How Freelancing Became My Job

Before you get your hopes up, this isn't a story of great successes and insurmountable odds; it is a story of being in a bad situation and doing the best you can. Despite that, I hope it still provides inspiration.

In November 2023, right before Thanksgiving, I was laid off. I had been at my job for 4.5 years. I had been promoted twice. I had a great boss and a team that respected me. I knew the company was struggling, but I figured I would be one of the last ones to go if it came to that. I was wrong. And a part of me - a small part - wanted to be laid off. I was so stressed every single day that I just wanted it to end. I knew I couldn't quit - you don't get unemployment for leaving a job. The lay off came as both a surprise and not such a surprise. A relief mixed with a panic attack. It was an odd feeling.

Unemployment checks don't write themselves, so I began searching for work right after the holiday. I decided to look for jobs that were closer to what I wanted to do - something creative, like writing, video editing, or marketing. After about a month or so of nothing but rejections and ghostings, I figured it was time to pick up some freelance work - just as a backup plan, mind you, in case my unemployment ran out and I still didn't have a job.

Apparently the system is set up to punish you for back up plans. Once I submitted my unemployment weekly certification reporting a measly $100 of self employed income, my payments stopped. The website said they were "on hold". Initially I didn't think much of it. They were probably just verifying a few things. Then a week went by. I began to think there might be a problem. Then two weeks went by. I started to panic. I fortunately had some unemployment funds leftover because I had received some severance pay, but that was going to run out. I needed to make some money - fast. So, out of necessity, I picked up freelance work again. By the time I was able to speak with someone, it had been four weeks without pay. I was told that my account was under review and it normally takes four weeks. A whole month to get your account reviewed for doing $100 worth of work. I told the rep that I had to keep doing freelance work since they weren't paying me. I was informed that once the review was complete, I would be all set - no more payments being held up due to self employment, and as long as I wasn't working full time hours, I would still be eligible.

Being the cautious person that I am, I decided to continue the freelance work in case I ran into more trouble. After 5 weeks of no payment, all of the back payments were finally released. I used the money to get caught up on debt. The very next week that I filed my new weekly certification, my account went on hold - AGAIN. About a week later I spoke to another representative who told me that this was going to keep happening every single time because my account would automatically go into review due to the self employment. She also told me that once an actual person looked at it and realized the account had already gone through review, it would be released. That was several weeks ago and my funds are still on hold. I keep filing my weekly certifications knowing that it could be over a month until I see a penny of it.

And so this is how I found myself becoming a freelancer - absolute necessity. I had an obligation to my husband, my pets, and my home - to make enough money to ensure the bills were paid and everyone gets fed. Months into my job search had only netted me one interview and too many rejections to count. I had to find another way, especially with unemployment pulling my only lifeline. Day after day I see LinkedIn posts about being unemployed for 6 months, 8 months, 12 months - even 15! People getting ready to sell their houses, to file for bankruptcy - because no one will give them a chance. I decided that if no one was going to give me a chance, I would give it to myself.

I realize this story has been a depressing one so far, so let's end on a high note. As awful as this situation has been - the untimely lay off, the hellscape of the job search, and the brokenness of the unemployment system - I am now where I am meant to be. I have wanted to work for myself for a long, long time. I have wanted to be a creative agent - someone who regularly uses their skills to tell stories, to bring visions to life. But I didn't have the confidence, the knowledge, the time, etc. Granted, not all of the freelance work I do is as appealing as that - some of it is downright tedious - but it is a much bigger part of what I do now than it ever was before, and it will continue to grow. I wanted a traditional job that was remote, paid well, and gave me security. Instead, I got a boot up the rear and freelancing.

So the moral of the story is, in the words of The Rolling Stones, "You can't always get what you want - But if you try sometimes, well, you just might find - You get what you need".