Welcome to the latest #CareerCounsel! Returning to work is a daunting thing…especially after a career break. We have covered a few variations of this situation in our previous posts.
This got us thinking, so we decided to look at a slight distinction of the nerve wracking return to work. However, we will focus on making the transition from freelance or contract roles into a full time role. It’s not a return to work per se, but it is a major change if you have become accustomed to a different style of working. If you’re thinking of making that changethis year, #CareerCounsel is here to help you see both sides of the coin.
Should you jump from freelance to a permanent role?
The first thing you really need to do is make sure that this is a change you want to make. Have you weighed up the pros and cons of what it will mean for you individually?
- Has a change in your personal life left you looking for a stable role? It’s important to feel safe in what you do for a living, but it’s also important to be happy.
- How do you want your career to grow? A variation of briefs within a freelance environment gives you creative flexibility, while a permanent role could lead to different avenues within a company. Which do you see benefitting you?
The benefits of freelance
- Variety – There is so much variety, from the different people you will work with to the different briefs and tasks you will have. You can push yourself to do new things and expand your skills.
- Focusing on you – As you join teams on a temporary basis, you can focus on what you are doing rather than what goes on in the work environment. You can build your contacts comfortably, and enjoy the autonomy of being your own boss.
- A permanent offer – It is not unknown for freelance or contract employees to be offered a position after impressing with their hard work. While you might not want this, it puts you in good stead for future decisions.
The benefits of permanent
- Responsibility – As you grow within a role and prove yourself, you will see the benefits more clearly. Your employer will trust you with bigger briefs and responsibilities because they get to learn more about what it is you do.
- A clear career ladder – While you might not stay within the same company forever, you can map out where you want to go. You might want to manage a team in the future, or take a side step to broaden more skills within your industry all while keeping a sense of stability.
- Developing over time – You can see your work from start to finish, and what it achieved for your brand. After that, you can watch your designs/campaigns etc. evolve over time and you’ll have a clear timeline of the progression.
The changes in ecommerce roles
In 2015, 90% of our salary survey respondents were in permanent roles. Our 2016 ecommerce salary survey is currently live for responses, so share your insights.
To get a bit of a teaser about views on the growth of digital roles, we recently teamed up with #EcomChat. 74% of respondents to the quick survey polls believe ecommerce teams will grow in size this year. So does this mean a further rise of permanent placements within the industry? Keep your eyes peeled for all updates on our 2016 salary survey!
As we said, we didn’t want this #CareerCounsel post to persuade you to make any decisions but to help you make them in your own way. We can’t decide what are pros and cons for each individual after all! For more career advice, follow all our posts right here!