You’re probably trying to decide if the freelancer route or corporate life is right for you. In this blog, I’m sharing my top 10 reasons I chose a 9 to 5 over freelancing. But before we get into the listicle, we need to back up so I can share my experience of trying to make a living as a freelancer.

I admit those rags to riches stories of people leaving their 9 to 5 to make it big as a freelancer are spellbinding. But after 8 or 9 years, “investing” thousands in myself, and following the freelancer playbook to the letter, it was more of a hex than an enchantment.

With promises of six-figure years and time freedom if you just “charge what you’re worth,” how could I resist? At the time, I was a retail drone, wasting away under fluorescent lights in pretty stores, so being my own boss sounded really good.

But the freelancing career never came. No high-ticket clients or course students on repeat. Just lots and lots of hours and money spent trying to make it work. After the smoke cleared, I had thoughts about where I possibly misstepped, but that is a story for another time.

The easier way to become a full-time writer for me was to get hired somewhere. So, I gathered some of my freelance work, built a writing samples kit, and started applying to job posts. And after a couple of interviews and a writing skills test, I was hired as a full-time content manager at an agency.

It was way easier to do what I wanted to do as a 9 to 5er. So I’m unpacking the top 10 reasons why a 9 to 5 beats freelancing, especially for early-career individuals.

10 Reasons I Chose a 9 to 5 Over Freelancing

Stable income, from day 1
Easier entry into the copywriting industry
Less pressure to build other streams of income
Benefits (health, life, dental, vision, retirement…)
Professional Growth A–Access to other professionals
Professional Growth B–Get to know industry standards
Access to tools, software, IT
More free time
Buffer zone between you, team members, bosses, clients, and mistakes
Remote work

1. Stable income, from day 1

Making it as a freelancer can be extremely lucrative, which is why I opted for that route in the first place. But there is a difficult barrier to making good money… you need clients. And it’s hard to get clients without a portfolio. It’s hard to build a portfolio without clients. It’s a vicious cycle, you get the picture.

Plus the time and, possibly money, it takes to generate leads was a constant weight on my shoulders. I already worked 40+ hours at my store. I didn’t have tons of time to track down prospective clients. So profits were thin and unreliable.

However, when I became an in-house content writer at a 9 to 5, I was paid a full salary from my first day. And, it was the biggest paycheck I ever had. I had a reliable income and never had to worry about finding clients. The content tickets just came in and all I needed to do was write.

2. Easier entry into the industry

All I had when I was trying to break out of retail was a handful of writing projects from past clients. Honestly, looking back, I’m a little embarrassed at the quality… my writing has come a long way. But, nevertheless, I built my portfolio around them.

Since I’ve been in the corporate world for a bit, I can comfortably say that as long as you have a writing samples kit or portfolio, you have enough to apply for entry-level content or copywriting jobs.

Something else you need to know is that it doesn’t matter if you have “real” client work or not. Companies and agencies just want to know you can write. So you can develop demo portfolio projects if you’ve never worked professionally for clients in your whole life. As long as you can prove you have the skillset, you’re employable.

3. Less pressure to build other streams of income

Millennials and Gen-Z’s are super effed, economically speaking. With tiny paychecks that aren’t pacing with inflation, the need to have more than one form of income is necessary. So the youngest working generations are no stranger to side-hustles and second jobs. That makes us prime targets for get-rich-quick schemes and making-money-while-you-sleep ventures.

I’m not saying there aren’t legitimate freelance or sales opportunities out there, but it’s hard to tell the frauds from the friendlies when the online space is the wild west and there’s no sheriff in town.

I wasted lots of time and energy trying to build a second and third income streams. All of them were expensive, and none of them ended up paying off.

It’s all different now that I’ve got a decent paying 9 to 5. I always know my expenses are paid for and I can build up my blog and Etsy Shop products whenever I have time. No pressure, no rush.

4. Benefits

Freelancing doesn’t come with a benefits package. You have to figure out your own health insurance, life insurance, dental and vision coverage, and iron out your own retirement plan. But when you have a full-time job, that comes baked in.

And, sub-point here, a full-time job ensures you are paying taxes. I’ve heard one too many horror stories about self-employed people forgetting to set aside enough money and come tax season, they’re left scrambling to gather five figures in owed taxes.

I’m not bothered by all that “HR” stuff except once a year when I need to re-elect my coverage.

5. Professional Growth A (Access to other professionals)

Working at a 9 to 5 means you’re surrounded by professionals. You can expand your network, work cross-functionally, learn your trade in-depth, and get your questions answered by credible sources.

That's probably my favorite benefit of working a 9 to 5, actually. Taking advantage of the built-in network of professionals you wouldn’t otherwise have access to. I love playing the “I’m new” card and setting up calls with department heads and high performers. I mean, when else would I have anytime-access to a Director of Content Marketing or VP of Operations?

I wouldn’t. Except, I was working in a smallish corporate environment with a great team. All I had to do was put time on their calendar. Even now that I’m working in a much bigger tech company, there is still that ‘ask me anything’ atmosphere.

6. Professional Growth B (Get to know industry standards)

When I was freelancing, I had to do a lot of research and troubleshooting to know what tools and techniques worked for the content I was creating. It was all self-taught and while that isn’t in and of itself a bad thing (I believe you can be a successful self-taught pro), it did leave gaps in my knowledge.

You don’t know what you don’t know, as the saying goes.

I quickly ramped when I entered the corporate world. I was exposed to so many up-to-date processes, project management standards, and best practices that were battle-tested and true. I didn't have to reinvent the wheel or throw spaghetti.

Plus, for the first time, other departments’ success depended on me. I had to deliver on a deadline, make sure the content met the brief, and generally keep the campaign on track. It forced me into a whole new level of professionalism and accountability.

7. Access to tools, software, and IT

Working freelance, you have to pay for all of the platforms and equipment yourself, which means you’re using lots of free or very inexpensive versions. I realize that there are some great free tools (Google Suite, for example). But some of the cheaper alternatives aren’t as dynamic, intuitive, or necessary features are locked up behind a paywall.

Working for a company means you have instant access to thousands of dollars of hardware and software. You get a laptop and a whole tech stack (that’s industry jargon for the programs that all employees use, like Microsoft, Slack, and Salesforce, for example). The best part is that you don’t have to fork over your own cash for any of it.

All those headaches melt away when you get to use the enterprise tech stack. They are sleek, easy to use, have all the capabilities you need… plus you have access to an IT department if you need to troubleshoot anything.

8. More free time

If you’ve ever tried running your own business, you know you put in more hours than if you worked a 9 to 5. It’s just reality when the buck stops with you. You’re the marketing department, the CEO, the accountant, the sales rep… You do it all.

But as a full-time writer, I clock in at 8:30, out at 5, and I am never asked to work overtime. In fact, I’ve had team members tell me in all caps to “GET OFF OF SLACK, YOU’RE ON VACATION!” before. I love them for that.

The truth is that there are legal protections for you and your paid time when you work in a corporate environment. So you can shut the laptop at 5 and keep it shut on the weekends. I’m not on-call from 7-10 pm like I was in retail, or more to the point, 24/7 if I was freelance. There isn’t anything that can’t wait until Monday.

9. You have a buffer zone

When you’re freelance, all the success and failures are 100% on your shoulders. But in the corporate world, you have a team. There are people who share the responsibility.

That isn’t to say you are off the hook for everything. You still are accountable for your own role and deliverables. But as one part of a larger group, you have a buffer between you and team members, clients, and even mistakes.

For me, it gives a little peace of mind to know that if I accidentally make a mistake, someone can catch it before it’s too late or else tell me “hey, we’ve all been there.”

10. Remote work

Maybe my favorite one on this whole list: remote work. Here’s where I feel like I have all the benefits of freelance with none of the headaches.

I have a flexible schedule, I can work from anywhere, and I also have health benefits, a steady income, professional development, exposure to my industry, career advancement opportunities, organic network expansion, and I don’t have to work overtime.

Of course, I do report to a supervisor and I’m accountable to deliver work, but I don’t see that as any different from working with independent clients. I work well with others, so this one isn’t a big negative for me.

I was able to find great full-time writing opportunities on Indeed and Flexjobs. Indeed is free and gets an arbitrary 6/10 stars from me. It’s pretty good, but you can apply to some duds. Flexjobs is a paid service and I give it 10/10 stars. The fee is manageable and in return they vet all the jobs to guarantee they are credible, legitimate opportunities.

Plus, you can job shop with filters–just check the box beside “100% remote” if you want to work from home.

Conclusion

When you’re early on in your career, I think it’s best to cut your teeth on someone else’s dime. You’ll learn more and grow faster around professionals. You’ll learn how to deal with tricky clients, get familiar with the industry, learn how to manage your schedule, and communicate effectively with your peers, across departments, and with clients all within the safety net of a company.

Working a 9 to 5 also doesn’t preclude you from building other streams of income, either. In fact, I think you have a better shot at building something in a sustainable way when all the pressure isn’t on you to make freelancing work. I unsubscribed from the “burn the boats” school of thought some time ago.

I don’t believe you need to put your well-being at stake for your career. I think that putting in an honest day’s work in a 9 to 5 and being a sponge is the perfect place to be for any early-career and beginning copywriter.

That’s why I’m a fan of the 9 to 5.

Do you want to become a full-time writer but you aren’t sure where to start? Grab Roadmap to Writer, a workbook that helps you plan, map, and achieve your ideal future role in copywriting.

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