Sometimes, you need a break from freelancing. It’s more than just a weekend off or some much-needed vacation time. If this is something that you’re thinking of right now, you aren’t alone. Many people have been looking at branching out ever since ChatGPT started taking over the freelancing world. Can you use your hard-earned freelancing skills for another career path or job role? Here are my thoughts on the subject.

Do freelancing skills transition well to other jobs?

In a nutshell, yes. Freelancing has this incredible versatility in applying those skills and hat-wearing to other possible positions you might be considering. Whether you’re looking at online jobs or are instead going with more traditional options in office settings, there are plenty of ways to put your skills to use elsewhere. The trick is to think about your skills differently than you might assume!

How can I put my professional freelancing skills to work elsewhere?

Sure, I talked a good talk back there, but now it’s time to prove it to you! Here are some ways I can use my freelance writing skills in other existing positions.

• Advertising and marketing: Since I make a lot of my income writing product descriptions, it makes sense that getting into the marketing or advertising market would be a great choice. I already know how to pick the right facets to focus on when promoting a product and how to ethically sell a product to someone who wants or needs it. Plus, as someone who loves to window shop, advertising and marketing is a great way to fr me to shop without shopping.

• Novel writing: When I was getting into writing, I wanted to be a book writer. I accomplished that dream this past year by writing and publishing my book. It also proved that shifting from being a freelance writer to writing novels is one of my easiest transitions. While book writing doesn’t have the same stability as advertising or sales, it is a great option to consider if and when other writers need a change.

• Consulting and teaching: This is a side hustle or career change that I’d love to grow into. The world needs more good freelance writers, and it would be a fulfilling job to be part of that.  

How to use freelancing experience in your favour

Even if you aren’t going into a direct field like the above options, you can still put your skills to work. Most freelancing positions transition well to roles such as being a virtual assistant because multitasking and online tasks are part of freelancing approaches. This is just one of the many examples. What others can you think of?

The other thing about freelancing is that it prepares you for many of the different jobs out there. You’re used to long hours, customer interaction, dealing with invoicing, and so on. Really, freelancing is the perfect springboard for just about anything that you want to do.

Whether you are impacted by the recent changes with AI or not, it is reassuring to know that your freelancing experience won’t go to waste, right? Exactly.