Essay On Working Freelance Vs. Working In A Company

Work is one of the most important aspects of life for the modern man. It would be hard to imagine life without doing anything, and even though many people fantasize about this, in reality very few people can stand a life of pure leisure. However, there are many ways for people to work; one of the most important characteristics is who you work for. In this sense, working freelance and for a company are two very different experiences. First, there is the obvious difference between having a steady income and sporadically earning money. Then, setting your schedule up is also fundamentally different. Finally, the relationship to your job provider is also intrinsically different. Thus, even though freelancing and working for a company both have some similarities, such as counting as work and giving people money, they also have some important differences.
One of the greatest differences between these two types of jobs are the stability and rigidity of the schedules. While freelancers get to set their own schedule when they see fit, people in companies usually have to work in a set timeframe. This is especially useful for working mothers, who can work around the time they raise their children (Massey & Elmore). However, some could benefit from the routine and stability that a job in a company provides. Some could argue that freelancing actually gives you too much freedom to work, leading people sometimes towards laziness and a lack of productivity. This would seem to be a matter of personal taste: while some enjoy the liberty with the schedule that a freelancing job provides, this may prove too much for others, who prefer a rigid routine.
This leads to another important difference between freelancing and company jobs, as having the latter gives you a steady income, while the former may vary significantly. This can be especially rough for the first months of freelancing: one must get accustomed to the varying income rates and also to managing the money in a different way. For example, some people advise that one should “[t]ry to have enough savings to last 6 months before you quit to go full-time freelancing” (Owais). Obviously, this can also benefit you, as you are able to make more money working for yourself than for someone else. However, this is only if you can actually find work, which is practically guaranteed when you work in a company. Freelancers depend on social media, word of mouth, the stability of regular clients and many other variables for them to be able to work. Scientific research, such as Dex, et al, has shown that this contractual uncertainty affects work. Obviously, it is not the same for a person to be certain that he will have a job tomorrow than to not really know if he or she will. Therefore, even though you can get more money for the work you do by being a freelancer, working in a company ensures that you will actually have something to work on.
This aspect of working is also closely linked to the relationship with the job provider, as one can establish a close, comfortable relationship with a boss when one works in a company, while freelance workers constantly have different benefactors. A company job allows you to talk to your boss and spend time with him, allowing for the establishment of a close relationship. Having a good leader is important, as it can motivate the worker to work better and more efficiently. This is related to another important characteristic of freelancing and working in a company: who it is you actually work with. While some people may prefer the solitude that comes with freelancing, others may think that working in a company is more exciting as it allows you to share with peers most of the time. However, it is important to note that not all bosses and workmates are amicable; thus, this would also depend on what they are actually like. Therefore, freelancing leads to working alone most of the time, while company jobs give you the opportunity for social interaction, even though sometimes this may not be a good aspect even for sociable people.
In conclusion, working alone and in a company are two very different experiences. While the former gives you more liberty with your schedule, this may not suit some people that prefer to have routine and fixed work hours; the freedom that freelancing allows be too much for some who may end up just being lazy. Even though freelancing gives you the ability to work for yourself, not having to split the money that your work generates with anyone else, companies make sure that workers actually have something to do, thus making money and having a steady income. Finally, company jobs give workers the possibility of social interaction, while freelancers usually work alone; this may be better sometimes anyways, due to problems one may have with colleagues and bosses. Thus, even though people with the more frequent company jobs may see them as boring, one really has to evaluate one’s personality before deciding to start working freelance. Both ways of working have different pros and cons, even though the liberty that freelancing ideally allows is very tempting. Nevertheless, one can see that it is really not for everyone, as people need to have certain specific characteristics to cope and do well in it. After all, what is important is that the work is fruitful and the person is happy.

Works Cited

Dex, S., Willis, J., Paterson, R., Sheppard, E. (2000). Freelance workers and contract uncertainty: The effects of contractual changes in the television industry. Work, Employment and Society, 14, 283-305.
Massey, B. L., Elmore, C. J. (2011). Happier working for themselves?. Job satisfaction and women freelance journalists. Journalism practice. 5, 623.
Owais, S. (2014). 9 things you should know about freelancing full-time. Retrieve from htpp://www.hongkiat.com/blog/things-to-consider-before-fulltime-freelancing/.