech-did-you-say-precariousness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/?p=168","title":{"rendered":"Freelancers in tech: did you say precariousness?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong><em>Freelancing is the subject of much ink as the gig economy keeps on growing. Frequently portrayed as the future of work, freelancing is not always the Holy Grail of well-being &#8230; especially not in tech, an area that is so buoyant.<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Whoever says freelance often implies freedom, autonomy, a passion-driven career. But make no mistake: the reality is often far from ideal. Freelance status is also synonymous with limited social protections, fluctuating activity and having to deal with a good amount of internal red tape. A mixed bag, then. A status that might not always be enviable.  <\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s it like in the fields of technology, digital and data, which are particularly dynamic and hungry for talent? Are freelancers to envy or do they face the same difficulties? <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Tech, a sector rather favourable to freelancers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It is quite evident that the situation of freelancers in tech is significantly better than for those in other sectors. With the same level of experience, a freelance web developer or a SAP consultant will find it easier to find assignments and will be better paid than a freelance photographer or a communications consultant.<\/p>\n<p>Firstly, because the<br \/>\ntalent war is particularly intense in these areas of competence, with companies<br \/>\nfighting to attract and retain the best profiles. Secondly, because in tech and<br \/>\ndigital companies often work in &#8220;project mode&#8221;. This operational<br \/>\nmentality lends itself very well to freelancing, with very specific skill needs<br \/>\nand limited time.<\/p>\n<p>And this trend is accelerating<br \/>\n&#8212; Organizations are progressively opening up to the idea of \u200b\u200bcollaborating<br \/>\nwith freelancers and are increasingly structured in ways that allow for greater<br \/>\nintegration of this type of employee. However, on closer inspection, the<br \/>\nreality is more heterogeneous than it seems.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Varying career prospects<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As in all sectors and areas<br \/>\nof activity, it can be difficult for freelance consultants to make themselves<br \/>\nvisible to companies. Furthermore, the logic of supply and demand varies<br \/>\ngreatly depending on the field and the function. <\/p>\n<p>If a consultant with expertise in SAP management software is in addition specialized in a specific SAP module, they will be able to expect an average daily rate of between 500 and 850 pounds. Meanwhile, an independent web designer will often be satisfied with a daily salary of 250 to 350 pounds.<\/p>\n<p>Beginners can find it<br \/>\ndifficult to find a place among the experts, as companies never hire a<br \/>\nfreelancer that needs to be trained. Additionally, for assignments that require<br \/>\na lower level of expertise, firms are more likely to call on lower-cost,<br \/>\noffshore services.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, some tech<br \/>\nfreelancers hold a &#8220;rockstar&#8221; status, with a very high level of<br \/>\nexperience, highly specialized and sought-after skills, and excellent<br \/>\nreferences. These profiles have a particularly enviable situation because they<br \/>\nare over-solicited by recruiters and agents, and therefore in a position to<br \/>\nimpose very high levels of remuneration and particularly advantageous<br \/>\ncontractual conditions.<\/p>\n<p>These rare profiles do<br \/>\nnot endure a latency period between two gigs, often have higher salaries than<br \/>\nthey would on permanent contracts, and enjoy the luxury of being able to choose<br \/>\ntheir assignments. All the advantages of being self-employed, without the<br \/>\nconstraints.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Freelancers in tech: what is the recipe for success?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>No miraculous formula<br \/>\nhere: success is first reserved for those who have proven themselves in terms<br \/>\nof results and performance in the workplace. Reliability and flawlessness are<br \/>\nfundamental.<\/p>\n<p>And that&#8217;s not all.<br \/>\nThe entrepreneurial spirit counts quite a lot. Working freelance is a lifestyle<br \/>\nchoice that does not suit everyone. You must know how to manage the relational<br \/>\naspect and build trust with your customers, juggling between know-how and<br \/>\ninterpersonal skills. It\u2019s also important to know how to make the right career<br \/>\nchoices.<\/p>\n<p>What does exactly mean<br \/>\nto make the right career choices? Well, first specialize in areas of expertise<br \/>\nand \/ or sectors where the demand is high. Among the highly rated profiles of<br \/>\nthe moment: SAP consultants, Microsoft technology specialists and security and<br \/>\ninfrastructure expert.<\/p>\n<p>Then you must make an<br \/>\neffort to continuously improve and develop your skillset. Build a good CV with<br \/>\nsolid experiences, keep abreast and adapt to technological developments.<br \/>\nFinally, learn how to enhance your profile and experiences, manage your<br \/>\nvisibility and maintain and nurture your professional network. It\u2019s not easy<br \/>\nwhen you&#8217;re independent since you often tend to focus on the present or the<br \/>\nnear future.<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that<br \/>\nyou\u2019re not alone. Tech recruiters and sourcing experts are well placed to guide<br \/>\nprofessionals in the management of their development, as well as in the present<br \/>\nand future development of their skills.<\/p>\n<p>In summary, if tech freelancers want to be successful in this ever-evolving market, it is vital for them to know how to seize the right opportunities while positioning themselves in the best niches of expertise. <\/p>\n<p>And thus the \u201crockstar\u201d is born.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Freelancing is the subject of much ink as the gig economy keeps on growing. Frequently portrayed as the future of work, freelancing is not always the Holy Grail of well-being &#8230; especially not in tech, an area that is so buoyant. Whoever says freelance often implies freedom, autonomy, a passion-driven career. But make no mistake: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[754,772],"tags":[92,58,91,93],"class_list":["post-168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-us","category-captains-log-about-us","tag-freelance","tag-it-careers","tag-it-freelancers","tag-tech-freelancing"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=168"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6609,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168\/revisions\/6609"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}