How To Balance Your Full-Time Job with Freelance Gigs

If you are in advertising, we nearly guarantee that you have worked a freelance opportunity, whether that’s for a brand or an agency. Freelance is a brilliant opportunity for individuals looking to work flexible hours, generate more income, and gain more experience for their resumes. 

Some individuals prefer freelance positions to direct-hire roles, but in this current market, most seek full-time opportunities. Now that it is a candidate-driven market, employers have to stay on top of the market and secure talent, and the most common way seems to be through a full-time role.

To both gain more experience and make more money on the side, it is more than common for creative professionals to have freelance opportunities on the side of their full-time roles. Whether it’s for more revenue, experience, or a passion project, it can be hard to balance the two. Here are some of the best tips to balance working both your full-time role and your freelance gig. 

Be honest

Congrats on your freelance gig! It can be hard to juggle a full-time position and a side hustle, but if you can manage it, go for it. One of the biggest mistakes most individuals make is keeping your freelance role a secret. 

It can be awkward to tell your boss and coworkers that you have a side job, but communication is necessary for a healthy relationship between the two. Whether your full-time job runs later into the day, there are work events you can’t make your day job deserves to know you have other obligations outside of work. 

Lying about your freelance opportunity and making excuses for your full-time job will bite you in the butt. If done the wrong way, it can hinder your standing at your current job, and it could lead to being dismissed if it is that severe. 

Is it worth it?

If you are considering a freelance position or you currently have one, ask yourself this is it worth it? Are you making enough money on the side for the extra hours worth it?

It can be hard to ask your freelance employer for a higher rate or a rate worthy of your work because they can always find someone cheaper or more talented for your work. Stand your ground and make sure you are making what your skills are worth.

Self-discipline

We get it- it can be challenging to juggle your full-time job, your freelance gig, physical health, social life, and personal time. To succeed in this situation, you need to have extreme self-discipline. That means saying no to happy hours, working on the weekends, and possibly losing delicate hours of sleep. 

In terms of self-discipline, you cannot work for your freelance job during your full-time hours. You will never truly balance these two opportunities if you are not up for the challenge. 

Organize your time

Similarly to self-discipline, you need to organize your time accordingly. Make a schedule for yourself of your full-time job, and plan out your freelance work around that. When you have a set plan of how many hours per day you want to work on a freelance, it will set you up for success. 

Overall, if you are happy in your position and make enough money, you don’t need to get a freelance gig. On the other hand, if you are looking for a few extra dollars and more experience, we recommend you pick up a side freelance gig. We wish you the best of luck in this endeavor, and we would love to help place you in a freelance opportunity.