Life Of An Online Freelance Worker

Being an online freelance worker has its own advantages and disadvantages. One of the The biggest advantage of being an online freelance worker is that everyday can be a holiday. You can basically work anywhere with an internet connection - a coffee shop, beach or even on top of a mountain.

Working Online

Ever since I became a full-time online freelance worker, I have been working in different coffee shops all around the city. In fact, I even go on short trips outside of the island and work while having a short vacation. You can basically work anywhere at anytime you want. There were some instances where I would find myself working early in the afternoon with a bottle of malted hops on the side. 

Yup, you read that right, working while getting intoxicated at the same time. A suitable amount of alcohol brings out one's creativity and with my line of work, creativity is essential. However, the amount of alcohol should be just right since too much of it can make you write in languages that you never thought you could understand.

Another advantage of being a full-time online freelance worker is that you can take a holiday anytime . . . did I just write about that? Well, it is true that every single day can be a holiday for an online freelance worker. Like what I said, you can work anywhere that had an internet connection.

If you aim to become an online freelance worker, you should also be aware of the disadvantages of being one. An online freelance worker does not have the luxury of having a break if deadlines come. There were some instances in my life as an online freelance worker where I had to try to remain awake while trying to beat a deadline. I only had a few hours sleep during this time and at times I would take short 15-minute naps just to be able to finish the project. I have a regular supply of energy drinks at the fridge at home, although I think I am beginning to have a certain resistance to some brands of these energy drinks. However, I try not to rely on them too much since I read somewhere that it may have some debilitating effects on the organs of a person.

Anyhow, another disadvantage of being a full-time online freelance worker is the fact that online freelance workers do not have any job security, to a certain degree. The project may end at anytime or the employer may not be able to afford your services. However, if you build a good enough reputation as an online freelance worker, employers will be looking for you instead of the other way around. In fact I had to reject a good number of offers simply because I did not have time to work on them. 

A third disadvantage of being a full-time online freelance worker is that you have no one to talk to when it comes to your job. Working online means you communicate with your employer through email. You may not even have any contact with your colleagues since you have no idea who they are. They may live on the other side of the world. I had a job where my colleagues were Europeans while another job had my colleagues living somewhere in the Middle East. There may be some jobs where you have some Filipino colleagues but they may live on another island, which does not make it easy to grab a bottle after work.

Despite all of these, I still consider working as a full-time online freelance worker a dream come true. I can work anytime and anywhere I want to. My employers do not mind what I wear to work since I do not have to go to the office at all. I know of some online freelance workers who would work immediately after they wake up in the morning . . . even before their morning ritual.

If you aim to become a full-time online freelance worker, you should prepare yourself for a change in your lifestyle. Although you may be able to go out with your friends more often than before, you should also consider the fact that there are times when you would end up working alone. 

I normally work at a coffee shop with music blasting through my ears to drown out everything around me. In fact, some of the employees of the coffee shop where I usually work in are probably wondering what I do. Although I already told some of them the type of work that I have, they may not be able to understand the whole system that an online freelance worker works in.