Dealing with the Employment Mentality

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Credit: Cecilia Picco on sxc.hu

Many are the freelancers who keep a foot in the employment world by serving as a part-time instructor at a community college or university.

This is a great way to have an income platform while building one’s freelance business. And, for those who don’t care for being alone with just a computer for company, it’s motivation to get out of the house for some high-quality human interaction.

One of my close friends is a public relations consultant who also holds the title of lecturer in a university department of communication. She’s been a lecturer before, and the university invited her back at the beginning of this semester.

Being the diligent social networker that she is, she updated her online profile to include the lecturer position. And from somewhere deep in the recesses of this social networking site came an e-mail announcing her new job.

One of these e-mails landed in my in-box. I responded with my own e-mail offering congratulations.

According to my friend, a lot of other people did the same thing. More than a few of them wrote her to ask what had happened to her freelancing business. Had she closed it? Was she cutting back? Would she still keep them as clients?

My friend had more than a little explaining to do to her clientele. She wasn’t about to give up on them – or that steady paycheck from her university lecturer’s position.

Her problem is in need of a name, and I’m going to give it one: the “Employment Mentality.” It’s quite prevalent in the United States – and in many other countries. The Employment Mentality treats one’s job – even if it’s as a part-time lecturer at a university as paramount. And freelancing? Well, that’s just a little something that you do on the side.

Part of the reason for this elevation of employment over freelancing has to do with the fact that many jobs – but not all of them – come with fringe benefits.

Part of the reason for this elevation of employment over freelancing has to do with the fact that many jobs – but not all of them – come with fringe benefits.

In the United States, fringe benefits packages often include employer-paid health insurance, which can be quite costly for individuals to obtain on their own. In this country, the lack of affordable individual health insurance keeps a lot of potential freelancers employed by others.

The affordability problem is one that my friend is dealing with. She dropped her individual health insurance policy because it just got too expensive. And the university doesn’t offer health insurance to its lecturers. Clearly, the Employment Mentality has its limits.

A note to those of you who are reading this article from outside the United States: Please don’t think that all Americans think highly of our current health insurance system. My friend sure doesn’t. I don’t either. We’re among the millions of Americans who are working to bring national health insurance to this country.

Tips for those straddling the employment and freelancing worlds

• Recognize that the Employment Mentality exists, and that you’ll have to deal with it. This can be as simple as letting your freelancing clients know when you won’t be available because you’re teaching a class. Or working in your family business. Or whatever you do in the employment realm.
• Realize that you’re not going to be able to control everything. Like when social networking sites send e-mails announcing your new job. And all you’ve done is update your profile. So, be prepared to do some explaining to your clients.
• Be on the lookout for the opportunities that can come your way. Your employment can be a good source for freelancing clients. There are quite a few people who launched their freelancing careers by making Former Employer, Inc. into their first client. And there are others who’ve networked for clients via their part-time jobs. Last, but not least, there are the weary freelancers who tire of gig-chasing and happily find their part-time job blossom into a full-time position.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by Cecilia Picco.