Deciding whether you’d prefer to work for a company, or go it alone and work for yourself can be difficult, particularly if you haven’t tried one or either. This POV might help you weigh up if being self-employed is for you:

 
“What’s the difference between freelance and permanent employment?
Stress levels! You need to have a lot of conviction that everything is going to be OK. About 90% of the time, you’re probably freaking out, figuring out when your next job will come.
 
“I think I started freelancing too early on in my career. A lot of my mentors are freelance but they have built their skillset and reputation to such a point that they don’t need to look for work. When I started, I was relatively unknown, so had to produce really high quality work but also actively pursue opportunities.”
 
– Rikesh (RKZ), menswear writer, photographer & musician
 

If you do go down this route, just be sure to get to grips with the logistics of being self-employed, including how to pay tax. Start with the ‘Working For Yourself’ guide on GOV.UK and then check out the HMRC website (the Government department that handles tax).

There are plenty of self-employment tips in our new book “SURVIVE & THRIVE: A Graduate’s Guide To Life After University”, written especially for people navigating life after education. It includes case studies from three young graduate entrepreneurs, who talk about the highs and lows of self-employment, what they have learned along the way, and tips for anyone thinking of starting out. You can buy the book from Amazon, WHSmith, Waterstones and other good book shops.
 

 
See reviews of the book by Graduate Jobs here and from MoneyMagpie here.
 
 

Find out more:

Self Employment 

Pricing Your Services when Self-employed

Becoming a Freelancer After University