Freelancing, today has become a sought-after field of work. From taking it up as a necessity to now folks deliberately choosing it as a career, Freelancing has come a long way. It has now become one of the popular career options, for people in pursuit of being their own boss.

Advantages such as flexible working hours, flexibility in place of work, control over compensation, and more freedom as compared to their corporate counterparts, are the icing on the cake. It is soon becoming an industry wherein the demand for it is as big as the talent pool if not bigger. Today, India is home to around 15 million freelancers. Statistics also suggest that one in every four freelancers in the world is from India.

With the ever-growing network of freelancers, a lot of industries are now hiring them not just to fill up vacancies, but freelancers are now a conscious choice. Talent Managers are now open to hiring freelancers on a contractual basis based on the need of the projects. The short-term commitment ensures flexibility and ease of working on both ends. Hiring freelancers has now become an important part of the recruitment process.

While the common industries to hire freelancers would be Software, Digital Marketing, Training, and Administration there are a lot more industries joining the race in hiring freelance workers. This article highlights a few of those industries. Be ready to be surprised by how freelancers are making their way into the normal working of organizations and industries which are usually known to hire full-time, long-term employees.

1. Real Estate

The real estate business is soon becoming a place of opportunity for hiring freelancers. Most of the freelancers in this industry not only are educationally qualified but are also certified. As this industry is highly competitive, it becomes a mandate the freelancers that are hired for the job come in with connections and contacts. Relationship Building is a quality that is sought after in this field of work. Hiring a freelancer becomes an asset as their shorter, contractual stints in different areas and locations give them the exposure and opportunity to meet a wide variety of folks that also become their client base. Some of the popular freelance jobs in real estate include:

● Copywriters

● Estate agents

● Designers

● Property Consultants

● Financial analysts

2. Finance

Every person who can earn needs financial advice. Who wouldn’t agree to that? Gig workers are usually brought in on a contractual basis around the time of yearly taxation. They are also consulted for managing finances both by individuals as well as companies. The fact that they come in with the expertise of what they do, becomes a strength in understanding and managing finances. They often work in the positions of Financial advisors. Clients and organizations are usually ready to pay what is asked when it comes to Finance Gigs as it is often done at their convenience and comfort. Some of the most popular gigs include:

● Finance advisers

● Financial consultants

● Freelance loan agents

3. Automobiles

From automobile designing to manufacturing and then to servicing, freelancers are ready to make a strong impression. Their unique strength of being excellent at what they do through continuous exposure, multiple gigs, and lots of experience, has led to the automobile industry hiring freelance workers for jobs. With customization becoming an essential part of the consumer experience, hiring freelancers who specialize in what they do, gives a competitive edge in the industry. Some of the popular gigs include

● Automotive engineers

● Automotive Designers

● Parts Procurement Specialists

4. Data Analytics

With data being as important as currency, if not more important, understanding, interpreting, and showcasing data has become the reason for industries booming as well as collapsing. Hiring freelancers to churn data and analyse it has become a part of important decision-making. Even though these big decisions are not made daily, freelancers are hired for a short and contractual stint to enable this kind of decision-making through Data Analytics. Some popular jobs in data analytics include:

● Freelance Data analyst

● Business analyst

● Freelance data scientists 

5. Mental Health Professionals

With everything around us being so uncertain and challenges such as the pandemic, work fatigue, and blurring of the work and home demarcation, organizations are beginning to give more importance to the well-being of their employees. Hiring freelancers into intervening as and when needed ensures expert handling of the tough and confusing situations that employees might face. Mental health professionals comprise of freelancers who have semi-retired from a regular job and instead opted to be flexible in their engagements. Some of them include:

● Psychiatrists

● Clinical researchers

● Psychologists

● Wellness experts

6. Travel

Travel has become an essential part of our lives. From short weekend trips to well-planed long vacations, the present generation is doing it all. Reviews of places, hotels, and locations are studied and researched before making the trip. Freelance writers are hired to travel writing to not only provide necessary information to travel enthusiasts but also to help plan their travels. Travel agents working on a freelance basis are often those who are doing it as their side hustle, however, continue to provide impeccable service to every single traveller. Some of the best freelance jobs include:

● Freelance travel writers

● Travelogue experts

● Trip guides

● Food and hotel reviewers and critics

7. Research

Research has always been the backbone of decision-making. Being able to do that on a specialized yet cost-effective and need-to-know basis is a strength brought in by hiring freelancers. Research analysts are hired for all purposes to give clarity and push needed for clear, backed-up, and logical decision-making. Experts in the field of health care, politics, geology, environment, and even government operations are hired for research in the role of analysts and consultants.

8. Graphic Designing

With the advent and rise in the usage and acceptance of Social Media presence, it has become of utmost importance to leave a lasting first impression on the consumer, employee, or client. Company logos are not just about the name any more, they also are a representation of what the organization believes in, its foundation, and its reason. Hiring freelance workers to design the identity of the organization is not only an important responsibility but also a privilege to know and understand the journey of the brand.

9. Web Developers

During and after the post pandemic, there surged a wave of small entrepreneurs ready to chase their dreams and make them come true. There is no dearth of these small business owners who are trying to establish a name of their own. From hiring web developers to create their sites to enhancing them as and when needed, Freelancers are a preferred choice. It is an advantage for tech-based organizations to hire freelancers as it allows them to hire from specific backgrounds and expertise to be a part of temporary projects.

10. Human Resources

The Talent acquisition and staffing industries hold a huge share of freelance positions. With organizations focusing on their core strengths of operations, support functions such as staffing are often handed over by hiring freelancers. From charting out job descriptions to posting jobs on job portals to even conducting the initial rounds of interviews are often conducted by freelancers hired for their expertise. The roles of freelancers in the HR domain differ from each other like that of the following:

● Recruitment specialists

● HR consultants

● Screening specialists

● Job posting executives

11. Assisted Living Facilities

With the need for being independent, the present generation would prefer living in Assisted living facilities to being dependent on children or relatives. There sure will come a time when freelancers are hired to market these facilities by writing about them. Freelancers nowadays are being used as volunteers to take care of the elderly off and on. These facilities provide jobs such as:

● Nurses

● Assisted living attendants

● Masseurs

● Physicians

Conclusion

As time passes by, freelancing will continue to penetrate the workforce. It is predicted that by 2027 – 50% of the workforce would prefer to take up freelance assignments. The best part of it is that it makes use of the best of your talents in making you financially independent.  From being a side hustle to being a preferred choice of employment, Freelancing has come a long way. And along with it have come the opportunities to hire and be hired as a freelancer. With the need for finding talented, well-qualified, and specialized freelancers for the job, hiring a freelancer is just a click away!