Finding your place in the Great Reshuffle
Freelancing for meeting and event professionals
As much of the world has begun to recalibrate from pandemic life, working professionals are taking the opportunity to reevaluate their job circumstances and address burnout. The Great Reshuffle has, well, shaken things up. Many professionals, particularly in the meeting and event industry, are drawn more than ever to the benefits of professional freedom as freelance or independent workers. According to LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence survey, more than 1 in 6 professionals are planning or hoping to leave their current role in the next six months.
The reasons for a workplace shift vary from professionals’ desire to work on their own terms and have more opportunities to learn and up-skill, to the freedom to work from anywhere and have more control over clientele.
According to Upwork, 75% of freelancers who quit their full-time jobs to freelance say they earn the same or more pay than when they had a traditional employer.
Why event professionals prefer to work on a freelance basis:
Professionals gain the opportunity to focus on their expertise and roles that align with their strengths, skillsets, and passions.
Freelancers have more control over their own schedule and can make more money for the time they actually spend working.
Freelancers can pick the projects that align with their passion and skillset, enabling them to control their own journey and consistently deliver their best work.
These desires collectively tell the greater freelance workforce story of taking back professional power and pursuing one’s passions.
In an Indeed survey of over 1,000 people who voluntarily resigned from at least two jobs since March 2020, “92% said the pandemic made them feel life is too short to stay in a job they weren’t passionate about.”
The Freelance Landscape
While the freelance workforce is not new, the rate at which it’s now growing is novel. There are currently 59 million freelancers in the U.S. (over 1 billion globally) with an expected increase to 86.5 million by 2027–that’s over 50% of the future workforce!
More and more people are waking up to the possibility of pursuing their passion(s). Freelancing provides them with the opportunity to narrow in on them, and thus enjoy the work they do every day. The hospitality industry is also a difficult place to work. Freelancing gives event professionals the opportunity to do what they love but have a better work/life balance doing it.
This flexibility is a professional advantage, as it allows event pros to acquire new and relevant skills to fulfil clients’ needs. The Great Reshuffle has presented the need for roles that didn’t exist before the pandemic. Now there is great demand for meeting and event experts for in-person, virtual, and hybrid events.
The demand for new roles consequently demands the necessary up-skilling and education to fulfil them. Soundings Thrive provides freelancers with everything they need to adapt, elevate, and excel in the changing work landscape. We help you develop your skills and experience for different types of events and pair them with your interests so that you can do work you truly love, on your terms. You also don’t have to put yourself in any one box–freelancing allows you to up-skill, learn new skills, and add to your reservoir of expertise as you go.
Thrive with Soundings
Finding your place in the shifting workplace can feel difficult. We can help! Soundings gives freelancers the benefits & community of full-time employees but with the freedom of professional independence.
We provide our talent network with everything they need to succeed including:
Continued education: Our library is filled with webinars, CEU and certification opportunities, articles, special offers, and more.
Social community: You may be independent, but you are not alone. Break away from the daily grind to attend social hours, meetups, virtual events, and talent showcases.
Skillset practice: Our Platform Playground allows members to participate in mock events, gain virtual event experience, and see how far their skillsets can go.
Industry coaching: Soundings Thrive is on the pulse of the industries we serve. We keep our network up to date on industry trends, the future of work, and how to stand out.
Business growth: Build your portfolio and make more money: access our preferred supplier network, expand your service offerings, and earn industry commission.
Benefits: No need to compromise your freedom for security–we have all your compliance needs covered. We offer weekly payouts, tax benefits, and HR resources for freelancers to manage their businesses. Full-time placements gain additional access to W2 health benefits.
Our commitment is to support you in claiming your professional freedom and personally help you grow in your career. Here's what you can look forward to as a member of Soundings Thrive:
Be true to yourself in our network: Your resume doesn’t get lost in a sea of others. We get to know the real you on a personal level—your career goals, work style, and personality.
Make Connections & Elevate Your Career: At Soundings, your career is more than completing contracts. Find your best self through our community’s education, resources, networking, and business services.
Get Matched to Ideal Opportunities: When an organization looks to us to recruit talent that matches your real human qualities and expertise, the real magic begins.
Gain Experience & Get Paid Consistently: Use our innovative technology to conveniently track your hours and receive weekly payouts. Keep finding new work and keep thriving!
What are the aspects of freelancing that are most attractive to you? Whether it’s professional freedom, workplace flexibility, a better salary, benefits, or the opportunity to grow, you don’t have to choose with Soundings Thrive. You are in charge of your own destiny; we help you make it happen.
