Weathering the Storm: Freelance Opportunities in the Creative Industry
While we managed to weather storm Ciaran successfully, we thought that this would be a great opportunity to discuss another “storm” that has made its way over the UK this past year, we are talking of the elephant in the room…
…the one that everyone refuses to acknowledge, but is painstakingly aware of. The deceleration of freelance opportunities in the Creative Industry. Now we all know that in the world of freelance (particularly in the creative industry), it’s not uncommon to experience peaks and troughs. However, the past year has been a unique and challenging experience for many freelance professionals in our industry. In this blog post, we’ll explore the current state of freelance roles in the UK’s creative sector and offer some insights on how to navigate these tides and come out on top on the other side!
Freelance has been a rather strange beast this past year (in comparison with previous years). And because we are only human, we naturally have hope that things will get better (and we at Gabriele do believe this!) We have been hearing about projects being postponed, cancelled, or scaled back and even a few agencies having to make redundancies, however there are many agencies that are thriving (literally on fire!), but…. they aren’t recruiting. We can’t pinpoint exactly what the reason is that’s led to this slow-down of freelance opportunities, but we do know that a great wealth of incredibly talented individuals are not being utilised and are seeking their next gig / project.
So it needs to be said, it’s not you… it’s where the industry is at. We have a lot of optimism for the next year, there are many agencies who are flourishing, what the UK economy and our clients are needing is obvious growth! It makes a lot more sense that freelance will recover more quickly than permanent… but what we want to stress is that there is lots of light at the end of the tunnel!
It’s essential to stay positive and proactive.
Here are some strategies to help our incredibly talented freelancers navigate the quiet (for now) freelance landscape:
Diversify Your Skills: This is an excellent time to broaden your skillset. Learn new software, creative disciplines, or enhance your marketing abilities. The more versatile you are, the better equipped you’ll be to adapt to changing demands and needs in this ever-evolving industry of ours 😊
Build an Online Presence: Invest time in updating your online portfolio and social media profiles. Ensure you are on LinkedIn – if recruiters are looking for a freelancer with your expertise, ensure that these are clearly defined in your profile. Utilise key words that would help us recruiters find you! Shout about your talents, your passions and what you excel at! Showcase your latest work, and actively engage with your professional network. In a virtual world, visibility matters, and you never know where this proactiveness will lead moving forward and what connections it may spark!
Network and Collaborate: Connect with fellow creatives and colleagues in the industry. Even if it’s just virtually. Collaborative projects, joint ventures, and mutual support can help maintain your creative spirit and keep your skills sharp. Don’t forget to connect with recruiters specialising in the creative industry too (Gabriele springs to mind…hint, hint, nudge, nudge)… That way you are top of mind and any updates regarding opportunities will appear in your feed instantly – the more “active” and “connected” you are online, the more we at Gabriele and potential employers can find you!
Invest in Professional Development: Now might be the perfect moment to do that passion project that you have never had time to do before – take an online course or certification to improve your skills, investigate and challenge yourself with personal projects that make you happy and keep you learning, engaged and passionate – and bonus! This is something that you can showcase to potential clients when the job market picks up too!
The Silver Lining
BAM! Freelance can change at any moment! We always want to meet new freelance talent in the branding and design world, from creatives to client services and strategy and wow, we have seen some awesome talent this year. There are some amazing people out there, thank you to everyone for working with us in these mercurial and irritating times – whilst we can’t help you as quick as we normally can, please stay in touch, stay close – this too shall pass and we at Gabriele have got your back! 😊
Please follow on LinkedIn so you are always up to date on any and all freelance opportunities we have: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gabriele/
It’s also worth connecting with our talented team too:
Karina – https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinabeasley/
James – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescoglan/
Nadina – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadina-grad-963911119/
Roxi – https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxikessondodkins/
Ooooh! And don’t forget to peruse our jobs board for any awesome opportunities that spark your interest, in case you are looking for perm roles too – https://www.gabriele.co.uk/jobs/
Okay… shameless punt over! Keep in touch and stay connected – our industry needs talented professionals like you! Onwards and upwards 😊