August 18, 2024 (Updated )
Journalist. Founder. Presenter. Editor. As a jack of all trades, freelancers today are expected to do more than ever — but how do they thread it all together? Kayley Loo untangles a multi-hyphenate career.
I once spoke to a retired copywriter in his 70s about my desires for a career. When I told him my hopes of becoming a writer, an audio producer, and potentially dabbling as a graphic designer, he described it as “wanting to have my cake and eat it too”. He was confused: What happened to picking one thing and sticking to it?
“We are now expected to do so much more in our roles,” says Shana Gujral, a self-described multi-hyphenate. For the uninitiated, that means someone with several professions or skills. “To be a good freelancer, you need to be good at everything,” she continues.
Indeed, being a ‘jack of all trades’ seems to have become the norm for freelancers. Rather than helping us to stand out, having multiple disciplines is a societal expectation. Just think how many variations of journalists’ bios you’ve read in the format of “host, writer, editor, founder”.
How did it end up this way? The answer is complicated. Part of the problem lies in the current economic climate. Almost 8,000 journalism jobs were either made redundant or cut across the UK, America, and Canada in 2023. Every corner of the industry was affected, from independent publications like gal-dem to national news brands like Reach plc.
“Through necessity rather than choice, freelance [journalists] have the distinction of being one of journalism’s few growth sectors,” writes John Crowley, one of the founders of the Society of Freelance Journalists. Not only does this reduction in jobs make it harder for applicants to find one, but redundancies automatically push more journalists into the freelance space.
Data from the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) recorded 106,000 more freelancers in 2023 compared to 2022, while one in four self-employed people set up since 2020. What’s more, those working in the artistic, literary, and media sector made up one of the highest proportion of the UK’s solo self-employed, beaten only by those working in construction or as road transit drivers.
John Crowley, founder of the Society of Freelance Journalists (L), and Hannah Ajala, BBC broadcast journalist, founder of We Are Black Journos, and presenter of the Love, Janessa podcast (R)
At the same time, a cost of living crisis and soaring inflation have forced many freelancers to reassess their income streams, with many now seeing it as a necessity to invest in multiple skill sets. But for those of us who do decide to hedge our bets — either as a want or need — how can we do so in a way that fulfils us, and avoids us burning out?
Hannah Ajala is a broadcast journalist for the BBC, the founder of We Are Black Journos, and presenter of the Love, Janessa podcast. Speaking to Journo Resources, she says: “It is advisable [to have several skillsets] but it’s not a ‘die if you don’t’ situation. There’s never any harm in playing around.
“I do believe that you can be specific or shine in different areas. It’s really more about going with your gut and intuition on what makes a compelling story [for you] and how it can be [made reality]. Doing more things could open up even more opportunities for yourself.”
Caroline Wilson, a career coach at A New Direction, agrees, adding that freelancers should start by examining their motivations, ambitions, and current skills first. “It’s up to you,” she says. “Everyone has their path and their lane they would like to focus on.”
Once you’ve done that, often it can help to develop different career facets one at a time. “Some people say to establish first in one field and then diversify,” Caroline adds. “If you try to tackle everything at the same time, you run the risk of having too much going on, to the point where you end up not doing anything,” she explains.
Starting with one income stream and building up can also help you identify common threads to tie your career together. Shana adds: “I’ve tried to skill stack, one at a time… When you know what you want to do and are doing projects that you find meaning in and connection to, you’ll start to see common factors and common themes on things you’d like to engage more on — and decide if you want to go for it.”
Shana herself is a prime example. Starting from a traditional marketing career, she’s now a DJ, presenter, entrepreneur, and the host of Flip The Switch podcast. She tells me that she’s always “hustled on the side” and found joy in it. “I can really create a week for myself that is completely different, which means I never get bored.”
It’s also a strategy that’s worked well for her financially, which she adapts depending on the current market. “I find leveraging multiple skills across different industries can be great because then you can pick up where the money is on,” she explains.
But, how do you find those threads that can build a career? For Shana, it’s about always being open to learning new things: “I was always curious about building and strengthening my skills. I always see it as a positive, especially when you can tap into the bigger picture and bring those very unique skills to a client.”
For journalists in particular, Hannah says a good place to start is finding your own voice. She explains: “Pay attention to how you’re developing your sense of independence and individuality. From there, you’ll understand more about the stories that matter to you most.
“This is not necessarily a niche, per se, but it’s a discovery of where your strengths lie. Through that, it’ll show you your versatility and the different areas you can tune into in journalism.” However, she stresses that before attempting multiple pathways, journalists always need to nail the basics first, such as “truth and accuracy” and “clear concise judgement”.
Does she ever worry about neglecting some of her skills, if her career takes a different turn? For Hannah, it’s about making conscious choices on your current focus — and knowing that you can always return to areas you’ve put to one side.
“For example, more recently, I’ve been doing a lot of radio and podcasting, which meant my background in writing had to take a pause,” she explains. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not writing anymore. It just means it’ll have to be revisited later.”
She also advises incorporating small ways of polishing these ‘shelved’ skills into your weekly routine, so that when you do decide to return, they don’t feel rusty.
“It depends on how often you’re practising those skills. It’s important to ensure that in your spare time, you’re still working on your skills, whether that means writing a blog post or long captions on Instagram. The little things do make the difference just to make sure they’re not neglected.”
When it comes to doing it all, I often wish I had a time-turner like Hermione, or Doctor Strange’s ability to astral project himself, reading books and gaining knowledge while he’s asleep. The pressure to ‘do it all’ can feel overwhelming — so putting in place boundaries and organisation is vital.
“Literally whatever it looks like, make sure you just do it for yourself,” Hannah urges. It might take a bit of time to work out what organises your brain best, so experiment. For her, it’s writing down specific to-do lists for her personal and professional life. “I feel like I have more autonomy,” she explains. “Through doing that, I feel I have more agency in what I’m pouring into.”
Caroline also advises being mindful of what’s part of your career — and what isn’t. “The creative mind is always thinking. When you’re a creative you enjoy what you do — but there’s a distinction between a hobby and a career. The career part of it takes discipline.”
Shana always advises holding some things back from your career, warning of the danger of monetising all your skills. “You need to be careful and strict with yourself to draw the line,” she says. “Keep some things just to yourself and keep them just as fun.”
And, whatever that mix looks like for you, remember it’s unique and incomparable to others. “Don’t always look on social media,” says Caroline. “There’s another side to that picture, another side to that post that probably you don’t know. It’s okay to be inspired and to have goals, But it does no help to live in the comparison bubble because you need to have a sense of yourself as well.”
Crucially, if it feels like too much, there’s no shame in not doing all of it. Hannah says: “Life was not meant to be a test of ‘if you do this and you don’t do well, then you’re a failure’. I believe failing actually means training.”
“Just be honest with yourself, and find what you can handle and enjoy,” Shana agrees. “That’s what’s beautiful about being a multi-hyphenate: you can pick up and drop things at any time when it’s not fulfilling you or not giving you the satisfaction you want.”
Maybe there is some truth to the multi-hyphenate life being one that’s “having my cake and eating it too”. But perhaps the 2024 translation is more about pace. With so much to explore in freelance journalism, it’s a career that promises much joy in the long run — as long as we add new skills one step at a time.
