Last time we talked about the benefits of freelancing. It turned there are many great things actually about being a freelancer. For example, you can enjoy independence and freedom from your boss, often get a higher salary and manage your work-life balance better. But we have to be honest and say that not everything is so bright about freelancing. Having said what are the benefits of choosing to freelance as your career vector, we have to admit there are some downsides you have to know also (writing a freelance resume is not a piece of cake by the way). It is always good to have a balanced view of what freelancing is all about. This way you can make a better judgment and ultimately do the right thing.
Freelancing Isn't Always That Good
First of all, incoming projects aren't guaranteed when you start your freelancing career. In order to have clients, you have to be really good at what you do plus be able to advertise your skills very well. There is a huge competition among freelancers today and many desert this career direction when they fail to attract clients. Being a freelancer means you have to find your own work as opposed to working for a company where the work is guaranteed. This consequently results in an inconsistent monthly income. One month you can have plenty of opportunities and projects while the other month it can be much less. Since this is the issue number one when it comes to career development you may want to think everything through and be prepared. Secondly, you have to learn how to manage yourself. It doesn't sound like a big problem at first. But the truth of the matter is that most freelancers confess they have problems with self-discipline. Because there is no manager or supervisor all responsibility rests on the shoulders of a freelancer. There is no one to blame but yourself if something doesn't work out. Besides, managing your own time may not be that easy. If you ask experienced freelancers they will tell you that they find it much more difficult to craft out time for a family vacation due to the number of projects they have to manage.
Finally, you don't own your own developments and it can be extremely confusing. You did a project for someone and when you are all done, all the rights go to your client. And although you retain the gained knowledge you don't own it. No matter how good your creation/development is, it doesn't belong to you. Obviously, you can negotiate some rights to reuse your own work or even gain some future value but this isn't a big deal usually. That is where people find the main advantage of entrepreneurs over freelancers.
