This really hit home for me, Charlotte. I was made redundant not long ago and gave freelancing a go on Upwork for a bit. At first, it felt empowering — like I was taking control — but over time, I realised how unstable and isolating it can be.
The way you described the difference between flexibility and freedom? Spot on. It’s easy to get caught up in the glossy version of freelance life, especially online, but the reality is so much more complex.
Appreciate how you broke it all down without being negative — just honest. We need more conversations like this that cut through the noise and help people make informed choices.
Thank you for taking the time to read Zain. And I’m sorry to hear about your redundancy.
LinkedIn has definitely been leaning into the glossier part of late, I just believe we always need to look a little bit deeper. And also understand who these macro culture shifts serve.
I don't know if it's just in my circle (burnt out grad students haha) but I feel like people my age are no longer idolizing the freelance lifestyle! instead I see more people craving the security and comfort of a 9 - 5 that seems less common these days
This is such a great perspective - I think at the moment a lot of this is from millennials. Lots of people feeling like they ‘followed the rules’ and didn’t get the ‘the promise’.
I’m going to try and find some demographic data for a part 2 here.
i appreciate how you frame the discussion around the romanticization of freelancing on socials, especially TikTok and Instagram!
i wonder whether the decrease in U.S. remote job opportunities (as a result of the hybrid / return-to-office push) has also contributed to the rise of freelancing. if i come across any data to support, i'll pass it along. thank you for sharing!
This really hit home for me, Charlotte. I was made redundant not long ago and gave freelancing a go on Upwork for a bit. At first, it felt empowering — like I was taking control — but over time, I realised how unstable and isolating it can be.
The way you described the difference between flexibility and freedom? Spot on. It’s easy to get caught up in the glossy version of freelance life, especially online, but the reality is so much more complex.
Appreciate how you broke it all down without being negative — just honest. We need more conversations like this that cut through the noise and help people make informed choices.
Thank you for taking the time to read Zain. And I’m sorry to hear about your redundancy.
LinkedIn has definitely been leaning into the glossier part of late, I just believe we always need to look a little bit deeper. And also understand who these macro culture shifts serve.
Have a great Sunday
I don't know if it's just in my circle (burnt out grad students haha) but I feel like people my age are no longer idolizing the freelance lifestyle! instead I see more people craving the security and comfort of a 9 - 5 that seems less common these days
This is such a great perspective - I think at the moment a lot of this is from millennials. Lots of people feeling like they ‘followed the rules’ and didn’t get the ‘the promise’.
I’m going to try and find some demographic data for a part 2 here.
Thank you for taking the time to read Ayurda 👏🏾
i appreciate how you frame the discussion around the romanticization of freelancing on socials, especially TikTok and Instagram!
i wonder whether the decrease in U.S. remote job opportunities (as a result of the hybrid / return-to-office push) has also contributed to the rise of freelancing. if i come across any data to support, i'll pass it along. thank you for sharing!
Thanks for this! Very informative
you're quickly becoming one of my fave writers on here.