The Rise of the CAE Freelancer?

All aboard the freelancing train

Apparently we’re in the middle of a freelancer boom – or at least some sectors are. A recent freelancer friendly survey (.pdf) proudly proclaimed that there are now:

“53 million Americans – 34 percent of the U.S. workforce – working as freelancers.”

and by freelancer, they mean:

“individuals who have engaged in supplemental, temporary, or project- or contract-based work in the past 12 months.”

Does that include you?

It’s no doubt a BIG number and it’s not just in the US either. A couple of years ago the European Forum of Independent Professionals (.pdf) coined the term “iPro” to better describe their idea of a freelancer.

“iPros are highly skilled self-employed individuals who work for themselves but do not employ others. They range from journalists and designers to ICT specialists and consultants. iPros represent a significant segment of professional working generally, making up 25% of all those working in professional, scientific and technical work and 22% of all those in arts and entertainment. The growth in iPros in the EU since 2004 has been remarkable. Numbers have increased by 45% from just under 6.2 million to 8.9 million in 2013, making them the fastest growing group in the EU labour market.”

Wowsers – more big numbers.

That more or less tallies with my idea of a freelancer. I’m thinking of someone (me) monetising a (possibly technical) skill on their own account. Running their own business to trade this skill. Finding and supporting their own clients. And most of all providing a valuable service that others are happy to pay for – an independent economic agent.

I can’t buy into the “iPro” moniker though – I’ll just stick with “consultant” for now.

But a quick squint at the Labour Force Survey in the UK suggests that the level of self-employment amongst Engineering Professionals has barely changed over the last five years. So maybe we aren’t seeing this freelancer boom in the engineering sector?

So who could we learn lessons from?

Since going out on my own I’ve paid a lot of attention to the digital creative & web development communities. They’re digital natives. They are trying to keep on top of rapidly evolving technologies. They deal primarily in digital (intangible) deliverables. And most importantly for me, they have an established culture of being freelancers.

Part of the reason that the number of digital creative freelancers has boomed is the fact that their tools are ever more accessible. Your average desktop, laptop or even iPad can be used to create graphics, make music and edit videos. You don’t need to have the financial resources of a big agency to be able to use the same development tools as them.

Another part of the reason is that individuals can now reach customers directly. You don’t need to have a marketing budget. Especially if you’re a digital native and your clients are online looking for what you offer. Even if they aren’t looking for you, but you know your market well enough, you can still find your own clients.

But, perhaps the biggest reason, is that digital creatives realised that they were good at what they did. And that wouldn’t change even if they were solo. What they knew, how they worked and what they could deliver became more important than where they worked.

With these three parts of the puzzle in place the freelanc-ification of the web industry exploded. As such, they have a lot of interesting things to say about working on your account.

But what about CAE?

This freelanc-ification hasn’t happened in CAE…yet. Perhaps the most prevalent CAE freelancer has been the contractor. Maybe doing CAD? Maybe simulation? Maybe from an agency? Maybe even pretty long-term? But probably at someone else’s desk, using the tools and processes provided.

But perhaps we’re entering the same revolution as the digital creatives? The barriers to iPros delivering directly to companies are falling away. What you know, Who you know and What you can do for a client is getting much more important that who’s office you sit in everyday.

Our tools are also becoming increasingly available to individuals. Compute power is no longer a problem. If you don’t have it yourself, you can hire it when you need it. Software companies are coming around to more flexible licensing/purchasing options. Open-source tools are getting better and becoming more accepted.

But just as importantly, we can reach our own prospective clients and let them know what we can do for them. We can identify the exact niches that we can deliver the most value to. Approach them directly. And then deliver that value.

If this is a trend that’s accelerating, then maybe there is a need for education for these types of independent consultants? Not technical, but rather, how to be an independent. How to get clients. How to treat clients. How to price projects. How to get referrals. On and on and on.

But before I get too carried away I just wanted to check that you’re familiar with confirmation bias?

“the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs or theories.”

That’s definitely at play here – I’ll call it out. An independent consultant suggesting that independent engineering consultancy might be about to take off backed by statistics from independent professional cheerleaders? Hmmmm…🤔

But maybe something is starting to change? Do you see (or are you part of) an increase in independent CAE consultants? How do you see this panning out? Are you an iPro in the CAE sector? What do you wish you knew when you started out? Answers on a postcard, tweet or email please.