Dearest reader, as we try to answer this question, you must figure out who you are, what you want to do, and what part of the job spectrum you belong to. Deciding would be made easier as this article progresses. A major step to prevent frustration and confusion in the long run.
You all know the story of how my parents wanted me to become a medical doctor, right? If you don’t, here is the link to the full gist.
Since 2017, I have encountered three medical doctors who graduated at the top of their class and did extraordinarily in the medical field. However, they all left the medical field to focus on their purpose.
The first person—Dr. Fred resigned from UBTH and relocated to Jos to follow the calling of God in his life. When I met him for the first time, I knew this man was a real man of God, the spirit of the Lord bears witness. After a few months, he shared the story of his transition with me. Dears, I was in awe.
See, I was serving at the time and uncertain of my future. I felt like a failure for not studying medicine. Then I met an MD with a track record of excellence, who resigned at the pinnacle of his career to serve God. Ah! I had heard stories like this, but this will be my first time meeting a person with such experience. This was the motivation I needed to keep moving.
In 2019, I was working in a café as a Barista, and I met the second person—Dr. Ken, and because I was so good at my job (if I do say so myself), he called me aside and asked if my job at the time was really, what I was. I explained that I had applied for my MSc. and was working as a Social Media Manager. He was impressed but encouraged me to explore other things. I did explore other things like Virtual Assistance, and in March of 2021, he became my second client as a Virtual Assistant. He was impressed that I had done more. So, this happened because I listened.
Dr. Ken graduated top of his class as a cardiovascular surgeon, after a few years of practicing, he moved to the Pharmaceutical Industry. At the time, people in the medical field believed that he failed in medicine but that was not the case. His passion drove him there and he ran with it vigorously and became the GEM Medical Head and Country Chair for sub-Saharan and West Africa for one of the top 5 Pharmaceutical companies in the world. Today, he is the Medical Head, Africa of one of the top genomic companies in the world.
Are you better suited as a remote employee or a freelancer? You are suited for either based on your personality and what you want out of the whole experience. Should you go down the path of becoming a freelancer or get a job with an employer? This is the question I will be answering in subsequent paragraphs. Before then, a bit of definition.
Who is a freelancer? A freelancer is a person who works on their own to provide services for different companies on particular assignments. You decide what value you want to sell your services for. A freelancer can have multiple clients at the same time, often working on several projects at once. Who is a remote employee? A remote employee is simply put as someone who is employed for a person or company for a salary but can do this from anywhere in the world. This is like any other job where you do not have full control, and most things are outlined for you.
Which one should you choose? Well, it depends on a lot of things.
If you are independent, reliable, can manage and enjoy taking risks, then freelancing might be for you. You will be responsible for things like meeting your clients and completing your deadlines. Here, you are in control and get monetary compensation predetermined by you. If you are on the other side of things, a different person is getting the clients. You are delivering the work but somewhere in the middle of it, someone is taking a cut of the profit and paying you for your service. The good thing is that you don’t have to find the client, you show up, get a regular paycheck, and there is less risk involved.
Differences between freelancing and remote employment
Nature of job
As an employee, you are under the direction of your employer who will give you a description of what task to do on a daily basis. A freelancer, on the other hand, is expected to discuss terms and conditions of how he/she works and reach an agreement with the client; the agreement favours the two parties usually.
Workplace
While they both work remotely, a freelancer may occasionally have to meet with clients in person, and a remote employee remains under the supervision of an employer, albeit virtually. Working hours usually, a remote employee works from 9 am to 5 pm. In other cases, they work based on the preferences of the employer. On the other hand, as a freelancer, you determine your own working hours.
Earnings
A remote employee earns a fixed salary monthly from his/her employer. However, a freelancer earns money on a project basis and can increase the fee at any time based on several factors.
Duration
Employees are permanently employed by a single employer and receive a fixed remuneration. The employee is a part of a remote team and may be hired to fill a specific role rather than work on a single project. Freelancers are self-employed individuals who typically work on short-term projects with various clients. A defining feature of freelancers is that they can set their own hours and work with several clients at the same time.
Stability
Having a schedule and knowing exactly when things are going to occur is not in the world of a freelancer. Things are unstable and you can be let go by your clients at any point. As an employee, there is a routine, and you are sure of a paycheck at the end of the month.
Though similar in some ways, you can see from this article a clear difference between being freelance and a remote employee.
Yet to determine who you want to be?
Freelancing is for you who want a challenge and to oversee your growth. It is not easy, especially when you are just starting out. Though, it is more rewarding considering the level of challenge it poses.
At the end of the day, you can’t change the person you are. While some are meant to be leaders, entrepreneurs, and freelancers, others are meant to be team members, right-hand men, and employees.
No way is better than the other. But for you and the type of person you are, one way is more suitable, you just must figure that out. Hopefully, these have brought insight to help you discover which path is best suited for you.
Finally, let me tell you of the third person—a doctor that requested my resume via LinkedIn, Dr. David. He is a medical doctor, but he stopped practicing 8 years ago to focus exclusively on Creative Writing.
During our conversation, I asked: why did you choose creative writing over saving lives?
This was his response: “Passion”.
Regardless of what people think when it comes to money, passion always makes its way to the top. And don’t just stop there. Be excellent.
“The greatest miracle in the life of an individual is the discovery of passion. The second greatest miracle in the life of an individual is the faith pursuit of passion. All else doesn’t matter, as you would have discovered in your own personal experience. Those who are genuinely called to save lives, and there is certainly no shortage of them, will continue to save lives. Those who are called to help others express themselves in literary terms must rise to their calling.” – Dr. David.
When I discovered my purpose, I moved a long mile from feeling like a failure.
Dear creative, I am certain you now know the response to the question: “Is a freelancer an employee”?
To succeed, as an employee or a freelancer, you must discover your true purpose. Only then do you feel in your soul the contentment that comes with being tremendously successful.
Bye for now,
Alexis.
