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.