Hello Pajamas, Goodbye Cubicles; Survey Unveils Freelancer Motivations
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) August 08, 2013 -- Rev.com, a services marketplace that works with the top 10 percent of freelancers, today announced the results of a recent survey on the decision to be one’s own boss. The findings reveal that freelancing is a lifestyle choice most occupied by those in their 30s, most appreciated by those over 50, and most fruitful for those without a college education. Contrary to popular belief, only two percent of those surveyed are freelancing because they are unable to find a traditional job and despite the enthusiasm around being self-employed, very few (6%) wish they had begun freelancing sooner. The survey was conducted in June 2013 with a statistically significant sample from Rev.com’s pool of freelance workers. To view an infographic of survey results, click here.
Key findings include:
• 95 percent have worked in traditional offices, and have chosen to freelance in order to be their own boss (35%), have more time with family (17%) or simply enjoy the comforts of working from home (11%).
• 46 percent of all freelancers miss the socializing that took place at the office; older workers miss less about the office than younger workers, with 37 percent of those over 50 saying they “miss nothing” versus just 19 percent of workers under of the age of 30.
• Older workers make better freelancers; they are more reliable (93% of them deliver work on time versus 86% for those 49 and younger), work more on average (earn 30% more per month than those under 30 years old with normalized pay rates), and produce the same quality of work (all ages average 4.5 out of 5 in quality score).
• Freelance workers without any formal education beyond high school work the most, with monthly earnings nearly three times that of their counterparts with a graduate degree.
Career regrets and dreams
The majority of respondents (54%) have no career regrets while 16 percent say they ultimately made the wrong career choices and a very small number (6%) regret not pursuing a childhood dream. When asked about their ideal job, 22 percent said they prefer doing transcription and translation work from home as it helps them learn. Other respondents said they wished they had pursued a career in one of the following industries:
• Journalism/Media (11%)
• Finance/Accounting (8%)
• Healthcare (7%)
• Creative: Fashion/Photography (5%)
• Entertainment: Music/Performer (5%)
• Agriculture/Forestry (5%)
• Professional Basketball Player (1%)
"We asked freelancers why they work from home, and they told us they like the freedom and flexibility that comes with being your own boss," says Jason Chicola, CEO of Rev. "Many office workers are sick of cubicles, traffic, and childcare. Most would jump at the opportunity to work in their pajamas, skip the commute, and keep their kids at home. We’re seeing more and more people who turn to freelancing as a long-term lifestyle choice, and have no plans to ever set foot in an office again. Rev helps the best of these freelancers build work-from-home careers."
Freelancers that are interested in working on the Rev platform can apply at http://www.rev.com/contact.
Press inquiries can be directed to Kimberly Angell of Wish PR at press(at)Rev(dot)com.
About Rev
Rev is a services marketplace that works with the top 10 percent of freelancers, and delivers services to businesses at half the price and twice the speed of traditional vendors. Rev’s first two services are audio transcription and document translation. Unlike offerings that require businesses to coordinate projects directly with freelancers, Rev vets the workers, manages the project, and guarantees quality. Rev also develops and supports its iOS app, the Rev Voice Recorder, a free audio recording app with one-click transcription services. Rev’s mission is to build the best place for freelancers to work. Rev is headquartered in San Francisco and is funded by Globespan Capital. http://www.rev.com.
Kimberly Angell, Wish Public Relations, (415) 471-7272, [email protected]
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