Playing it Solo – The Freelance Artist
The soloist is not necessarily new to the twenty-first century. Artists and writers have worked this way for decades calling themselves “freelancers.”
Freelancers of the past were not free of charge but were often thought of as free of loyalty. In today’s electronic age there is also a new category, workers MIT Professor Tom Malone has dubbed the term e-lancers, as free agents finding gigs through the internet.
Soloists are free agents by design choosing to work independently. Even those who were pushed into this way of working prefer it over being a wage slave. The soloist generally works on shorter term well defined engagements and projects, and enjoys flexibility and a variety of clients.
Contractors – formerly known as “temps”
Temporary or contract employees have become a fixture of the modern economy, especially in large organizations. “Temp,” often viewed as a four letter word is now an area that is growing faster than traditional employment. The skill level and pay of the temporary employee has also changed, especially for white collar positions including roles in accounting and finance.
There is growing popularity for the interim executive, men and women who parachute into a company for six months to save it from disaster and then move on to the next challenge. Agencies and contractors often have good relationships since agencies can keep a contractor busy (when one project wraps up, another one begins) with knowledge of the market and open opportunities.
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