Clients or Bosses? | LOH Contest #199

Based on your own job hunting and work experiences, which do you prefer, working from home as a freelancer, or working outside the home where you get stable monthly pay? Why?

Someone once said and I quote, “There's no faster path to financial freedom than a 9-5 job.” And I couldn't agree less.

I agree with this because I have been on the job hunting path for three years plus and I earned more money working in a 9-5 job than freelancing. Also, I got to experience the joy and rigors of working with different kinds of people in an office.

Freelancing is an easier option for those who desire to have the freedom and space to work wherever and however they want without the worry of offending a boss or getting fired but it doesn't mean the pay is stable or assured. It doesn't even mean you will get clients steadily.

When I got out of high school, I went ahead to learn a skill which was graphics designing. I thought to myself that if I could learn it, I could add it to my online portfolio and scour for clients who would be ready to take me on. I was eager to work on my own hours and be free to pursue other interests while at it. But after learning that skill, I went four to five months without a job and was getting broke. I already put out my skills on freelancing sites like Fiverr, Jolancer and Upwork but I got no proposal from a client. I knew I was good in my own right but the streets of freelancing were tight and not smiling. Other young people like me also wanted the luxury of staying at home while working and so, it was a whole competitive world on it’s own. I knew that if I sat there and kept waiting for a client to pick me, I would be waiting a long time and none the richer for it.

So, I went ahead to apply for a 9-5 job at a printing office. All I needed to do was show them my previous work and my portfolio and I got the job with a monthly moderate pay. There was no one competing for the job with me. We weren't 100 graphic designers out there rallying for the job. It was just me. The work hours were flexible. While at the office, I was still able to pursue my interests and hobbies like writing. And working at my office gave me enough outlook to write. I met people and experienced lots of things which I could put into my writing. If I was working remotely, I might have had my freedom but I wouldn't have had enough outside experience to put into my writing. Also, the pay came in steadily every month and I was able to sort out my bills and still save towards the future.

Also, my country is not exactly conducive for remote jobs. We have electricity and network issues. If you do not have stable network or electricity, it would be quite hard for you to work online. You might not even be able to meet up with deadlines and trust me, some clients do not understand excuses. All they want is their work delivered on time. Most times, clients keep their options open and if you can't meet up to their standards, they move on to the next viable option. And you are left with a clients unsubmitted work and no pay to show for it. Also, the pay rate for online jobs are sometimes low. I have seen fellow writers lament about the amount of money a client is willing to pay per word which is so low for the amount of effort put into an article.

But, the stability of 9-5 jobs is quite undermined. If you have discipline, tolerance and are adept at working with people, you actually might enjoy your job. Also, you get to add office experience to your resume which puts you in the higher rungs if you are searching for a remote job. Clients tend to prefer people who are quite good at teamwork and has had hands-on experience, I think.

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In this early stage of my life, I prefer working in a 9-5 job because it guarantees stability and a steady pay with other added bonuses and remuneration for workers. You get to have physical work experience, hone your skills more and learn from other people. You just need to find the kind of job and work environment that works for you.