Do you want to show up more creatively for your clients and your colleagues, your family, and your friends?
Do you want to default to thinking about opportunity versus focusing just on problems?
Discovering Hope is full of proactive steps you can take right now, to achieve a more positive mindset or to help maintain the positivity you already have
Getting Positive reveals that more optimism is close at hand
What’s Happening With Freelance
As the business environment and the agency world in particular, seeks greater flexibility (for lots of reasons) in hiring, a record number of you are now freelancing/consulting.
Boon times for freelance were during the pandemic years where amid huge uncertainty, greatest flexibility was needed both by employers and employees alike.
These times – More time of uncertainty, but corporate focus while still seeking flexibility, cost control has greater importance, meaning?
Freelance opportunities have in the last year been fewer, shorter in duration and harder to land. Why?
Agencies and companies have been trying to save money. They have done this by seeking to reduce freelance as a proportion of payroll as although it provides flexibility, arguably it’s expensive (when used extensively) relative to full-time hiring.
Future trajectory – Freelance in time will regain greater momentum particularly against a backdrop of greater uncertainty in the business environment. That said, there are and will be even more of you seeking (for different reasons) to freelance, placing downward pressure on freelance rates.
Happy to talk with any of you about the market, where greater opportunity may be, where to target, how you might position yourself etcetera.
Happy hunting,
All happiness,
Stuart
Freelance Help – June 2024
There are many conversations I have with candidates that have chosen to freelance perhaps as a temporary step, perhaps interim and for some, they are done with working full time for others.
In all these scenarios, however you postion yourself, you are now ‘in business’ and in this marketplace in particular, you will have your fair share of ‘getting business’ (versus fulfilling it) unless you’re smart, able and lucky, to be able to line up the client work before you leave full time employment.
Based on 24 years working for myself, as a freelance/consultant/business owner, some key realities/thoughts:
The work you get – Despite marketing yourself, the work you do will always act as the best calling card.
Reputation is key – Being kind with all you engage with is part of the key to building the reputation, which gets you referrals.
Core Referral Group – Despite all the thousands of emails, texts you send and calls you make, you will see that it’s a core group of individuals and those allied to them that provide the bulk of your work opportunities.
Fishing Location – Most of your competition and for a time you, will continue to seek opportunities where others seek work. Unless you have stand out content, find less crowded channels or expect low response rates. For instance, who these days sends anything in the post. Try it, most use social media!
Fishing Timing – The best time to have a conversation is ‘not’ when work is advertised. Decide who you wish to work with and engage them now!
Your Most Effective Channel – Working for yourself requires a range of opportunities and this requires raising your profile. Some newtwork well, some present well while others debate well and others prefer to write. Whatever you do you will do alot of it so, chose a path or combination of mediums which play to your strengths.
The Power of in person – Digital media is amazing but what’s more amazing, the connection you make with a person when you make the effort to travel to see them and the energy that’s exchanged from an in-person meeting versus a phone or video connection. I swear by this simple but overlooked reality.
Targeting – Topline, if you want to identify the lowest barrier to resistance to you getting work, follow the money. For instance, if an agency is pitching business even and particularly in cash strapped times, that is where money will be directed and potential great thinking welcomed and, one of ‘your’ best paths to working. I’ll have a seminar soon to really expand on optimal targeting of freelance/new business opportunities, how to identify them and effectively engage them. Please email me if you are interested to take part at: stuart@sparkinsearch.com.
Mindset – Final thing for now, when you aren’t getting work the last thing you want to do is smile as the pressure mounts. That said, smile, it’ll make you feel better and those you interact with are more likely to respond positively.
Freelancing Without a Gameplan
Much advice has been written about how to prepare for freelance, primarily focused on the mechanics. But what about the often-overlooked element, strategic consideration as to how freelance will advance your career? It certainly can if you have a clear perspective on your growth. Key:
Know thyself – Be honest with yourself about your strengths/weaknesses. Freelance work does not have the built-in support structures often available with full-time work.
Your Personality – If you are self-confident, go-getting, happy fronting up, like new business/chasing, that’s good, as you will spend relatively more time hunting compared to full-time.
Preferred Working Style – Freelancers often work on discrete projects, are often kept at arms’ length and don’t see completed work.
Support Networks – If you prefer working solo, perfect. If you don’t, work well without support networks you may struggle.
Tolerance for Uncertainty – The recent freelance landscape has seen an abundance of work but the business landscape is changing. If you have a low tolerance for uncertainty/a real need for steady regular income, freelance might not be optimal.
Work Flexibility – One of the biggest reasons for freelance. But, unless you have a range of clients, you may well end up being beholden and have little more flexibility than when you worked full-time.
Positive Psychology – Unless your life is primarily focused on non-work goals, whether full-time or freelance, a lack of genuine career plan will in time make for real pressure. Alternatively, knowing where you want freelance to take you, will enhance your mental state.
If you feel you are getting the learning/experience you sought when starting to work for yourself, great, what are your next growth areas? If you aren’t learning new things, it might be time to reassess either the work you are taking on or working as a freelancer.
As ever, happy to talk with any of you about the potential career building opportunity that under the right conditions, freelance can deliver.
Job Opportunities 07/22
If you know of anyone looking for full-time or part-time work, some of the below opportunities are full-time and some temp to perm.
- Director Strategy – NY-based creative agency – 190K
- VP Strategy – NY-based healthcare agency – 180-200K
- Freelance – Director level – London creative agency
- SVP Strategic Growth – NJ-based healthcare agency – 250K
Preparing to Freelance
You’ve decided to leave your current job
Growth – On some level you’ve stopped growing so you need to move but, you’re unsure where to work next
Work (and so your life) is out of control – Freelance is the preferred path where you chose what, where and when you will work – This feels like the break and transition you need.
Prepare for Freelance Realities
You don’t always get the work you seek although by definition, if you’re running your own business, this will make you grow! And in terms of control, whilst you chose what you work on, when you do freelance work, this can become all-consuming.
Key Freelance Challenges
Getting Work – In Spring 2022 getting freelance work is not a big challenge/there is plenty of demand. But, with the war in Ukraine, rapidly rising inflation, pandemic uncertainties etcetera, all of these things are bad for business confidence, and with it, there’s the threat that the torrent of freelance now could become a trickle by summer. Before you leave your current job for freelance, consider the following:
Cashflow – Take the pressure off yourself by ensuring you have six months salary in the bank so you have cash flow, so you can enter the freelance world not feeling like you have to have work immediately/be forced to accept work you’d rather not do.
Connections – Getting your first freelance work can feel scary without the safety blanket of existing income. Work your connections/networks so that ideally there is a specific need/freelance to work on already lined up.
Reputation – Those that become long-term freelancers do so for one of two reasons and often both. First, they have a reputation for great work and being straightforward to work with (I can talk at length about this!). Second, those that love the hustle of new opportunities and better, working on pitches, exponentially increase their marketability.
Feeling Excluded – If you haven’t worked for yourself before, this is a common reason why strategists don’t remain freelancing for very long. As a consultant, you are empowered to choose what you work on and are often better paid/per hour. On the flip side, your work is often in isolation, the type of work is often discrete projects which see no obvious output; And be prepared to be treated at arms-length by in-house teams. Key to consider – Know why you’re freelancing! Have a clear sense of what you gain by working for yourself (too often this isn’t thought through) and this will empower you for the inevitable trade-offs that freelancing requires. I’m happy to talk through.
What one piece of advice would you give to those considering freelance?
All the best,
Stuart
Job Opportunities 04/22
If you know of anyone looking for full-time or part-time work, some of the below opportunities are full-time and some temp to perm.
1. Director Strategy – SF-based creative agency, Salary >190K
2. VP Strategy – NY-based healthcare agency, 180-200K
3. .Freelance – Director level – London creative agency
Past Newsletters
Freelancing – Almost Fall, 2020
As we gallop toward the final third of 2020, there are more job opportunities for strategy planners but increasingly the work is freelance/flexi’/permalance. Where full time hiring is happening it’s more in healthcare, packaged goods, technology and online entertainment.
If you’ve lost your job, is immediately jumping in to freelance the right next step for you?
Freelance – Yes if:
Money – You need money to keep rolling in.
Sanity – You need to keep your mind engaged
Assessment – Because it provides the best way to assess your fit as part of a new potential full time employer.
Variety – You like a variety of work
Connections – You want to broaden industry exposure.
Flexibility – You want to work selectively.
Freelance – No if:
Security – Freelance work is by definition temporary and when an agency needs to cut back, freelancers lose out first.
Constant Hustle – Temporary work requires constant focus on ‘next.’
Loneliness – Freelance work is often in isolation.
Team Involvement – As a freelancer you don’t have the same level of team engagement.
Career Paralysis – Freelance can be a diversion from time needed to reflect or retool.
What To do Next ? – If you need cash you will default to freelance. If cash is not critical, take the time to reflect and evaluate how you want to grow/what you wish to experience next/whether your development best comes from paid work or non-vocational education. Happy to discuss with you.
Talk soon,Stuart
A few links of newsletters that your peers have enjoyed:
Career Adaptability – bit.ly/2QQGzLp
Impostor Syndrome – bit.ly/3k6P1D2
- A comprehensive guide to starting your freelance career
- Freelance v Permanent. What’s better for your career?
- Five things it pays to consider before going freelance.
- How to overcome the most common challengers as a freelancer.
- Nine work challenges only freelancers will understand.
- Pros and cons of working as a freelancer
- The ulimate guide to getting paid as a freelancer
GDPR Policy Update
SPARKIN is committed to protecting and safeguarding your personal data. As part of this commitment, we’re updating our privacy policy to meet the standards set by European Data Protection law. We confirm that we have and will continue not to share your email with any third party without explicit agreement from you.
Sincerely,
Stuart