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You’re short staffed but you can’t afford to employ somebody

permanent - if that sounds familiar, then an interim marketer may

provide the answer.

And it’s a rapidly growing area; despite the lack of security, the work

is flexible and well paid.

Gary Ling, a freelance marketing consultant, thinks you have to be a

certain type of individual to do well as a freelancer. ’If you’re a good

interim manager, you live in a perpetual state of worry, always looking

for opportunities,’ he says. While the freelancer has to be able to fit

into an organisation quickly, the big plus is the enormous range of

experience to be gained. However, he believes many of the benefits of

being a full-time employee are taken for granted and the camaraderie can

be hard to replace.

While there are typically three women to every man in this field, this

may be changing. Recruitment firm Major Players has recently launched a

specialist freelance division, which guarantees work and provides

benefits such as holiday pay. Managing director Jack Gratton says the

operation aims to make freelancers feel both secure and part of a

team.

Gratton explains that most of the candidates are well trained but don’t

want a permanent job, which also turns out fairly well for many

companies that can’t afford full-time employees.

Sarah Taylor, director of Interim Marketing, specialist in short-term

recruitment, sees it as a ’try before you buy’ approach. She believes

that many women move into freelancing after a career break, while

senior-level men, once there, decide that with their experience, they

can go on their own.