In the modern world, people strive for greater freedom and flexibility. This aspiration applies to different spheres of our lives, its greatest influence, however, is found in the professional environment. Hence in virtue, modern companies tend to offer more flexible working conditions for their employees. It is no longer necessary to be physically present at an office to make money. Instead, more and more people switch to an entirely new model that allows them to perform tasks from any location.
Why are such jobs gaining momentum? Standard office work is gradually losing ground due to massive job cuts. This is one of many reasons that have changed the situation on the labor market. Fewer people prefer to attend the office. Most employees simply don’t want to be tied to a specific place and schedule.
Meanwhile, more and more companies are ready to accommodate by supplying their employees with a possibility to be employed remotely or as freelancers. What is the difference between these two work models and what benefits do they present? In this article, we are going to answer these questions!
Remote Jobs
What does it mean to work remotely? At its core, this model of employment implies that you are an employee of a certain organization and fulfill all the job requirements that your employer gives you. Often, you may even make a legal work contract with the organization. Thus, there is only one thing that differs you from a regular employee – you are not required to attend the office, and you can define your own schedule. This allows you to perform your tasks from home or any other location, even from a different country. All you need is a computer and an Internet connection.
There are many jobs that allow you to work remotely. Some of the most common ones are programmer, copywriter, designer, journalist, and so on. It is up to a specific company whether to offer such positions or not. Thus, not every employer presents an opportunity to work remotely.
Freelance Model
The situation with freelance jobs is much different. Freelancers have much more freedom. They are not linked to a specific employer. In general, they can choose several employers or work on multiple projects, and, most importantly, they are not bound by contracts or official obligations.
How does it work? There are many online platforms that connect customers and performers. On these platforms, there are databases of projects. Each project comes with specific requirements, deadlines, and budgets. Performers apply for different projects if they meet the requirements of the customer, who, in turn, chooses the best candidate for performing the task.
This type of employment also gives you freedom in terms of schedule and location. You can work from anywhere and choose the optimal time for yourself.
In which areas are freelancers demanded? It can be anything. However, some of the most popular jobs are:
- Copywriter
- Marketer
- 3D Modeler
- Illustrator
- Graphic designer
- Translator
- Game developer
- Recruiter
- SEO specialist
- Legal services expert, etc.
These are only some of the most popular jobs. Also, there are many opportunities in the fields of freelance engineering, customer support, transcribing, and even teaching. However, probably the most demanded are freelance web developers.
What Are The Main Distinctive Features Of Freelance And Remote Jobs?
Now you should have an idea of what it means to be a freelancer or a remote employee. However, to help you grasp the difference better, let’s take a look at the top features that make these two work models differ from each other!
Freelancer:
- Is an individual entrepreneur
- Can cooperate with an unlimited number of customers
- Receives payment for each performed task or has a fixed rate per hour
- Pays taxes himself
- Has unstable workload
- Doesn’t have to comply with corporate standards
- Doesn’t have a social security
Remote employee:
- Is officially employed
- Usually has one or a few employers
- Has a determined salary
- The employer is responsible for tax payment
- Has a stable workload determined by the contract
- Has to comply with corporate standards
- Has social security
The factors described above explain the difference between these two forms of employment. Which one to choose? It is completely up to and depends on your needs. However, each of these types of employment has both advantages and disadvantages that should be considered.
Pros And Cons
Freelance
Pros:
- A possibility to choose the projects you like most
- An opportunity to cooperate with many clients at the same time
- A chance to pick projects that pay more
- More freedom
- No need to attend the office
- Huge selection of available projects
Cons:
- Instability
- High competition for every project
- No social security
- Not protected from frauds and unreliable customers
Remote employment
Pros:
- A possibility to make an official contract
- A chance to have one or several permanent employers
- An opportunity to define your own schedule
- Social security (including days off, vacation, etc.)
- No need to attend the office
- No need to compete with thousands of specialists for every task
- Stability
- Fixed salary
Cons:
- Less freedom
Closing Words
Despite certain similarities, the aforementioned types of employment are different from each other. While freelancers are able to choose customers and select the most interesting or promising tasks. The remote employee is deprived of these opportunities but is granted a certain level of job security and stability, which the freelancer cannot boast off.
What makes them similar? Although similar on first sight these two kinds of jobs do not have much in common. These jobs allow adjusting the working schedule to your personal needs. Also, both freelancers and remote employees can work from any location.
However, the fundamental difference is that the freelancer is not a member of the company. Instead, he is only given temporary tasks. Thus, we can conclude that freedom of choice often has to be paid for by instability of income and irregular work schedules.
