Why does Gen-Z prefer freelance over 9–5?
Mostly because of our messed up sleep schedule.
But, do we freelance because of our messed-up sleep schedule or have a messed-up sleep schedule because we freelance?
It’s usually the former.
But no, that’s not the only reason.
As a certified Gen-Z, I would like to discuss other factors that contribute to this freelancing culture:
The Economy
Why is everything so expensive? Leaving your small town to live “on your own” in a big city will burn a hole in our pockets. Also, you have to do all the chores by yourself. Why would an only child raised by an overprotective mother choose to live like that? Okay, kidding. The main issue is the economy only. When you stay at home, and don’t pay rent, you save up money, which is good. It lets you buy all the cool stuff that would otherwise be spent on surviving.
The flexibility
I love it. It’s the best and the worst part about freelancing. Worst only if you are not disciplined enough. But let’s talk about the best. There is no rigid schedule. You get to treat work like work and not your life. Can’t work in the morning because of an emergency or simply because you don’t feel like it? It’s okay — the night is all yours. Or another day. As long as you are not constantly missing deadlines, you are good to go.
Enough time for other hobbies
I know freelancing is hard when you have, like, “zero” clients. But when you do have a good client who isn’t making you overwork, you will get enough time for other hobbies. Or upskilling your freelance business. You can start your blog on Medium, or Quora. Or start a newsletter on Substack. Or launch your website. Other than ghostwriting (oh, yes, when I say freelance, I am talking about ghostwriters because I am one), you can focus on your business and, well, anything else that interests you.
You can work from anywhere
Even I don’t work from my home. You can if you want, obviously. But if you don’t wanna do that because of how conventional that is, or whatever your reason is, you can work from a cute/ fancy café while sipping coffee (or a fun drink) and eating pasta. Or anything else. I don’t know, be creative. There are no limitations, my friend. I choose to work from the library, because as fun as the fancy café sounds, I don’t get paid enough to do that regularly. So yes, there are no “rigid” rules to play the game. And yes, it can be difficult to discipline yourself at times, but it’s also a challenge in itself. A fun challenge indeed. Because now you have to work on yourself for yourself. No one is there at the top of your head, nagging all the time. And you are not in school or college anymore, so no definite structure is defined for you. It’s time to create one for yourself. Stick to it, and modify it if necessary (which it will be, because, remember, something that doesn’t grow — rots). So grow, my friend. Please don’t rot, I would hate to see that.
But, there are lots of cons to freelancing…..?
I know, okay, I cry about it all the time. I love security and have to know where my next paycheck is coming from before spending the one at hand. Why? Can’t sleep otherwise. One minor inconvenience, and poof, sleep is gone! So, I get where you are coming from. And there’s nothing else that can be said about it. IT IS TOUGH. Deal with it. Find a solution. Be creative. Get courses, upskill. The only rule is that there are no rules.
Okay bye. That’s pretty much all I had to say today. Hope you enjoyed reading this!
