And good, son, but you have a normal job... or?
If you've ever tried to explain to your grandmother (or any member of the older generation) that you're freelancer, There's a good chance you've heard something like that.
Freelance career, although more and more common among young people, still sounds to many as a phase between looking for a "real job" and what adults actually do. But freelancing It's not just clicking on the keyboard in pajamas. It is a serious (and often very demanding) way of working with a lot of freedom, but also even more responsibility.
Free what?
Freelancer independently provides services to different clients, without permanent employment in a single company. Doing projects, not going to work. He searches for clients himself, he negotiates the price himself, he works when and how it suits him (in theory). This can include everything from writing, design, translation, programming, consulting, education, to cake making or digital marketing.
A problem?
Grandma still thinks in the categories: either you're employed, or you're unemployed. Boss, firm, opening hours. If she doesn't, she's confused.
How to simplify the explanation?
Examples from everyday life can help:
- You know what people call a plumber when something's leaking? Well, they call me when their website leaks.
- I don't go to one company every day, but I work for more than one of them from home – like when your hairdresser goes home to cut hair.
- I work ‘to-piece’ – like when someone orders a pie and you make and sell.
What worries Grandma the most?
- Do you have pension and health care? – Yes, this can be settled, but it is not the time to explain the difference between the flat rate, the contract and the contribution.
- What if no one gives you a job? – Well, that's a real concern. Freelancers are constantly looking for opportunities, building a network and investing in a personal brand.
- You work all day, and you don't have a boss? – This is true. You are the boss of yourself, which means that freedom comes with great responsibility.
Why freelancing Still worth it?
Freelancing brings flexibility, the ability to select projects and clients, control over time and work environment. But it also comes with challenges: unsafe and irregular income, constant need for learning and responsibility for every part of the business.
Grandma may not fully understand this, but when she sees that you are not coming to her lunch, that your phone is ringing all the time and that “you are typing something on your computer all the time”, she may still conclude that there is something serious about it.
And once you pay for her lunch at an online restaurant, she may even start bragging to her neighbours about how you work ‘over your buddies’.
Our goal is your success.
Together, we shape sustainable solutions and create the foundations for growth, competitiveness and innovation.
Get in touch at rraporin@porin.hr or through contact form and arrange individual counseling.
