Every normal person seeks to achieve in his life something really significant, regardless of gender. But in the conditions of modern realities, when in most cases we have to "work for an uncle", but there are no other options, it is difficult to do this. Read the story of a 34-year-old woman who was not afraid to quit her job and now earns pretty good money.
Where dreams come from
“I always dreamed of making a successful career. I knew that if I work hard enough, one day my name will be on the plate on the doors of my own corner office in a beautiful skyscraper.
However, when I was 31 years old, I ended up at work, which I hated. I had a feeling that I was underpaid, overworked, mistreated, ignored and strangled my talent.
So, one rainy April morning, I entered the boss’s office and said that I was leaving. I wanted to succeed, but on my own terms.
Today I am a freelance graphic designer. I earn about 178,000 euros per year (more than 12.5 million rubles) and work in my own office in the center of Miami.
Although freelance work is becoming more and more positive, as more and more people work this way, I see that there are still many misunderstandings regarding a career in this area.
Here I have collected and refuted some common myths. I also recorded how freelance work helped me build my career the way I could never do with a traditional employer.
Misconception 1: “Self-employment is uncertainty”
My income is much more stable than a traditional employee who works from nine to five.
Every day, people lose their jobs due to circumstances beyond their control - recession, restructuring, or simply because of poor personnel policies. Even if you yourself have not experienced this, I am sure that you know someone who has experienced it.
If you have a “regular” job, then your fate is in the hands of your employer. It's like putting everything at stake. I have different sources of income, and my fate does not depend on anyone except myself. I have completed several major tasks and I know what to expect every month.
In the worst case scenario, if I lose my order, I will simply replace it with a new one. Who knows, maybe my next job will have a bigger budget. As a freelancer, you have endless career opportunities.
Misconception 2: “You cannot earn enough money to support yourself”
As an employee, I earned about $ 66,700 (4.2 million rubles) a year and rarely received a salary increase. When I was last hired, they told me that I would have to wait years before asking for an increase in salary.
Today I earn an average of about 178,000 euros per year and notice how steadily and steadily my salary is growing.
And I'm not alone in this - according to new information from Upwork and the Union of Freelancers, 82 percent of freelancers say they earn more than colleagues with the same or similar experience in the same industry.
Customers want quality and are willing to pay for it. A professional graphic designer freelancer can charge you about $ 178 (11.2 thousand rubles) per hour or even more.
Misconception 3: “Freelance is a hobby”
Freelance is not a hobby. As a self-employed, you run your own small business. And I'm not going to ever return to "normal" work.
Like many freelancers and small business owners, I am proud of my career, and believe me, as soon as you feel freedom, there is no turning back.According to the study mentioned above, 76 percent of freelancers said they feel happier than before at their regular job.
After all, who would not prefer to set their own hours and salaries and be their own boss?
Over the past five years, the number of full-time freelancers has grown by eleven percent. Over 3.7 million workers choose this unconventional career path.
I regularly work with nationally recognized clients. These include the CDC Foundation (CDCF), Kimberly-Clark, and the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM). I am convinced that I would never have had such opportunities if I continued to work as an employee. "