Can I freelance when I’m working fulltime?

Find some matches for your eyelids if you plan on burning the candle at both ends (i.e. do two roles at once).

Being in a full-time job requires 100% commitment. We don’t recommend freelancing after hours. Keep in mind:

• Freelance clients won’t always be prepared to meet after hours (i.e. when you’re not at work). They tend to want things done NOW, which is fair enough given they are the ones paying the bills.
• If you freelance while working full time you’ll have less time for ‘Plan B’ if things go wrong on a job at work. Sometimes as designers we suffer creative blocks or the execution takes longer than expected. When you know you can do a late one, or worst come worst, work over the weekend to meet a deadline, it’s not so bad. But if your nights and weekends are taken up with freelancing you’re definitely going to be under the pump.
• You’ll have less energy. Imagine working till 8pm at an agency on client changes…knowing you have at least four more hours to go on your own clients.
• You’ll see less of family and friends (there are only so many hours in a day). Possibly a lot less.
• You can’t freelance at work. We all have downtime in agencies, when we jump on Facebook or hang round the coffee machine. Your bosses might turn a blind eye here but they won’t if they see you doing work for non-agency clients.

There’s no real need to ‘test the water’ to see if freelancing is right for you. After all, you will pretty much be using exactly the same skills you are now. The transition is more a matter of mindset and wanting creative independence. If you don’t have the guts to go at it alone now chances are you never will.

For even more great tips on how to get ahead as a freelance designer or design consultant, grab a copy of The Pond booklet Ready to Be Your Own Boss?

About The Pond

The Pond represents leading independent creatives across the advertising, design, digital and marketing communication industries. We specialise in flexible resourcing on three levels: freelance (daily and weekly bookings), contract (three to nine-month bookings) and full time placement. So if you are a freelance designer at the top of your game and looking for ongoing representation (or a business in need of the best independent creative minds), call us today (09) 373 3791.

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