The way in which we work is changing. Whereas it was once possible to have a ‘job for life’ this is now no longer the case. Even jobs that were once considered safe are now being turned into annual contracts with employees being asked to ‘bid’ each year for them. As the world continues to shrink and technology evolves, allowing people to communicate easily with far away countries, the way in which we work will never be the same.

As a result there are probably more self-employed people than ever before. But self-employment means different things to different people. One of the more recent developments is the growth of project-based working.

As employers seek to become leaner and more efficient there is a growing recognition that certain tasks can be undertaken by someone other than a permanent member of staff, particularly where the task is known to be short term. This is where the project-based worker can provide a solution.

Project-based working is not unlike freelancing. But while the freelancer is constantly trying to sell skills to a wide variety of users, project-based working will generally mean working for just one or two employers at any time.

It can be relevant in a number of different areas:

• Internet services: banner design, domain registration, search engine optimisation.
• Marketing and creative: illustrations, brochures, logos, advertising.
• Web design: design, programming, e-commerce. content.
• Software development: business applications, technical solutions, databases.
• Research: market information, customer statistics, financial, trademark.
• Translation: interpreting, proofreading, translation.
• Writing: website content, speeches, technical writing, copy editing.

There are a number of websites dedicated to project based working, such as www.smarterwork.com, www.freelancers.net and www.cwjobs.co.uk.