Tomiwa Ilori

Freelance is a job that requires certain skills, but has no attachment to working hours. Even though there is no attachment to working hours, freelance workers still have a deadline for submitting work to clients. In matters of work, freelance workers are free to adjust when and where they work. Someone who works as a freelancer usually works from home, coffee shops, co-working spaces, and others without having to come to the office. When viewed from the notion of freelance, this one job does look interesting. Especially in today's digital era, many large companies need freelancers for the benefit of the company. However, there are a number of things you should know about this freelance job, such as the advantages and disadvantages that you will face when working as a freelancer. 4 Advantages of Working Freelance Starting a career as a freelance worker is not wrong. Even this job can be taken into consideration when you want to work full time. This means that, although flexible, freelance work has an important role for your career later. For those of you who are still in school or college, you can earn income by working as a freelancer. Apart from being flexible, here are 4 advantages of freelancing that you need to know about. 1. Work according to hobbies Things related to freelance work are a person's skills and hobbies, for example writing, graphic design, photographers, and so on. Usually these hobbies and skills are always synonymous with the digital world and their presence is much needed in the current era. Working according to a hobby is certainly very pleasant. Not only fun, you can also earn income through this hobby. So keep improving your skills so that your hobby doesn't disappoint clients. 2. Free to Choose Project Another advantage that is no less interesting is that you are free to choose projects from clients. For example, you can choose the easiest project to the most difficult. Especially for those of you who want to work as a freelancer, you should choose the easiest project so that it is completed quickly and the client is not disappointed. The number of projects taken will of course affect your income. However, especially for beginners, improving the quality of work is far more important so that you can be trusted to complete projects given by clients. 3. Free to determine the price Apart from being free to choose a project, a freelancer is also free to determine the price per project. For freelancers who already have high flying hours, they will usually determine the rates according to the level of difficulty requested by the client. The higher the level of difficulty requested, the higher the price set. Before you are free to set prices, as a professional freelancer, you must first do research about standard prices for your work. However, not all sectors of freelance work provide this freedom. Sometimes the client has provided a price rate, as a freelancer you have the right to accept or reject it. 4. Balanced Personal Life and Work Another advantage of freelancing is that there is a balance between personal life and work. Getting a balance between personal life and work is certainly very pleasant. The most interesting thing about freelance work is that it is not tied to working hours. So it will be easier for you to divide your time between work and enjoying other routines, such as hanging out with friends, family, doing me time or even working while enjoying your routine. This advantage also makes you not easily stressed because of work. Achieving a balance between work and personal life is a happiness that not everyone can get. 4 Disadvantages of Freelance Work Just like any other job, freelancing or casual work also has its drawbacks. For those of you who want to start a career as a freelancer , you must know what risks you will face. For consideration, here are 4 disadvantages of freelancing that you need to know about. 1. Negotiations with clients are not easy The first drawback of freelance work is the difficulty of negotiating with clients. Being a freelancer means that you are ready to face many clients with different characters. This difference in character will make it difficult for you to negotiate around projects and prices. There are also some clients who intend to commit fraud in payments. If you are a person who easily believes in sweet promises, you should be careful not to be deceived. Before accepting a project from a client, it doesn't hurt to find out the background just in case. 2. Greater Responsibility Freelancing has bigger responsibilities because you don't have a team to complete the project given by the client on time. Even if the client is not satisfied, they will tell you to revise the work and you cannot continue with other projects. If you have bad time management, you will find it difficult to get work done and even disappoint clients. This means that it will be difficult for you to get the next project from them and your income will decrease. 3. Tight Competition Currently, freelance work has developed rapidly. It's no wonder that you will later meet tens or even thousands of other freelancers who are waiting for projects from clients. All clients need good quality freelancers to complete their projects. Among the many freelancers who offer themselves, clients will choose based on ability and quality. The way for you to gain the trust of clients is to improve your quality. Never feel satisfied with the qualities you have now, keep learning to improve your abilities and qualities so that you become a professional freelancer. 4. Full of Uncertainty The most obvious drawback of freelancing is that it is full of uncertainty due to unstable income. Many freelancers experience this condition, some survive in various ways, but some give up. Freelance workers also do not get health insurance, bonuses, even pension funds like full time workers . Like it or not, you will experience this freelance deficiency. The best solution you can do is to improve your self-quality in order to get more projects , so that your income increases. Just in case, there's nothing wrong with making special savings for an emergency fund. When your income decreases, you still have savings to meet emergency or unexpected needs later. In conclusion, apart from good time management, you must also have good financial management. Interested in Freelancing? Thus the explanation about freelancing. In today's digital era, it seems that freelancing is a sector of work that has many opportunities. Therefore, the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing above can be your material for consideration before deciding to jump into the world of freelancers. Remember to always improve your skills and qualities, to stay competitive against other freelancers and to gain the trust of your potential clients.