Let’s face it, if we could all work from the coziness of our own home, we would. Should we, however, is the real question.

Those of us who started freelancing post 9/11 did what we had to do. The market took a big dive and everyone was scrambling for work, trying to pay the bills and, well, eat. Since then the job market has improved, and is still experiencing steady growth. Interestingly enough, an enormous amount of talent is still freelancing.

Freelancing affords various luxuries a full-time job doesn’t: making our own schedules, picking and choosing which clients to work with, increased creative freedom, etc.

Freelance, however, can be an unfortunate hindrance on your career as well. Here’s why:

-When a hiring manager sees you’ve been freelancing for the past 4 or 5 years, they might wonder if you can work well again in a team setting. It’s the “Does she play nice in the sandbox?” theory.

-Excessive freelance on your resume may make a jobseeker seem unstable. It’s just as important to have a solid resume, as it is to have a brilliant portfolio in most cases.

-Management or mentoring experience is difficult to obtain while freelancing, which means if you are a Sr. Art Director freelancing the past 4 years, snagging an ACD or CD level position will be challenging.
My advice to all you freelancers, if you’re even mildly interested in full-time work again soon it’s likely time to find a home: Not you’re own home either. Find a company you enjoy and get some solid years of full-time experience under your belt. From then, your career will have endless possibilities.