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I Quit! How to Switch From Salary to Freelance Goodbye regular income and paid holidays – hello flexibility and autonomy. Could freelancing give you the lifestyle you want?
“I really don’t like my job.” Five years ago I said those words in a tiny, sterile meeting room 17 floors up a high-rise building on Albert Street. My performance review wasn’t off to a great start. After that out-of-the-blue realisation an idea formed in my head. What if I could do my job but without the stuff I don’t like? No more office, no more commute, no nine to five, no awkward conversations in grey meeting rooms – in other words, complete freedom. You can’t spell freelance without free Two months after my impromptu confession I had arranged a contract with the content marketing agency I was working at, and my career as a freelance writer began. Bonza. Back in 2019 around 144,000 people like me were working as freelancers in New Zealand, but trends suggest that the COVID pandemic has increased that proportion considerably. Why did I make the change and why have so many others done the same thing? There are a few good reasons. Generally, when you’re a freelancer you can work from wherever you want as long as you have an internet connection. For my S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 | I N F O R M E D I NVESTO R 3 6
first six months I was in South-East Asia and I now work remotely from Wanaka. You can also set your own hours – if you’re a night owl you’re free to sleep in as much as you like. If you’re successful you may also earn more than a wage earner with comparable experience because you can set your own rates and have fewer overheads. What’s more, you can choose what work to accept, which means you can work on stuff that truly interests you. Most importantly, as a freelancer you’re in charge of every hour of your day, which improves your work-life balance. You also save a couple of hours per day not commuting, which you can spend however you like (I usually walk my dog or sleep in). It’s not all roses Freelancing can be incredible but it can also be really, really hard. Dan Percival, head of supply chain, procurement and operations at TribeRecruit, found that out back when he was working on his own as a recruiter. “The grass isn’t necessarily greener, it’s just different. The market’s very competitive and you’ve got to work harder than you did before. “For one, you don’t have a big team behind the scenes, or a marketing budget, or much support at all. In the meantime your
