Should You Run Back to a Part-time Job?
A few years of freelancing can get you a steady client base, a lot of experience, and a more steady income. However, before that few-year mark comes, many new freelancers can struggle to make ends meet. During that time, there are seemingly three options: run back to the cubicle, get a part-time job until you become more established, or stick it out — live in famine until things (hopefully) get better.
To many, the part-time job seems the most applicable, as we need to pay the bills, and considering we ran from the cubicle not too long ago, we’re not ready for that again. However, is it always the right choice? In this post we’ll look over all of these options, and the pros and cons of each.
Running Back to the Cubicle
A steady paycheck, co-workers to talk to on a daily basis, and the discipline of a more regular routine can keep your sanity. This seems like paradise after a few months of only semi-successful freelancing. For many getting an old job back and get quite easy, otherwise, finding a new one in the field can also be workable. The problem is not finding a job in the first place; it’s whether or not you’ll want to deal with all the stresses involved in running back.
For some, though, working for a company is the right choice over freelancing. To know whether it is the right choice for you, ask yourself a few questions:
- Why did you want to start freelancing in the first place? Was it because you hated your previous job, or was it because you liked your job, but just wanted to see if you could do it on your own?
- If it’s because you didn’t like your job, what is it you didn’t like? Have you discovered that many of the same problems come with running a freelance business as well, or were the problems focused around the individual company?
I began freelancing because I had always wanted to. At first it seemed like a good choice to go back to a firm, just to save up some money for a few years. I thought I had jumped in too early. However, any new freelancer, no matter how much savings and experience are saved up, will have trouble. So finally, I decided to stick with it, stick with my ultimate career goal until things evened out. For me, it was the right choice — for me it was a matter of finally following my career dream and I didn’t want to give up on it quite yet.
However, for others freelancing may be a backup plan after getting laid off, or an alternative to a terrible job at a company. If it was never your plan to freelance full-time, than going back and finding a better firm can’t hurt. It may even be possible to do part-time, testing both waters before making a final decision.
Getting a Part-time Job
Getting a part-time job is another option: fewer hours, less commitment, and less pay — but still enough to help out with the bills. This is an option for many people who know that they definitely don’t want to work for a web design company again, but are still unsure if they can be successful freelancers right away. A tricky position indeed, so is getting a part-time job the solution?
The simple answer: depends. When considering it, it is easy to see all the benefits. However, there is of course one major problem with getting a part-time job — you lose time. You lose time to run your business, to work on client projects, and to optimize your business for the future.
To find out if it is the right choice for you right now, it takes a lot of personal thought, both logically and emotionally. However, there are two probable scenarios for those considering getting a part-time job, while freelancing the other half of the time.
- You are on the brink of maxing out on your credit card and can barely afford food. During the feast or famine cycle of a freelancer, there are times when every freelancer needs to cut back on the food budget and other expenses to live securely. However, when you’re so broke from a few bad freelancing mistakes that you literally cannot afford a living, then it’s time to think about a part-time job. There’s nothing really that noble about a starving artist!
- You’ve lost money the last few months, and are worried about the future next few months (or years!). In this case, the best plan of action is to stick it out. If freelancing full-time and being financially stable is your dream, don’t let a part-time job or insecurity slow you down. Re-examine the past few months financially, and see if you made any large purchases you could have lived without. Learn from your mistakes. If you just weren’t making enough, re-examine your marketing potential or your business’s system so you can take on more clients.
It’s all about what you’re willing to give up, and what you can give up. Obviously, depending on where you’re at in life, one freelancer may be able to cut back on expenses, while another with perhaps a family and children cannot do so much. It’s all about examining one’s own life and going where one needs to.
Also examine types of part-time jobs: it could be half-time at a design firm with decent pay (half of your days are gone, but better income), or a waiter/waitress job a few nights a week (a bit of extra income, not much, but more free time).
Have you ever run back to a job while freelancing?
Whether it was running back to a firm, or just getting a part-time job for the time being, how did it turn out? Please share your experiences. Was it worth it?
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