It has been almost ten years since I had started as a freelancer. With remote work being a new thing back then, I was quite apprehensive about my choice. But a year to it, I had found the joys of being a freelancer. And ever since, I have made it a point to sing praises for this career choice, and I have taken up the mantle to st//op any freelancing soul who has decided to give up on being an independent worker.
Freelancing is at large these days. According to a survey conducted among the workforce of the United States of America, 50% of the millennial workforce has been found to be freelancing instead of being stuck at a 9 to 5 job. Well if you ask me, that is not very surprising to me! Why? Because taking into account the many advantages that freelancing has on offer for us, everyone prefers work-from-home instead of being limited to a cubicle.
Being a freelancer is not easy too. Like every good thing, freelancing also comes with its set of drawbacks. The projects are seasonal, the payments are irregular, and there is no job security either.
10 Reasons Why You Must Not Give Up on Freelancing
If you are a freelancer who is thinking of quitting the freelancing life, here are 10 reasons why you should reconsider your decision!
- No Definite Work Hours
I have heard so many of my non-freelancing friends complain about being stuck in a typical 9 to 5 job. As a freelancer, you have the prerogative to choose your working hours. You are your boss when it comes to ascertaining the working time, and it is on you how you want to allocate time to your projects. As there are no specific office hours, you can take advantage of the flexibility and do the work at your own pace. In the case of a day off, you do not have to go through the ordeal of informing the HR departments and your manager.
- No stress of daily commutation
With the ever-increasing traffic on the roads, traveling all the way to work and driving back home can be quite taxing. You may also run late for office and may have to bear the burden of deductions from your salary due to late coming. Have you considered how many hours will you have to waste stuck in the tube or a cab on your way to work? On an average, we lose about 170 hours throughout a year due to traffic. Adding to the woe are the high conveyance fares and the rising prices of gasoline. Are you even ready to spend your hard-earned money on travel?
- Work Comfortably
Almost every corporate firm has a dress code that you need to abide by. Formal wear can be uncomfortable at times. Not to mention, the extra expenses that you will have to incur on formal wear when you give up the comfort of staying home and working from there and join an office. When one can wear a pair of PJs and a snug tee and deliver the work, why would anyone want to sacrifice the comfort?
- In Control of the work environment
My office-going friends often crib about the office politics and vile environment within an office. I have also heard many of my claustrophobic friends complain about the tiny little cubicles with no window or sky view. Anyone would pick a cozy nook in their own house over a booth, right? Also, as a freelancer, it is up to you where you want to sit and work. You can catch a break according to your wish and look out of the window occasionally to find a view of the horizon.
- Choose the best project
When we talk about being employed in a conventional office, you will be required to work on the projects that have been assigned to you. Unlike being a freelancer, you do not get to make a choice and may end up working on a project that you do not have your heart into. After all these years of choosing your work as a freelancer, it can be tough to fit into the structure of doing what others tell you to do. Now before you give up freelancing altogether, ask yourself – are you ready for it?
- Deciding your rate
Although you may have an option to negotiate your salary when you are hired for a regular job, the chances of the negotiation going in your favor are quite low. Most commonly, it has been seen that very few employees get a salary that they think they deserve. As a freelancer, however, you will be the one to set your rates. Of course, not when you begin your career – but after a year or two, you will be the one to decide. In the case of an office job, the HR department will set your salary, and you will get a raise only during the appraisals. Why choose a fixed salary when you can determine your earnings by selecting a profitable rate and working more hours as per your need?
- Fewer meetings to attend
Oh, the time wasted due to the many useless and long meetings on issues that could have been solved through an email! Should warn you against this beforehand – When you leave your freelancing career to join a company, you will see how many unnecessary and unproductive meetings you will have to attend. It is true that as a freelancer you often have to attend meetings with your client. But there is a significant difference between listening to a manager talk and you doing the talking directly with your client.
- Being able to experiment
Let me tell you this -the best lesson that I have learned in my career was while I was a freelancer. When you choose a 9 to 5 job, you are more likely to do the same thing every day. However, in your freelancing career, you get to work on various types of projects, and you need to deliver work as per the dynamic requirements of your clients. This way you get to learn better and newer things in your field, which strengthens you as a professional. Since you are your boss, you learn to be more responsible and sincere in your work.
- Not being answerable to anyone
Yes! True that you may at times find no work as a freelancer, there is no job security. But all that is just hypothetical. Even when you start working in an office, there are chances that you might lose your job on several grounds. Also, if you dread being fired ad turned down – you do not have to worry about that while freelancing. You may be rejected at times by a client or may lose a project. But hey! That is just part and parcel of life, right? In your freelancing career, there will be no higher authority who can fire you or hand you your termination letter.
- Saving quality time
Have you ever considered how giving up freelancing may affect your social life? Freelancing allows you to spend quality time with your family and friends. If you are a parent, you can give time to your child. You can guide them in their coursework too. At times, we have ailing parents at home who needs to be attended to. Unless you are allowed a flexible time shift in your office, it can become challenging to handle your duty towards your parents while delivering your work on time.
There are tax-exempts that you can enjoy alongside the benefit of working in your coziest nook in the house with your cat on your lap while sipping coffee. So before you give up your freelancer status, ask yourself – are you sure about it?
Author Bio: Ela Lewis is a career counselor who extends essay help service to students through academic writing service providers. Besides being a passionate artist, he loves to travel around the world.