From Freelance to Employee

[bassist_lewis]

I feel like we talk about going the other way a lot, so I'd like to hear other people's stories about transitioning from full time freelancer to employee. How did you do it? Was it difficult? If so, how did you manage the change?

 

So this time 4 years ago I was a freelance bass player and teacher/community musician. Then, a few months later I started my teacher training, and now I work almost full time in a couple of schools, plus a little bit of freelance teaching and gigs.

In many ways it's been an easy and successful transition. My income is stable for the first time, I can pick and choose the gigs I do, I can focus more on my own music, and I can realistically plan for the future (house, family, pension etc).

But I'm still finding the transition difficult. It takes a lot of effort and conversation with my girlfriend to say no to a gig (she is very supportive of my gigging), and I still feel a bit guilty about it. I'm also about to give up my last bit of freelance teaching as I've been offered full time after the summer, and I feel like I'm losing something... or giving something up... it's hard to put into words. I worry about not being offered gigs (I have every Saturday up until October), or that I'll be forgotten in my local music scene (I still see those people every now and again).

To be clear, I have no regrets about my choices. But the change is hard.

[neepheid]

I take it you're PAYE now?  If so, at least that's one ballache of freelancing removed...

[bassist_lewis]

49 minutes ago, neepheid said:

I take it you're PAYE now?  If so, at least that's one ballache of freelancing removed...

yeah, that is much easier, though I still do quite a bit of freelance so still have to do a tax return.