My freelance life: take an inside peek at the freedom of freelancing--and get the real story on working in pajamas.

What do you think about when you imagine having a job? Chances are, you think about waking up early, putting on nice clothes, getting into your car or catching a train, and hurrying to get to work by 9 a.m. When you arrive, you sit down at a chair in an office or take your position in a factory, where you'll spend the next eight hours. You have a boss who tells you what to do, when to do it, and how much you'll be paid every week.

My working life is a little different. I've never been much of an early riser, but I still usually get to my desk by 9 a.m.; that's because my desk is in my house, just up the hall from my bedroom. If I don't get there in time, I don't get in trouble with my boss--because I don't really have one. I might be up late working to meet a deadline--but I also might be able to cut out in the afternoon and go to the pool, the supermarket, or a movie. Of course, if I do decide to leave the house, I need to change out of my work clothes--because I work in my pajamas!

I get to do all this because I'm a freelancer. Instead of having one employer who pays me a steady wage, I work for several different companies that pay me by the job. Freelancing offers a lot more freedom than most usual work environments. Freelancers also have a lot of responsibilities that people with ordinary jobs don't. Still, if you're organized and good at motivating yourself, you'd probably enjoy the freelancing lifestyle.

A Day in the Life

What does it really mean to be a freelancer? Well, I work for different companies as a technical editor--that means I read books and articles written by computer programmers, fix grammatical mistakes, and try to make the text easier to read and understand. In a lot of ways, my day isn't that much different from the day of a technical editor who has an office job. I spend most of my day sitting in front of my computer, working on assignments that have been sent to me by my clients. When I start my day, I check my calendar to see what due dates are coming up so I can figure out what jobs I need to tackle. Unlike most "bosses," though, the people who send me assignments don't care when my day starts or ends; they just want the work done by the deadline we agreed on in advance. That flexibility is the best part about being a freelancer.

Of course, there are some less-than-fun things I have to do that people with office jobs don't. I don't get a steady paycheck twice a month. Instead, I'm paid for each assignment--and sometimes I have to bug people to make sure I get that check.

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How to Get a Job Like Mine

A lot of people who'd like to spend more of their workday in their pajamas ask me how to become freelancers. First of all, you need to be in the right line of work; there are many fields where you can't really make the move to the freelance life. (For more jobs freelancers do, see "Freelancing-Friendly Careers.")

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Even if you do work in an industry where there are lots of freelancers, you can't just jump into those pajamas right away. Potential clients are going to want some kind of evidence of your skills and experience, and to prove yourself, you'll probably need to work for a while in a regular 9-to-5 job. I got my first job in a typical fashion: by working as an office temp at a publishing company, then applying for an entry-level job when it opened up. Once I had that job, I worked hard at cultivating good relationships with my coworkers and impressing them with my dazzling editorial talent.

Of course, that is what most people do at a new job; at the time, I didn't realize I was laying the groundwork for my future freelancing career. But building relationships like these at your office job is crucial if you want to someday be free from the stuffy office life. Although I've occasionally managed to net clients by responding to want ads, the vast majority of my work has come either from people I once worked with at my office job or from people they recommended me to. If you want to be a successful freelancer, the most important thing is to know people in your industry who might need freelance help--and who think highly of your talents. And you've got to be very forward about asking these folks to throw some freelance work your way or whether they know anyone else who can.

Keys to Freelancing Happiness

Let's say you've decided to take the leap into freelancing. What are the most important things to keep in mind to be successful?

Be a good money manager. The scariest thing about freelancing is that the steady paychecks of a 9-to-5 job turn into a very up-and-down freelancing income. You need to make a budget for yourself and stick to it. Even if you earn more than you need one month, you might earn a lot less the next, so keep that extra money in your savings for a rainy day.

Be a good self-motivator. In an office job, your employer will check in with you every few days to see how your projects are going. But your freelance clients may give you assignments with due dates weeks or months in the future--and will not expect to hold your hand through the process. As Kathryn Lance, a freelance writer and editor, puts it, "If you don't have a boss, then it's up to you to decide when to work and how much to work. You have to be very disciplined and make yourself work every day, or you won't earn enough money to live on."

Be aware of the details. As a freelancer, you're in charge of a lot of things--paying taxes, buying health insurance, sending invoices--that your employer would take care of in a 9-to-5 job. Set some time aside every week to take care of the details. You might want to talk to an accountant or a financial adviser when you get started as a freelancer to learn what you need to do.

Putting the "Free" in Freelance

Moving away from an office job can be scary. You lose the security of a steady paycheck. You work by yourself much of the time. But for most of us who have left the office world behind, the freedom of freelancing--structuring our time the way we want to, working to finish tasks rather than filling out an eight-hour day, pursuing outside interests--makes it all worthwhile. If you think you have the discipline, then you too might be able to enjoy this freedom and make a living.

Freelancing-Friendly Careers

You can't make a freelance career out of every profession--after all, it's pretty hard to be a librarian without a library or a teacher without a school! But a broad range of jobs you can do as a freelancer is available. I've known freelance writers, editors, graphic designers, commercial artists, Web designers, computer programmers, and photographers, to name just a few.

One thing you'll notice about freelance jobs is that they all involve relatively short assignments that can be completed independently and sent to clients electronically. Dalton Rooney, a freelance Web designer and information technology consultant, is excited about the potential of Internet communication. "It's not just e-mail," he says. "There are all sorts of ways you can stay in touch with clients. When videoconferencing becomes more popular, more companies will be comfortable turning to freelancers for help:'

There are also a number of trades in which you can work as a freelancer. For instance, in the entertainment industry, freelance electricians, camera operators, and lighting experts assemble to work on a film or TV show.

Classroom Extension

* Before reading, ask students whether they know what freelancing is and to brainstorm a list of jobs that they think or know can be done on a freelance basis. Discuss what those jobs have in common.

* Review: What is Joshua Fruhlinger's career? How is he able to do that job as a freelance worker? Why does he recommend building relationships in an office setting before trying to freelance? What are the challenges of being a freelancer?

Resources

* AilFreelance.com provides articles, information, and resources for freelance workers. www.allfreelance.eom

* mediabisro.com offers freelance writers and editors resources, courses, job boards, and a place to post resumes, www.mediabistro.com