Freelancer Check-In: AI, Availability & Market Signals

Just had a thoughtful exchange with one of the brilliant freelancers in my network, and it echoed something I’ve been hearing a lot lately: The UK job market is a real mixed bag and a cooled freelance marketplace.

And honestly? I’m seeing the same.

The market has been the toughest I’ve seen, sluggish, delayed sign-offs, and tighter budgets across the board. But interestingly, some talent have stayed busy throughout. So what’s behind that?

I started digging into a few questions:

• Are clients starting to ask for AI expertise in briefs more often?

• What AI-related skills or tools should creative freelancers be adding to their CVs?

• Are there any AI courses or certifications brands actually care about?

I’d love to know:
👉 Have you seen a rise in AI-focused briefs?
👉 Are you upskilling in AI tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT, or Runway?
👉 Do clients care about AI fluency, or are they still trying to figure it out?

In the meantime, a lot of us are pushing through the slower seasons, but I’m optimistic things will pick up again come 2026. If you're a freelancer, permalancer or contractor, now’s a good time to:

✅ Update your CV/portfolio
✅ Refresh your skills
✅ Check in with your network
✅ Consider an AI lens on your offering

Drop me a message if you’re available, or if you just fancy a market catch-up.

Stay strong out there!

AI Isn’t a Bubble. It’s a Board Reset.

The power shift is already happening and most people are still asking the wrong question.

“AI is a bubble.”
That’s what people say when they’re terrified by big numbers and even bigger charts.
But this isn’t meme-stock froth. It’s a technological land grab so aggressive, it’s basically imperialism powered by the big corporates.

AI isn’t a hype cycle. It’s a reset.
The rules are being rewritten by companies that already own the pieces: Microsoft, Google, Nvidia, Meta, Amazon.

They have the compute, data, scale, and distribution. Everyone else? They’re just playing on someone else’s turf and paying rent to do it.

The takeaway?
This isn’t about chasing shiny new toys. It’s about understanding that AI is the next electricity.
And sitting out because it feels “too late” might be the most expensive decision you never make.

Stay frosty! 

This 10-Minute Hack Finally Fixed My Messy Desktop

A Simple Trick to Boost Your Desktop Workflow (And Sanity)

If like me, you spend most of your week juggling CVs, job briefs, folios, client assets and more you probably know the feeling…

That full on chaos on your desktop!

It starts with one new doc you don’t have time to file. Then another. By midweek, your screen looks like a digital dumping ground.

I've been there and I finally found a low-effort fix that actually works.

Try This: The _TO SORT Folder System

Instead of trying to perfectly organise files as I go, I created one folder on my desktop called _TO SORT.

It’s my personal “dumping ground with a purpose.”

Anything I’m too busy to deal with — from briefs to notes to PDFs — just gets dragged in there. No second-guessing. No distractions.

The beauty? I don’t have to stop to think, “Where should this go?”

Then, I Clean It Once a Week

Every Friday afternoon, I open that folder and take 5–10 minutes to clean it out. By that point, I know:

• What’s important

• What’s outdated

• And where everything belongs

It’s a reset ritual that clears my digital head before the weekend — and it’s surprisingly satisfying.

Want to Add a Bit of AI? Use These Smart Prompts

Here are a few AI prompts I keep in my notes that speed things up during clean-up:

🗂️ 1. “Sort This List of Files Into Folder Categories”

“Can you organise these filenames into folder groups for me? Here's the list…”

Just paste in your filenames, and you’ll get a neat sorting structure in seconds.

📝 2. “Summarise This Document Before I Archive It”

“Summarise this Word or PDF doc in 2 lines so I know whether to keep or delete it.”

Perfect for old meeting notes or duplicate versions.

🔄 3. “Rename This File for Clarity”

“This filename is a mess. What’s a clearer, scannable version I can use?”

Keeps your folders readable and fast to scan.

Why It Works (Without Making More Work)

This tiny system gives you:

• A fast mental offload zone (no guilt, no pressure)

• A weekly review habit that prevents build-up

• A smoother start to Monday because you know where everything is

No need to set up complicated rules, filters, or automations. It’s just one small shift and it’s changed how I work and never gets messy! 

Want to Try It?

✅ Create a folder on your desktop
✅ Call it _TO SORT
✅ Drag anything into it during the week
✅ Set a 10-minute Friday reminder to clear it out
✅ Bonus: Ask ChatGPT to help you sort or label anything confusing

It’s not fancy. But it’s quick and easy to set up. And sometimes, that’s what actually works!

— Dean

The Human Skills That Still Matter in an AI World (And Why They Might Matter More Than Ever)

You’ve heard it everywhere: 'AI is coming for your job'.

The truth? It is already here and mass displacement is happening not seen since the coal mines were closed in the the UK between 1980 and 1994. During this period, over 200,000 miners lost their jobs (a 90 % reduction in the industry's workforce). This also lead to widespread displacement within the affected communities. 

That said, not everything can be automated by AI - and IMO not everything should be.

If you want to stay relevant, trusted, and valuable, you need to develop and enhance the skills AI can’t replicate.

Here’s what those are and why they matter more now than ever. 

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

AI can analyse data but it can’t feel a pause in someone’s voice with instinct. It can’t sense when a meeting goes cold or when someone’s just not okay.

EQ is the glue of teams, leadership, and trust. It’s not “soft.” It’s strategic.

Strategic Thinking

AI can give you options. It can forecast scenarios. But it won’t choose your path.

That’s where human judgment comes in: weighing nuance, reading risk, and making the call.

Strategic thinking isn’t about being a genius, it’s about clarity under complexity.

 

Adaptability

You’ve heard of confidence. But adaptability? That’s what will keep you in the game.

In a world where tech is moving faster than job descriptions can keep up, your ability to learn, adjust, and evolve is the most underrated superpower.

 

Trust + Connection

Here’s the thing about trust it’s invisible, but you feel it. You’ve walked into meetings and instantly liked someone, right? Not because of what they said. Just… something about them.

That’s connection. That’s trust. And no AI, no matter how life like, can replicate that.

Curiosity

AI can give you answers. But curiosity is the fuel to asks more questions. Curious people stay relevant. They explore. They don’t wait to be taught, they figure things out. In the next decade, it won’t be your qualifications that future-proof you. It’ll be your curiosity.

Final thought:

We don’t win by beating the machines in a Terminator style movie. We win by being more human in the way that at times, not many people valued, more aware, more adaptable, more emotionally in tune.

Those aren’t soft skills.

They’re the hard skills of the future.

➡️ If you’re building a career that lasts, follow the series on emotional intelligence, strategy, and mindset (link in bio).

Social Media Tools

Below is a list of tools that I use to help with my day job - you might find some handy. Most of these have free plans, with a few premium upgrades available. No links are affiliate.

🎨 Creating Social Media Images

• Canva – UK‑based and still tops the list for templates and easy branding. Free/Paid.
  https://www.canva.com/

• PicMonkey – Simple browser‑based editing with essential tools. Free/Paid.
  https://www.picmonkey.com/

📅 Scheduling & Managing Social Media

• Buffer – UK access with a free plan and £6/month per channel premium option.
  https://buffer.com/

• Sendible – Made with agencies in mind; £29/month with 14‑day free trial.
  https://sendible.com/

• SocialBee – Great for automation, AI‑powered posting and post‑category rotation.
  https://socialbee.io/

✉️ Email Marketing

• Mailchimp – Still the go‑to for starters; free up to 500 contacts.
  https://mailchimp.com/

• ConvertKit – Used by many UK creators and bloggers for email funnels and content tagging. Paid.
  https://convertkit.com/

🛬 Landing Pages

• LeadPages – Still robust; UK‑complaint on GDPR. Paid.
  https://www.leadpages.com/

✍️ Email Signatures

• WiseStamp – Create professional email signatures, free plan available.
  https://www.wisestamp.com/

🎤 Webinars & Video Calls

• Zoom – Free for one‑on‑one sessions and UK‑friendly paid tiers.
  https://zoom.us/

• GoToWebinar – 7‑day trial, paid after that. Well suited for large webinars.
  https://www.goto.com/webinar

📊 Surveys & Market Research

• SurveyMonkey – Industry standard, UK server options, free plan available.
  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/

• AnswerThePublic – Repeated here for its value in understanding market queries.
  https://answerthepublic.com/

🎥 Screen Grab & Annotation

• Snagit – Paid but outstanding for annotated screenshots, UK pricing.
  https://www.techsmith.com/screen-capture.html

🎓 Hosting Courses & Memberships

• Thinkific – Free up to 3 courses; used widely by UK educators.
  https://www.thinkific.com/

✨ Here’s to smoother days, cheers! 🍻

I Hate AI-Generated Emails (Here’s the Dead Giveaway)

These days I can spot an AI-generated email a mile off, and I don't like it. Kind of makes me want to tune out and hit delete. Same way when I listen to radio adverts or watch TV adverts. They have zero appeal to me and I feel like my time is being wasted when exposed to them.

Now with emails (and I get a lot) it’s not just the words used but it’s the lack of intent or perceived lack of effort.  

They’re usually:

• Overly formal grammar and bold text used randomly for emphasis
• Over-polished and that classic em dash (—) thrown in like all the time
• Over-polite and underwhelming

My mum was a teacher. My sister’s highly qualified in English Language writing. That’s their bag and I always got them to check my posts before I uploaded them for spelling and grammar, they do use the em dash (—).

So why’s it a turn off for me?
Because it tells me the sender didn’t actually write it.
They outsourced the thinking.
And if you can’t be bothered to write it, why should I be bothered to read an email from a bot?

These links may help you

While we can’t always offer personalised input, we believe in supporting talent:

Below are free, trusted resources you might find helpful in your professional journey:

🔹 Interview Preparation - Linkedin: [https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a509392]

🔹 Resume Optimization - Google : [https://www.google.com/about/careers/applications/videos/google-resume-tips-and-advice/

🔹 Skill-Building - Corsera: [https://www.coursera.org/courseraplus?utm_medium=sem&utm_source=gg&utm_campaign=b2c_emea_x_coursera_ftcof_courseraplus_cx_dr_bau_gg_sem_bd-ex_gb_en_m_hyb_24-09_x&campaignid=21725850922&adgroupid=351685083790&device=c&keyword=coursera&matchtype=e&network=g&devicemodel=&creativeid=1449957450237&assetgroupid=&targetid=kwd-36262515261&extensionid=&placement=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21725850922&gbraid=0AAAAADdKX6ZADV9ndVuj0idGAJRGQrdGB&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjJrCBhCXARIsAI5x66W8Xz6jfO5D3bV3pSvFBXDceuz_TRgec5Zv90FL5nxY0CamIYtxoe0aAgS8EALw_wcB]

🔹 Career Coaching - Govt: [https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/#:~:text=Speak%20to%20an%20adviser,use%20webchat%20to%20talk%20online.]