13
May
2022
May 13, 2022
The pandemic has given many people a taste of self-employment by taking workers out of the 9 to 5 office routine - and people have embraced this change, with more people switching to permanent freelance work than ever before.
Recent research suggests that the U.K. is experiencing the greatest shift into self-employment in decades and the public’s perception of freelancing is changing, too. For a long time, we have viewed freelance work cautiously, as if freelance work was high-risk and insecure, unlike the security of being employed by a company. Freelance work was seen as something to be picked up by students, travelers, and people between jobs who would only want to work temporarily before moving on to permanent employment in an established company.
However, the pandemic is changing our perception of self-employment, with more and more people understanding the benefits of freelancing and businesses are seeing the benefits of using freelance workers. Freelancing in the U.K. is no longer only ‘temporary’ work - people across the U.K. are jumping into self-employment and reaping the benefits of a freer life - with more control over their working hours and career trajectories. This independent spirit is at the heart of Brigad’s mission.
Why should you consider freelance work?
The main benefit of freelancing is often said to be the freedom of flexibility, and of course the ability to work from home. However, freelancing in both the hospitality and healthcare industries does not have this luxury. A hotel cannot be run from home, and neither can a bar, nor a kitchen, and especially not a hospital. These are industries that need people to show up - yet this isn’t necessarily a negative thing. Many people who work in both hospitality and healthcare have ended up in the industry because they are people people - they thrive off of meeting and making new connections, they love working in a team.
For many of the hardworking people in our industries, being part of a team is the best part of the job. The often hectic, topsy-turvey days create strong working relationships - and there is nothing quite like a bustling dinner service to serve as a team bonding experience, or an overnight shift in a hospital ward to make long-lasting friendships. Because, in these industries, our colleagues really do become some of our best friends. These connections between colleagues, customers, and patients are what make people fall in love with their profession. But these are not the only connections that workers can make, which brings us to an often overlooked benefit of working freelance in these industries: you can meet your mentors.
Freelance is Freedom.
Freelancing in hospitality gifts the worker the opportunity to travel and make new connections through their profession. This means meeting like-minded people, and if you’re lucky, someone who is a master of their craft that you can learn from. Freelancers in hospitality might not be working from home, but this doesn’t mean they have to be anchored to a single restaurant, hotel, or bar. Brigaders are free to find work all over the city - and in a travel-safe future, Brigaders may even be lucky enough to travel the world and learn from the best in the business.
Brigad’s network is growing faster than ever before, meaning the opportunity to network and create new connections between those in the industry is easier than ever. A chef will be able to use Brigad as a means to work with different cuisines - French one week, Italian the next, Greek the week after. Bar staff can do the same, learning new skills every day and building a repertoire of impressive cocktails. Healthcare workers can use it as a means to learn skills across different wards and sectors. Brigaders have the freedom to work on their terms, gain experience and build an impressive work portfolio that may have taken years to build before Brigad had arrived.
Learn from the best, all across the industry
But this benefit of freelancing is not limited to those who can travel. It sounds luxurious to imagine a chef using Brigad’s network to travel from country to country, meeting and working under mentors - however, freelance workers can get the same experience on their doorstep. You don’t need to travel to Italy to work in a top-rated Italian restaurant, French, or Greek. London and Manchester have some of the best hospitality businesses in the world, from all across the country.
Freelancers can use Brigad to connect with these businesses, work and learn from them - and you won’t have to move house! Never before has it been so easy to build such an impressive set of skills so quickly. Whether it be with young and ambitious workers, or experienced workers looking to pick up new skills, freelancing Brigaders have the luxury of using the Brigad network to make these connections possible. The great thing is that as Brigad expands, the larger the network of connections, and the more Brigaders can work together, make connections and continue learning from each other.
Our industry is diverse and full of people passionate about their jobs - a passion that makes them want to keep on learning, refining their skills, and honing their craft. Brigad’s freelance model makes this easier than ever before. Freelancing is the future, and we are seeing the benefits of freelancing in the U.K. now more than ever.
