When you’re considering working as a freelancer, the most important place to start is with the idea of freelancing itself. As a rule, the general reputation of freelance as easy work where you get to be your own boss is inaccurate at best and harmful at worst. So, it’s always a good idea to make sure you have a good grasp of what freelance is before you throw yourself into it.
Becoming a freelancer is an interesting thing to do, and if it’s something you’re interested in, then this article aims to outline what you should expect.
Plenty of Options
If you can deal with the idea of being a freelancer, then there are plenty of potential options available to you. You could get started with shipping work. They say that the best place for delivery drivers can often be found online, after all. Or, if that doesn’t work for you, there are plenty of potential options, some of which are in this quick list here.
- Programming
- Copywriting
- Graphic Art
- Translation
Considerations to make
As with many important decisions in life, the best place to start with the idea of a freelance career is with the considerations that you need to take into account. These aren’t necessarily reasons not to take up freelancing as a career, but they are the elements of freelance that make it a difficult path to walk.
- As a freelancer, you are entirely responsible for your income. This might sound obvious, but when you’re working traditionally, it is easy to forget that the money you’re making has to come from somewhere. Customers are the lifeblood of any business, and when you are a freelancer, you have to fight tooth and nail to secure your income every day. This leads quite nicely into the next point.
- There is always work to do with freelance. When you aren’t doing the work you are being paid for as a freelancer, there are always things that need doing, from marketing yourself to potential clients, to managing your finances, to building your portfolio, to networking events. There is always something else to do, which leads to the last point.
- Managing your work-life balance. Since there is always work to be done when you are a freelancer, it can be hard to rationalize pulling yourself away and spending time on yourself. Freelancers often feel like they are wasting time if they aren’t working, and it can be difficult both on you as a freelancer and on the people around you.
Think about the benefits
This isn’t to say that there aren’t plenty of benefits to working as a freelancer as well. Many of the things that you will have heard about the benefits of freelancing are accurate. As a freelancer, you get to choose what you do for a living and who you do it for. You get to set your own pay and your own working hours. The freedom that you experience as a freelancer is spectacular, but it is important to remember that these freedoms come at a cost, which is why you should always consider the drawbacks first.
Ask yourself now: can you deal with the difficulties of being a freelancer?
If the answer is yes, then great. You can have a look at some options and get started, but if the answer is no, then you might want to consider looking into something else.