By Robert Janelle

Not all of us have the guts to freelance full-time right away and you can count this intrepid journalist as one of the cowards.

As self-employment can be slow to begin, some of us do prefer the security of a steady pay-cheque while making the transition, so here are some of the ways I’ve found to make it work while working for The Man.

Take a Night Shift

Most of my friends don’t understand why I intentionally took a night job but it seemed logical to me: daytime (specifically, “regular business hours”) are for freelancing!

Generally, I’ve got the day time to conduct interviews, make any other phone calls, do research and whatnot and then take off to my other job at a market research firm. Having some workaholic tendencies, I usually also come home and write for a while before passing out.

It sounds intense, but it’s not as bad as people think. The only time I actually crashed and burned was the day I got a random call from a daily newspaper, who wanted me to cover an event and have the article done in time for the next day’s edition…all before starting another 7 hour shift.

Look For Casual Employment

Some companies offer a ridiculous amount of flexibility, generally referred to as “casual status.” Though, taking casual usually means a small pay cut and giving up some benefits but it can be great for someone transitioning to full-time freelancing.

The definitions of casual can very but generally, employees sign up for the shifts they want to work and don’t have to come in for any others. This can be great to have when there are dry periods on the self-employment front.

Though, keep in mind that when some companies say “casual status” they actually mean employing you on an “on-call” basis where they’re the ones who tell you what shifts are open and ask if you want them. Could still be worth considering, though.

Make Effective Use of Downtime

There are very few jobs that don’t have at least small blocks of time where there’s nothing to do - use them!

While I personally don’t have Internet access at work, I can still bring research material in hard copy along with scrap papers to make notes on (in the oppressive call centre I work at, reading and doodling are the few things we ARE allowed to do…)

Other employers are less finicky about say, using Internet for personal use and full advantage should be taken there during downtime or breaks. Work like processing e-mails, writing outlines or rough sketches shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Brown Bag the Lunch

For those lucky enough to have a lengthy lunch break, make sure to brown bag it. The time saved by not going to the cafeteria or nearby restaurant, waiting in line and then waiting for food to be prepared can used to get an unbelievable amount of work done if you manage your time effectively.

Take Advantage of Technology

My lack of Internet access on shift is somewhat limiting, but on break I can still process e-mails and voice mail with my cellphone. And if a quick phone call is all that’s required, I’ll deal with that during designated breaks as well.

Considering the amount I get done with that little device during those 15-minute blocks, it leaves me to wonder why I was a resistor for so long.

Robert Janelle

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