DISCOVER ONE COPYWRITER’S EXPERIENCE OF A MAJOR HOXBY PROJECT. LEARN WHY OUR TEAM-WORKING IS OUTSTANDING
I joined Hoxby and its incredible Unilever/Cleanipedia homeware website content team in March 2019. Certainly, I learned a lot from the experience of working on such a large-scale project and getting acquainted quickly with the Hoxby ‘way’.
So, how does it feel to be part of this unique freelance community? And why is Hoxby different from other agencies?
My first project was radically different
Hoxby helps bring out the best in everyone and, more globally, inspires amazing results with clients.
Here are four things I found with Cleanipedia:
1. Support from the start. I really appreciated being surrounded by considerate people. Being self-employed, you work for yourself, by yourself. But with Hoxby you’re part of a team. There are video meetings every week to help answer questions, yet there’s no obligation to participate.
2. Trust, not pressure. Though I was brand-new to Hoxby, I felt immediately trusted by the Cleanipedia team for each task and responsibility. Without pressure, it was easy to grow and learn new skills throughout the project.
3. Creativity, not fear. Simply, Hoxby celebrates freedom. I noticed that no matter how ‘important’ the client, people were always confident to propose and try new initiatives. For Cleanipedia, that meant anything from bringing a truly personal tone of voice to our texts, to asking Hoxbies to take pictures at home to illustrate articles about cleaning.
4. Making the most of flexibility. The team worked very effectively thanks to technology, clear roles and good communication. Everyone could operate according to their own ‘workstyle’; Hoxby respects that.
How Hoxby keeps me involved
First and foremost, Hoxby is a freelance community that brings together professionals from multiple horizons and every corner of the world. Even if I have no ongoing projects, I still feel very much part of it.
I try to keep up with channels on Slack and participate in initiatives when I can. Generous Hoxbies are always here to help, share opportunities or inspire us with their astonishing work at the ‘#watercooler’.
Depending on circumstances, hopefully it’s your choice whether to take the plunge into freelancing; deciding factors could be your home situation or personality. Hoxby tries to give you the best possible chance of success with support from a 1,000-strong global network, the enjoyment of working on exciting projects and the satisfaction of adding value to your CV. What more could you want?
Why freelance is right for me
People often think that self-employment is stressful and unstable. Sure, having to find clients can sometimes be difficult, but I believe life as a freelancer leads to greater wellbeing.
And, apart from the obvious benefits of flexible working – where and when you want – freelance can be professionally fulfilling. It can take a while for an interesting project to come along, but you can work for amazing clients or simply those you choose.
In fact, you can become adept at multitasking and avoid routine. As a French copywriter, I am happy to juggle translation, editing, SEO research, community management and slightly ‘random’ projects.
Make the leap: we’d love you to join us
All we ask is that you also love what you do, thrive on being creative (maverick even) and want to make a difference to the world of work.
You don’t have to be a copywriter: we offer opportunities across many areas of business, from marketing and HR to innovation and admin. We have a not-for-profit arm, too – the Hoxby Foundation, founded on the belief that everyone should have the complete freedom to choose when and where they work.
Find out more about Hoxby’s empowering way of working, or apply to join us.
Olivia Merlen is a bilingual copywriter and travel journalist in the Hoxby community.