Being a freelancer is great. You’ve got all this time to make your own, a place to work in without the pressure of a boss watching behind your back, and taking vacations when nobody else is so the prices are cheaper. But as every good thing does, freelance has a dark side to it.
The negative things in freelance:
- Uncertainty in your income month to month
- Vacation days are great, but are even better if they’re paid (which in freelance does not happen)
- No benefits
- You always have to be contactable by your clients
- No job security; if work dries up, there’s no termination pay or option to sue for unfair dismissal
- You have to meet tax obligations without any employer’s help
- Full responsibility for administrative tasks like accounting, invoicing, and chasing payments
Characteristics that will brake your freelance career
And in the spirit of keep talking about freelance’s dark side, there are also some things to consider before becoming a freelancer. This is not a career path for everyone, and may not be for you either if some of these apply to you:
Find it difficult to take criticism:
As a freelancer, you’ll need to be able to accept and respond to feedback that isn’t always positive. Of course this happens in every type of job, but as a freelancer this feedback tends to be a bit more personal (just because it’s only you working for your client).
Have trouble communicating:
Sometimes, you’ll have to take the initiative and approach clients for work; you’ll also occasionally need to admit that you’re struggling with a project and ask for more resources or guidance. You’ll need to really work on your communication skills in case you’re thinking of becoming a freelancer.
You’re not self-driven:
You’re on your own in freelance; this means you have to motivate yourself to get up and work, to try harder to get new projects and, above all, stay on top of your personal life. If you can’t stay on top of everything, you’ll quickly be swallowed up in the quicksand of deadlines.
Don’t like working alone:
It’s true freelance life can get boring. If you need the buzz of people running around you in an office, you may not like the quiet, lonely life of freelancers.
Can’t handle the uncertainty of your income:
A slow month is very common in the freelance world, so if you can’t handle that, this career path may not be for you.
But even though we’ve given you this list of reasons why the freelance career can also be a bit dark, we must admit that there’s no better life than the one you live as a freelancer. The limits do not exist when it comes to working on your own. We hope you join us, in the meantime you can learn about Crema and know the benefits of using our platform in your every day life.
