Freelance Writing Questions: Going Back To A Job
Here’s another in the series of questions on freelancing. Rachel asked me: Do you ever think about going back to being an employee? She also asked about the benefits of freelancing. While the benefits are different for different people, here’s what I get from freelancing:
- I work for myself. That means I don’t have to answer to bad bosses or sit next to colleagues with BO (yes, it really happened).
- My hours are flexible. I can take time off to have coffee with friends, hit the shops, go to the beach.
- I can pick my daughter up from school every afternoon and get her first impressions of her day. I can sit with her while she does homework and play with her in the afternoon.
- I love to write, so I can’t think of a better job.
So the short answer to whether I would think of going back to employment is no, but I also enjoy teaching, so I would consider doing part time teaching (no more than a day a week).
Finally, although freelancing has many benefits, I don’t see it through rose tinted glasses. Although I work for myself, I also work for my clients. If I don’t do a good job, that harms my reputation. I am more responsible for both my successes and failures than I was when I was in a job. That also means that sometimes those flexible hours aren’t so flexible when I have deadlines to meet.
Have you ever thought of going back to being employed?
Got more freelance writing questions? Ask them here.
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Get Paid To Write Online by Sharon Hurley Hall is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Copyright for posts written by guest authors remains with them.Useful info
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I started freelancing in early spring of 2006 and I almost gave up in the spring of ’07. I was fed up with working 12 hours a day and making such little money and I’d had a few client nightmares bringing my spirits down. I’d been turning down invitations from old colleagues and recruiters to go back to my old profession in the IT software industry but actually interviewed with a company for a job in the spring. Half of me wanted the benefits and the good salary again but I had in my head I would still work p/t writing just because I loved it so much.
The fact that I didn’t get a callback for the job was very very good because shortly after, my writing career improved significantly and I’m really happy that I stuck with it.
It can be tempting when the bills are mounting up, Dana, but it’s always good to look back and know that you made the right decision.
Very informative for people like me who just entered in this area of freelance writing world. your answers are very useful.
Glad you like it, PV Ariel. Feel free to ask more questions using the link in the post above.
Thanks a lot sharon. All the best
I really liked this post as it tells it like it really is. Kudos to you for being honest and giving a heartfelt reply to a difficult question.
It’s not a simple issue, Toni, as there are so many variables for each person. Once you weigh up the issues, then you can see which option makes more sense. I’ve come across a couple of people recently who have gone back to a day job, albeit a job where they can work remotely and set their own schedules.