to consider staying freelance rather than going for a 'proper' job

[stoppedmakingsense]

would be really glad of some perspective in balancing out the pros and cons of this ... but, first things first, i only have a job interview in the bag (first for a few months), not an actual job offer. i'm in my early 50s, working as a freelance in a field i've been in all my working life, having left my old job (in which i was really pretty miserable) at the end of covid for a fixed 12-month contract which wasn't renewed.

it's taken me the past 18 months to build up a reasonably decent freelance portfolio - i'm not short of work. the main issue is - the pay isn't great, and i'm on a plateau professionally - partly because i always thought / hoped / expected to get another job at the end of the fixed contract. but didn't - despite applying for a lot, and having a fair number of interviews.

the freelance thing feels like it could actually start to work out now - especially if i put a bit more strategic effort in. a (very quick and dirty) back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests i could earn more as a freelance than i would with the job i've got the interview for. but, obviously, freelance offers none of the benefits of holiday pay, sickness pay, promotion possibilities, the energy of a workplace etc etc. i have two teenage children at home, but no other adults.

it would be great to know people's thoughts of where i might best go from here. thank you.

I have been freelance for eight years, in my experience it pays a lot more, yes you don't get holiday pay and you make your own pension contributions and things like that, but the actual pay potential is much greater, are you sure you're not under selling yourself?

thank you @bryceQ - yes, i might be underselling myself, that's part of the more strategic thinking i feel i should take some time out to do, so i'm attracting projects at the right kind of level, which i can then charge for accordingly.

because i saw this more as a stopgap, i'm not sure i've quite organised myself properly, or pitched myself as strongly as i might. for example, i had a call today with someone who i'd been recommended to (which was nice!), and that conversation felt like a real opportunity to start to step more into spaces where i can work more to my potential.

i'm glad it's been working out well for you! there are a lot of advantages.

Do what you think is right for you, and what you want. But please do not ask others to subsidise your choice. Thanks.

How do you calculate your costing? Do you charge a project rate or a day rate?

i'm sorry, but i genuinely don't quite understand what you mean here @fungipie i don't think i am asking anyone to subsidise my choices, but would be glad to hear more of what you're referring to.

@bryceQ it depends - sometimes hourly, sometimes daily, sometime project. my preference is to agree a project rate, with some flexibility built in. and, of course, it varies a bit according to the nature of the work.

Like who?

The OP hasn't said anything about how much she earns or whether she's entitled to benefits, which I assume is what you're alluding to.

Plenty of people earn a very good living from freelancing. It's a shame about the lack of security, but there's often other benefits like only needing to answer to yourself and being able to pick and choose work. Imagine being free from having a boss who tells you that you have to do the shitty job you don't want to do. You're also often free from pointless admin, training that doesn't really achieve anything and office politics.

Not at all, not assuming anything at all. But, just in case, others should not have to support her choice. I wish her well.

thank you, none of what I'm saying is about benefits or subsidies at all, it's more about making choices that will work for me longer term, financially but also in terms of job fulfillment, progression and potential.

I’ve absolutely no idea what you’re on about

@Bjorkdidit yes, having worked in some environments with brilliant colleagues but less than straightforward bosses, I really appreciate that aspect of the freelance life which means that you only have yourself to blame if there's a bad or unproductive vibe in your (home) office! but it can become a little bit like the freedoms of long-term singledom which leave you too accustomed to your own company...

if you stay freelance, can you charge enough to essentially pay yourself twice?

this was the advice given to me when I was in a similar situation. You need to be able to pay yourself a decent wage plus on top of that pay your tax, NI, Pension contributions equal to what you and an employer on would make as well as the standard welfare benefits you’d get if you worked for a company In your sector if that is typical (private health care etc?.
hence the earn enough to pay yourself twice.

if the answer is no not really then is being self employed really worth all of the hassle it brings?
maybe it is for other reason's such as working around caring responsibilities etc maybe needing a decent pension isn’t an issue due to private wealth or something but if not then it’s back to the two questions above…

Keep in mind that if you charge hourly, you can only ever earn the number of hours in the day.
project or monthly retainer fees means you’re charging for your expertise and the value you bring, not the number of hours you can work.