In the wise words of journalist Milly Stilinovic: “If you think freelancing is sitting around and taking long lunches while filing a few stories, forget about it.”
The past year has seen many media members dive headfirst into the freelance world, and while it can look like a light beaming the way to an escape from corporate life, there’s a hell of a lot of hard yakka going on behind that rosy glow.
“While it's a very liberating career move, in some ways freelancing is harder than a typical 9-5 job. This is largely because you and you alone are responsible for generating every cent of your paycheck, and you don't have colleagues to bounce ideas off or a boss to offer guidance - or to keep a watchful eye on your productivity levels, for that matter!” says Lauren Dunne.
Michelle Ruzzene agrees that in many ways, freelancing is harder than an office job. “A lot of self-discipline is required. There’s also no clocking on or off, which has its benefits and disadvantages - it gives you much more flexibility, but there’s often nights when I’m up past 10pm working.” Aimee Wice is familiar with strange working hours: “Although I have a flexible schedule, that usually just means I’m still working at 1am. I suppose a 9-5 job is neither easier nor harder in terms of hours clocked; they’re just different.”
The benefits of being a freelancer
When asked about the benefits of freelancing, the three key words that repeatedly cropped up were flexibility, freedom, and variety. “One of the biggest reasons I chose to pursue freelance was because I wanted to be in control of my own time. I have a husband, two children and a life admin list that never ends! I wanted to work around those things and for me, freelancing has given me that freedom,” reveals Caelia Corse. The family factor is something that also comes into play for Ruzzene: “As a mum of two little ones, it’s great as it allows me the flexibility to work from home.”
Freedom is the main calling card for Wice: “I do enjoy the freedom of freelancing, and love having the ability to take a barre class in the middle of the afternoon or a long and leisurely lunch. I’ve always been a night owl, and like working into the evening.” Jody Phan also enjoys having control over her own schedule. “If you’re a frequent traveller, freelancing allows you to plan your holidays without checking in with your boss about taking annual leave. I also love the variety I get to have with freelancing. Meeting different people and working from different locations on a variety of projects can make the week go by a lot faster than being in one place.”
Summing it up nicely, Stilinovic asserts: “You are essentially the God of your own fate. That is, you work as hard as you want, on things that interest you, in the time you choose to do so… But there is an overlord - and that’s the deadline. Don’t mess with the deadline.”
The not-so-good aspects
Before you burst into your boss’ office proclaiming you want to be a God of your own fate, investigate the downsides of a freelance career. “Being God of your own fate is HARD work. That is, as God, you are solely responsible for your time, income, taxes, super... You also need to forget about sick days or bludge days, because the only person you’ll disadvantage is you,” says Stilinovic.
Yasemin Trollope tells a similar tale: “Obviously you have flexibility in terms of time and lifestyle, but you're essentially running your own business, so switching off is hard to do. I've been known to work late into the night when the kids are sleeping and even work on holidays. Plus, from a financial perspective, you don't get holiday or maternity leave so the buck stops when you do.”
Not having a steady income was a popular theme across the freelancers we spoke to. “Sick days cost you money! And employers can cancel on you at the last minute, putting you out of work and not leaving you enough time to arrange other work. Chasing invoices and organising payment from clients may be tough, so make sure you budget for late payments,” warns Phan.
Phan also believes she is under pressure to always perform at her best so as to leave a positive impression on clients. “I feel as a freelancer, I have a lot more to prove as I might not have the same rapport with the employer as their full-time employees - so I always want to exceed expectations when going into a new job.”
Another issue for freelancers is not having an even flow of work. “Freelancers have to contend with an uncertainty that full-timers don’t. You may have six contracts today and some may dry up - so you have to be able to roll with the punches and manage yourself in a way that sees you through the slower periods,” advises Stilinovic. Wice adds: “A difficult aspect is occasionally my deadlines aren’t as evenly spread out as I’d like them to be; sometimes all my stories are due within mere days of each other and it can be really full on.”
The last word
She had the first word, so it only seems fitting we give Stilinovic the last word, too...
“Only consider freelance if you’re the following person:
You don’t cringe at taking risks
You are a self-motivator
You’ve been in the game long enough to be able to reach out to publications
You’re okay with obscurity
You’re innovative and can keep on top of the pulse
Your contact book is as thick and juicy as a half kilo T-bone
And even then, think twice. If you’re convinced this is the right path for you, then take a dive! Freelancing for the free-spirited is a rewarding enterprise.”
Image: @tessguinery
