5. Working Through Agencies

Some recruitment agencies in the media and communications sectors have units that specialise in placing freelancers. If you are starting out and/or do not have a ready source of work, these can be a good bet, but bear in mind the rates you can expect may be lower than those you could get from selling your services directly, since the agency will take a cut of your fees. To track down agencies that might be able to find work for you, take a look at the display advertising sections of industry magazines such as Marketing, Marketing Week and Campaign. Two agencies which operate sizeable freelance departments are Stop Gap and Major Players. Bear in mind that you will need to be able to give them a CV. Also, it may be difficult to find recruitment companies that specialise in this kind of business outside London.

Is freelance work advertised in the press?

Yes, but infrequently. And it is usually placed by agencies such as those described above. In general, the cost of display advertising means companies will not use it to recruit freelancers unless they are looking to fill a long-term contract. Companies like the BBC often advertise contracts and may occasionally offer jobs for copywriters. Other opportunities can arise from time to time; the best places to look are in the weekly media section of The Guardian newspaper and its associated website, www.media.guardian.co.uk, plus the main marketing, media and creative magazines and websites: Marketing, Marketing Week, Campaign, www.campaignlive.com, www.brandrepublic.com, www.mad.co.uk and others. You will probably have to subscribe to most of these, although the cost is at least tax-deductible.