Why Skill-sharing is the Next Big Thing for Freelancers.

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Are you a Remote worker or Self-employed, a Business owner or a Portfolio worker?

Skill-sharing1Skill-sharing is making a concerted effort to use your expertise and time to help others.

It’s not about working for nothing or undertaking a trial in the hope of getting paid work. The motivation is to make the world a better place. The kicker? In itself, skill-sharing becomes fulfilling. Skill-sharing tends to take three main forms:

1) volunteering in a defined position (e.g. as a charity trustee)
2) mentoring someone who is new to your field
3) travelling to skillshare (e.g. Orbis Expeditions’ skill-sharing trips to Malawi)

I have personal experience of numbers 1 and 3 above and have found them to be amongst the most rewarding ways to spend my time. I’m going to break down exactly why skill-sharing is the next big thing for freelancers. Maybe you’re already doing it, maybe you’re interested in the idea, but trust me: in the next 5 years, everyone will have cottoned on. So get ahead of the crowd now…

Social interaction and creating connections

If, like me, you’re an extrovert in that you gain energy from being around others, working on your own can be draining. Spending time with like-minded people who are also up for skill-sharing is an act of recharging.

If you’re an introvert, I can’t think of a better activity to reflect upon! Chances are that skill-sharing will help you make some valuable work connections, too – future clients, colleagues or suppliers.

A new perspective

Without the team office atmosphere that a standard employed job often includes, it can be easy to get lost in your own worldview. It’s imperative that we work on maintaining broad horizons and an open mind. Skillsharing allows us to meet people from different perspectives.

Revitalises your passion

Skill-sharing2Whether it’s been a stressful and busy time in your business, or you’re struggling for clients and motivation, skill-sharing allows you to reconnect to your original drive.
I particularly found this when I went to Malawi with Orbis Expeditions.

The female entrepreneurs who attended our workshops do incredible things with their businesses and are eager to learn new skills – at the same time as contending with challenges ranging from deep sexism to electricity outages lasting days, if not weeks. My struggles back in England paled in comparison, and I returned with a renewed passion.

You stand out from the rest

I know there are thousands of other freelancers who do what I do. However, the fact that I have chosen to spend my spare time sharing my skills shows a particular passion for what I do and how I value my place in the world.

This is a guest post by Rebecca Broad. Rebecca is a Freelance Communicator, helping small businesses to share their message. Feel free to drop me an email here or find me across various social media platforms at @RebeccaComms 

Orbis Expeditions, one of her clients, runs expeditions to Malawi. They incorporate skill-sharing with entrepreneurs and students alongside incredible experiences of safari drives, mountain treks and eco-island stays. They are currently recruiting for professionals able to share their skills in Malawi in May and September 2019.

Images: courtesy of Venetia Norrington Photography.

About the author

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Rebecca Broad is a Freelance Communicator, helping small businesses to share their message.