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- Being self-employed will present you with many challenges and advantages.
- Here, author Jamie Friedlander details 9 things she wishes she'd known before she started being self-employed as a writer.
In January, I received an unsettling phone call late at night. The magazine I worked as the features editor for was shutting down. The entire staff was laid off. My immediate emotions were shock and sadness. But I also knew this could happen when working in such a volatile industry.
At 28, I was still at the beginning of my career. I envisioned becoming a full-time freelance writer one day, but I always thought I'd wait until I had more years behind me. But jobs were sparse, and freelancing would allow me to take control of my future. I decided to do it.
Now 12 months in, I can say it was the best professional decision I've ever made. I'm making significantly more money than I did when I was traditionally employed, not to mention I have more free time, the flexibility to travel whenever I want, and the comfort of knowing I'm in charge of my own future.
In the past year, I've learned a handful of things I wish I'd known before I became self-employed as a freelancer.