Freelancing the better option for job seekers?

[Sammie]

With the current economic climate that Ireland and the UK are experiencing, do you think that spending your time freelancing would be more lucrative?

I can understand that the salary on a monthly basis might be higher in an employed job, than what someone could succumb to freelancing, but due to the low level in job opportunities could one be wasting time finding a job? Time that could be spent working commissions?

I'm just wondering what you all think, as currently in Ireland it's desperate to get a GD's job. I was laid off my first GD's job last week (no fault of my own) as I had an incompetant manager who wasnt organised enough to train me in particular areas with looming deadlines that he needed to meet, telling me that he couldnt invest anymore time in my training process.

I have a very good business Idea that I'd like to run with, and I should be able to obtain a feasibility grant for this as I've an interview with Dublin's Enterprise Board soon.

Im still new in the world of GD so I'd be wondering what the more experienced graphic designers think is best? I've claimed the dole for the second time now and its just depressing to be on it. I can live on the amount thats available to me, but ideally would prefer not to be on it.

Any advice, as always, would be very helpful.

Thanks :)

[budafist]

I dunno, I would say in the current climate there are more freelancers now than ever before. This makes it harder than ever to find and keep clients. If you offer amazing service, then you maybe able to keep clients better than some, but I imagine there are plenty of freelancers knocking on the doors of our clients trying to offer cheaper services.

The other day we lost some typesetting (that we regularly do). We regularly charge a very small amount. Let's just say it wouldn't buy you a meal at McDonalds for that amount. But it's regular and we print the things so we do it for next to nothing. We were turned down the art job as someone else (a freelancer) offered it for cheaper. Not that I can be bothered chasing that kind of work, but it's amazing that people are fighting tooth and nail for a few dollars.