GIZZA JOB
It doesn’t take a genius to see that things are hard in the job market right now, especially if you’re freelance. One of the major topics of conversation in the various freelancer communities I’m in is how little work there’s been out there over the past 12 months. It’s depressing - for a number of reasons. Firstly, people feel they have to stay in full-time jobs they don’t enjoy because they’re too scared to take a leap into the unknown. Secondly, watching agencies hire juniors for peanuts over experienced professionals is disheartening and, finally, it’s just plain shit if you’re a battle-scarred freelancer like myself trying to pay their mortgage each month.
The fact that the UK is officially in a recession - even if only a ‘technical recession’ - doesn’t help. When the economy goes tits up, so do client budgets. This isn’t the first economic downturn I’ve lived through (I think there have been three since I graduated), but that doesn’t make it any easier. It also means that freelancers - and anyone looking for a steady gig - are going to have to jump through a few more hoops if we want to prove our worth to potential employers.
I’ve always been sceptical of employers who say that they want you to wow them with your creativity when it comes to job applications. Perhaps this is cynical of me (and will probably impede me from ever getting another full-time job), but I don’t want to have to create a bespoke Google Map plotting out the words PLEASE EMPLOY ME before someone looks at my CV. I recently saw a LinkedIn post from someone saying that they’d put a 50 page deck together for an agency they wanted to work for, outlining all the ways they could transform their business. I couldn’t help thinking “why are you doing this for free?”
I know that a lot of this is from being burned by potential employers before. A few years ago, I had an interview at a big digital agency who made me go through an elaborate three-stage interview process. The final part involved going to London and presenting a social media strategy outlining a campaign, the talent we’d use, the influencers we’d approach and the budget. I spent ages on that presentation, roping in friends from the industry to run through it with me. I presented it and felt very pleased with myself, only to be ghosted by the agency. It turned out that the job didn’t exist, a fact they’d known since the second stage. It felt like nothing more than a fact-finding session where people gave them their ideas for free and it left a really bad taste in my mouth.
Call me old fashioned, but I don’t believe that creative professionals should be giving away their ideas for nothing. This can be difficult in an industry that wants to suck as much out of you for as little money as possible. Having been on both sides of the table when it comes to hiring, I understand why we want to see what a candidate can do before employing them. But it suggests that an agency doesn’t have the confidence in their own creative talent if they steal ideas from people who just want a job.
I’m all for creativity and, if having a nicely designed CV and case studies deck helps you get your foot in the door, then knock yourself out. But I don’t want to have to record myself doing a TikTok dance to show a potential freelance client why I’d work for them (I recently had to video a pitch to a new client and it was an experience I do not care to repeat). I want to believe that my experience speaks for itself.
Recruiters need to be realistic in what to expect from candidates when we’re on the merry-go-round of job applications. Ask for ideas, but make it clear that they should only be topline so we can see how you think and what practical skills you’d apply if in the role. We shouldn’t have to jump through arbitrary hoops just for the chance of getting work. Isn’t living in the UK in 2024 hard enough?
JOBS BOARD
Contact: The Folio Society need a Social Media Executive for six months
Freelance: SocialBear require an Out of Hours Social Media Manager
Freelance: Beauty Pie are on the hunt for a Senior Content Creator
Full Time: Joules are recruiting a Social Media Coordinator
Full Time: OK Cool are looking for a Social Media Manager
INTERESTING THING OF THE WEEK: AN INTERVIEW WITH DUOLINGO
Rachel Karten always gets the most interesting interviews and I really enjoyed the one she recently did with Zaria Parvez, who is responsible for Duolingo’s ‘unhinged’ social media content.
Love them or hate them, you can’t ignore the fact that Duolingo is crushing it on TikTok, mainly because it takes the kinds of risks that other brands would never dare try. It’s interesting to hear that even Duo has approval processes (even if it doesn’t always seem like it) and to examine the method behind the madness. My favourite part? Discovering that Duo has a custom seamstress. How can I get one of those
IN THE NEWS
A report finds X may be inflating its ad performance results (Social Media Today)
Instagram is testing new sticker options for feed posts and Stories (Social Media Today)
Meta is testing cross-posting from Facebook to Threads (TechCrunch)
Threads is set to roll out in-app camera access and the option to save drafts (9to5 Mac)
WhatsApp has unveiled four new chat formatting options, including bulleted and numbered lists, and block quotes (The Verge)
THINGS I LIKE
How the sugar tax ruined soft drinks. I will never forgive Jamie Oliver for what he did to San Pelligrino. (Vittles)
The women at the cutting edge of butchery (Longreads)
When Goodreads reviews go bad (The Guardian)
I am so happy that there is a new season of Bad Gays and an episode where they discuss Karl Lagerfeld (Bad Gays)
Rachel Roddy combines two of my favourite things - red wine and pasta (The Guardian)
A GOOD TIKTOK
This is unbelievably cute
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