Why graduates need a freelancer mindset

Freelancing is increasingly a career option for young professionals. This is partly as a result of the gig economy, but also because it is a natural fit for particular professional disciplines.

For graduates from reative courses such as fashion, film-making, music, animation and ceramics, freelancing has always been recognised as a likely career option.

But despite this, it’s often the case that students feel under-prepared to enter the world of freelancing. And it’s precisely this need that led our guest on this episode, Matt Dowling, to launch the Freelancer Club – an organisation dedicated to supporting and championing the cause of freelancers everywhere.

In this episode, we ask Matt what skills a freelancer needs, and how we might design learning experiences that prepare students to become confident freelancers

The sophisticated knowledge and skills of the freelancer

During the discussion, Matt explains that the core curriculum for training freelancers includes knowledge and skills such as communication, organisation, teamwork and empathy. This resonated with our webinar on The Art of AI in Assessment, and the argument that these attributes are deeply human and highly sophisticated. In the episode, Matt explains how he’s using AI trainers to create simulated experiences to help graduates practice and strengthen their freelancing skillset.

Enjoy the podcast!