More than a year ago, I decided to try going freelance again. Yes, my 2nd attempt to live a carefree life of working whenever and wherever I want to. It's a dream for most introverts. Working at unfamiliar places provides less distraction for me since it lessens my interaction with people which improves my focus. Now before I go ahead and tell you to quit your job to give freelancing a try, I need to give you 10 tips I did and wished I did before giving up my 9-5 job last June 2016.

1. Assess your skills

Determine what the types of jobs you want to be working on. As a Web / Graphic Designer, it was easy for me to know I wanted to do the same kind of job. You should also be open to learning new skill sets. For me, I developed a love for branding and managing social media pages. If you have a passion for writing, be a Home Based content writer. If you are familiar with using Google Drive and Microsoft Office Products (Word/Excel/PowerPoint), have basic to medium English communication skill and great with emails, be a Virtual Assistant. If you have a fast typing speed, Data Encoder jobs are everywhere. There is always an online job counterpart to almost all office-based jobs. You just have to know what kind of job you want to do.

2. Set aside some money

Not all freelance adventures start out grandly. Chances are, the moment you are free from your 9-5 job, you will be tempted to spend a week or two finishing seasons 1-7 of Game of Thrones or do the 'costly' hobbies you always wanted to try. Or maybe you plan to work on personal projects you never got a chance to do because it consumed your time. There is a possibility you may be making less money than you imagined in the first few months of your freelance adventure. Saving a good amount of money that will last for 3-5 months is attainable and preferable.

3. Have a different bank account for money transfers

One of the first things I was worried about when going freelance was the payment method. How do I get paid? Thankfully, Paypal and Payoneer exist. Online workplaces like Upwork have options to transfer your money directly to local banks (BPI, BDO, Unionbank, etc). Connecting your bank account to other websites can make you feel uneasy about it. Especially if you only have one which holds all your savings. An option to counter this uneasiness is opening a different bank account intended for transferring money from online services. So far, I have used both BPI Debit and Unionbank's EON card for Paypal and Upwork.

4. Secure an online job

It may take weeks or months to find an online job that is perfect for you. Before deciding to quit your 9-5 job, try to apply for full-time or part-time jobs that look interesting. You can find these jobs anywhere! If you are confident you can manage two full-time positions (online and 9-5) at the same time, give it a go and try to decide if your online job is something you want to focus on. If too much work kills you, having an online part-time job is preferable. This makes you familiar with the skills needed to survive being a freelancer.

5. Be prepared for the worst-case scenario

As I mentioned before, you might not find an online job instantly. That very thought of not finding a job almost made me back out from my original plan so I made a deal with myself. If I don't find an online job that reaches the acceptable amount I want, I'd get back to a 9-5 job after 3 months. I wanted to try it so badly and I had to prepare myself for the emotional breakdown if what I planned out won't work out. Accepting defeat was my option. It's different for everyone. You could try odd online jobs, but be selective about it.

6. Listen to your body

The biggest challenge for me in an office-based job is my productivity. I sometimes find myself more productive in the morning than in the afternoon. Other times I am able to get more work done in the afternoon and evening. What was different about these days? I realized I become very productive in the morning when I am able to finish small tasks. The feeling of accomplishing something boosted my mood throughout the day. Afternoons sometimes make me sleepy, but I noticed I become energized when working standing up than sitting and drinking a cold beverage. That's when I realized my body prefers cold drinks or coffees. The more you get to know about your body, the more productive you are. You get to experiment with your work schedule as a freelancer, but best to get an idea of how you want to work first before doing so.

7. Secure a laptop

This will not apply to everyone. But it was something I should've done before. Working at home meant being distracted from everything that occurs at home. Not everyone at home will understand the importance of focusing while working at home. I was not able to anticipate the temperature inside my room in the afternoon. It felt like summer and it made me very sleepy. If I had secured a laptop before, I could just work in cafes or at our garden.

8. It's not a vacation

We are sometimes tempted to think of going on a vacation or spending a lot once we start the adventure. Images of other people working at the beach or while they are traveling are often times misleading. It does not always start that way. Sure, It's great for an Instagram post but bad for the wallet. Make sure you are already financially secure before going on extravagant trips and experience the advantage of being a freelancer.

9. Learn to say yes and no

You will need the courage to say yes and no every time you get a job invite. Saying yes to all jobs because you don't want to pass out on the opportunity is not always the right move. Saying yes to an odd job because you have no other options might make you feel guilty in the future. While saying no because your insecurities are acting up will also make you guilty. Saying a firm, yes and no can lead to a guilt-free future.

"I knew that if I failed I wouldn't regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying." - Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO

10. Just Do It

Insecurities. Fears. What ifs. Other people telling you're doing a stupid mistake. The person with the biggest impact in your decision to say no is you. Not your status as the bread winner, or anyone. Just you. Remember to set a portion of your life dedicated to yourself. You only get to live one life. If you want it so badly, just do it.


I hope you will be able to use these tips on your journey. My first attempt last 2013 didn't go well and I had to return to a 9-5 job after 3 months. My second attempt last year turned out well. I'm very happy to find a couple of long-term clients who are still part of my journey today.

Picture yourself as those people who are working at the beach, or while traveling around the world. That could still be you one day.