In the post-recession landscape, many young people encounter a lack of salaried full-time positions available to them and opt instead for a series of freelance or contract assignments that provide short-term bursts of employment and compensation. Here are the pros and cons of taking on freelance employment:
PRO
- Freedom from corporate bullshit like dress codes and health insurance
- Able to set own work/searching-for-work balance
- Never leaving apartment guarantees a maximized return on cost of rent
- Workplace gossip as juicy as you make it
- Delightful surprise checks in the mail for projects you finished nine months ago
- Flexible schedule means you’re always available to perform onerous favors for loved ones
- Get to go weeks without uttering single word
CON
- Family members only need so many logo designs
- Federal workplace discrimination laws do not apply when someone takes your seat at coffee shop
- Realization that the other people grocery shopping on a Tuesday morning in a relatively empty Trader Joe’s are now your cohort
- Unable to join conversation when friends talk about their 401(k)s at parties
- Opportunity to work from home less appealing when considering apartments in freelancer’s price range
- Results in less consistent monthly income than that of your creditors, property management company
- Completely unsustainable