Freelance Writing Questions: Going Back To A Job

Here’s another in the series of questions on freelancing. Rachel asked me: Do you ever think about going back to being an employee? She also asked about the benefits of freelancing. While the benefits are different for different people, here’s what I get from freelancing:

• I work for myself. That means I don’t have to answer to bad bosses or sit next to colleagues with BO (yes, it really happened).

• My hours are flexible. I can take time off to have coffee with friends, hit the shops, go to the beach.

• I can pick my daughter up from school every afternoon and get her first impressions of her day. I can sit with her while she does homework and play with her in the afternoon.

• I love to write, so I can’t think of a better job.

So the short answer to whether I would think of going back to employment is no, but I also enjoy teaching, so I would consider doing part time teaching (no more than a day a week).

Finally, although freelancing has many benefits, I don’t see it through rose tinted glasses. Although I work for myself, I also work for my clients. If I don’t do a good job, that harms my reputation. I am more responsible for both my successes and failures than I was when I was in a job. That also means that sometimes those flexible hours aren’t so flexible when I have deadlines to meet.

Have you ever thought of going back to being employed?

Got more freelance writing questions? Ask them here.