Business
Are you trying to understand the difference between a Freelancer vs Independent Contractor? You know what? The answer might surprise you in this gig economy. The world as we know it is finally changing and with it comes the complexity of new working conditions. Many of us were born into a world where it was normal to go to school for 12-15 years (all of our young lives). This was necessary to obtain a piece of paper that would give us the confidence to say that we are qualified to do a job. Never mind the fact that the very piece of paper is sitting in a box somewhere growing old. It's even possible that you don't even know where that piece of parchment paper with the fancy writing is. Together with signatures of people you never met or will never meet. Did I mention the fact that the piece of parchment paper is worth thousands of dollars? Lol!! Anyway, let's not talk about the joy of going to college for 6-10 years so that we can avoid the tears altogether. In the post, you'll learn all about the terms freelancer vs contractor and why you need to understand the difference. Freelancer Definition So, in order to keep this as objective as possible, I'm going to use a well-known source. According to Wikipedia, a Freelancer is someone who is self-employed and not tied to any particular employer over the long term. In some cases, freelancers work with agencies that represent clients. These agencies resell freelancers labour to these end clients for a profit. So, from the look of this definition, Freelancers can choose who they would like to work with to a certain extent. You're probably thinking that this sounds a little bit like heaven on one hand. However, it feels like it is lacking some level of security. Later on in this resource, I'll spend some time looking at the pros and cons. Up next, let's look at the contractor. Contractor Definition Now that you have a rough idea of who a Freelancer is and what they do. Let's look at the definition of a Contractor. Again Wikipedia states that a Contractor is a person or company that performs work on a contract basis. While it is not as exciting as you thought it would be at least it gives you some insight into contract work. You are probably thinking that the definition of a Freelancer sounds a lot more exciting. There's also the question of how this compares to a regular employee. In one sense a contractor is a temporary employee without employee benefits. In a short while, I'll go into the pros and cons of being a contractor. For now, let's spend some time looking at the Freelancer in more detail. Types of Freelance Jobs In the modern world, freelance jobs are mainly digital and virtual. What I mean by this is that in most cases there is no need for you to be physically present at your client's place of business. So, here are 10 examples of freelance jobs. Executive AssistantDigital MarketerBookkeeperAccountantSocial Media ManagerFacebook Ads SpecialistWeb DesignerGraphic DesignerWeb DeveloperCustomer Service Representative Do you notice something that is common among these 10 job roles? I'll give you a hint, they can all be done virtually. You can meet your clients online and discuss the terms of the role. They'll discuss in detail what's involved with the project each week or each month. The actual work can be carried out on your computer. In some cases, clients require their freelancer to come into a physical location a few days a week. Types of Contractor Roles After checking out that list of Freelancer roles you're probably wondering what about Contractor roles. Let's spend some time looking at a number of Contractor roles. Technical Program ManagerSenior Test EngineerTax AccountantSenior Systems AnalystRecruitment CoordinatorOnline Marketing ManagerOffice AdministratorSenior Software DeveloperLaw Enforcement AnalystIT Program Manag...