Considering freelancing?

I've worked as a Recruiter for the Creative Freelance market in Sydney for coming up to 9 years now and frequently have people get in touch who are considering making the leap from full time employment to freelance. The majority of people I've worked with over the years have been Designers, Developers, Producers and Account Managers working with Design, Advertising and Digital Agencies, Client side creative and marketing departments and start ups, so my experience maybe different to others but I will try to generalise.

Changing to or trying life as a freelance is a big decision and there's a few things everyone should weigh up before making the move and not just for any one particular role or skill set:

Should I do it?

I've never suggested someone leave full time work to go freelance, that's a decision for the individual. Yes there are certain skill sets in higher demand than others and right now it's a high chance you will find work but no one can guarantee you a certain amount of work within a certain time period and all job markets peak and trough and change. In the Design, Digital and Advertising markets in particular, we've seen waves of high demand for certain skill sets and talent shortages and new jobs and skills (there were no UX or UI titles when I started in 2008) come and go. Certain personality types really enjoy the variety, not knowing where they'll be working next, meeting new people etc. Others start to freelance but don't adapt to that uncertainty and panic that the next job is never going to come, be honest and aware of what type of person you are.

Financially, can you cover your rent/mortgage, bills for a month of no work or maybe a few months of sporadic work? Make sure the debt collectors aren't already on their way before you move away from the security of full time employment.

For those that are in between jobs because of redundancy or relocation, freelance is a great way to see the inner workings of other companies. It could be that freelance contract turns into a full time role, maybe not in a week but if you perform well and an position opens up, you might have given yourself an inside running for that role in the future. I've seen many people start off looking for a full time job but then enjoy and have success freelancing, sticking to it for many years.

Will I make more money as a freelancer?

Per hour, per day, yes. As a casual or contract worker, you should be paid a premium rate compared to a full time employee as you don't have the security, don't accrue annual or sick leave. Being flexible with your rates and understanding different clients have different budgets does go a long way to having a steady flow of work. But do factor in that you might not be working 5 days a week, every week of the year - which for many is the point - and there's no annual or sick leave as a freelancer.

If you pick up a direct client, you should be able to command a higher rate than if you went into a company/agency/studio to work on one of their clients. Rates through a recruiter are typically less than what you would get directly, especially if the recruiter payrolls you due to the overheads involved. Don't drop your pants for work though, as tempting as it might be if you've been in a dry spell. It can be hard to get that rate back up next time around and if you do that low rate, that client will then expect the next person at your level to do the same, potentially lowering the value of that skill in that market.

Can I work from my laptop in Bali? Or 2 days per week from home?

Yes, but no. Each industry will be different and technology is changing the ability for people to work remotely without hiccups BUT there is still a much much higher demand for workers on site with face to face contact, in our industry at least. Now my experience is more bias towards clients wanting people in on site as that's what Become as a business offers, so obviously with the success and popularity of sites like freelancer.com, remote project work is entirely possible. Rates will generally be much higher with local/on site work, as you're not competing against contracts from other countries with much lower costs of living and exchange rates. Many Designer and Developers can work full time from home on projects they pick up directly, usually after establishing themselves in a market with a strong network of contacts.

Regular part time work is often sought out but again harder to come by. Making yourself available 5 days a week, developing a relationship with a client and then broaching the possibility of part time work with them has (in my opinion) a higher chance of success.

Is my skillset in demand?

There's a few ways to do your research into how much work there is out there for someone with your skills/experience:

• Job boards; how many jobs are advertised (freelance and full time) Do you meet the requirements of some of the jobs? All of them?
• Your current or previous employers: In your current or previous role, did your company hire freelance or contract staff in your position? Lots of them? All the time? Never?
• Ask a recruiter; ("He's a recruiter, of course he is going to say that") I know recruiters aren't everyone's favourite people but I do like to think there's a few good ones in every sector. Ask friends, colleagues - especially if they have or are currently freelancing - if they've worked with any recruiters they'd recommend. Tip: Look for an established (8-9 years experience is ideal...) and specialist recruiter in your space, they should be able to let you know how much/how likely it is they'll be able to find work for you and what kind of rates you might expect.
• How experienced are you? Juniors are generally not in high demand in any position as clients want a freelancer to come in, hit the ground running with little supervision, there's not much time for training or hand holding. When I first started, Seniors were also the clear majority in requests but due to changing skill sets and often because their rates are lower, mid-weight contractors have been in really high demand across many roles for the past 2 years.

I'm going to do it, when should I do it?

One piece of advice that I will give to those looking to freelance is consider the time of the year. In the creative industry, Christmas is generally the quietest period of the year so come November if you were thinking of making the move, I'd recommend to hold off, enjoy your holiday, make a new years resolution to move to freelance (and lose 5kgs, exercise daily & learn a language)

For anyone considering a move to freelance in the Design, Advertising or Digital space in Sydney, I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have. You can reach me on 02 9699 9566 or [email protected]. Become also have dedicated freelance consultants like myself in Melbourne, London and Manchester.