Freelance work is when an individual is self-employed and works for different companies simultaneously on notably different assignments. Freelance work differs from a salaried job because it is an entirely different lifestyle where a fixed amount in your bank account does not bind you.
For example, at the end of the month, your bank account will have as much money as you worked that month; you can take off days as you want, and you are not singularly answerable to anyone except when you are expected to submit an assignment.
Freelance jobs are usually short-term and independent of long-term contracts. They essentially offer individuals the comfort of choosing what they want to do and the liberty to refuse.
Why the Shift?
Times have changed in a way that lifestyle patterns have become pragmatic. People are opting for what they can do and, for the most part, what they want to do. Handling multiple clients at one time can be convenient in a way that they are not linear. Freelance work can be a rollercoaster, and if you are not working much, it can allow you to relax, too.
According to statistica.com, by 2027, 86.5 million freelancers will be United States freelancers. That means 50.9% of the total U.S. workforce will structurally include freelancers.
How It Works
Fundamentally, as a freelancer, you work for yourself. When you are self-employed and not under corporate policies, you commit to work on a contract-to-contract basis. These contracts are straightforward and include your terms and conditions. As a freelancer, you will not be considered an employee of the company but rather someone who was outsourced.
Your Own Timing
As a freelancer, your working hours are based on how much time you think your project needs. You might be given a two-day deadline for something you can do in 6 hours at a stretch. This lets you relax, take time, and complete it quickly before the deadline. As a freelancer, you are not accountable to dedicate 8 hours of your day to something that needs a few hours to complete.
This is not just convenient, but it also reduces mental stress by reducing the chances of burning out, which is common in a 9-5 job. As a freelancer, you get to maintain a work-life balance you enjoy.
Multiple Clients
As a freelancer, you are relatively more exposed to different organizations and clients and to learning different business angles. When you follow a non-linear pattern, you become more aware of your skills and understand that one client can indirectly give you a lead for another project.
Self-motivation
If you want to be or stay a freelancer, you must face one most brutal question: are you self-motivated? As much as we hate to admit it, we know that an office setting promotes discipline. As a freelancer, you work mainly from home or in your preferred environment, like a park or a coffee shop. An outdoor setting outside the four walls of an office is a substantial motivating factor for people, but they must also be highly self-motivated. As a freelancer, you must be motivated enough to follow through with this freedom if it is your bread-and-butter job.
Conclusion
People can sometimes feel stressed because freelance is not always consistent. You may get too much work during one project and then have little to do on the next. While you might sometimes earn more than what you would if you worked 8 hours a day, there can be times when you might earn less. Eventually, when you consider your career goals, bills, and efficiency rate, you will be better able to tell if you are cut out for the freelance world.
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