Freelancing is worth the stress.
My first understanding of freelancing started in Junior school even though I didn't know what it was called then, the school diction teacher got 300 naira per student monthly for coming every Wednesday. We were over 200 students in the school so let's assume 150 students paid every month, she earned 45,000 from one school.
She spend 1hr with every class from Jss1 to SS3 in the school hall, I was one of her favorite students and she sometimes tells me what her schedule was like then. She had two other schools she was teaching at and she doesn't take home less than 100,000 naira every month which is twice the salary of our school principal.
After secondary, my first teaching job paid me 3,500 naira monthly. I got another one that paid me 5,000 naira, this money wasn't enough for anything.
My mom sold food and snacks in a private so I told her about getting evening lessons for rich kids in her school which she worked on. I got two families that paid me 11,000 naira monthly for 2hrs classes, three times a week. That was twice my salary, I left the school job about six months after to go for computer training during the day and taught lessons in the evening.
Being employed and working as a freelancer have different benefits, they are okay as long as you are earning and I will choose to freelance anytime or any day I am been asked this question.
During the lockdown, a lot of people lost their jobs and I was one of them. Being employed makes a lot of people comfortable to an extent that not many remember that their job contract could be terminated at any time and when such happens, they automatically return to square one.
Although being employed comes with some sweet packages that I don't believe you can't gift yourself even as a freelancer. HMO, pension, yearly bonuses, work leave and others are the benefits but let's face the reality, how many companies in your environment are giving all these?
Working as a freelancer is fantastic for me but can be challenging because your clients wouldn't fall from heaven, you must definitely go in search of them. This is the hardest part for a freelancer and you have to be at the top of your game to get your clients. Being employed gives you everything you need and that's why when the job is taken away, everything is taken away, and have to start all over again.
Freelancing makes you hustle for clients, develop a workspace and from my experience, the early days of freelancing are the major problem. Once you have gotten clients and you are good at your work, the future looks secure which is the opposite of being employed, no job is secured.
Life as a freelancer.
As a freelancer, you are in control of your time. You can choose to achieve your task at once and move to other things or break the work into smaller times for execution but complete the job before the due date.
The power to control time is in your hands unlike being employed when you have to resume and close at a specific time. Time flexibility can make you work as a freelancer for as many companies as you can handle which means more money.
With time flexibility, you can go on vacations at times best for you.
Working as a freelancer gives you exposure, you get to work with different people, different tasks, different work environments and it doesn't have to be about resuming to the same office every day and seeing the same faces every day.
Working for different people with different resources gives you more experience in your field.
I remembered someone talking about his achievement at his job, the success of every new achievement belongs to you. For thing you accomplish is an upgrade on your CV but every day can't be great, there are also disappointments in working as a freelancer.
As long as every success belongs to you then you must be ready for any fall as well. I believe it is easier to build a career as a freelancer than being employed, you will get recognition for your success while your bosses get the honors when you are employed.
Working as a freelancer doesn't give you a fixed income, it can be high today and low tomorrow depending on your accomplishments. Freelancers don't have to wait till month end depending on the agreement you have with your clients and that is one of the coolest things about it.
As a freelancer, you are in charge of everything but to be successful as a freelancer, you must do extra work. It requires you to always develop yourself from time to time because you are not the only one in that field.
Improving your skill is what makes you relevant as a freelancer and I definitely prefer it to being employed permanently by a company.
Freelancing can be very challenging but the struggle is really worth it because once you have built a good name and reputation with your clients, you just need to grow as you maintain your standards.
Share your thoughts in the comments section, thanks for reading?
Being a freelancer is an advantage! You may have a client, but you manage your time. You can work anytime you want too, as long as you can accomplish the tasks and fill the time needed. Where did you find your client? I want to have one too.