Freelance vs Full-Time: Which Route Suits You Right Now?

In media and creative, career paths are rarely linear — and right now, many professionals are weighing the same question: Should I go freelance or stay full-time?

Here’s the honest truth: both can be brilliant, depending on where you are in your career (and headspace).

The Freelance Route:

Pros: Freedom, variety, higher day rates, and exposure to new brands and teams.

Cons: Feast-and-famine flow, less long-term development, and the admin nobody warns you about.

Freelancing is fantastic if you thrive on project energy, enjoy flexibility, and want to shape your schedule — but it requires a strong network and discipline.

The Full-Time Route:

Pros: Stability, progression, benefits, and belonging to a culture.

Cons: Less control, slower salary growth, and occasional burnout risk.

Full-time suits those seeking growth plans, mentorship, or agency recognition — particularly as hybrid work allows more balance than before.

Our advice?

Check your why.

If you’re craving control and creativity, freelance may feed that.

If you want structure and advancement, full-time might serve it better.

Either way, make the move intentionally — not reactively. The best career decisions come from clarity, not chaos.