{"id":806709,"date":"2022-10-14T13:53:24","date_gmt":"2022-10-14T20:53:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/us\/?p=802904"},"modified":"2023-11-21T12:01:33","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T20:01:33","slug":"creative-career-freelance-vs-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/creative-career-freelance-vs-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"Life after art school: should I freelance or get a job at a creative agency?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There\u2019s no shortage of articles on whether it\u2019s better to work as a freelancer or in an office, and they tend to say the same things. That\u2019s because it\u2019s more of a personal lifestyle decision than anything to do with the work you\u2019ll be doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, as someone with lots of freelance experience, I\u2019d like to share my thoughts. This was written with graphic designers in mind, but it\u2019s relevant to almost any creative. I wanted to dig deeper, be more honest \u2013 harsher even \u2013 than most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here\u2019s what you need to consider when deciding whether you want to strike it out on your own \u2014 or just apply for a job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Brooke
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Should I go the freelance route?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Upside: It\u2019s where most of us will start<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Except for the lucky few artists who land a creative job right out of college, gigs are usually the first work available and are the primary means most people use to build their portfolios. So whether or not your ultimate goal is a salaried job, there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ll pass through the freelance world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the route most freelancers follow: First, they pick up a project or two in their off hours after their full-time job. Then, as their business naturally grows big enough to support them, they transition to a part-time job, then eventually to full-time freelancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downside: Getting started is hard<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jumping into freelancing first is harder. Especially if you don\u2019t have savings built up, it\u2019s a recipe for months of panic. I know because this is how I first did it eight years ago!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beginning is when you\u2019ll be the most optimistic, but also struggle the most. Finding clients is hardest when you\u2019re unproven and unsure how much your skills are worth, making it the easiest time to get taken advantage of. Most freelancers have stories of the early years, when they were consistently taken advantage of and underpaid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this is a warning, not an inevitability. It takes time to find the good clients, so pace yourself and don\u2019t rush into a contract with anyone who seems suspicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upside: You make your own work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While accepting gigs you\u2019re offered is typical, learning to pitch can take your freelancing to the next level. It\u2019s nerve-wracking at first, but it\u2019s what opens up the majority of the real work out there. By reaching out to potential employers with proposals to fill their creative needs, you can find jobs without worrying about competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And gig-hunting can be fun! If it\u2019s your thing, you can make a living off a diverse patchwork of income sources. There are some weird niches out there, and no one\u2019s making you stick to one. You can even hire yourself out for your other skills at the same time: if you also code or write, that\u2019s added value in the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downside: You make your own work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Freelancing is a gamble. You\u2019re betting on your own art skills, self-promotion, and hustle to consistently find and keep gigs. You\u2019re a one-employee startup assuming the same risk as any other \u2026 and the same amount of unpaid paperwork. For starters, you have to handle all client communications, write and negotiate your own contracts, keep track of every business expense, and do your own taxes which, if you\u2019re not finance-minded, can be tricky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Woman
Photo by Matthew Henry on Burst<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Upside: You\u2019re never unemployed, just \u201cbetween gigs\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Just something nice to keep in mind. Freelancers can suffer huge client losses, but if you have transferable skills you\u2019ll find new work far faster than someone being fired from an equivalent job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downside: Feast or famine<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finding enough freelance work to sustain you can be tough. Many art fields are oversaturated, others run on in-house work. And when you do land clients, never bet on them paying on time: you could have to bug some about an invoice for months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for some reason, when gigs rain, they pour. You\u2019d be surprised how quickly your schedule can go from empty to swamped. If you resist the temptation to overspend when money\u2019s good, you can build up enough savings to carry you through the dry periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upside: Learn and practice your work style<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We all know 9-to-5s aren\u2019t for everyone. Some people\u2019s work styles conflict with, or even run opposite to, mainstream norms. Freelancing lets you discover how you work when left to your own devices. You might find you work best in marathon sessions, or in intense sprints, or in a more traditional 9ish-to-5ish schedule. It\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, many of us need external schedules to keep us accountable and on task. If you don\u2019t trust yourself, you might be exactly who the 40-hour workweek is designed for. Factor this into your decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downside: Poor work-life balance<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Freelancing can become a 24\/7 job, one you never mentally clock out of. During those \u201cfeast\u201d periods when you\u2019re booked and busy, you might have no social life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freelancing guides tell you to set on and off hours, but the minute you need to pull an all-nighter to make a deadline, they go out the window. Overwork can also lead to conveniences becoming necessities, costing you a lot in the long term. Ordering food delivery, for example, will save you time when you\u2019ve got a deadline coming up, but if you do it too much, you\u2019ll seriously eat into your earnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Unsplash
Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Should I work for an agency or studio?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Note: Studio vs. agency<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the difference between a studio and an agency? Not much \u2013 agencies usually hire out a variety of creatives to other clients for projects, while studios usually focus on providing a particular kind of service. Both will hire you full- or part-time to work on creative projects for their clients, agencies are just usually bigger and do a wider variety of projects. Either way, you\u2019ll have a job doing creative work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upside: Security<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is the big one. It\u2019s much easier to focus on making your art as good as it can be when you\u2019re not distracted worrying about rent and bills. This usually includes benefits, too: especially if you\u2019re in the United States, health insurance, a retirement plan, and\/or sick leave are nothing to sneeze at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although freelancing \u201cgurus\u201d hype up the potential for freelancers to make more money from fewer hours, that\u2019s not how things pan out for most of us. The creative world is unpredictable; if you need security and stability, a steady source of work might be your best shot at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downside: Pressure & Flexibility<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is one place where there can be the most variety. While freelancers are typically paid by the project, and can spend as much time as they feel is necessary before the deadline to perfect it, working for an agency or studio can mean meticulous management of your hours. Some agencies are infamous for their tight deadlines; you might have a set number of hours to turn around a project. And, as at any job, there\u2019s the risk of ending up with a micromanaging boss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, at agencies in particular, you might have no choice in projects you work on. You can\u2019t turn down a \u201cclient from Hell\u201d if their contract is with the company, not with you. Given all of this, there can be high turnover rates at some agency and studio jobs because of the pressure \u2013 meaning that sense of security and stability could turn out to be false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Women
Photo by Zest Tea on Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Upside: Coworkers<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your coworkers and managers are often what makes or breaks any work experience. Supportive ones will help keep you on-task and make the job go by easier, and the value of having other creatives to collaborate with and learn from is underestimated. Working as part of a collective will give you access to a pool of resources much bigger than you\u2019d find on your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if your coworkers aren\u2019t beneficial to you, some agencies let you work from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downside: Finding one<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The biggest problem with a nice, reliable creative job \u2026 is getting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They tend to be clustered in high-cost areas like Southern California, the Pacific Northwest, and the urban Northeast. Even when applying for jobs with remote potential, a local address opens up a lot more opportunities. And if you\u2019re less experienced or specialize in a particular creative endeavor, you\u2019re much more likely to get hired for a single gig than to be brought on full-time at a studio or agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Competition is tight and requirements are strict. You\u2019ll likely see \u201cBA\/BS\/BFA or equivalent\u201d in many job postings. Although it\u2019s less important in creative fields than most, some algorithms use whether you have a degree for screening, so your resume might not even be seen by a human without it. And if you\u2019re thinking about starting your job search without knowing your field\u2019s Adobe Suite programs and other relevant software, stop what you\u2019re doing and study up. If you\u2019re not familiar with the tools professionals use \u2013 like Wacom tablets and displays<\/a>, for example \u2013 training you will be a burden they might not want to undertake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the last hurdle might be the biggest: the interview. These can be especially difficult for neurodivergent and otherwise marginalized people. In freelancing, meanwhile, it\u2019s possible to go your whole career without ever meeting anyone face to face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Busy
Photo by Sajjad Hussain M on Burst<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Afterword<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No matter which path you pick, it usually won\u2019t be perfect. If you pick an agency job, you\u2019ll long for the freelancer\u2019s flexibility. If you freelance, you\u2019ll gaze wistfully through your home office\u2019s windows at the employees with their regular paychecks enjoying their free weekends. But one will likely fit your needs better than the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there are middle grounds, too: You can narrow your search to work-from-home jobs, which can offer some of the best of both worlds \u2014 or you might be able to find an agency that offers part-time work or a studio that gives you a freelancer\u2019s flexibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good luck!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thinking about a creative career – but not sure if you should freelance or try to get a job at an agency or studio? Here’s what you need to know.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":810390,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2568,2330,2551,2550,2656],"tags":[2367],"class_list":["post-806709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-careers","category-creative-education","category-learn-creative-education","category-learn-to-draw-with-wacom","category-education","tag-careers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/806709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=806709"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/806709\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/810390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=806709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=806709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=806709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}