From PT Freelance to FT Employee?
Out of context: Reply #18
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- vaxorcist0
hmmm.....
I've been in this position and usually regretted it when I went full-time, except at the first agency I was at.
First Agency - I had no idea how lucky I was, they didn't pay much but they were creative-driven, not account-driven, they FIRED clients who wanted bigger logos, lots of people went on to form their own agencies after this place got bought and we all left....
Second Agency: They paid me less than I was freelancing for, but gave me full benefits and I negotiated so it was about the same after taxes.... cool for a while, but I felt like a domestic animal who's been neutered after a while, as a freelancer I could speak my mind in meetings, as a fulltimer I had to worry about offending, and the agency was far too much trying to please client whims
Note that working retails is NOT that bad for a serious designer who wants to freelance, it may not seem rock-star-esque on a resume, but you learn HOW TO SELL, which is a skill that will help you more in a freelance life than you can ever imagine....
I now judge agencies by whether it seems their account staff knows HOW TO SELL or whether they just seem to think HOW TO ASS-KISS is how to sell.... that's how I choose who to freelance for....