You Shoulda been an Engineer
While walking out of a restaurant last night, an elderly gentleman began to make conversation with me. Soon enough he was telling me about his many careers, and then asked me what my occupation was. Upon telling him that I was a freelance writer, he looked at me strangely. “You shoulda been an engineer,†he said. Not knowing where he was coming from, I asked why. “Being a freelance writer is nice but you can’t make any money.â€Â
It is a common misconception among many that freelance writers have no opportunity to earn “real money.†It is of my opinion that this misconception brings down writers in more ways than one, and makes many of them believe that they do not deserve to be paid reasonable wages.
Sure, some engineers make a lot of money, but there are just as many who are stuck as the bottom of the industry trying to make their way to the top. There may be some freelance writers who don’t make enough money to support themselves, but there is nothing that says you have to join them. When it comes down to it, the sky is the limit. As an engineer, for example, you will work for a company that sets your salary. As a freelance writer, there is nobody to hold you back. If you want to earn more money you do not have to ask for a raise or change jobs. You can simply work harder, do better work, and expand your client base.
Don’t let the perception of not earning enough money keep you away from following your dream of becoming a freelance writer. Just like any other career, you can start out at entry level wages and then increase your income as time goes by. Maybe I should have told that gentleman to check out my freelance writing income report for March?
