At some point or another, students ask themselves a question: “What should I do after college?” While parents, professors, and society try to convince young people that they should find a 9-to-5 job, many modern students opt for freelancing.
Since you are reading this article, we can presuppose that you think of becoming a freelance writer. Let’s analyze the pros and cons of this career path.
Gain experience
Most graduates find it challenging to get the first office job. Why? Companies look for applicants with vast experience. That creates a vicious circle: newly grads need a job to get experience, but they need the experience to get a job.
In the world of freelancing, the situation is a bit different. If you have a portfolio that showcases your best works, it will not take you long to land the first project.
Modern clients who hire freelancers value writing talent in the first place. If you can prove that you have the skills necessary to complete the project, the lack of experience will not prevent you from getting a job.
Even if your long-term career goals are associated with having an office job, it still might be wise of you to become a freelance writer after college. It’s a quick way to get real-work experience that will strengthen your resume and increase your chances of getting the job of your dreams.
Make money
Freelance writing is a profitable business. If you have a true writing talent and are ready to work hard, you will make enough money to live comfortably and travel. Writing certainly is one of the online jobs for college students that open up many different career opportunities.
Well, you shouldn’t expect that you will become a millionaire in a month. But you can expect that you will earn some money from day one. Once you complete your very first project, you will get a monetary reward.
Remember that you can adjust your freelance rate following your expertise levels. Once the demand for your services increases, you will be able to set a higher rate.
Travel the world
Probably the best thing about being a freelance writer is an opportunity to travel the world. You can live in any country in any place as long as you have a stable connection to the Internet.
Do you want to visit Bali, Thailand, Chile, and Guatemala? You can live and work in each of these countries for a few weeks or even months and enjoy your life to the fullest.
There’s no reason why travelling should break your budget, either. Many online services like Going can be used to find cheap flights to destinations around all over the globe.
You can meet new interesting people, try out new experiences, and explore local cultures. You can be a surfer by day and a writer at night. Does it sound like a dream to you? You can make it come true!
Find the inspiration
If you become a freelance writer after college, you will be able to adjust your work schedule and your environment in the way you like it. If you get bored working from home, you will take your laptop and go to any place that inspires you – a local café, park, or even the beach.
“Every writer needs to feel the freedom to create,” says Linda Ferguson, CEO of Subjecto, an essay database for college students. “You don’t want to work all day in the office, do you? Opt for freelance writing to enjoy the freedom and get your creative juices flowing.”
Are there any disadvantages of being a freelance writer after college?
We have just discussed the benefits of being a freelance writer. Now let’s talk about the drawbacks of this career path.
Financial instability
Probably the most significant disadvantage of freelancing is financial instability. No matter how qualified you are, your income, as well as your workload, will vary from month to month.
Freelancing means that you work for yourself. You don’t have an employer who will pay you a designated monthly salary.
Most freelance writers work with a few clients simultaneously. When one client ends the contract, a freelancer needs to spend time on landing a new client. This process may take freelancers a few hours, days, and, in some cases, even weeks. Naturally, while you don’t have projects to work on – you don’t make money.
Reduced social life
Some writers, extroverts, in particular, say that the freelance lifestyle feels quite isolating and that they feel a bit withdrawn and lonely.
But the truth is that there are many ways (other than having an office job) to build a great social life. You can work from co-working spaces or other “crowded places”, join online communities of freelance writers, or choose team sports and other group activities. You can find a way to be around people if you wish to.
Freelance stigma
Unfortunately, not all people understand what it means “to be a freelance writer”. The chances are your parents and your grandparents will not support your career choice because they don’t see freelancing as a “real job”.
We live in the digital world, but some people (seniors in particular) still believe that if you don’t need to wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and go to the office – you don’t have a real job.
If you depend on the opinion of others, it might be challenging for you to deal with social pressure. But don’t worry. Once you show your parents your bank account statements and explain how much money you earn in an hour, they will change their attitudes toward freelancing from negative to positive.
Wrapping it up
Writing is one of the most popular jobs in the gig economy, and for a good reason. The benefits of being a freelance writer greatly outweigh its drawbacks.
Let’s face it. You will lose nothing if you try to find a freelance writing career after college. If you get disappointed in freelancing, you will quit your freelance job and focus on finding an offline job. But if you like it, you will keep exploring the unlimited opportunities of the freelance world.
BIO: Kristin Savage is an editor, writer, and blogger. She is an expert in distance learning and academic writing. Kristin helps students and young writers to find their true calling and get a job they are passionate about.
Featured photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash