Freelancing has gained a lot of popularity in recent times, especially among people with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to escape the traditional 9-5 job lifestyle. When we think about freelancing, thoughts of printing piles of cash and being your own boss come into mind. There are a lot of people around us who successfully made a ton of money while travelling around the world. There is indeed no cap on earning potential while freelancing if you have the right skills. If you want to get skilled in digital marketing and start out as a freelance digital marketer, check out these Digital Marketing Courses In Pune
Though a freelancing lifestyle can provide you with a certain degree of freedom, it is not
everyone’s cup of tea. The reality of being a freelancer can be far different from the dream. Visualizing the ultimate freedom that freelancing gives can be so appealing that it causes many to jump into it without even thinking carefully. Being self-employed and growing your business is a lot harder than most people would think. Many people jump into the ocean of freelancing only to find themselves returning to a traditional job a couple of years later. In this article, we will talk about the different challenges of being a freelancer and how you can decide for yourself if freelancing is the right career alternative for you.
It gets lonely
Freelancing is more about pursuing a solitary career. At times, many freelancers do come together and collaborate on a project or two. However, it is mostly about being alone. This loneliness can be difficult to deal with at times. When you have people around, you can reach out to them to share your emotions, work progress and also have some good laugh together. When you freelance, there will be nobody to listen to your sad story or funny jokes. Also, when you are working as a corporate employee, there are colleagues and bosses to pull you out of the trouble, whereas in freelancing, you will be on your own. You will be responsible to find the solutions and rectify whenever you mess up. If you are fine with working alone for several hours in a home office, or a studio then freelancing can be a great career choice for you.
Time Management
It gets tricky to manage time when freelancing. You are in full control of your time when you freelance. This fact can increase the temptation manifolds in aspiring freelancers. You might think you are going to have a lot of time in your hands because there will be no more commute and corporate gossips before you start freelancing. However, the reality could be far from this. Many freelancers use different time management tools to track and make the best use of their time. If you have an eye for detail and you love being organized, freelancing can be a suitable profession for you. If not, then managing your time will be a big-time headache when you freelance.
You Need to Take on Many Roles
Have you ever found yourself complaining about your boss giving you additional responsibilities? If yes, then you need to think again about your decision to become a freelancer. As a freelancer, you will be required to wear many hats. You will have to be your sales guy, accountant, marketing expert, tech specialist, project manager among many other things and on top of that, you will have to take care of the client’s project as well. Signing up to be your own boss is no easy feat. Freelancing is a business, only run alone and like any other business, freelancing will need a different type of experts from every department. If you think of yourself as a lifelong learner and want to continuously upskill yourself, taking on different roles, then freelancing can be an ideal career option for you. If you want to upgrade your current skillsets, then consider undergoing this Digital Marketing Training In Pune
It is a Road of Uncertainty
Living pay check to pay check might sound bad to a lot of people out there but the pay check is at least guaranteed at the end of the month. However, there is no guarantee of success when you walk down the freelancing road. Highs and lows are part of a freelancing career. Your life will fluctuate between having too much work and having no work at all. There will be months when it will rain gold, then there will be months that will be completely dry. It is going to be a roller coaster ride. As a freelancer, you must embrace these risks and uncertainties and keep on grinding. It takes time to build a lucrative freelance career. Even when you would have made it, there will be no certainty of having the same number of clients every month. Ideally, you should focus on building a pipeline of clients before the work dries up. It is risky to freelance but if you are a risk-taker and can deal with the uncertainties freelancing brings, then freelancing is for you.
You Need to be Confident
Apart from the uncertainties that exist in a freelance career, it also tests your self-confidence. From the beginning of a freelance career when you would need to find that first client to deal with clients about the pay, freelancing can take a toll on your self-confidence. As a new freelancer, you will be tempted to undersell your services. People usually do this because they are not sure of what they are worth. This is not really a good idea, though. First, it is a vicious downward spiral of undervaluing your services. Second, if clients realize that you undervalue yourself, they will keep taking advantage of you. If you lack self-confidence then you will find yourself struggling in your freelancing career, especially when it comes to charging a fair price for your hard work.
Freelancing Can Lead You to Burnout
Freelancing can be stressful. You might find yourself working for long hours without break. Then there comes a day when you wake up with no energy, dreading your work. You will realize you can’t think about anything, leave alone creative ideas. Burnout can be a result of excessive mental, physical and emotional stress. If you find yourself struggling with these symptoms, take a step back and think about how you can take control of your life. Practice yoga, meditation and have a healthy diet to keep your mind and body in sync.
Conclusion
Freelancing can be a lucrative career option if pursued with the right mindset and skills. The learning curve in freelancing can be pretty steep and the growth is exponential over time. Moreover, the challenges you will face as a freelancer will transform you into a better person. Though freelancing appears to be a dream, it can be a nightmare for many when they experience it first-hand. Freelancing can help you achieve the financial freedom we all want but will also demand a lot of things from you in return. Freelancing can be difficult and might require you to struggle, but on the brighter side, this struggle can be worthwhile. As a freelancer, it is important to continuously upskill yourself. If you want to make it big in digital marketing, then enrol in these Digital Marketing Classes In Pune