THE FUTURE OF FREELANCING: Survey: Caliber of Independent Creative Talent Rising

MENLO PARK, Calif., Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The freelance talent pool has grown stronger, a new survey suggests.  Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of advertising and marketing executives interviewed by The Creative Group said the caliber of independent creative professionals has increased in the last five years; among those, nearly one-third (31 percent) said it has increased significantly. Respondents cited "access to specialized skills or knowledge" as the greatest benefit of using freelancers.

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These findings and additional information, including tips for working with freelancers and questions to consider before pursuing a consulting career, are accessible in a new infographic from The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service for interactive, design and marketing professionals. It can be found at http://www.creativegroup.com/freelancing-infographic.

"Many companies are strategically supplementing their advertising and marketing teams with freelance professionals," said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group. "This approach allows employers to quickly get the support they need and access skills that might not be available internally. In many cases, project professionals are able to impart their specialized knowledge to a company's internal staff."

The research also shows contract work is an attractive option for many people in the creative industry: Nearly half (49 percent) of advertising and marketing executives said it's likely they would work as independent professionals at some point in their career. "Freelancing jobs can pay well and provide greater flexibility and variety of work," Farrugia said. "We're seeing more professionals with in-demand skills pursue project work. And if you partner with a specialized staffing firm, its representatives can market your services and manage the administrative side of your business, like billing and collections."

About the Survey
The research is from a national study developed by The Creative Group and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 500 telephone interviews -- approximately 375 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

About The Creative Group
The Creative Group (TCG) specializes in placing a range of highly skilled interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals with a variety of firms on a project and full-time basis. More information, including online job-hunting services, candidate portfolios and TCG's award-winning career magazine, can be found at www.creativegroup.com.

SOURCE The Creative Group