While working in WordPress I’ve been mostly surrounded by people that work either remotely, or freelance. Lots of new entrepreneurs, or people starting off in an unconventional work environment. I always assumed having that freedom was the ultimate goal, but is it?
In this blog post we’re going to discuss the differences between freelance and corporate careers, and some of their negatives and positives.
Working in the office is probably the easiest way to build community, but it’s far from the only way. And, it only works if you like the people in your office. However it does offer a lot of potential for building a local community, and one that isn’t necessarily centered around work.
If you’re remote but working for a corporate job, community can be more complicated. You probably have a few people you work with regularly, so there’s social interaction there. But you’re more likely to need to find community elsewhere. That can be traveling to see people, or having local friends and activities.
Freelance work can be even harder, in that you may be working entirely alone. I know some people will form a partnership, or start a company of 3-4 people, but it has the potential to be a very isolating career. It’ll be most important to focus on building a community around you, and learning how to keep connections through social media.
This is something I noticed when switching from a corporate job, to a more flexible one. (I still have an employer/manager/boss like person, but it’s VERY different from my previous jobs.) I enjoy the freedom of being able to manage my own work, hours, and workflow. But there’s something to be said for having someone do it for you.
Needless to say, it can be really fantastic not being the one in charge. I do love the flexibility I have, but sometimes I wish I didn’t have to think that hard. And for those of us with a floaty ADHD brain, it can be really hard to commit to things when we have too much flexibility.
If you freelance, own a business, or simply work from home, it can be a lot harder to establish work boundaries. If you work 9-5 you go home at the end of the day, and work can’t follow you the same way. It makes things a whole lot easier to say “No” too.
Now, it isn’t impossible to have proper work/life balance, it just takes time to establish boundaries that work for you and your team. And it’s important not to break those boundaries too often. Sometimes flexibility is important, but don’t let that flexibility take over.
All this to say, freelance doesn’t beat corporate, and corporate doesn’t beat freelance. They both have their ups and downs, and it’s important to do whatever is best for you.
Hopefully this answers any questions you may have had, and if you have any specific topics you’d like me to cover please reach out through the comments. Or, you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.