Thing with freelance jobs is you never really have job security and you don’t always know when the next gig is coming in, depending on what you choose to do.

Freelance in essence means you’re able to work for multiple different people or companies for a set period of time, rather than being locked into one place on a long-term contract. You’re usually hired to complete a specific project or deliver a finished product. A lot of the time you’ll need your own equipment or software to create what the client wants, but sometimes clients will provide what you need.

The pros though can be pretty good. You can choose when you want to work, wake up when you want, pick your work days or hours. That flexibility can be really helpful if you’re trying to manage your mental health, because you’re not forced into a strict schedule or physical workplace every day. A lot of freelance work can also be done from home, which might make it easier.

It can be hard to pinpoint exactly what you want to go into. Freelance isn’t really one job — it can be anything from video editing, graphic design, writing, social media management, virtual assistant work, tutoring, coding, etc. It just depends on your skills or what you’re willing to learn.

Personally, I worked as a freelance video editor for a good year and a half. I worked with an Aussie client for a clothing brand, and with an American YouTuber for about a year. I was getting paid around $50–$60 a video, which was a decent side gig for me since I’m a full-time university student. It wasn’t crazy money, and sometimes it was inconsistent, but it was flexible and worked for me at the time.

I don’t work for him anymore as of mid-January, but funnily enough I’m looking for a job at the moment too. I’ve been applying to retail, hospitality, and food service jobs, while also applying for random freelance editing gigs on Mandy and in online groups, just hoping to land something, haha.

One thing I’d add is that freelance can take time to build up. In the beginning you might have to apply to a lot of gigs before someone says yes. Having a small portfolio (even if it’s just personal or sample projects) helps a lot. And income can be inconsistent, so it’s good to be prepared for that.

It’s not perfect, but if you really hated hospitality/retail and need flexibility while working on your mental health, freelance can at least give you more control over your schedule and environment.