November 21st, 2007
Suck It Up, Freelancer
Sure, you’ve got a lot to complain about. Let’s start with the ups and downs of work coming in. One week you spend so much time on client projects, you barely have time to eat. The next week you twiddle your thumbs and set a new high score on minesweeper… on all three difficulty levels.
That’s not the only tribulation for you, though. When you get in over your head on a project, there’s no one to bail you out. You can’t call in someone from another department. Your take home pay from month-to-month is inconsistent. When you have a day off, there’s no one to answer the phone and respond to emails. You don’t have anyone in the office with you to bounce ideas off of. No focusing on the best parts of the business for you. You’re personally accountable for everything.
Suck it up, freelancer. You could always be working in a cubicle.
Nov 21st, 2007
12:27 pm
There are two kinds of freelancers, the ones who want a job outside the office and the ones who truly embrace working for themselves. Unfortunately, the corporate world has trained too many freelancers to be the former and think like an employee even when they aren’t.
I say, be honest with yourself. If you simply want to work at home, negotiate that with your boss. But if you want to freelance, realize that you’re on you’re own. Those who succeed LIKE being on their own.
Nov 21st, 2007
12:44 pm
@Dean - Good point. Don’t forget about the variety who want to be on their own and work in an office environment outside the home. I’ve got a very affordable one room office that’s 6 minutes from my house. It’s the best of all worlds for me.