Is freelancing more secure than a job?
How working for yourself can pay off
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This week I’ve been watching the news of thousands of US federal workers being sacked from their jobs with astonishment. Wired have been doing top notch reporting on this if you want to know more but having years of experience, working in specialist fields and having positive performance reviews did not stop vast swathes of Government employees from being arbitrarily fired.
An episode of The Daily podcast from the New York Times had a series of interviews with stunned employees who found out they had been sacked either by email or because they were suddenly shut out of their work accounts. Years of service and no one had the decency to even speak to them in person. None of it seems legal but it’s also seriously morally and ethically dubious. Some were told they were fired only to be then told that was a mistake before being fired once more.
In the latest twist on Saturday, employees throughout the federal government received an email demanding they respond with a list of five things they accomplished last week. Elon Musk followed this with a post on X saying that non responses will be taken as a resignation.
It all made me feel sick to my stomach which in turn made me ponder why this was bothering me so much? Of course I can empathise with injustices that don’t directly affect me but why were these firings an ocean away filling me with such rage. The thing is, I do have direct experience of the lack of control and unfairness those workers will be feeling right now. I grew up with a parent who was subject to round after round of redundancies, having to watch as valued colleagues lost their jobs. Those left had to work harder and harder to keep up with the work. In the end they ended up hospitalised with a nervous breakdown and had to retire many years before they should have done.
I have other family members who were also driven out of their jobs by similar stresses. So I know what that feels like. I don’t think it takes a therapist to work out why I was so keen to opt for freelancing and have not been in a PAYE job since 2010. I had three staff jobs before I went self-employed and in terms of HR practices I didn’t have a great experience at any of them. Paid less than others doing the same job, being refused opportunities for career advancement and witnessing company-wide redundancies. In just a few short years I’d had enough.
My strongly held view is that despite the financial ups and downs we face, freelancing can actually offer a more secure career than traditional employment. Now I know many of you may be scoffing at this as you wait for those invoices to be paid or pitch emails to be answered but bear with me. Analysis from the Press Gazette estimates than 900 jobs were cut in the journalism industry in the UK and US in January 2025 alone. The grass is not always greener and what freelancing gives us more than anything is control. We can stop working for toxic bosses, work more if we want to earn more, choose our hours, pivot to new income streams and if work disappears we have other options.
I know some of you will disagree with me. Not everyone is suited to freelancing and the hustle can be very hard work. It takes resilience and you have to love what you do. Budgets are being squeezed everywhere and, as we have pointed out before, payment practices in freelance journalism can be shockingly bad. But with the right approach, I believe freelancing can offer the security that those in employment can have taken away from them at any moment.
Here’s my top five reasons why freelancing can be the more reliable career choice.
Income diversification: We should all be working with multiple clients, which means if one publication or client goes under, a budget is cut, or an editor leaves we have back up. This safety net was vital to me in the pandemic when three big clients cut their freelance budgets overnight. You can also generate your own income streams through things like Substack, podcasts and side hustles.
Control over working relationships: We don’t have to work with someone who is treating us poorly, not paying enough or being toxic in other ways. We can say no and align ourselves with those we trust and who value our contribution (and who pay well and promptly).
Flexibility to adjust rates: We can adjust our rates according to market demand or personal need. I have had two clients give me a pay rise recently and have previously negotiated pay increases with others. It is not always possible of course, but if we have an exclusive, are being asked for a quick turnaround or bring special expertise we can ask to be paid for that.
Adaptability: If one industry starts to decline or we get bored we can pivot to other income streams making use of the skills we have. We are planning a whole series on this but at one point I moved into doing more teaching before stopping that again when the pros no longer outweighed the cons. Lily has changed her writing niche very successfully as her interests changed. Again this can mean a greater sense of security and control than being tied to a single employer or industry.
No redundancies: Freelancers are not subject to company downsizing or redundancies in the same way. Of course we still have uncertainty about future projects or having enough work from month to month but our future is not tied to the whims of the managing directors or shareholders of one company.
I’d love to know if you would add any more bullet points to this list. The big caveat may be that this security does not necessarily come straightaway. You need time to build up your experience and reputation as a freelancer. But reading the headlines this week, I for one am very glad that I am in charge of where my career goes.
Please fill out our survey!
Speaking of freelance rights, we have teamed up with Sheffield Hallam University to create The State of Freelance Journalism Report. We believe this is vital in order to fight for the rates, protections and training needed to support those of us working for ourselves. Thank you to the hundreds of you who have already filled this out but to paint an accurate picture we need as many of you as possible and we’re very close to being able to complete our research. Anyone who works as a full or part-time freelance journalist in the UK is eligible to complete it. All participants (who wish to be) will be entered into a prize draw to win £50 and a set of digital freelancing guides.
Journalism work experience and mentorship scheme
Twice a year we open up our Journalism Work Experience and Mentorship Scheme to give aspiring journalists the opportunity to work 1-2-1 with an experienced media professional.
This week we are launching our first scheme of 2025 which has 100 places available. Those taking part get access to our database of freelance journalists and organisations willing to offer support to help them get to the next stage of their career.
To take part you need to register by Monday 17th of March when we provide an online briefing on the scheme, explaining how it works and how to make the most of the opportunity.
It costs £10 to sign up which covers our admin costs but there are bursary places available so please get in touch if you need to know more about that.
To find out more and grab your place click on the button below!
Triumph of the week
Getting back on track the first day back from holiday!
That feeling when
Contacts agree you’re writing about an interesting issue but they haven’t got time to speak about it…
We love to hear your feedback on everything we do, so feel free to drop us an email anytime at freelancingforjournalists@gmail.com
Bye for now!
