Something that I have never really discussed on this blog is what I did for work before becoming a freelancer and working as a social media manager. Well, brace yourself, because it’s pretty bad.

When I was in high school, I decided to get a job as soon as I was old enough. I started by working at an ice cream shop in a nearby area, and working as an ice cream scooper. I remember being so excited to start after being told I had been given the job. But boy was I wrong. That job exposed to me everything that I hated about working. The hours were long and ran late into the night. The store closed at 11 pm, but closing the shop and mopping/sweeping the floors required at least an extra hour. I was getting out of work, exhausted from carrying 5-gallon tubs of ice cream, just as all of my friends were just going out to do fun things together.

Then one day, after crying to my mom about how much I hated work one too many times, I realized something. I was not legally bound to work at this establishment for 10+ years. I wasn’t going to go to court if I decided I didn’t want to work the rest of my summer as an ice cream scooper. So, I quit.

After that, my boss emailed me and told me that “If I wanted to use [insert ice cream shop name here] as a reference, I was going to have to continue working for her for a few more weeks. I wrote back and told her that I was fairly certain that I would never need her as a reference for a job in the future.

I have been freelancing for about a year long, now. And I absolutely love every day of it. Sure, I had to go through a couple lame gigs to realize my true passion, but I am now in a place that makes me happy.And I want that for all of you, too! Keep reading to find out the 5 reasons you should really become a freelancer.

5 Reasons You Should Become a Freelancer Today

1. You have the freedom to quit if it’s not right.

Like I demonstrated in the story before, it took me a long time to realize that I had the freedom to work where I wanted. I always felt trapped and bound in. Which can sometimes be true in the “real” work world, where there are contracts, etc. However, being a freelancer means that you are in charge of the work that you take on.Because of this, you are able to say “no” to someone that doesn’t seem to fit well with your business or area of work.

2. You don’t have to answer to a scary boss.

I love this aspect of being a freelancer. Especially because I am extremely introverted and find it hard to approach confrontation with people who have more authority than me.But luckily, being a freelancer means that you are your own boss. You make the rules, you set the times for meetings, and you decide how you are going to run things! *plays Beyoncé power anthem*

3. You never have to wear pants.

Perhaps my most favorite reason of them all. Being able to wake up in my pajamas, and stay in them all day long is the most rewarding thing ever. Sometimes I think about the people sitting at work in a cubicle and suit and cringe a little bit. While I understand that some people like getting dressed up for work etc., I would rather spend a Tuesday in fuzzy socks all day and save the pencil skirt for a night out on the town with friends.

4. You create your own hours.

I am an extreme night owl. I can work until 5 in the morning, and not even realize it. It’s just how I am! I feel super energized during the night, and less so in the day. Because of this, I do a lot of my freelancing at night…which my clients totally understand. Quite frankly, they don’t care when I am working, as long as I meet deadlines and produce quality work.

Before freelancing, I was never able to work from 11pm-4am and not been looked at as crazy. Nowhere I knew was hiring at that time, except maybe the graveyard night shift. But now that I work for myself, I am able to work when I want, and take naps almost every day (very important.)

Working for yourself means that you can put your own goals first. Click To Tweet

5. You are building yourself (and your own brand) up.

Working for yourself is essentially the best situation to put yourself in because you are working to make YOU better in the work force and industry, and not promoting someone else’s dreams.Whenever I had a boss in the past, I struggled to feel fulfilled by the work that I was doing. Why? Because I was working to make someone else’s name great, and I was essentially going to be one of those 10-point font names that scrolls by really fast in the ending credits.

Working for yourself means that you can put your own goals and aspirations first because you are your own employee and also CEO. Amen to that!

What is the reason that you became a freelancer? Tell me about it in the comments!