Why millennials take the freelancing path

IT’S no question that more and more professionals are choosing a freelance path and opting out of the traditional 9 to 5 office routine. According to a study, the number of freelancers in the Philippines increased by roughly 77 percent from 2014-2015.

Unsurprisingly, a large percentage of this demographic are young people or the millennials. In case you’re not totally onboard with the concept of freelancing, it essentially entails working independently (and often, remotely) with multiple clients simultaneously, offering specific services and creating your own schedule.

So, the obvious question is, what has turned millennials into a freelance generation? There are plenty of explanations and theories highlighting its benefits, but here are some of the major reasons why freelancing is such an attractive, doable career choice:

1. The Internet

As we know, technology has changed almost every aspect of our lives, from the way we communicate, to how we learn, to how we choose to express ourselves. For anything you need, there’s probably an app for that. This applies to our professional success, as well.

Websites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have enabled millennials to connect with potential clients around the world and provide digital services remotely. For example, coding, designing, writing and marketing are all very attractive careers on the freelance market. They’re offering a specialized service and aren’t constricted to a given salary, so they can charge higher rates and make significantly more money doing the same work they would do at a traditional job.

Essentially, the internet has allowed millennials to cut out the middle man (the employer) and work directly with the source (the customer).

2. Self-confidence

With the help of the digital age, millennials are able to acquire complex skills and learn multiple trades at once. Having been raised in an era of supportive parents who give them constant affirmation, millennials are often in tune with their strengths and are confident in their abilities to create meaningful careers for themselves.

This is why almost 30 percent of millennial employees will quit their jobs if they don’t feel it aligns with their career goals. They’re confident they can make it happen on their own. Not to mention, there are now plenty of freelance ‘superstars’ who have dedicated their careers to helping others to pursue independent career paths.

This feeling of being ‘tied down’ within a corporate office structure inspires many to take a freelancing route, allowing them to set their own deadlines, assignments and work schedule, without feeling constricted by rules and bosses.

3. Flexibility

Many millennials are dreading the traditional 9 to 5 work schedule, specifically because of constant distraction, office politics, time wasting, uncomfortable workplace relations and generally uninspiring environments.

Millennials have seriously adapted to the idea of working smarter, not harder. Instead of taking the time to commute, sit through mundane meetings and engage in less-than-thrilling small talk with colleagues in the break room, millennials have opted for staying at home, focusing on assignments of their choosing and having time for themselves.

In practice, this could mean waking up, hitting the gym, working from the kitchen table for a few hours, running an errand, making lunch, working for a few more hours, grabbing coffee with a friend and then doing some more work. On the other hand, it could mean traveling while working remotely. For each person it’s different, but what it comes down to is having that flexibility.

4. Fearlessness

While older generations often express the importance of stability within a working environment, that value does not hold true to millennials. Since a large portion of GenerationY is graduating college with no job opportunities in sight, they’re used to the idea of work insecurity.

So, instead of jumping into the first job available and risking possible layoffs (which is all too common today), they invest in multiple clients at once, decreasing their chances of having an immediate and complete loss of income. Ultimately, they would rather constantly hustle for their own happiness than tirelessly work for someone else’s.

Even if they are making less money within this structure, it doesn’t seem to change their views. Another study reported that 75 percent of freelancers will choose work flexibility over pay.

So, whether you’re on board or not, the truth is that the majority of millennials will be freelancing by 2020. And the reasons aren’t that surprising.

A yearn for self-agency, flexibility, and growth while also doing something you love are the driving force behind the millennial freelancer. And ultimately, isn’t that what we all want?