Pros and Cons of Freelance Work

Are you thinking about doing some Freelance work? 

If you are, here are some good points that you just may want to consider. This will help before making that huge step in your life. Freelance work has a lot of pros and cons that come with it. Not only that, but it also means you need to find out if this is something that is going to work with you and your lifestyle in the long run. 

Flexibility of Freelance Work

Pro

Those who work as a Freelancer generally do have a more flexible schedule than those who have that 9 to 5 job.  More flexibility in your schedule means that you will be able to set the hours that you actually work. You can choose what assignments that you want to do. You also work around family commitments and your social life.  Keep in mind that you still will have those deadlines, but as long as you make then you can even take the day off if needed.

Con

Now, do not be fooled you will not be spending your whole day playing with your children.  If you do not have a structured schedule that work can pile up.  If a deadline suddenly sneaks up on you, you will have to cancel that family outing or work through the night in order to meet it.

Also, if you take the day off – you don’t get paid for this work. There is no salary, you work for yourself.

Office Politics Within Freelance Work

Pro

If you choose to go the route of Freelance work, you will not have to deal with what is known as office politics.  You will not be tied to a single organization, in fact, most freelancers have several clients from different organizations.  Most of the time you will actually be working remotely, you complete your assignment by the deadline and hand it in.

Con

Depending on what type of freelance work you are planning on doing, you just may have to deal with your clients’ office politics.  This may or may not effect you, depending on what you feel about their point of view. (However, another PRO to this is, you don’t have to work with a client if you don’t want too, you can actually pass on their work)

Benefits of Freelance Work

Pro

You get to choose when you want to work, when to take a vacation, and what you want to go too. This might add up to something in the long run, of course, it does come with its downfall.

Con

When you are a Freelancer this generally means that you own your own company and are on your own.  You will have to arrange for your own health insurance.  When you need a day off you will not get paid for it.  In other words, there is no sick days, personal days, or even holiday pay.

Be in Control

Pro

Since you are the owner of your company you have total control over what you do.  You will be choosing what you work on and when you will be working on it.  If a particular job does not meet your standards you will have the authority to reject it.

Con

With most things not everything can be peaches and cream, you still have to pay those bills so unless you have a stash of cash you will have to take on some of those not so interesting jobs.

The other issue is that you will, of course, have many bosses, one comes with each and every assignment that is taken on.  Each of them will have their very own set of instructions that you will have to follow.

These are just a few points in which you will want to consider when thinking about freelance work.  So, take your time and do your research before you find that you jumped into something that is above your head.

It is something that not everyone is cut out to do, but it is definitely something that a lot of people are leaning towards now, especially with a loaded workforce and jobs being hard to come by.