Last week, a potential client asked me a question I didn’t expect:
“Are you planning to leave freelancing for a full-time job anytime soon?”
They weren’t just curious—they were cautious. They didn’t want to invest in someone who might not stick around. They were looking long-term.
And just like that, I found myself questioning something I hadn’t given much weight to before:
Can you invest in building a freelance business while still exploring the right full-time role?
I’ll admit that I occasionally scroll LinkedIn and wonder if I could be the next Senior Creative Director at [insert your ideal corporation here] with a career plan that didn’t involve throwing salt over my shoulder and a silent prayer.
I think a lot of us know that daydream—the one where the grass looks full-time and fully funded.
The Amusement Park That Is Freelancing
Freelancing is a little like riding a Tilt-a-Whirl—fast, disorienting, and you’re not totally sure who’s in control. One week you’re juggling five amazing clients. The next? You’re refreshing your inbox like a teenager waiting for a “u up?” text from payroll.
We crave freedom, but we endure the chaos and the uncertainty.
But lately, a little fact I’ve always known—but hadn’t really said out loud—has been raising its hand in the back of my mind: “Even the most independent creatives want a little structure sometimes.”
And maybe that’s not a weakness—it’s just a reality.
The Corporate Crush
It’s easy to romanticize the freelance lifestyle when you’re neck-deep in clients and feeling like, “I got this”. Suddenly, PTO, a 401k, and HR seminars sound…antiquated.
But that confidence never lasts. Eventually, you find yourself negotiating deadlines with your dog and questioning if Slack is a form of psychological warfare.
On the other hand, the idea of walking back into corporate feels so…safe. Especially when you haven’t had an email returned in over a month.
So you update your resume. Polish your portfolio. Throw on some ‘professional’ clothes and practice nodding on Zoom.
However, we tend to remember the perks, forget the politics, and convince ourselves, “this time it’ll be different.”
Two Worlds, One Inbox
Maybe we can be both.
We can post that Instagram Story at 10 a.m. and submit an application at 10:05.
We can love our autonomy and still crave a team environment.
We can be a creative powerhouse who builds brands by day—and quietly updates our Indeed alerts by night.
Being open to full-time work doesn’t mean we’ve failed as a freelancer.
It means we’re being honest about what we need—and what we want.
Are We Doomed to Wash, Rinse, and Repeat?
Maybe we’re double agents in a world of boardroom ‘espionage’ - ready to quit at the slightest sign things aren’t going our way.
Maybe we’re just dreamers trying to build careers that don’t fit into the usual boxes.
Freelancing teaches us how to pitch, self-promote, adapt, and deliver. And guess what? The corporate lifestyle teaches us patience, teamwork, and how to interact with real, live humans in the break room.
Both have their pros and cons.
Maybe being in the market isn’t a sign of indecision—but a quiet kind of optimism. The kind that leaves the door open…just in case the right thing finally knocks.
And if this post made you laugh, nod, or even open LinkedIn in a new tab…
Give me a follow—because algorithms crave attention, and honestly, so do I.
No comments.