Few more sleeps and the biggest and longest season of the year is already happening. And this is the time of the year that is also the season of heavy traffic, the chaotic streets, and the unending shopping sprees.
Some good news for every regular employees because entitled to be given a 13th month pay! Wow! And people spend like they’re holding Monopoly money.
But what about for freelancers?
Employees would think freelancers will be worrying less since they all get paid very well — relaxing at home while doing minimal work. Except, this is one of the wrong assumptions every freelancer is tired of hearing.
Like a misunderstood teenager going through the motions and madness of puberty, freelancers feel the need to explain to everyone that their profession is not just an excuse to slack off, but rather a bold career move that is often a leap into the void than a walk in the park.
Here are the Top 5 Shockng Myths About Freelancing in the Philippines
To help everyone better understand the world of freelancing, we have narrowed a long list of myths into top five myths.
1. Successful freelancers are only from the big cities
It is expected that freelancers will be coming from the biggest cities in Metro Manila. With a high supply of employees and workers and thus stiffer competition to get jobs, this often results to a career shift to freelancing. However, there are more freelancers to be found in the metro.
In the latest Freelancer.com country analysis, two of the top cities in which the number of freelancers increased over the last 12 months are Bacoor and General Santos City.
The two are considered as emerging cities, despite not being as developed as key cities in Metro Manila.
2. Jobs for freelancers only come from Western countries.
Comparing the amount paid to employees in Western countries, outsourcing to countries like the Philippines would be a cheaper alternative for small businesses in the developed world–thus the influx of jobs from countries like the US and the UK.
Surprisingly, 5 out of 10 countries awarding jobs to Filipino freelancers actually are from Asia.
Among these five countries are India, Bangladesh, Singapore, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
We can say that the companies coming from these Asian countries don’t just look at the rates of freelancers, they also value the quality of work they produce.
3. Because freelancers don’t have the resources of large companies, they can’t provide high-quality work
Regular employees have the advantage of accessing more resources, as companies usually provide the needs of regular employees for them to able to perform well and do their tasks.
This doesn’t mean however that freelancers can’t deliver work at par with regular employees. As consultants, these freelancers need to protect their reputation to earn more and get more clients.
To survive the cutthroat world of freelancing, freelancers often invest in their trade by purchasing better hardware, new courses, or faster Internet.
4. Just about anyone can do freelancing in the Philippines
Freelancing is definitely not for everyone. The advantages of not having to commute or follow dress codes doesn’t mean it’s an excuse to slack off and party your adult life away.
It might sound easier to live that kind of lifestyle compared to a regular 9-to-5 job, but it requires the right discipline and time management to survive as a freelancer.
The top jobs on the Freelancer.com website includes technical jobs, and aspiring freelancers with no technical work experience or knowledge will have a harder time winning these jobs. On the other hand, the easier clerical jobs are also difficult to get because of the amount of freelancers who can do it.
Without grit and skill, professionals would scrape at the bottom of the freelancing world and probably crawl back to regular employment.
5. Freelancers are lazy bums
People believe freelancers have more free time than regular employees.
This is one of the biggest myths about freelancing. While they can be usually seen with their laptops–lounging on couches or sitting alone in a fancy coffee shop, this doesn’t mean they don’t work as hard as regular employees.
Jobs posted for freelancers are not always easy, often requiring time and effort beyond the usual eight-hour stint.
You’d probably be done with your holiday shopping and still find your freelancer friend working on a project. The payoff at the end of their freelancing gig might be well worth it, but trust your freelancing friend when they say that nothing awesome ever comes easy.
