Many accomplished full-time creatives try to avoid freelancing. They scramble to utilize it as a gap-filler between full time roles. A fallback, basically.
This is backwards thinking.
Often, one of our clients will fall in love with a candidate and attempt to hire them full time, only to have the candidate (respectfully) decline. Want to know the #1 reason this happens? The candidate is TOO HAPPY and TOO WEALTHY as a FREELANCER.
Stop making excuses for freelance periods on your resume. Brag about them instead. Own them. Freelance is only a "fallback" if you position it as such.
In 2015 I was laid off from a very nice W-2 position. I had formed a bit of an identity around it, so when it went away, I sheepishly told myself (and anyone who would listen) that I would just "freelance until the right full time job comes along." 90 days later I had 4 clients and was outpacing my old income. Changed my mind real quick.
This is not me imploring you to leave W-2 life. Intro Limited places freelance-savvy creative bosses in W-2 roles all day long, because guess what — “entrepreneurial spirit” is the #1 attribute that employers look for in their best W-2 employees.
If you’re a high performer, the correct answer to “freelance or full time?” is “both.”“But health insurance” they will say. And therein lies your opportunity, to do what most people won’t.
It’s HARD to freelance. It takes guts, multitasking, work ethic, some all nighters, and a stomach for financial lows along with highs. Most people don’t have the risk tolerance, client network or self-starting nature to set up and run a successful freelance business.
If you are one of the few, then present yourself as such. It will position you as highly capable, help your future full time prospects, and bulletproof you during tough markets with additional skills, perspective and contacts.
Don't be the reluctant freelancer who is "in between jobs.” Be so successful at freelancing that brands have to lure you into full time. If you're looking out for that perfect W-2 role, stay busy and have fun while you wait.
And now that we’ve gotten all the basic arguments out of the way, let’s move on to the holy grail: The number one reason to start freelancing is to position yourself for a modern retirement.
What is modern retirement? It’s semi-retirement.
It’s retiring from mandatory work, and focusing, in smaller doses, on the work that excites you. The work that you’ve spent the last three decades becoming insanely good at, and sought after for.
It’s slowly and happily becoming a 70-year-old who “works” 3 hours a day so you can use the rest of your time playing tennis with your friends, flying to Palm Springs for lunch, and taking your grandkids for rides in your Ferraris.
How to achieve this?
Start now, integrating freelance into your overall professional picture. Arrive at “retirement” age with a rolodex full of companies who want you to share your talents with them, on your terms.
