Being your own boss can offer many advantages over full time employment like more flexibility, no answering to managers and a better work-life balance. However, it can also be a challenging career path for some, and returning to a full-time dayjob from freelancing may feel like taking a loss - but it surely doesn't have to be!
If you are tired of freelancing headaches and want to find a full time role then, in many ways, your experience as a freelancer could be advantageous. This article will take you through the top tips for ex-freelancers looking to secure full time work, prepare for interviews, and rejoin the workforce.
Finding work
Small and growing businesses can offer the perfect environment for freelancers returning to full time work. Often offering good flexibility, agile working, and diverse roles, these businesses can match the habits and lifestyle you enjoyed as a freelancer, while providing more stability and benefits.
Your ability to work flexibly and take on new roles is likely to impress these businesses, who frequently need people to help across various departments based on their skills and experience. However, keep in mind that this is not true for every small business and startup.
Consider focussing on one skill set
We have already mentioned the diverse range of skills you are likely to have developed as a freelancer. While this can be impressive and advantageous for many smaller companies, other more established businesses will need employees to fulfill a specific focus.
Think about what skills and experience you possess and which of these you would enjoy using in your work everyday. Try to focus your cover letters, applications and conversations in interviews on the skills you have developed that are most important to the role.
Network with people working full time at attractive companies
If your job search is taking too long, it can be a good idea to try and expand your professional network. You want to attract those people who are in a position to open doors for you at any of the companies that you are hoping to join. Sometimes all it takes is one good word to get you an interview and one positive referral can make all the difference and help you land the job. Here are some different approaches you can take to expand your network:
- Use LinkedIn, the professional networking site
- Attend relevant industry events
- Reach out to your existing network to ask about full time working opportunities.
Avoid burning bridges
As with all career transitions, it is always best to leave clients and employers gracefully and respectfully - yes, even the annoying ones. This means remembering to give your clients due notice that you will be letting them go and keeping to your contracted end date.
It's always better to keep up positive, professional relationships with all your career contacts. After all, you never know when you may be working with or pitching to one of your old contacts and if they think of you as rude or unprofessional this will make things difficult.
Consider non-compete clauses
If you are moving within the same industry, it is important to take a look through the contracts of potential new employers and fully understand any non-compete clauses they might include.
These clauses can mean that you have to delay starting to work for a new company and failing to abide by them can create legal issues. Keep in mind that these clauses are especially common when it comes to finance jobs.
Stay connected with freelancer communities
Although you are no longer freelancing, that does not mean that you should sever ties with the freelancing community. You can use your knowledge and experience to help freelancers, or maybe you will end up hiring old connections from your freelancing days into your new team.
You may also find yourself looking to get back into freelancing, or maybe just in need of some extra cash from a one-off freelancing project. With this in mind it is always a good idea to keep an eye out for interesting opportunities that allow you to make extra cash in the downtime from your full time work.
Preparing for interviews
When becoming your own boss as a freelancer, you will usually have to take on a few different roles to keep your business running. All this extra experience can be great for demonstrating that you have the skills to thrive in a new role. Leverage the new skills and attributes you gained as a freelancer!
Not everyone has experience leading a company - however small - which means you are likely to have developed one or more skills and attributes that other candidates have not. Think carefully about which of the below you possess.
- Initiative
- Communication skills
- Ambition
- Professional approach
- Client management
- Accounting
- Networking
- Business management
- Sales and marketing.
In addition to these skills, freelancers can usually think of some examples that prove how they are fast learners and able to adapt and work flexibly. Afterall, you often have to develop new skills, attributes and knowledge quickly when working for yourself.
Be proud of your freelancing accomplishments
Remember that, as a freelancer, you also own your own business. You could even call yourself a CEO, MD or entrepreneur. Taking the plunge and becoming a freelancer shows you have the drive, passion, skills, independence and positive attitude to run a business. Just make sure you have some stats to back up any achievements you share to demonstrate your successes as a freelancer.
Prepare a reason why you are now interested in full time work
As a freelancer, you should expect to be asked why you are looking for full time work. When answering the question, keep your reasons positive. Don’t say anything that will suggest your freelancing career is unsuccessful, like:
- I need a more stable income
- I couldn’t find enough clients
- It was too hard
- I found it too stressful.
Instead, you could respond with one of the following positive reasons:
- I miss working in a team and in an office environment
- I am interesting in starting a new challenge
- I want to leverage my skills and experience for a bigger cause.
Before your next job interview, think of a detailed response with a positive reason for why you feel now is the right time to start working full time. Also, you should always try and mention specific reasons why the role and company you are interviewing for is particularly attractive to you.
Rejoining the workforce
Rejoining the workforce
Working full time for a business will drastically change your life. Although you will benefit from a steady paycheck and other business perks, you will also have to be ready to make changes, and get used to certain aspects of a full time role working for another’s business. These include:
- Being respectful of your employer’s wishes
- Adapting to the company culture, approach and processes
- Answering to and reporting to your boss/manager
- Letting go some of the extra responsibilities you had as a freelancer
- Keeping to regular working hours
- Attending internal meetings and calls.
Unless you are realistic about what to expect from a fulltime job, you are likely to be disappointed when you transition.
Go with the flow
As a freelancer you were probably operating as a small business with a handful of clients or projects. However, in larger corporations you must expect plans to shift and learn to embrace this ambiguity.
Therefore you must get comfortable switching gears and priorities at a moment's notice. With so many moving parts and stakeholders, you should expect deadlines to change, and to have to work late occasionally when something important needs to be completed.
This level of change, and having to often adapt plans and processes, can take a lot of getting used to. This is especially true for freelancers who are not used to dropping everything to follow someone elses orders.
Conclusion
Full time employment can be a great next step if you are tired of freelancing. But when looking for full time work it is important to draw on your freelancing experience. Some people will see certain types of freelancing as a glorified holiday, so try to make it clear that your freelancing helped you develop vital skills and experience. If you carefully follow the tips laid out in this article, you will soon be enjoying the stability and other benefits that come with joining an established business full time.
Vicky Blom
As a professional recruiter, I have over 10 years of experience helping candidates find work with businesses that match their skills, personalities and goals. Here on Resume Supply, I share some of the key things I have learned over my career to help job seekers with resumes, applications and interviews.