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Freelancers can be defined as self-employed and not committed to any employer in the long term. Did you know that the word came from the “free lances” described in Sir Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe, in 1820? These were soldiers, armed with lances, who did not owe allegiance to a particular lord and hired themselves out to the highest bidder.
We have perhaps had certain stereotypes when we have thought of the terms self-employed, entrepreneurial, freelance, and consultant. However, today it is difficult to separate them. Traditionally, we have associated freelancers with creative professions (music, writing, photography, translating) and IT development and web design. Freelancers have also been associated with millennials wanting more of a work-life balance. They may even have been stigmatized as being lesser-skilled, for low-end roles.
They may provide something tangible – an article, a website, or a software application. Alternatively, they might deliver a performance – as by freelance musicians – or temporary service, such as a freelance social media marketing manager. In general, they are paid for providing some sort of finished product or service. They are not paid to be present for certain working hours.
Today, freelancer consultant are highly skilled, experienced, and professional. They have chosen not to owe allegiance to one employer and want the flexibility that comes with self-employment. Many work from their own homes or offices; others work at a client’s workplace for the project’s duration – or even on a long-term basis.
Consultants are increasingly turning to the freelance or independent models and are more entrepreneurial than they were in the past. These freelancing consultants include consultants who traditionally have supplied strategic, advisory, planning, or project management services. Most have been employed within consulting firms or in senior positions in business. They are well-trained, many of them in specialist niches and industries.
These really are the new free lances: skilled, well-armed, and ready to provide their services where they will achieve the maximum return for themselves and their clients.
Consult Afrika Team
