A Bird In The Hand

A Free(lance) bit of advice.

How I decide whether to accept a role, or to wait for a better one.

I’ve recently been going through what can only be described as a Freelancer Conundrum. Do I take the job I’ve been offered or do I wait for some promising looking leads to come through? In the absence of a crystal ball, it’s almost impossible to tell. The only way I knew how to work my way out of this little pickle was with some cold hard logic and the help of an ancient proverb…

Time to get specific. I’ve been offered a 6 month contract working with Company X. Company X is a great company located really close to my house. It’s 6 months of steady earning, but if I’m honest, the pay could be better. On the flip side, I’ve recently met with some other clients, some small dynamic businesses and some huge multi-national corporations, plus some cool little side projects. The trouble is all of these fit squarely in the “Might Happen” category. And whilst “Might Happen” is cool and exciting, it doesn’t pay the bills. Of which there are many.

So what do I do? Do I hold out for these more lucrative, exciting projects, or do I take the role that’s been offered to me? The classic freelancer conundrum.

Well, I took it. And before you question my sense of adventure or lack of faith,  let me tell you why.

I like to think that I’m a risk taker, I’m much more inclined to twist than I am to stick. After all, I’m a freelance graphic designer without a single recognised design qualification! However, for it to be a risk it needs to be taken from a position of strength. If it has no chance of success it’s not a risk, its a suicide mission. Perhaps that’s a little grand, but you see my point.

Work hasn’t been as steady the last couple of months as it had been earlier in the year, so I hardly feel like I’m in a position of strength. And do I want to be on a suicide mission with Christmas just around the corner? No thank you, I’d rather not be counting pennies when Father Christmas comes knocking.

So I took the decision to go for it. I’ll be much more inclined to take these risks after 6 months of a regular pay cheque, when I can do so from a position of strength.

My friend Jon, who does his fair bit of freelancing told me that I already knew the decision I was going to make, I just had to make my peace with it.  Which was actually pretty useful advice.

But how do you make my peace with a decision that goes against your instincts? Well, I found my solace in an old proverb.

A bird in the hand, is worth two in the bush.

Meaning that it is better to keep what you have than risk it for something greater.

And I think that’s the key thing with Freelancing. We (freelancers) constantly want to be working on the next exciting project, with the next cool client, for the next big pay cheque, instead of being content with our lot. OK, I’m not going to be getting the best pay I’ve ever had, but similarly I know that for the next 6 months I don’t need to be worrying about where my next job is coming from. And that gives me some piece of mind. Which is worth a lot.

Will I learn something in this new role? Undoubtably. Will I develop as a person? Yes. Is this a step forward? Definitely. So sometimes, it doesn’t need to be cool and exciting, it just needs to be.

That’s my take on this little problem, but what would you do?