03 Mar Transitioning from freelance to full-time
Thanks to freelancer Mariana Ashley for this piece. Many of our readers struggle with the choice, especially with companies beginning to hire again, whether to suffer the slings and arrows of self-employment/entrepreneurship or to go back to a corporate career. Neither choice is “right” or “wrong” – but if you do choose to return to corporate life, here are some great suggestions for the transition!
The recent economic recession has not only changed the face of the market, but also the state of jobs. Work is becoming more difficult to come by, and with so many people facing a bleak financial future if they stay on their current career paths, it is no surprise that many freelancers in the public relations field are now going back to full-time positions in order to make ends meet.
Transitioning from freelancing to working full-time can be tough. Before you can even make that change, however, you will need to find a job. If you are still looking to stick within public relations, look for leads with your past clients and update your resume to reflect all of your freelance experience. You may also need to brush up on your interview skills if you have not been in the job market for a particularly long time.
Once you have secured a job, one of the biggest challenges of this change will be adhering to a company’s schedule and not your own. Luckily, many successful freelancers are already used to working on a tight, goal-oriented schedule in order to meet customer demands and deadlines. This means that when they go back to working full-time, they can apply the same time management skills to their new job and achieve favorable results. For those who are unused to waking up as early as their new full-time position demands, it would be advisable to train their bodies to wake up earlier naturally. To do this, ensure that you receive a full night’s sleep the night before by going to sleep on a regular schedule. This means going to bed and waking up every day, including the weekends, around the same time. This will sync your internal clock with your work schedule, making it easier to get up in the mornings, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Another thing you can do to ease your transition from freelance to full-time is to alert your previous clients and contacts about your career change. This way, they may follow you to your new full-time position, allowing you to work with your previous clients at your full-time job. By the same token, you may have to rearrange some of aspects of your life as you move from a largely work-from-home freelancing career to an office-based one. If you have children who rely on you staying home, you may need to arrange for another caretaker to look over them while you are at work. You may also need to adjust your schedule for other responsibilities to fit in with your new full-time schedule once you make the change. Think about everything you do throughout the week during ordinary work hours. If anything conflicts with your full-time hours, reschedule it for another time.
Making the change from freelancing to full-time can be a satisfying one. You will receive much more steady pay and work, and you can still enjoy working at your own pace as long as you also stick to your employer’s deadlines. To make the transition easier, prepare for job interviews by updating your resume and holding a few mock interviews for practice. In addition, learn to function optimally during your new job’s business hours and arrange all of your personal matters to better fit your new schedule.
By-line:
Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana dot ashley031 at gmail.com.