Working Part Time and Freelancing

Working Part Time and Freelancing

If you have been considering a career in freelancing then you may not be brave enough to go straight to working full time. I think that in some cases this is a wise move, especially if you do not have enough in the way of savings to fund the initial starting our period. If you have a part time job then this still gives you plenty of time to explore freelancing, but with the added security of having a regular wage. For many this may be the perfect way in which to get a feel for freelancing and see if it is feasible to pursue it as a full time career.

Pros

I think one of the best things about freelancing and working a regular job part time is that you get the best of both worlds. You will still be able to enjoy the social aspect of working in your part time job but also have the freedom of working for yourself. If freelancing has been a life long dream then it means you can see if it is suitable whilst knowing that you will not be fully reliant on it to live.

I know for a fact that finding work and trying to build your reputation and profile can be hard work. It can mean that you spend along time applying for jobs without much luck, so if you are still working part time it allows you the freedom to test the waters and see how easy work is to come by. If you find that your freelance career really takes off then you can see about reducing your part times hours even more and making the move over slowly.

Cons

I think that one of the disadvantages is that freelancing to any degree can be time consuming. Making it work can also be incredibly dependent upon your part time hours and exactly how many hours you will still be working. I would think long and hard about the time of the day you will have available to you. Often you will find that being able to work regular hours such as 9-5 is most beneficial to freelancing since you need to be contactable by clients.

Even though you will still be working part time I think that it is incredibly important that you do your sums beforehand and know if you can survive on just a part time wage. It is worth remembering that freelancing does not always become viable straight away. I know from my own personal experience that it can take a good many weeks to find work and you may have to offer a reduced rate until you can build up your reputation. This means that you might not earn the equivalent of a full time wage for some time.

I would also recommend that before you begin freelancing that you check if you are able to have another job outside your part time one and if you will be subject to an increase in tax.