Being self employed is defiantly not for everyone. When it
comes to being in the creative field, working for a company means you are given
more structured tasks. More than likely if the company hired you as an
animator, then you will be animating, and not in charge of ordering catering for
the client, or taking care of the company's taxes. When it comes to being self employed be
prepared to have full control. The job doesn't
end with just filming an event. First you must find the client, discuss
pricing with the client, do the job, discuss revisions, and finally bill the
client at the end. A self-employed artist sees the whole picture as opposed to
just a small portion of it.
If being in charge of the full process sounds fun to you
then self employment may just be the right now career choice for you. Here our
5 reasons why you self employment may be the answer for you.
1. You are free.
You are the schedule maker . Want to take a vacation for a
week? Then do it! Do you need extra money to fund that vacation? Then take on
extra projects! This sense of complete freedom may be a little daunting to
some, but if it sounds like something you can manage wisely then you could be
on the verge of a dream job. Typically a person's life has to revolve around a
job. Where they live, when they wake up, what they do for work, etc...is all
decided with that 1 job. With self-employment your job will revolve around your
life. The choice you make, wither good or bad, will affect the job you have.
Chose when you wake up, when you go to bed, where you live, who you work for,
and more.
2. You get full value.
Typically working for the man means that the man is getting
the full credit for what you did. Being self-employed means you follow the
project through from start to finish. This means you can take full credit on
the hard work you put into the project.
Being employed means that you only get a small portion of the full value
of the project. Working for yourself though opens up the full reward to you and
your team.
3. You open up new career options.
To some people starting out freelance may be their only
option if they want to get paid for doing something they enjoy. A lot of larger
companies want their new employees to have 3 or more years of experience. Well
how do you gain that three years if no one will take you? One option is to
apply to work for smaller companies with lower pay and will have you doing jobs
that don't push your creativity. The second option is to begin marketing
yourself to anyone and everyone you know. Pick up some smaller jobs and build
up. This not only will build your experience credibility, but also may lead you
on a path to clients offering the projects you dream to do.
4. You will learn
more.
This might scare away some people, but if you are the type
of person who always wants to learn new things, and be on top of the game then
this should be extreme motivation for you to become a freelancer. Using a
videographer as an example. Not only does freelancing require you to keep your
shooting and editing skills top notch. You must also stay up on the current
trends in your market to advertise your skills, stay up to date on current
cameras and gear, bill clients, pay for assistant videographers, and keep
records for taxes. Essentially, once you start freelancing you become a
business. If you can't run your skills and services like a successful business,
prepare to fail.
5. You can keep your
day job.
Being self-employed doesn't always mean that you must give
up your 9-5 job. I know many freelancers who work a part time retail job on week
days, and do photography at night and on weekends. This can be a win-win
combination for some. Not only do you get the stability and benefits of your
day job, but you also get to make some extra money doing something you love.
Keep in mind that this option is not for everyone. Some businesses frown upon
their employees freelancing on the side. You should check with the boss before
pursuing extra work.
