A few years ago, at my old job, I was tired of working late and feeling burnt out, but it wasn’t until I got laid off that I realized how ready I was to be a freelancer. One day, my boss called me into his office and told me that he had been laying people off all week.
That afternoon, as I walked out of the building for the last time with a box in my arms full of things from my desk, it felt like someone had opened up a window: a gust of fresh air blew through the stale office air that had been circulating inside me for months.
| Takeaway |
|---|
| Freelancing offers immense opportunities and is worth exploring as a career option. |
| Embrace the changing landscape of work and adapt to new trends to succeed as a freelancer. |
| Overcome fears and concerns related to freelancing platforms like Upwork and focus on building a strong profile. |
| Consider technical writing as a rewarding career path and develop the necessary skills to excel in the field. |
| Monetize your freelance writing business by implementing effective strategies and leveraging your expertise. |
You’re In Charge
You’re in charge. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, and however you want to do it. You can set your hours, work from anywhere, and decide what you want to work on. You can even reject clients if they’re not a good fit for your brand or career goals.
There are no limits to what freelancers can accomplish in their field of expertise because they have complete freedom over the projects they take on and the work methods they employ!
If this sounds like something that would be up your alley then please give freelancing a try! If not then maybe it’s time for another career change–after all, there’s nothing wrong with having multiple careers throughout life!
The future of work is evolving rapidly, and embracing these changes can lead to tremendous opportunities. Discover how to navigate the changing landscape in our insightful article on how the future of work is changing and seize your piece of the pie.
It’s A Lifestyle
Being your boss, working flexible hours, and not having a commute or dress code are just some of the perks of freelancing. But there are other reasons to venture out on your own that don’t involve money.
There are few things worse than being stuck in an office with people who make you cringe every time they speak. There’s nothing wrong with disagreeing with them, but there is something wrong when it seems like everyone around you hates their job just as much as you do and is stuck there because they have no other options for making money.
As a freelancer, I had the opportunity to work from home or wherever I wanted each day my apartment (my favorite place), coffee shops (my second-favorite), parks (the most underrated location for getting work done), and even at my mom’s house when she needed someone to watch her dog while she was away on vacation so long as I could get my work done!
Your Work Will Be More Meaningful
You will be working on projects you are interested in. When you’re freelancing, you get to choose the type of work and the people whom you want to work for. And since all this is up to you, there’s no need for having a boss breathing down your neck.
You will be able to use your skills to help people. If there’s something that has been bothering or worrying you lately, why not turn it into something meaningful? Freelancing gives an opportunity just like that to pick something that inspires and motivates us in our daily lives and transform it into a product or service which can be used by other people as well!
You will have more freedom to work on projects you are interested in. Since there is no time limit on how long a project can take and how many hours we put into it (within reason).
We can spend more time doing what we love doing rather than worrying about deadlines or other constraints associated with 9-5 jobs where everything needs its place for things not to fall apart at any moment when least expected 🙂
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You’ll Learn A Lot Faster
If you’re anything like me, the thought of having to do something for the rest of your life can be pretty scary. But when you freelance, there are no limits on how long or short-term your jobs will be. You’re in control!
And even though my longest-lasting job was only four months long and my shortest was one week (I needed money for a flight and didn’t want to wait until payday), I learned more from those two short gigs than I did from any other job I’ve ever had.
It’s also important not to underestimate the value of learning new things while working on different projects at once it doesn’t matter if they’re big or small; what matters is that they’re outside your comfort zone and challenging enough so that they make an impact on your overall experience as a freelancer.
You’ll Be Able To Build Your Brand
When you’re working for someone else, your brand is their brand. You may be a hard worker and passionate about what you do, but if your boss doesn’t see those things, it won’t matter at all. Freelancing gives you the freedom to build your brand and make sure that everyone knows about it.
Instead of working for someone else’s business, when you freelance, YOU are the business! This means that YOU get to decide how much work you want to do in a day/week/month and how many clients you want to take on at once.
It also means that YOU get to decide how much time (or money) is being spent on marketing yourself so that people know who they should be hiring when they need an expert like yourself in their corner!
Technical writing offers a promising career path for those with a flair for clear communication. Learn if this career is the right fit for you by diving into our article on is technical writing the career for you? Uncover the key attributes and skills needed to excel in this rewarding field.
You’ll Become More Creative
When you’re working for someone else, you often have to get your tasks done in a certain way. You might be encouraged to use the same old methods and tools again and again, instead of coming up with new ways of doing things.
Freelancing gives you the freedom to think outside the box and come up with new ideas that can help improve your work. As an example: let’s say you write articles for people on a blogging platform like WordPress or Blogger.
When writing articles for a client, they usually give you guidelines about what kind of topics should be covered in each post (for example the article needs to be about XYZ) so that it doesn’t get too complicated for them (or their audience) at first glance.
This limits how creative you can be with each piece since there are restrictions on what can go into those posts based solely on those guidelines! However, when freelancing these types don’t exist anymore because there isn’t anyone telling us what we should do other than ourselves which means we’re free from any restrictions whatsoever!
You’ll Get To Meet A Lot Of New People
The best part about freelancing is you get to meet a lot of new people. You’ll be able to meet people from all over the world with different skills and backgrounds, perspectives on life, personalities, interests and so much more. When I started freelancing I didn’t know anyone! And I’m sure you might feel the same way too!
But it’s not all bad news though; because of the diversity in these people there will always be someone who can relate to your situation or help with problems that arise along the way (even if they’re in another country).
One of my friends who is also doing freelance work has found great success by finding mentors through Linkedin groups – where they share advice based on their experiences. So even though it’s hard at first but don’t give up because eventually, things will start falling into place 🙂
You’ll Make Enough Money To Survive On Your Own
You can make a living as a freelancer. Yes, you read that right! I know you might be thinking “No way, it’s not possible.” But believe me; I’ve made it work for myself and many others like me. It may seem like an impossible dream to earn enough money as a freelancer but with hard work and dedication, anything is possible!
As long as there are people who need work done and people who want to do it, there will always be jobs available for freelancers like us.
And we don’t just have one client at once (like employees do); we can have several clients at once which means more income coming in each month!
This gives us the flexibility to choose when we want to work or even if we want to take time off without worrying about losing our job or getting fired because our boss needs those hours back on Monday morning… and after all this time spent doing nothing but working hard only gets boring sometimes so why not take some time off?
While many skills are touted in the freelancing world, some remain underrated yet crucial. Unravel the 10 most underrated skills required to thrive on Upwork in our informative piece on the 10 most underrated skills you need to succeed on Upwork.
Work Wherever You Want To!
You can work from anywhere. Your home, your couch, a coffee shop, a coworking space you name it! What’s more, is that you don’t even have to leave your living room (if you want) if you’ve got an internet connection.
Don’t Put Off The Important Things Any Longer
It’s time to stop putting off your dreams. Don’t wait any longer! You can start with a simple side hustle and build it up into something great. Or you could jump right into full-time freelancing and business ownership if that’s what you’d prefer. It doesn’t have to be complicated or scary, but it does have to be done sooner rather than later!
In summation: don’t put off starting a business until retirement; start one today (or better yet this week)! Don’t delay starting a podcast when you’re ready; get it started today instead of next month or next year!
Don’t procrastinate starting your blog until after school is over; start writing now instead of waiting until August when summer vacation is over!
If there’s something that seems important enough for me to write about here on this website (which there is), then I also think it would benefit my readers greatly if they acted upon what I’m recommending right away rather than later down the road when things might get more difficult/expensive/complicated/time consuming etcetera ad infinitum ad nauseam.
Transform your freelance writing business into a lucrative venture with actionable strategies. Our guide on how to monetize your freelance writing business equips you with the knowledge to make the most of your skills and passion, paving the way to financial success.
Conclusion
No, freelancing isn’t for everyone. It takes time, patience, and discipline alone for most freelancers to make ends meet. But when you find that special niche, you will know it. And if you’re still in college and are considering getting your degree, I beg of you: try freelancing first!
There have been countless times in my life when I didn’t think things were going to work out, but I’ve always made it through and learned from the experience.
Further Reading
Pros and Cons of Freelancing: Explore the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing to make an informed decision about your career path.
Is Freelance Life Worth It?: Delve into the realities of freelance life and discover if it’s truly worth pursuing.
Is Freelancing Worth It?: Assess the value of freelancing as a career choice and gain insights into its potential rewards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Freelancing, Anyway?
Freelancing is when you take on projects as an independent contractor and set your schedule and rates. You can pick up a few gigs here and there, or take on longer-term consulting contracts. Some people do both!
How Do I Start Freelancing?
The process of becoming a freelancer involves several steps: finding clients, negotiating agreements with them, setting your price point, and managing all of the paperwork (including taxes).
It sounds scary at first reading but doesn’t worry we’ve got you covered. Read our articles that help explain each of these processes in detail so that you can get started as soon as possible!
What Is Freelancing?
Freelance work is self-employment or temporary work done by an individual without a formal employer though some freelancers choose to work with companies that employ them full time. Freelancers can be found in many different industries, from graphic design to photography to writing and editing.
What Are The Benefits Of Freelancing?
The biggest benefit of freelancing is freedom: it allows you to have more control over your schedule, which can be great for people who want flexibility but also want some stability in their lives (like having a steady paycheck).
Additionally, being your boss means never having to deal with office politics or clashing personalities at work again! Plus, if you’re already an expert at something valuable enough that other people want it to…why not get paid more than minimum wage while doing it?
Finally, if there’s one thing all freelance jobs have in common besides earning money on your terms…it’s flexibility: if something better comes along later on down the road (or during), there’s no need to worry about uprooting yourself; just jump into something else instead!
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.