It has never been easier to break free from the conventional nine to five work, and becoming a digital nomad is a dream for many. It sounds great: work from anywhere in the world, make your own schedule, be your own boss. The reality, however, is that freelancing has a lot of downsides.
Job uncertainty
Being a freelancer entails frequent job shifts, which means that there will be periods when you do not have a project to work on. This means that you have to plan ahead. There will be times when you will work and earn a lot, and times when you will not earn a single dollar. You do not have a job security like when you’re employed in a company where you know how much you earn each month. As a freelancer, one month you will have a great salary, maybe twice as much as your friends make, and sometimes you will not find any project for yourself.
Security
When working in a company, your employer pays your health and pension insurance. When you are a freelancer, you should take care of it yourself. It is up to you to decide whether you will pay pension and how you will regulate health insurance. The ugly side of any freelance job is that there are unscrupulous people for whom you will work, who may end up not paying you, or delaying your payment for whatever reason. That’s the risk of this business that you must accept before you start.
Loneliness
When you work in a company, you meet people and mingle every day. When you are a freelancer, you are mostly at home and communicating with people via Skype or some other digital channel. If you are not a people person, and you enjoy solitude, this is the right thing for you. If, however, you enjoy being surrounded by people, a freelance job can take a toll on your social skills, and you may even feel depressed after some time.
Working space
If you have weighed the pros and cons, and you decide to get into this type world, keep in mind that you will need a workspace. If your job only requires a computer and a charger, this is an easy task, especially if you live alone – your work desk or kitchen table can become your office. Keep in mind that it’s best to have some personalized knick-knacks to give you that extra boost. Try going to office store or to find some deal on the web, it might be cheaper. If you live with family or roommates, try to arrange with them that your office takes up some space or that your room is a space in which you will be able to work smoothly during working hours. If you do not have these conditions at home, you can try to work in a café or a library, or look into renting a shared office space.