5 Reasons why freelancing is not as easy as it looks

by Jessee R

When you tell someone you are a freelancer, it is very likely that they react like you earn free money lying around on your couch the whole day!

Well there is certain degree of freedom to it but it is in no way an easy way to live. One has to think about a lot of things before taking up freelancing seriously.

 

Here are 5 reasons why freelancing isn’t easy.

 

 

 

 

 

  1. There is a lot more competition

 

The competition you face at the workplace is cute in comparison to the same a freelancer faces.

Virtually, every other freelancer is a competition and there are millions with a PC and an internet connection logged on at the same time.

As a freelancer you have to delve hard into strategies and plans in order to land your dream work.

For instance, there will over five people with the same skills as yours bidding for the same job, and no one knows who will finally get it! Such is the pressure.

 

 

  1. Finding work is way more tough

 

As mentioned above, you are not the only one in line and not the only resource available.

Finding jobs is easy but getting hired for a single one is no child’s play.

For every job you want you have send proposals and biddings to the employer along with many others. The job doesn’t just get handed to you, you have to fight for it and that is what makes the competition more fierce and daunting.

For a freelancer it can take up to anywhere between 2 weeks to a month to find the first job. That’s some tough market, isn’t it?

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  1. You have to multitask a lot

 

When you are working as a freelancer, you will end up having more than one client and more than one kind of work. It may all involve your specific skillset but each job will require a different variation.

 

You have to transition between genres and then come back and finish every job with perfection.

 

Quality expectation standards are always high as freelancers are perceived to be pressure-free but which is so not the case.

As there is so much multitasking, they are held in respect in developed countries and scope of success increases once you are recognized.

 

 

  1. It requires much more than your basic skills

 

Apart from your own professional expertise, freelancing requires much more like:

  • Networking skills to connect and be in touch with important and beneficial connections

  • Marketing skills which involve intense promotional strategies to make yourself into a brand on which people can rely

  • Time Management

  • Diversified knowledge of social and online marketing and SEO

Hence, to be a successful freelancer you have to work, manage and promote your own skills.

 

 

 

 

  1. There are absolutely no promises and no guarantees

 

For a freelancer, there is no job security, no financial security, and no medical benefits which are guaranteed or promised. These are things he has to take care of himself.

For instance, in one month, a person may get 10 jobs and in the next he may not even get one.

This kind of uncertainty is always there.

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Only people with a steady frame of mind who can manage their own finances and plan and diversify these risks are capable of becoming successful freelancers.

Success in freelancing comes after a great deal of effort. This is no place for people who like to take shortcuts. Over here, patience is your biggest attribute and every step matters.

So, feel proud to be a freelancer. It is not a simple career path but one filled with challenges and untapped opportunities.