Career analysis of freelancers

Freelancers refer to individuals who have legitimate income without having a legally binding partnership with the system or investors. For the new generation of contemporary urban people, most of them are literary and artistic personnel, such as freelance writers. Writers, artists, musicians, computer elites, planners, etc. Of course, with the development of society, the relaxation of the system, and the advancement of technology, freelancers are also expanding into other fields. Scholars point out that doctors, lawyers, etc. will become the largest group of freelancers.

Compared to freelancing, in addition to traditional employment occupations, there are also contract occupations. In the 1990s, the contracted profession was a very attractive term compared to those within the system, and many contracted authors, contracted actors, column hosts, etc. were born. Famous writer Wang Shuo, musicians Hao Feng, Tan Dun, etc. were all hot topics captured by the media at that time. Freelancers enjoy an unfettered and free life, but because their level and reputation are not yet high enough to sign a contract, they sometimes have to pay the price of livelihood embarrassment. But no matter what, the yearning for this kind of lifestyle has always been the dream of the vast majority of new and new humans who are dissatisfied with the current situation of life and cynical. Two years ago, it was reported in Xi'an that 20% of college graduates in Xi'an still had no jobs and wanted to be SOHO after graduation.

Classification

Some people think that all people without formal units can be called freelancers, including unemployed people, unemployed people, etc. This view is wrong. The so-called freelancing means that you must first have a career, and then have freedom. A person who has no occupation and cannot find a job cannot be called a freelancer. In the book "Rich Dad's Road to Financial Freedom", Americans Robert and Sharon divided all people in the world into four categories and four quadrants: E, employees; S, freelancers; B, business owners; I, investors. They believe that four types of people have their own ideal life status: E, employee, I have a job; B, business owner, others work for me; S, freelancer, this job belongs to me; I, investor, money Works for me. It can be seen from this that as a freelancer, you must have at least one skill that can make a living, such as writing, photography, animation production, etc. For those unemployed people who have nothing and nothing to do, the unemployed cannot be called freelancers. Becoming a freelancer is not an easy task. To become a freelancer, you must have certain knowledge and skills, social survivability, and a strong will. If you lack survival skills and corresponding social relationships, you are not qualified to be a freelancer. Those who become freelancers are definitely not incompetent or mediocre.

Not free

In cities, "freelancing" has become a choice for young people. In a sense, the "SOHO family" represents a free, open and flexible way of working. In the past two years, with the widespread use of the Internet in various fields and the popularity of computers, fax machines, printers and other office equipment in homes, the number of freelancers has been expanding year by year.

Best-selling author Li Yue is a typical Soho family. Although he can control his own time, when the publishing house signed a contract with him for a book manuscript, he was "very busy even if he was busy", and because he did not have his hukou In Beijing, the baby is about to be born again. Li Yue admits that he often feels very tired and under unprecedented pressure.

So, what kind of group are freelancers? Why are more and more people joining this ranks? How are their lives? What are their prospects? China Talent Network recently conducted a survey on freelancers. An extensive and in-depth survey, the respondents of this survey come from all over the country and are composed of more than 2,200 corporate and public employees in 20 industries such as IT, finance, and manufacturing. This survey uses a broader perspective to understand freelancers' job and salary satisfaction, as well as future plans from a professional perspective of career planning.

Widely distributed

A few years ago, what people called "SOHO people" mostly referred to those specialized freelancers, such as freelance writers, graphic designers, and handicraft designers. personnel, artists, etc. The results of this survey show that the occupation of freelancers is very widespread, and its connotation and form are also quietly changing. Among them, there are many employees in computer network, writing and translation, secretarial tutoring, etc., and emerging modern market industries such as marketing, advertising planning, corporate management consulting, capital operation, and financing agency are also becoming increasingly prosperous.

In terms of geographical distribution, the proportion of freelancers from economically developed cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou is relatively high, accounting for 34% of the total number of people surveyed. In addition, freelancers from Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Tianjin and other municipalities directly under the Central Government , special economic zones and provincial capital cities also account for a higher proportion.

What is it about freelancing that attracts everyone’s favor? Speaking of the original intention of choosing freelancing, 58.97% of people said it was to pursue their own interests, that is, to gain free space for development. Many interviewees said that as a freelancer, no one will tell you what to do, and you can control your time as you wish and balance work and life.

Zhang Tingwen, a human resources expert at China Talent Network, believes that on the one hand, in some economically developed cities, many companies have adopted product and service outsourcing in order to improve efficiency; on the other hand, digital communications, computers, and the Internet have Popularization has flattened the earth, and freelancers have emerged. The number of freelancers in the United States has increased significantly, with approximately 20 million to 30 million. In order to reduce costs and increase operational flexibility, companies are bound to outsource more business, so the number of freelance workers will continue to rise.

41% of freelancers have a monthly salary of more than 3,000 yuan

In the eyes of many people, real freelancers are strong men in life. It is their pursuit of ideals and their courage to try. Courage allowed them to choose a very personal lifestyle. If half of the happiness of freelancers comes from the unfettered state of freedom, the other half is the happiness brought by high income. The survey results show that freelancers with a monthly salary of more than 3,000 yuan account for 41% of the total number, of which those with a monthly salary of more than 8,000 yuan account for 9%. The survey on freelancing also showed that half of the respondents were very satisfied or relatively satisfied with their income, while another 19.87% said it was just enough to survive.

At the same time, non-freelancers are also yearning for freelancing. 75% of the respondents aim for a monthly income of more than 3,000 yuan, and 31% of the respondents expect a monthly income of more than 3,000 yuan. Ten thousand.

In this regard, Zhang Tingwen believes that most freelancers are young people who have a strong sense of independence, pay attention to economic income, have high academic qualifications and master more complex mental work skills, and have good organizational skills and strong career ambition. Their expectations for high salaries reflect their confidence in their own abilities and their desire to be recognized by society. Their high satisfaction and expectations for income indicate that freelancing is in the ascendant and more talents will join the "SOHO family".

High mental pressure, freelancers are "not free"

Some people say that the more successful a freelancer is, the more he will fail, because he can no longer do without work, and he will never be free even for a day. There is no income from work. Regarding work status, as many as 63% of the respondents believe that freelancing is "too busy when you are busy and too idle when you are free". It is precisely in this uncertain working environment that freelancers generally feel more mental pressure than ordinary practitioners. When asked "Are freelancers really free?" 33% of the respondents believed that there was a lot of mental pressure, 20% of the respondents thought that there was a lot of material pressure, and only 30% of the respondents thought that they were "relatively free."

As the concept of independent career choice becomes more and more popular, freelancers have gradually transformed from "non-working people" in conservative concepts to enviable "unfettered people". However, lonely and happy freelancers are not as carefree as we imagine. Their pressure comes from deep within their souls. "Pain and happiness" may be their most accurate portrayal.

The survey shows that unstable sources of income make freelancers feel insecure at all times. When asked "What worries you most about freelancing?" about 52.56% of the respondents said that unstable income is the most worrying thing, and another 21.79% are most worried about the bleak career future. The existential pressure problem of “having eaten today’s food, I don’t know where tomorrow’s food will be” is like an ever-present haze in the hearts of freelancers, tormenting them.

In this regard, Zhang Tingwen said that due to the uncertainty of work, income, and consumption, freelancers have to prepare for their future, and they are unable to enjoy the protection and benefits provided by society and organizations. Therefore, Career planning and economic planning are things people must consider carefully when choosing to be a freelancer. They must invest necessary insurance funds in medical, accident and pension aspects and pay attention to savings and financial management.