1st speaker at @tasfreelancers conference starting now. is @marcus_bowles, looking at an issue of concern to every freelancer: The Future of Work. HIs argument is that "freelance is the new normal". More on that here: workingfutures.com.au/160620_newnorm… 
We are also going to need more soft skills, and more people who are comfortable and experienced in working from home @marcus_bowles tells @tasfree, citing www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/ec…; and www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/bu…
If you are pivoting into the freelance market, then in the coming months / year, @marcus_bowles has this list of actions for @tasfreelancers, that you need to take. More from that source here: ibm.myinnergenius.com.
.@marcus_bowles tells @tasfreelancers that the future isn't 'white collar' / 'blue collar' - it's "new collar" - a combination of human, technical and digital. Here are the biggest job sectors in this space at the moment.
And here are the job sectors that are shrinking or being crowded out by the recently unemployed, @marcus_bowles tells @tasfreelancers:
Going freelance in this climate? Be able to provide evidence of your niche skills - e.g. do micro-credential courses to validate your resume, get on platforms where opportunities are advertised, and keep your profile up to date. @marcus_bowles at @tasfreelancers #Freelancers
.@marcus_bowles says freelancers with clearly articulated value proposition, who express their personality (because that's also a factor in hiring), AND offer employers soft skills (problem solving, critical thinking) get paid 10% more, on average #launcestonfreelancefestival
Don't try to be everything to everybody. You'll get drowned in noise of other freelancers, & people who need YOUR skills will struggle to find you. Build a clear profile of your specific strengths: @marcus_bowles. His site: workingfutures.com.au #launcestonfreelancefestival
The next session at #launcestonfreelancefestival is @NinaHendy, @GaryNunn1, @franmolloy, @DanielleCronin - and the subject is "The Future of Freelancing".
Great to see @DanielleCronin on this panel - her work with @WIM_Aus has been hugely supportive of women journalists in Australia. If you want to join, here's the website: womeninmedia.com.au #launcestonfreelancefestival
And to hear from Dr Penny O'Donnell - very interested in her New Beats Program, which is a study of journalism redundancies in Australia in recent years i.e. pre-Covid. More on that program here: newbeatsblog.com #journbiz #launcestonfreelancefestival
Wow. Dr Penny O'Donnell says the global freelance journalism community is around 30 million people. That's more than the population of Australia. Do we need a global union? #journbiz #launcestonfreelancefestival
Dr Penny O'Donnell has recommended Australian freelancers check out freeline.net.au, a resource for freelance journos here. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Very good point - there's not really a degree you can do at the moment to learn how to be a freelance journalist. Pre-COVID guides are out of date - Dr Penny O'Donnell at #launcestonfreelancefestival #journbiz
Also, be clear on whether you're freelancing to earn a living, and / or freelancing to hold power to account and will need to rely on external funding - Dr Penny O'Donnell, #launcestonfreelancefestival, #journbiz
Excellent open question from panel moderator @pomegranitaa: how do you actually know if you've 'made it' as a freelancer, and is it actually a career, or a gap-filler between permanent roles. I wonder how we as educators communicate that to students. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Good practical advice from @franmolloy - some freelance work is done for love, and some is done for money. You've got to pay the rent and buy food. So be flexible to stay in work. #launcestonfreelancefestival
.@GaryNunn1 describes the decision to become a full-time freelancer as "being released from prison" after being made redundant from an exhausting job. "I don't ever want to work in an office 5 days a week ever again." #launcestonfreelancefestival
@GaryNunn1 .@GaryNunn1 agrees with @franmolloy - some jobs are passion projects / "loss leaders", and others are for the income. He works for a broad range of outlets on both sides of the #auspol fence. #launcestonfreelancefestival
@GaryNunn1 @franmolloy .@DanielleCronin says people fresh out of university setting up as freelancers are up against highly experienced practitioners with a solid body of work. Stand-out rock-solid stories will help you get noticed. #launcestonfreelancefestival
@GaryNunn1 @franmolloy @DanielleCronin If you're an Australian freelancer, @NinaHendy says you can apply to join the Freelance Collective - new members are vetted & there's an annual fee: thefreelancecollective.com.au. (Also - Nina's website is ninahendy.com.au) #launcestonfreelancefestival
@GaryNunn1 @franmolloy @DanielleCronin @NinaHendy "You've got to think about yourself as a needle in a haystack". How will target employers find you? Great advice from @NinaHendy at #launcestonfreelancefestival.
@GaryNunn1 @franmolloy @DanielleCronin @NinaHendy Another useful resource for freelancers in Australia: Freeline: freeline.net.au. #launcestonfreelancefestival
@GaryNunn1 @franmolloy @DanielleCronin @NinaHendy Tips from @DanielleCronin - your story needs a strong idea, be succinct, something she hasn't heard before, have a strong hook, be high quality writing, and demonstrate that the freelancer has studied the masthead being targeted #launcestonfreelancefestival
And what not to do - don't send a generic pitch to multiple outlets, and don't be coy about money; be upfront about your payment expectations - @DanielleCronin #launcestonfreelancefestival
Pro tip from @GaryNunn1 that resonates with me as a dual national - use timezones to your advantage. The end of the working day on one timezone is the start of another on the other side of the world. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Good tips from @franmolloy - established freelancers don't write for less than $A0.80 a word. She also recommends joining @withMEAA's "Freelance Pro" - it's on top of union fees & includes indemnity insurance. Info here: meaa.org/meaa-media/fre… #launcestonfreelancefestival
@NinaHendy: spread risk by working with multiple clients, reach out to new clients weekly - if an editor's moved jobs, get in touch. Don't send a resume - have a good website (eg ninahendy.com.au) & use LinkedIn. And work with editors that pay #launcestonfreelancefestival
.@DanielleCronin if you're pitching to an editor for the first time, keep in mind they'll have a stable of people they work with regularly. So keep it brief, dive straight in, make it solid, and include links to your work (or your website). #launcestonfreelancefestival
The next session at @tasfreelancers will be music to #freelance ears: accounting skills. Because if you're a freelance journo, you're a small business. Speakers are @OliverGarside and Holly Shoebridge at oceansaccounting.com.au. #launcestonfreelancefestival #journbiz
Tip 1 from Holly Shoebridge (who's not on Twitter but is on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/hollyshoebr…) have separate business and personal bank accounts. This will save you hours every year, and time is money. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Tip 2: Work out what your hourly rate is and think about how much time you spend on managing your finances. If you can automate your invoicing, PAYG contributions etc, you're literally saving yourself money. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Tip 3: from @OliverGarside - add ability to pay via credit card to your website. Won't suit every client, but if it makes it easier for a client to pay you, it's worth doing. Tip 4 - set up an automated email for late payment reminders #launcestonfreelancefestival #journbiz
Tip 5: If you're on JobKeeper, Holly says it's an assessable form of income. It's GST-free. You might want to set up a specific bank account for it, to make life easier for your accountant at tax time. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Tip 6: Talk to your accountant to make sure that a specific booking isn't 'employment' where superannuation should be paid. Most employers who don't pay this have made an error, but a few try to avoid paying it. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Final 3 tips from @olivergarside & Holly Shoebridge: regular record-keeping will change your life, have a detailed conversation with your accountant to review your finances, and use (and learn to use) an accounting platform. #launcestonfreelancefestival #Freelancers
Next up at @tasfreelancers: the midday keynote from @SimonAHarman of @Loki_Project, looking at digital security. Given what's going on with #Tiktok today, it couldn't be more timely... #launcestonfreelancefestival
One of the resources @SimonAHarman is talking about today is Session - a secure messaging app. Potentially useful for journalists cc @julieposetti getsession.org #launcestonfreelancefestival
@SimonAHarman @julieposetti .@SimonAHarman says journalists have more sensitive conversations than most industries - not just with sources, but with fellow reporters and editors. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Email, chat-apps, SMS all go through a middle-person. Let's call it "Watson". Watson, @SimonAHarman says, may work for the world's biggest advertiser. You've got routers & other identifiers. Do you know everyone in your online conversation? #launcestonfreelancefestival
How do you have a conversation JUST WITH your source?First, use an end-to-end encrypted service. These include @signalapp, which @SimonAHarman recommends. Also Wire and Threema (He counsels against using WhatsApp, btw.) #launcestonfreelancefestival
Next, remove personal identifiers (e.g. phone numbers, email address) with a service like Session. It's an IOS / Android / desktop app. It's based on Signal, but removes identifiers. You can also send files & voice messages getsession.org #launcestonfreelancefestival
Next, get rid of "Watson" altogether with something like the Loki blockchain system. loki.foundation #launcestonfreelancefestival
Next, use onion routing so that no one can reconstruct 'Watson', no matter how hard they try. Then you have a secure online conversation - as long as you don't do anything to derail IRL ⬇️ says @SimonAHarman #launcestonfreelancefestival
Last - if you've got #TikTok installed on your phone, @SimonAHarman recommends not just deleting it but (OMG) doing a full factory reset, because the data requests made by the app "go way beyond" an acceptable level of privacy intrusion. #launcestonfreelancefestival #journalism
@SimonAHarman Coming up at @tasfreelancers - 3 x workshops, by @boom_berger, @timkitchen, and @theburgerman. I don't live-Tweet workshops as this is how trainers make a living, but you can still register for the conference for access: launcestonfreelancefestival.com.au/schedule-tab #launcestonfreelancefestival
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Going to live-Tweet some but not all of @tasfreelancers Day 3 as I have a clashing appointment. Looking forward to catching up with the #launcestonfreelancefestival hashtag on whatever I miss.
Getting underway today - @louisasays on how @walkleys recognises outstanding freelance journalism, and opportunities available for the future - including the very recently launched mid-year awards - more info on those here: walkleys.com/mid-year-award… #launcestonfreelancefestival
.@louisasays says @walkleys will also soon launch opportunities for #Indigenous and #diverse journalists in Australia so keep an eye on their website. walkleys.com #launcestonfreelancefestival
Sidebar: @macleaycollege students are covering @tasfreelancers in a virtual newsroom and producing fabulous content on the following platforms: facebook.com/launcestonfree…
twitter.com/tasfreelancers
instagram.com/launcestonfree…
linkedin.com/company/313464…
#launcestonfreelancefestival
twitter.com/tasfreelancers
instagram.com/launcestonfree…
linkedin.com/company/313464…
#launcestonfreelancefestival
Just a reminder, @louisasays: freelancers are eligible for ALL Walkley awards, so if you haven't entered before, "back yourself and have a go". Good advice. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Want some inspiration / dutch courage? Here are some of the recent @walkleys award winners to inspire you: sustainable.unimelb.edu.au/research/resea… #launcestonfreelancefestival
Horrifying to hear from @louisasays that @PIJI_Journalism reports more than 400 regional outlets have shut in Australia since March. Essential for freelancers to fill the gap in holding power to account. #launcestonfreelancefestival cc @emilybell
Got to hop off live-Tweeting #launcestonfreelancefestival due meeting clash. But it's not too late to get @tasfreelancers ticket for vids of all sessions - including this on the future of film. I'll be back in time for superannuation session at 11.30. launcestonfreelancefestival.com.au/schedule-tab
Back early! Great to catch the tail-end of @cathwebber's overview of the @WIM_Aus programme in Australia. It's an amazing organisation, supportive and compassionate. Absolutely worth joining: womeninmedia.com.au. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Now at #launcestonfreelancefestival: Owen Tilbury of @BOFAFilmFest and director Nick Tantaro, on "The Future of Film". Chaired by @miss_esther of @MediaMentorsAus NB BOFA was FIRST film festival to go online in 2020, Owen says his daughter suggested online rather than cancel. 💃
Nick Tantaro says Australian film industry has been badly hit by #COVID19Aus, & a lot of TV productions are in hiatus. It's not just social distancing; part of the problem is the inability to get insurance. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Owen Tilbury of @BOFAFilmFest says the online film festival achieved unprecedented numbers. (Also CORR to earlier Tweet - it was first AUSTRALIAN film festival to go online, not WORLD] You can check out BOFA here: breath-of-fresh-air.com.au. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Tilbury adds hybrid events are likely to continue in future; not all filmmakers are keen to hand over work for free online streaming, but those that are happy to, reach a much bigger audience. "We're feeling pretty positive about the whole thing." #launcestonfreelancefestival
NB if we're talking about the future of film this is a good moment to plug the mobile film-making community - check out @momofilmfest, @SF3Fest, @DubSmartFF - especially if you're looking for productions by #diverse filmmakers. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Owen Tilbury acknowledges the "the power dynamic still resides in the hands of men" in filmmaking, and "women are still grossly underrepresented"; just 33% of producers are female, especially outside high-budget film productions. #launcestonfreelancefestival
Owen Tilbury's just referred to an emerging film role: "impact producer" - whose job is to expand a film's social impact - building campaigns, getting schools involved, fund-raising. More info: impactguide.org/impact-in-acti… #Socialimpact #launcestonfreelancefestival
If you're interested in learning how to make a social impact film, Esther Hawkins has shared a link: #launcestonfreelancefestival
Up next at @tasfreelancers - the session that makes the $A35/$A55 ticket worthwhile (bc attendees can book a free pension health-check with @MediaSuper): "The Future of Superannuation". Pausing live-Tweeting bc financial advice etc etc #launcestonfreelancefestival
That is actually it for my live-Tweeting bc final session is a workshop (I don't Tweet workshops - that's how trainers make a living) but am looking forward to this with @MediaMentorsAus big time. Congrats @tasfreelancers for an amazing conference! #launcestonfreelancefestival
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