The never ending question to go full time or stay freelance. For the people who made the switch one way or another, what helped you decide what the best option was for you and your desired lifestyle?

like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

Money. Once I hit freelance I realized I could work half the year and make what I make as staff somewhere… work the whole year and I can double, maybe triple my income.

Once that happens it’s very, very hard to go back

like

Yep, I have an llc through which I do my 1099 work, although lately I’ve been sticking to w2 bc I’m horrible at withholding my own taxes

like

Basically the freedom. I can take time off when I feel burned out and say no to projects if they don’t feel like the right fit. And when I do need to take something that’s purely for the paycheck it’s easier to just separate that out in my mind if that makes sense. All this being said, of course I do need to work enough to meet my financial responsibilities. But once you have your network built up it’s easier to understand the ebbs and flows and for me at least, I feel like I do have the leeway to be a bit pickier.

like

I’ve been freelance for 5 years.

The money has been comparable to a staff salary over the course of the year, but with fewer days worked.

It’s hard to plan trips months in advance because “you never know.”

You need to get used to training entire teams because you’ll typically be brought in for new accounts.

It’s disappointing when someone runs the numbers and realizes they could afford a staff person. That’s typically how I’ve lost steady clients. Replaced by a staffer.

It’s harder to get a home loan when you’re a freelancer, but not impossible. Your health insurance costs and your tax rate will jump up significantly.

All that being said … I still prefer freelance as I prefer the illusion of freedom more than the illusion of security.

Put the feelers out and then bounce when a project rolls in.

like

Illusion of freedom vs illusion of security. Spot on with that! I like to say I have freedom bring freelance. But not really. Still strapped to when your meetings are and when bills are due. Whichever makes you feel better I guess.

like

Freelance anytime. You grow at ur own pace. U are ur own company

like

Freelance is amazing once you've built up a network of people/agencies that come to you when they need temp help. It can be tricky and hard to build up this network - esp now in summer when it's usually quiet. Fall is the best time as the 4th quarter is usually when biz ramps up. If you don't have a network of people you know who will hire you - Upwork, Aquent, Creative Circle, Facebook (sadly) are all good resources for postings for freelance need.

likehelpful

i would love to make the switch to freelance but idk how

Took the two steps mentioned above. Loved it! Best ‘push’ I ever got in my career up to this point.

Biggest fear for me to jump to freelance is benefits and health insurance. I’m the main provider in my household and everyone is on my insurance. What options are there? Just paying significantly more out of pocket?

Related Posts

Is everyone an AICP Awards Judge? It’s like every other post on LinkedIn now. 😀

likefunny

CPA and accounting manager in financial services. I’m thinking of taking on the finance extension at UCLA. Does this make sense for my situation? I’m looking to make CFO someday of an investment company.

like

What crypto trading platforms are best? I have RH and WeBull - but not all cryptos are trade able. Got CoinBase with very high fee, and app that’s not good to monitor performance and BlockFi but again very limited crypto trade ability. Looking for suggestions on high volume low fee platforms that have the most cryptos.

like

Which FAANG companies have non-tech PM roles?

like

What’s the NYC lit lateral market like right now? First year looking to move and not sure if I want to transfer thru my firm or switch.

like

Everytime I work on the weekend I get into some sort of fight with my spouse. Anyone else get annoyed when their spouse constantly asks you when you’ll be done working, or asks how much longer you have to work. It annoys the hell out of me. I don’t want be working on a Sunday anymore than my spouse wants me to be working. But I have to. I don’t need reminded that I am disappointing my family in addition to working on the weekend. Am I alone in thinking this? Am I wrong to get so annoyed?

like

Same background/experience/qualifications. One get hired as an SM the other as a specialist Leader, same base?

like

Finally getting ECD offers but not sure of ECD salaries in LA and NY. What’s a solid range?

like

Hi! I recently moved in-house as an entry level attorney. Prior to that I was working in biglaw in a foreign country. My GC now asked me to set FY 2020-21 goals. I have no idea what to say as I just started working here and have no idea what to expect in the future. Would love to hear some of your experiences and any advice I can get on this. Thanks so much.

like

Anyone know what are the ranks in KPMG Singapore? Noticed some individuals designated as Principal Advisors, but never heard of this level.

like

Cleaner recommendations in LES/Chinatown area?

like

How involved are PMs at your agency? What are their responsibilities on different types of projects? Ours seem to be resource managers and time trackers only. Feels redundant.

like

Anyone working over a reactjs based project in CTS could you kindly DM me so that I can reach out to understand more about what I can expect in webdev project with CTS?

like

Realize this is not the industry but hoping someone can advise on what an Event Manager in Chicago might make? 3 years experience in experiential marketing/PR events

helpful

Does anyone know if you have to negotiate an automatic 3-4% increase in salary every year for inflation, etc. when getting an in-house position? Or is that fairly standard for most companies and HR just handles that internally at the start of every year?

like

On personal Capital, how many of you add the value of your car to your net worth

like

Wondering if anyone struggles with a similar problem I do - I was a volleyball player/serious athlete from 10 until I finished playing my senior year of college. I then worked as a full time volleyball coach/assistant director of operations for a super competitive club in south Florida. I changed career paths for stability and money increase, but now I find when I’m super stressed at work I avoid the gym. I normally go 4-6 days per week and consider it an outlet, but now seems to add stress.

like

Anyone from Microsoft? Need a referral and job ID with me.

like

I have a weird experience with KPMG India . Two weeks ago I had salary negotiation with the HR manager. He told me that the offer will be released in a couple of days but I haven't received the offer letter yet.I tried reaching out to the HR manager but didn't receive any response. Shall I take it as no?

likehelpful

Are employees working in adnoc exempted to pay income tax in India?

Additional Posts in Production

I’ve been producing for nearly 10 years and today a 26 year old social media manager told me to change my callsheet template and provided me a rainbow spreadsheet template to use instead... I quit

likefunny

Looking for advice on an accounts person moving into production. Aware this isn’t the greatest time to do so, but what skills do acct. people have that producers have? Best way to just PA? Thoughts?

like

Recos for influencer agencies? Specifically for TikTok. Small budget. Thanks

like

Do you know of any vendors that have closed, or are closing, because of the lack of projects during the Pandemic?

like

What’s the best group rate for client/agency hotels in Santa Monica that you’ve seen? December shoot. ~8-10 people. 1 week stay.

Thinking about taking the leap to freelancing. I’ve only ever worked full time at agencies but, I’m looking for more flexibility.

Pros vs. cons? Anyone know what the freelance market is like?

like

Indy 500: Anyone have a contact here that isn’t part of the track? I had “a guy” w/ private property that used to sell space. I don’t have that guy any longer? Any leads would be appreciated.

Can account people just be honest with us producers and title a postmortem meeting as “your funeral”? And be sure to mark the meeting location as “under the bus”? 🤣

likefunny

Will production even be fun when we go back??

like

What is a good, competitive day rate for a mid level freelancer?

Has anyone ever worked with a tech fabrication company that specializes in creating stuffed animals ? Very niche I know! Can be anywhere in the world

like

I know we all need to work but at what point is it socially unethical to sell to our clients creative that requires a live action shoot right now given the surge in Covid?

like

I just listened to an interview of a creative director recount their path towards copywriting at a famous ad agency. It could not have been a more textbook case of failing upwards as a white man.

It would seem the only thing you need to make it as an advertising creative is to have lots of not particularly original ideas. Practically every other skill is unnecessary. If you’re a white man.

That this level of mediocrity passes for talent explains why so many agency briefs are so lame.

like

Hi fish! Which agencies would you say most consistently hire or are in need of freelance producers? Seems like only the big ones to me and I’m looking for some smaller shop experience

like

Testing TV files for Extreme Reach

Is there a website or portal you can use to test TV files before submitting? I have a client who handles their own traffic, so anytime Extreme Reach rejects or even questions something that is not a problem, it gets kicked back and a bunch of clients get CC'd on an email saying: "this failed QA."

At every other agency I've worked on, we would be able to handle any kickback or tweaks internally with zero client involvement. I'd love a way to test files.

like

Any agencies in NYC looking for freelance APs?

Any agencies hiring jr producers in Portland or LA? Or any leads would be greatly appreciated!

Realizing why agencies are still struggling to find enough Business Affairs employees. And know several people who this has happened to. One is pay. Salaries have been going up the last year or two. And some agencies aren’t raising their pay as fast as others. But another big factor is employers are trying to find candidates that check every box. So if a candidate has 19 out of 20 required skills or experiences, they aren’t being given offers. Even if that one piece can be easily taught …

likehelpful

Hi all, for anyone who has experience with completely virtual shoots did you find that there was an added time or monetary component versus tradition photoshoot? I’m working on estimating a future project for my agency and curious how they compare

like

Does anyone know the names of internal content units at smaller agencies and small and large brands .

like

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Send download link to your phone

OR

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Messaging rates may apply

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal