This essay was written in the style of a CV, Record Of Achievement and also what would be said in an Interview.
I am a self employed individual who specialises in Fashion Journalism and as a freelance fashion journalist, I am aware of the work included in this role as well as the finance sector of being self employed and I am aware how this can be different from being employed to a company.
As a freelance journalist I have a slightly different work contract to an employed journalist. I am aware that I do not have to sign contracts as I am not employed by a company unless stated otherwise, however a I may have an agreement with a company in which I agree to do a specific amount of work by a certain date. If this is the case, I may wish to sign a contract or a legal document stating this. This type of contract is usually called a Contract For Service.
As a freelance worker I am able to choose the hours and days that I will work within the week (within reason, of course) where as an employee will not be able to do this and will usually work either shift work or office hours.
I specialise in fashion overall, with a knowledge in textiles and design as well as outfits and I know quite a range of things such as the latest trends which are popular at the moment and which trends may become popular in the near future. I also educate myself on celebrity fashion styles and if they are a hit with the public as this information is very popular on many news websites.
There are a lot of advantages to being self employed, one of which being the flexible work hours mentioned above. Also, according to an info graphic posted on Graphic Design Degree Hub, freelancers such as myself can earn up to 45% more than employees. Thats the difference of earning £43,000 a year instead of £30,000 and over 75% of freelancers that work from home earn over £40,000 a year. Another advantage of being a freelance journalist is being your own boss. By being your own boss, you are able to have a lot more control over what work you do and when you do it, which many employees don’t get to do. The projects that you can work on can range, you can choose which projects you want to work on and if one doesn’t suit you, you don’t have to do it. A fashion journalist such as myself may decide to work with Vogue Magazine and not Glamour Magazine and that is entirely their choice.
Although there are a lot of advantages and to many people, freelance work does sound a lot better than being employed by a company, there are also a lot of drawbacks to being self employed. The main drawback of being a freelancer is the fact that you are in control of your own finances. You have to do all of your own taxes and it can become very time consuming. You will need to make sure your taxes are up to date as an employer will not be able to do this for you. You can hire an accountant to do your taxes but this does cost. Another con of being self employed is the lack of job security. Your job will always be temporary and if, after you finish one job, you cannot find another client then you are stuck without a job until a new opportunity arises which may take a long time. Due to this, you will have to be very strict with your earnings, making sure you have enough money to live on if you are unable to find a client. Because of this, I always intend to do the best work I can for the clients that I work with and I believe that working with each and every client is a gift which I do not take for granted.
Every freelance worker will have to buy their own equipment and as a fashion journalist I do own quite a few pieces of technology and other equipment to be able to do my job professionally. Firstly I own a laptop which all of my articles are written on for the companies and clients I have decided to work with. I also own a memory stick so all of my work if backed up incase of a crisis in which my laptop may break. I also have a blog in which I meet clients through and for this, I have broadband in my home so I can always access my blog and emails. I also own a high end camera, a tripod and an SD card in which I take photos of fashion in the form of my daily outfits and also outfits they have styled on others. My blog has a large following of people who share the same interests as myself.
By being a freelance journalist who will be doing work in my own home, I am very much aware of the health and safety risks which may surround me. Firstly, a main safety risk will be wires on the floor. If myself or any other fashion journalist were to be taking some photographs for their blog, or even for a client and they were using lighting which was plugged into a wall then they would need to tape down the wires on the floor in case they, or anyone else, were to trip on them. Another main issue for fashion journalists would be electrocution from plugs etc as carelessness may cause harm.
Throughout all of the jobs I will undertake, I believe that a professional attitude towards my work is incredibly important. I believe that professionalism can be the difference between a good and bad piece of work and I intend to produce great pieces of work that can be used on your website. I will not mix my work life in with my social life and will make sure deadlines are met and all my work will be up to the highest standard I can achieve.
saskiasteelswright 