The Expectation of Perfection

Every time I look at job listings, I get exhausted. It seems like the job descriptions have gotten longer, with more requirements 0f a candidate and a minimal list of benefits. 

Employers will now expect workers to have skill sets across different fields. “We want someone who writes breaking news and enterprise features, edits short stories and deep dives, can code the website using HTML, composes layouts in InDesign, photograph and edit in Photoshop, plans events…” It’s as though employers have compiled a job description at Build-A-Bear workshop rather than divvying up work among two or more employees.

Of course the past decade has been brutal on the journalism industry. According to a Pew research report, newsroom employment declined by 25% between 2008 and 2018.

Some of that has been normalized as more journalists have been expected to adopt multimedia editing tools in the age of social media. I myself earned a degree in multimedia journalism and am continuously learning new tools for reporting and cybersecurity. 

However, I wonder when employers will hit their limit in searching for the optimal employee and re-invest in training freelancers and staffers. As I apply for gigs and jobs and browse how qualified I am for roles based on my limited LinkedIn profile keywords, I worry about employers’ pursuit of the perfect fit rather than training candidates who have some of their desired skill sets. 

I say this as a freelancer who has to pivot from one beat to another. In my line of work, you may start off covering one beat but become interested in another. A quick glance of my portfolio reveals stories across a variety of beats ranging from business and technology to culture and personal finance with a dash of healthcare. not to mention my tendency to bounce between B2B beats like insurance, marketing and retail. Sure, I have experience as a journalist but I know how it feels to be rejected from a job on the basis of not having enough experience in one area or having too much experience in multiple areas.

Despite this range of experience, I run into potential clients or employers who seek a specific kind of person for a role. I encountered this recently when going up for a writing gig for which I ultimately decided wasn't that good fit for me because of the work required. Not only was position one that required me to work at a faster pace than I was comfortable with, but I also felt I wasn't given enough time to acclimate to the publication. 

Ultimately, we mutually agreed to part ways, but I've found that there are clients who expect freelancers to perform well with little training or background into how the company operates. Compared to full-time employees, freelancers are not giving as much liberty to make mistakes. They are expected to be experts. they are expected to fit within a company right away and execute the job would sometimes little preparation. 

When thinking back on my experiences in full-time or part-time positions, there was more leeway for employees to make mistakes and coast without adding more value to the company. Freelancers, on the other hand, are expected to be experts. Contractors have to have plenty of experience, know how to ask the right questions, meet deadlines and exceed expectations. There is always pressure to do well, because you are only as good as your last gig. 

I've come to realize that freelancers, with their range of skills, are going to find it harder than the average worker to fit in a neat little box. However, I'm hoping there will be more employers or future clients who can appreciate us as individuals beyond the technical skills that they currently possess. After all, we're not data points within an algorithm or line items within the budget. We're people.

Are you seeing lengthier descriptions in your job/gig search? Tell me in the comments or email me at contact@thefreelancebeat.com.