I personally have never been attracted by the thought of a stable 9-5 job. I have always had itchy feet and love trying out new jobs and working in different places. Maybe I haven?t found something I truly enjoy yet. But in the meantime I am more than happy with my work life. I work online as a freelancer. Which while it doesn?t give me the security a regular full-time job would. I have more than enough time for my hobbies and working on my personal growth.

I am often asked how easy is it to get by working as a freelancer online. And the truth is it is not so easy to land great jobs unless you are very skilled and committed? it is very competitive considering you are pitting yourself against many skilled workers from all over the world. Many of whom are happy to work for lower wages. Below are some considerations before quitting your job and becoming a freelancer.

1) Are you ok with not having stable income?

Being a freelancer. You are able to pick and choose your projects? assuming you have any to choose from? but this can be few and far between. Depending on who you are working for. This is one of the reasons why many freelancers have multiple streams of income? you cannot just rely on one. If one month you decide to take on every project offered. You could be looking, at a hefty paycheque. But next month could pale in comparison if you have nothing on offer or you take time off to travel. For many. This is the main reason why they choose a secure 9-5 job; But for others. This represents freedom.

2) Does your work require a fast internet connection?

One of my four current online gigs requires me to have a fast and steady internet connection. However. I love to travel and not being able to guarantee such as connection wherever I go can be a hindrance. Many a time I have had to turn down work because I was only getting 3G signals in the area I was travelling through. There are of course many jobs out there that don?t require you to have a solid connection constantly? often you can be assigned work with a due date and it is left up to you to complete it however you see fit during that time.

3) Are you disciplined enough?

If you don?t think so. You will probably learn very quickly how to be. The lack of someone physically being near you. Bugging you for updates can cause complacency. I was once coding for a visitor management system while travelling. But produced the work a week late because of my ill-discipline. Losing a client in such a manner was very difficult. But was also the kick up the backside I badly needed. It is imperative you learn to manage your time wisely. And this should transcend into all aspects of your life.