Freelancing or Traditional Employment: Which is more secure?
I have heard time after time from aspiring freelance writers that they are afraid to leave their day job because it is more secure. While this may be the case for some, you should think twice before falling into this trap. In my opinion, becoming a freelancer of any type is more secure than traditional employment. You may not totally agree with this, but there are many reasons why I feel this way:
1. You call the shots. When you work as a freelance writer you are in charge of every decision from the number of hours you work to your rates and much more. This is not the case when you work for an employer. From where I sit it is much more secure to be the one in charge of making all the decisions. Why would you want to put your career and your future in the hands of somebody else? If you do this you are more or less saying that you trust them more than you yourself.
2. With traditional employment you can only work a set number of hours. Sure, you may be able to get overtime here and there, but this is not always the case. When you work as a freelance writer you are in charge of your hours. If you want to work more so you can earn more, so be it. I find comfort in knowing that I can ramp up my production and work hours if I need to earn more money or bring in more clients. This is not an easy feeling to obtain if you work a traditional job.
3. No set income. In my past career I was receiving a set salary. While some people feel secure knowing that they have the same amount of money coming in each month I look at this situation a bit differently. Why would I want to put a cap on my earnings? As a freelance writer I can earn as much as I want; it depends on what I do as a professional, not what somebody else decides to pay me. It is nice to know that a good work ethic and quality work can help me earn more money. Can the same be said for most traditional careers?
4. An employer can “go under†at anytime. And even if they don’t go under they can layoff employees without notice. How would you feel if you put in many good years with a company just to have them lay you off because they need to cut back? As a freelance writer you have the security of knowing that you always have a job. Sure, clients come and go within the freelance writing world, but you can spread yourself around to ensure that you always have an income.
In my opinion, working as a freelancer is more secure than a traditional job within a traditional company.
