From ComputerWorld, Tam Harbert discusses how younger IT professionals are choosing to be independent contractors instead of becoming full-time employees and shares of their experiences. Tam writes:
Once upon a time, IT pros went freelance only when driven there by circumstances like a bad economy, a layoff or an overabundance of their particular skill set. Or they turned to consulting in the sunset of their careers, tired of cubicle farms and long commutes. Now, millennials, who this year became the largest proportion of the labor force, are leading the charge to change the tech industry’s perception of self-employment.
It’s common knowledge that the cohort of workers 35 and under prefer a flexible, DIY workstyle, using their personal mobile devices to communicate and work from anywhere at any time. What’s not so commonly known, however, is that some millennials — some say it’s a growing number — are eschewing traditional employment altogether to work as independents.
“A large number of millennials are choosing a different path in terms of what they want in their professional life,” says Alisia Genzler, executive vice president at Randstad Technologies, a high-tech talent and solutions company. “We are seeing more and more of them choose freelancing and contract work over traditional jobs, more so than in previous generations.”…
Read the full story at Tech pros make the most of the ‘gig economy’
Interesting article! I am a freelancer, but it always seemed to me that freelancers were more of a minority than not. It does make sense, though, and I can’t say that I am surprised by the younger generation steering towards freelancing rather than traditional jobs. Not only does it allow you a lot of freedom and control, but you also have the opportunity to shape your career as you want it instead of being it a preexisting position under the control of someone else. Great post!
Great read! I’m sure freelancing is the way to go for a lot of IT people today in our economy. I do some freelance work, but I just have a basic skill set when it comes to technical things. I can’t imagine how much more I would be able to do if I was an IT pro!
Today, younger IT professional choose freelance career or startup if the funding is well over the full time job. And I think this way they can grow exponentially with the time over a fixed pay job.