By
Just under a year ago, (while successfully slipping under everyone's online radar's) I made the decision to wrap up my freelance PR hustle and accept a job offer. I started freelancing 1. because I was inspired by the industry and wanted to bring my creativity to clients that I could work closely with my way, and 2. because I was hesitant to work for another employer after leaving my previous role due to some pretty traumatising workplace bullying and sexual harassment.
Being new to the industry, you're always overworked, underpaid and highly limited to how you can activate your creative ideas that just make so much sense to you, but can seem like an unimportant part of the matrix for those who have done things the same way for too long. Working for myself seemed like the obvious move in my career to jump into the deep end and flex on what I had learned in my first role from my boss who was dedicated to teaching me the ropes of PR. The next I knew, I was working for some awesome, small SA businesses on national PR campaigns that I was absolutely loving, by myself, for myself.
Then something crazy happened, businesses started reaching out to me with job offers to be a part of their team. Which set off a spark and a flurry of seek.com.au searches and eventually, me landing a role at a corporate business that I could only have wished for in my wildest dreams. Here are the six reasons why I decided to quit the freelance life and go cubical:
1. I Got Those Good Team Vibes
The team understood and loved that I was entrepreneurial, young and hungry. When I interviewed at this company and met everyone, I felt that this was truly a team I would work well with and learn from. Coming from freelance PR, I was able to recognise that I thrive when I work with a manager that clearly defines their expectations of me and gives me a bit of pressure when I need it, while delegating work to other team members with the best strengths to tackle that task.
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| I've had a warped idea of what the 9-5 would be since The Hills made working at Teen Vogue look so good |
2. I Was Looking For A Credibility Boost
I've worked with some of the biggest brands in Australia. Advantage Pharmacy, Spendless Shoes, Balfours, Astor & Tyne, Follow The Seed, Tasting Australia; but there's a big difference working with these brands for a short campaign vs. being dedicated to the brand journey over a long period of time. In my current role, I'm able to step back from the last year with a huge portfolio of work (especially as I directly manage communications for the pacific arm of the company during the COVID-19 crisis), which has taught me so much more by being able to be on-side long-term.
3. The Ability To Turn Off From Work
You only make as much as you work when you freelance. The hustle is non-stop because the only expectation for success is set by yourself (and if you're like me, it's never enough). When you freelance, it's easy to fall into 'bad' working habits like responding to emails out of hours to keep clients happy or never fully switching off because there's ALWAYS something more you could be doing. I know this way of working works for some people, but I'm the kind of person who needs a defined line between personal space for mental recovery, and work time to focus and get shit done.
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| BE REAL - this is all of us after five |
4. I Wanted To Expand My Skills Within A Niche
Coming straight out of University and into the glamourous life of Public Relations agency, the work was downright amazing. I know I'm skilled at crafting fun brand voices and creating unique campaigns for clients that aren't afraid to experiment, but I hadn't had a heap of experience with corporate voices and the extensive list of restrictions that comes with speaking publicly on the behalf of a multi-billion-dollar organisation with globally renowned brands. I wanted to challenge myself to be the best at communications across the board, not just at what I knew I was good at.
5. Consistent Pay
As a freelancer, there were weeks where I made no money, and weeks when I felt I was killing it. The ups and downs of freelance work meant that I wasn’t saving at all, much less for retirement. The idea of earning a consistent paycheck when I was chasing some clients three or four months after their invoices were due, all while I was navigating out of a domestic violence living situation, was a major reason behind making the switch.
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| Me, crying on the phone asking for people to please fucking pay me I have BILLS |
6. I Don't Think It Would Have Lasted
When I returned back to the 9-5, there were definitely challenges that I was ready to face head-on, but I don't regret making the switch from working for myself to corporate. In hindsight, I don't think my PR Agency would have been able to survive the impacts of COVID-19, with PR always being the first extra spend to be cut from the budget. Since starting with the company last year, I already secured a promotion to Communications Officer five months in and have upskilled in so many areas; including content creation, stakeholder management and project management. Here's to another year of corporate and learning even more about the complexities that come with working for a company with such an intricate organisational structure.