Respect: Freelance vs Full Time
Out of context: Reply #35
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- fyoucher10
IMO, I think it 'sounds' like this. I think when people associate the titles they also associate with financials, so I'll include my thoughts on that. Technically, it's not correct but to me I think this is probably a good way to think about it:
The 'typical full-time employee':
- You're comfortable where you are. Your job pays the bills. You go in for a set period of time to work but once work is done you're no longer thinking about work. You're not really thinking about stepping up to the plate and moving up fast. Again, you're very comfortable and aren't really willing to take risks like that. You're have a salary and are probably making less than $100k.The 'atypical full-time employee':
- You're not comfortable where you are, which is a good thing. You look at your company like it's your company. When the 9-5 is over, you're thinking of ways to make the company better. You're immersed in your work and the success of your company. You're probably moving up the ladder fast or are already at the top.The 'perma-lance freelancer':
- You work in-house. You're okay at what you do but don't have what the company needs to hire you full-time or to replace one of the already full-time employees. You come in every now and then when a company needs a helping hand. You probably get paid the equivalent of what a full-time employee makes an hour but without the benefits (somewhere in the range of $35 - $70 an hour).The full-time employees are not so fond of you because they feel like the people higher up are thinking you're not doing a good enough job, whatever that may be. It's likely that you'll get a full-time job in the future.The 'full-time / freelance hybrid':
- You work full-time and moonlight on the side. Either because your full-time gig isn't paying what you'd like to be making or because you take on projects that are cool and fun, maybe your in-house projects are dull (whatever the case may be).The 'Rockstar freelancer':
- You're really good at what you do. You go in-house to kick ass and you're in the position to get a full-time position at whatever company you want but decide to continue to stay independent and to pick and choose your projects and companies and make more than a perma-lance freelancer. You work by the hour, probably in the range of $50 - $125 an hour.The 'self-employed one man business owner':
- You work on your own, you don't go in-house because you don't need to. You may or may not be really good at what you do but have the drive to get "clients" who continually come back to you for work. You market yourself effectively. You put in bids for work and compete with other small businesses with employees. You work very hard but are one step away from actually running a business with employees, whatever the reason may be. You may have an intern or one junior employee. You're making more than a full-time employee but less than a full on business, probably somewhere in the $100k+ to $300k range. You're charging by project, you don't have an hourly rate per say. You occasionally hire outside contractors to help with projects.The 'Business Owner':
- You have employees. You have clients, real clients. You pitch to clients, you put in bids, you pick and choose the work that you do and who you work for. You're have enough income generated to hire employees of your own and still make enough to have 'profit'. You probably have a minimum project fee. It's likely that you're bringing in $500k+ as a company. You're an actual business with all the actual business docs. You've kicked your own ass so hard and now the rewards are paying off.