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Two Roads Diverged



When starting out as a professional in the creative field there are many options that there are to proceed with in the Design field. There is a smorgasbord of directions designers can take and a niche or pocket for everyone depending on their interests or hobbies. If you love Design and have other passions besides it, there is always the possibility of merging them for the best of both worlds. There is a lot to be taken into consideration on such subjects and we’ll probably explain more at a later date. Today’s post however has to do with two extremely important directions every designer should know about from the beginning in order to better project what they want in career outlook of goals. These two categories can be broken down into salary versus freelance. Only the individual truly knows which is best for them based on their situation but we will try to explain the major differences, positives, and negatives of each. 

Salary
We will start with the all powerful salaried career. For any Designer wanting to stake a claim in a company or business as a member of the creative powerhouse that pumps out relevant work day to day, this is the direction for you. Here, you have the choice of multiple companies and markets that you can fit into and gain employment. Here you are a part of an agency, in-house department etc. The main benefit of a salaried position is stability and peace of mind. There is the reliability of having a paycheck every scheduled payday as well as benefits. Another great aspect of a salaried position depending on where you work is, the ability to grow with your career or company. There is nothing more rewarding than starting out as a peon of an intern pushing coffee cups around to eventually guiding your own art department as a creative director. There are negatives however. The downside to having a salaried position mainly has to deal with there being too much structure for some. Again, this depends on where you work, your situation, and what you want out of your career. Many Designers like their freewill and going with the flow so being stuck inside a cubicle lifestyle with a standard 9-5 can be kind of daunting. It can be an extremely limited environment and constraining to their creative processes. 

Positives
Stable income and benefits
Direction
Stable work
Network/coworkers
Career outlook or growth

Negatives
Can be a stifling of creativity
Less freedom
9-5 daily grind
restrictive for some


Freelance
The counter to the previous model is the world of freelance. Come on, if someone tells you that you can be your own boss there’s no contest right? Well, when comparing freelance to salaried positions one has to realize that freelance is a whole other beast. As a freelancer you get the freedom to work when, where, how, and even with who you’d like. It even has FREE in the title. The dream killing aspect about freelancing is the work needed to be put into it to get the same outcome as a salaried position. Most beginning Designers don't have the stability or client base to live off a freelance career for a good while. There isn't the guarantee of steady income at times nor do you have benefits. There is also the hassle of handling all of the detailed tasks such as contracts, scheduling, payment etc. Everything you gain has to be earned from scratch by yourself. That being said however, if the work is put into it, freelance can be the most rewarding experience because it takes the most dedication and hard work to gain.

Positives
Freedom 
Your own boss
Rewarding
More direct client relationships
Your own scheduling

Negatives
No guaranteed income
No benefits 
Takes time to build reputation and clients


After understanding the different positive and negatives of each, creatives can better choose which more aligns with what they are more drawn to as a professional. If your path is more along a careered path and working your way up the ladder with a stable income go with the salary. If you would have more interest in creating your own business and are willing to put in the work to reap the rewards go with the freelance. Either way, you will be doing what you're passionate about and that's what counts most.

-Picsul

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