Freelance vs 9–5? Read our personal stories
Choosing between the stability and comfort the 9–5 life offers vs. the excitement and uncertainty that comes with freelancing can be a tough decision to make. The truth is that it’s not easy. At the end of the day, we all want the same thing - to earn a decent income and live a comfortable life.
Today, we (Ifeoma and I) will share our personal stories on this topic, and we hope you can learn something from it. 🧡
Ifeoma’s story
Hi, it’s Ifeoma here, and I absolutely love freelancing. I knew a 9–5 would be a nightmare right from high school. I was always late because my sleeping pattern was to stay up all night then sleep all morning. 😂 I struggled to get out of bed at 6 am every day, and that’s also the time my dad used to wake up for work. On the other hand, my mum is a businesswoman so she never had to rush out for work and I envied her.
I love to do things at my own pace, which usually isn’t the case when you’re working a 9–5. Another reason to choose the freelance life was how hard I found working with groups of people. When I was in Uni, I decided to develop the skills necessary to work from home for the sake of my sanity.
Pros:
🤑 Work with multiple companies at a time and earn more money by month-end
🏡 Work from your comfort zone & save on transport costs
👩🏾💻 You set your own rules for how you work
👭🏾 You can choose who you work with
Cons:
💰 Inconsistent cash flow
😔 Feeling scattered and unfocused
🤕 No one to back you up when you are sick
😰 Attending to several clients can be mentally draining
Aisha’s story
Hey, it’s Aisha, and I can’t live without structure. I’ve always loved (and, in fact) needed the certainty that comes with a steady paycheck. Outside of that, I love being able to track my progress with a brand over time, and I don’t think freelancing necessarily affords me that much time. I still take on freelance projects as side gigs, but my primary income source is a salaried job.
I love structure in all areas of my life, from automating my day with calendars and to-do apps to planning my finances far ahead into the future. I can’t do that properly as a freelancer, so it’s a no from me. ✌🏾
Pros:
💸 Consistent funds
👭🏾 Work (and grow) with a team
🌍 Access to a broader network of people and opportunities
💁🏾♀️ Personal branding (name-dropping a popular company mid-conversation can be cool)
Cons:
😰 Going to the office every day is stressful, and finding a remote job can be difficult
🏢 Dealing with office politics is the worst
✍🏾 You may have some limits to your creativity to fit the brand
⌚️ Hardly any time for yourself
There you have it! What’s your story? Are you freelancing or working a 9–5? Share your story with me on Twitter, and let’s chat! 😊
This blog post was originally written for Smarketers Hub.
