While Christmas is said to be the most wonderful time of the year, for many of us January is most certainly not.
It’s dark, cold, we ate too many mince pies, and despite saying this year we’d cut back, the lure of the sales proved fatal to our bank balances.
As we prepare for a month of belt-tightening in every sense, it’s often the case thoughts turn to our future, and we begin to consider another year of work.
Whether it is the post-Christmas crash, seasonal gloom, or a combination of both, there is something about this time of the year that makes many of us just want to throw in the towel.
Finding a new role is the top New Year resolution for Brits according to recent research, and recruiters say January is their busiest month, with more than half of the UK workforce looking for new positions.
Some recruitment agencies have taken to labelling vacant positions “New year, new job!" on LinkedIn in a bid to tap into the theme of the season.
This mad scramble is the employment version of musical chairs, only for some, it’s not their first rodeo as they do the dance every year. For others, it can be a case of swapping bad for worse and they are soon unhappy again.
If you feel stuck on the carousel, or even too afraid to seek out a new challenge at all, the answer may be closer than you think.
You can take back control of your life and fall in love with your work again by becoming part of the Hoxby Collective.
Hoxby is a global network of freelancers working together on projects of all shapes and sizes for multinational clients, and best of all, we do it on our own time with our own ‘workstyle’.
The Hoxby Collective has turned the concept of modern work on its head; there are no offices, we are our own bosses, but we’re also part of a community that is much greater than the sum of its parts, delivering exceptional results entirely free of the corporate chains.
Our vision is to create a happier, more productive and healthier society by revolutionising the way people approach their work; your life is important, so put it first, and use that springboard to excel at the things you do best.
If you hate commuting (or in my case, office presenteeism), are struggling as a working parent, have a disability or are nearing retirement and finding work tough to come across, Hoxby helps strip away those boundaries.
The Collective offers you the freedom to showcase your skills and juggle all those other things going on in your life.
You can be a graphic designer, an accountant, a journalist, a marketer, a creative or a spreadsheet junkie, anything, anywhere in the world; you’ll be lending your skills the most exciting virtual workforce on the planet.
Such was the uptake last year we’ve had to cap new applicants, but the window to become a Hoxby is now open again until January 31. So banish those winter blues by applying to become part of the workforce revolution today.
Written by: Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor is a London-based freelance journalist and flexible working cheerleader. He became a Hoxby associate in November 2017, and his specialisms include financial services, medicinal cannabis, gambling and technology.