Are you a freelancer, or are you planning to be one?
Do you own a business, or do you want to start one?
Do you like to work from home, or do you prefer to be a strict routine person?
Well, these are some of the questions that might be confusing you. You cannot get the answer in a simple line. Freelancing vs job which is better is a hard decision. It varies among people.
You may find individuals who are happy working from the comfort of their homes. On the other hand, you will also find people who are satisfied with their full-time job. So, we cannot associate happiness with any of these.
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Yet, we can share some pros and cons of freelancing and full-time jobs. They may help you decide your career! Weigh these to get the answer to whether is freelancing better than job.
Why Freelancing is Better than Job?
In the year 2022, 60 million people in the US were engaged in freelancing. It means you are working from home for many different clients. You are not restricted to a particular business or a company. If you want to know if freelancing is for you, you might need to think a lot about your personality. They are like businessmen. They have a high control over their career. They have the flexibility to choose their rates, and when you want to work or not.
Freelancing Vs Job Which is Better – Schedule
You have the control to choose whenever you want to work. A full-time job works from 9 to 5, but you can also choose to work at night if you are a freelancer. You have the authority to choose when you will be available, or how many hours you want to work. A flexible schedule is particularly important for housewives, or students who can only give some hours of the day. It allows you to manage many things along!
Set your prices
Freelancers choose their rate, just like a business owner chooses the price of their products. Your charges would continue to go up as you gain more and more experience. Lets talk about freelancing vs office job which is better based on salaries. Employees have set salaries that are decided by the company. They have to ask for a raise. Your prices can change according to market rates, or personal availability. Freelancing vs job salaries may or may not have a huge difference, but the flexibitly is valuable.
Work from Home
That’s my favorite advantage of being a freelancer. I do not need to go anywhere. I work no matter where I am. I do not need to waste time traveling or spend money on transportation. Moreover, you do not need to stay in a specific city or area. You can easily go on a vacation and work at the same time.
Easy Breaks
If you are a freelancer, you can easily take a break. You can set up your availability to be unavailable for a set time. This means you don’t need to worry about losing your job. You don’t have to ask your boss for a leave. They can easily set up your schedule.
Pick your Clients
Flexibility of freelancing vs permanent job is a massive benefit. As a freelancer, you are a controller. You can pick the clients you want to work with. If some client is being nasty, or arguing too much, you can drop them off. You can easily reject an offer, and this will not impact your business.
What are the Disadvantages of Freelancing?
Efforts
Freelancing vs job, both require effort. You will need to spend a huge amount of time, and effort into gaining clients in freelancing. You face numerous struggles in finding your first project that might not be up to the mark for you. You may need to work at lower rates as a beginner.
Taxes
They use platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, or Freelancer to get clients. These platforms charge a fee from all. Often, their charges are quite high.
No Paid Leaves
If you are working full time, a leave will likely not impact your earnings. This is not the case with freelancing. Whenever you are on a break, you will lose money. Yet, you can take a break as long as you are fulfilling your deadlines as well.
No Additional Benefits
Full-time employers enjoy the benefits of insurance, retirement compensation, and medical expenditures. Some jobs also cover the transportation of family sickness expenditures. As a freelancer, you will not be granted these favors.
No Guarantee
Businesses face ups and downs. One week you might earn a lot, but the next week you are out of projects. You will also need to spend time applying for jobs. Experienced ones do not find much difficulty in finding clients, but it is still not guaranteed like an employer.
All-in-one Person
For example, if you are a freelance content writer, your responsibilities are much more than a writer. You have to be a marketer and a designer. They work on their own, they do not have an assistant. So, you have to manage a lot of tasks simultaneously.
Isolation
Working from home is a perk when it comes to your mental health. You will not find anyone to interact with while you are working. Isolation gives rise to anxiety. It reduces your social life.
How Full-Time Employment is Better than Freelancing?
Similar to freelancing, employment has a few perks and drawbacks. Keep in mind that every choice has some pros and some cons. In the end, the choice is yours. Choosing a full-time job over freelancing gives you a better growth opportunity. It gives you greater control over your earnings. If you are someone who wants to follow a fixed schedule, or who loves to get paid a fixed amount, you might be a job person.
Guaranteed Income
People cannot bear the stress of counting their earnings for the month, They like to have a fixed budget that they will get. It makes it easier for them to manage their earnings and expenditures. Moreover, employers get additional advantages like medical expenditures, insurance, and retirement compensation.
Ability to Teamwork
You may work from your home, but older people usually desire to have a team. They want to stay away from loneliness, so they prefer to be a part of a company. It is a good choice for people who prefer having a good social circle.
Career Growth
Employees have a better idea of their growth, They can switch between different companies to boost their careers and level up their income. Companies also provide some growth opportunities like attending seminars, conferences, and corporate events. Their path of growth is more stable.
Virtual Employment
After the Covid-19 pandemic, many companies have shifted to work from home. They give flexibility to their employees. They may need to attend meetings physically, but they can work from home the remaining days. Yet, this depends on the type of job, and the company you are working at.
What are the Disadvantages of a 9-5 Job?
Managing Many Tasks
One of the huge problems with a 9-5 job is a lack of balance in life. This job takes away a lot of time in the day, so you end up getting tired. It gets difficult to spend some leisure time with friends or family. You may not get leaves on the day of an important family gathering, so you will end up missing a good event. You can barely enjoy your personal life.
Lack of Flexibility
As an employee, you do not have the control to choose your time. Most of the jobs work 9 to 5, and this might not be a good fit for you. Night lovers are more productive during the night hours, so they will feel unproductive during a 9-5 job. Even if you get a remote job, the timings are fixed.
Boring Routine
Full-time employees complain of being frustrated by the same routine. Getting up every day at the same time, and dressing up for a job, is not easy. They have to face the same people every day. They are usually getting the same tasks in their job. There is nothing new or unique in their work.
Freelancing vs Full-Time Job Salary
In a salaried job, you will get a steady paycheck. It ensures financial stability and makes it easier for you to manage the budget. However, the amount of this check is decided by the boss of the company. It may be less for you.
Contrarily, you have greater flexibility in freelancing to choose projects. You can charge whatever you want, based on your experience. However, your earnings will fluctuate. You can get a high-budget project in one month, and low-paying ones in the second month.
Is Freelancing a Good Career Option? – Final Thoughts!
Freelancing vs job which is better- the choice can be hard. Carefully read all the above-mentioned pros and cons of freelancing, to make your decision. Evaluate them against your personality traits to find what suits you the best. Ultimately, the decision is yours!
FAQs
Do freelancers make money?
Yes, freelancers across the world are charging an average of 19 UDD per hour. It depends on their skills and experience.
Does freelancing have a future?
Yes, it has a strong future due to the increasing trend of remote work and the growing gig economy.
Is freelancing a good career?
For those who value flexibility and prefer working from home, it is a very good career choice. You just need to have a skill that you can sell.
Can I be successful in freelancing vs job?
If you are dedicated and patient, you can be successful in both freelancing and job. You need effective pitching skills, and networking abilities to be a good freelancer.
Is there a demand for freelancers?
The demand for freelancers continues to grow particularly in the fields of writing, designing, marketing, and technology.