Bringing Freelancing to Life at the Manchester Job Show

Last week at the Manchester Job Show in the Trafford Centre, our staffing team proudly took centre stage to meet hundreds of motivated candidates exploring their next career move. The event gave us a fantastic platform to highlight who we are, what we do, and the exciting roles we’re currently recruiting for.

Take a read of what they got up to!

About the Manchester Job Show Event & Experience

When we first arrived, all three of us were nervous as we’d never done anything like this before. We didn’t know how it was going to go or even if anyone would turn up, but once we got set up, we were actually really proud of ourselves it looked so good, really professional but still stood out.

We went to grab a coffee, and when we came back the number of people was crazy. We literally ran back, and as soon as the doors opened and people came in, that was it, non-stop chatting for hours!

The public absolutely loved it. People were really interested in what we had to say and what we’re doing. A few were more interested in full-time roles, so freelance wasn’t for them, but honestly about 90% were really positive and keen to get involved.

Engagement & Conversations

A lot of the questions we got were around how many events we do and whether they’re mainly evenings and weekends.

We also spoke to a lady who had brought along some university students who were really keen, she’s already been in touch about us potentially going into the university to do a talk for students studying event management, which is amazing.

For us, that feels like a really proud moment. We’ve all come from freelance backgrounds and are now working full-time at Impulse, so being able to go back and inspire people just starting out in that career would be really special.

Showcasing Our Roles

We focused on being really open and honest when explaining our freelance roles, which is what seemed to resonate most with people. We spoke about the flexibility, the variety of events, and the opportunity to build experience. We also shared our own journeys from freelancing into full-time roles, which helped bring it to life and made it more relatable.

The biggest interest and enthusiasm came from people who liked the idea of flexible work and being part of exciting, fast-paced events. Many were drawn to the chance to meet new people while building their skills.

One of the main misconceptions we helped clear up was around stability. A few people initially assumed freelancing meant inconsistent work or lack of progression, but once we explained how regularly we work, the level of support available, and the potential to grow (as we have ourselves), it really changed their perspective.

Team Reflections

We really enjoyed the experience, especially as all three of us were able to do it together. We don’t often get the chance to be together as a team, so being side by side, sharing our stories and experiences with everyone, was really special.

We had such a laugh throughout the day as well, which made it even more enjoyable. Representing Impulse feels really natural to us it’s something we do every day out at events etc, so talking about our roles came easily. Explaining what we do and why we enjoy it didn’t feel like a task at all, it just felt like a normal conversation.

Honestly, there’s not much we would change if we did it again. The only thing we might consider is having a bit of a shift pattern, as it was a very busy day, being on our feet and talking non-stop for six hours is a lot, even for us as self-confessed chatterboxes!

Impact & Next Steps

One of the biggest takeaways from the day was how open and interested today’s job seekers are in flexible and varied ways of working. People were really drawn to the idea of freelancing, especially the variety it offers and the chance to gain experience across different events and environments. It was clear that many are looking for roles that feel a bit more dynamic and less traditional, not just your 9-5!

We also noticed that people really value hearing real, honest experiences. Sharing our own journeys made a big difference, it helped people understand what the role actually looks like day-to-day and made it feel much more accessible.

The conversations we had will definitely shape how we approach recruitment and outreach moving forward. There’s a clear opportunity to connect more with universities and early-career talent, especially after the interest we had from students studying event management. We’ll also continue focusing on being open, relatable, and real when talking about our roles, as that’s what people responded to most.

Overall, the day showed us the importance of getting out there, having face-to-face conversations, and bringing the role to life in a genuine way.

The next step for us is working through the volume of applications reviewing each one, arranging telephone conversations, and then getting people out on shifts with myself and the team. This will give us a chance to see if they shine in the same way they did when we first met them, and also whether the role is the right fit for them in reality.

There’s definitely a lot of admin to get through now, but honestly we feel like it’s going to be worth it!

Looking back this has been one of the best decisions we’ve made, and it’s something we’d absolutely look to do again especially into the South, we just need to recover from this one first 😊