How To Transition From Freelance to Full-Time Employment

At different points in your career, you may go from freelancing to full-time employment and transition back and forth depending on your lifestyle and interests. When freelancing, you own a business. You have control over your schedule and provide your services directly to clients. As a full-time employee, you work for one company that might give you benefits, increased job security, and set hours.

Freelancing and full-time employment are different lifestyles; each has its own pros and cons. When going back to a 9 to 5 workday, you have to change from the mindset of a business owner to an employee. Instead of working by yourself, you'll likely be part of a team. Depending on the role, you may be in the office, or you might be able to work from home.

If you're thinking about going back from freelance to full-time, here are some tips to prepare yourself for the transition:

1. Understand the employment types
2. Assess your readiness
3. Prepare for job hunting
4. Navigate the job interview
5. Transition to your new role

1. Understand the employment types

Freelancers are self-employed. They market their services to clients, completing one-off projects and working on set-length or ongoing contracts. On Upwork, freelancers can work fixed-price or hourly jobs for clients, who they can find by browsing Talent Marketplace™, receiving job invites, or listing their services in Project Catalog™.

While being self-employed can mean more control and freedom over your day-to-day, it can also come with more responsibility. Freelancers don’t get benefits or perks like health insurance and paid time off through an employer. Income from freelance work doesn’t have taxes already deducted, so independent professionals might need to work with a tax professional to understand their obligations and avoid penalties, and might owe more out-of-pocket when taxes are due.

Independent contractors agree to work for a company for a specific length of time. It could be a short-term contract of just a few months or a longer contract of a year or more. If you sign a long-term contract, it could mean better job security and the option to work full-time hours. Depending on the company, you may be eligible for benefits.

For the length of a contract, independent professionals don't have to spend time submitting proposals or reaching out to clients—you’ll likely have consistent work until the contract ends. You also may have more flexibility in your location and work hours. It's a great way to try out different employers and industries.

Full-time employees have permanent positions and may receive benefits. Compared to freelancing and contracting, this type of employment has the most stability and structure. Companies can tell employees when, where, and how they work. As a full-time employee, you’ll likely have a fixed salary or hourly rate, which can increase based on raises and promotions. You may work in the office or remotely but are often part of a collaborative team.

At different stages in your life, you may need the structure and benefits that working as a full-time employee can provide.

2. Assess your readiness

People decide to explore freelance careers for many different reasons. Freelancing provides a more flexible schedule for those who are in school, want to travel, or need to take care of a loved one. Freelancing lets you learn and develop new skills while quickly gaining experience by taking on relevant projects and building your portfolio. This can be helpful when you start looking for a full-time employee position.

Transitioning from freelance work to full-time can be challenging at first, especially when you're used to working from home and setting your own hours. One of the benefits of freelancing is that you often get to choose when, where, and how you work. The drawback of this is that you have to actively submit proposals and find new clients to build a steady workload.

Once you accept an offer for an employee or long-term contractor role, you can settle in and start to feel comfortable. You don't have to quickly switch from client to client and can build relationships with your coworkerst. It's easier to feel like an outsider when freelancing or contracting, even when you're technically part of the team. You may not get to fully experience the workplace culture.

If you're thinking about transitioning to a full-time role, ask yourself these questions:

• Are you OK with not being the boss?
• What motivates you?
• Can you commit to working 40 hours a week?
• Are you OK with a traditional 9 to 5 schedule?
• Do you like working and collaborating with a team?
• Are you open to working in an office?
• How much do benefits and job security matter?
• Do you need to have a steady paycheck?

3. Prepare for job hunting

Once you're feeling confident about transitioning from freelance to permanent or full-time employment, you can start getting ready for the job hunt. Accepting a full-time offer takes more commitment since you'll likely want to stay at the company for at least a year or two. You want to find a position that is a good fit for your skills, with competitive pay and a positive workplace culture that you'll enjoy participating in.

Before you start applying for jobs, make sure that your resume and portfolio are updated. You'll also want to have a job search strategy that includes networking and taking time to check job boards.

Update your portfolio and resume

Upwork freelancers use their profiles and proposals to win clients and projects. When transitioning from a freelance career to working as a full-time employee, you'll want to get your resume, cover letter, and portfolio ready—this is what you'll use to apply to jobs.

You can add your freelancing business to your resume and even link your Upwork profile so recruiters and hiring managers can see your ratings and client feedback. This will also help avoid having employment gaps due to freelancing on your resume.

Make sure your portfolio is up to date with your best and most impressive samples—choose projects that are the most relevant to the types of full-time jobs you're applying to. You can create your own portfolio website using a drag-and-drop builder. Having a website makes adding your portfolio to your resume and applications easier. Instead of attaching each individual sample, you can use the link.

You'll need to create a cover letter that you can tailor to different positions you apply for. Explain your career change, highlighting your most relevant skills and how freelancing has helped prepare you for the full-time role. Freelancers develop many soft skills like communication and time management that hiring managers and recruiters look for in candidates.

Network and find opportunities

Networking when you're looking to find a full-time role is different than as a freelancer. When freelancing, attending events is about finding clients and connecting with other independent professionals. Networking can be helpful during the job hunt to learn about opportunities in your industry. You may meet people who work at your dream company and can submit your resume for a referral. Many companies have incentive programs for employees to refer candidates.

Be on the lookout for local and virtual networking events and meetups in your industry. Joining organizations or professional networking platforms can be helpful for connecting with others in your industry. Networking is also how you find a mentor—someone who is further along the type of career you want. Mentors help give advice and guide you through your career journey.

Instead of searching the Talent Marketplace for freelance work, you'll want to spend time looking at job boards. Companies often post their full-time roles on popular job search sites. Make sure your profile is up to date and matches your resume. You can also post on LinkedIn to let your network know you're looking for a full-time role and add #OpenToWork to your headline to attract recruiters.

You can also find full-time roles on Upwork with contract-to-hire. You can select "contract-to-hire" in the job search filters on Talent Marketplace and add "Open to contract-to-hire" to your profile.

4. Navigate the job interview

After sending in applications to full-time roles, if a recruiter is interested, they'll invite you to interview for the position. As a freelancer, you're likely used to meeting and interviewing with clients. Interviewing as a job candidate is similar; the process is often just longer.

The first round is typically a screening call with the recruiters to go over the basics, like salary expectations and your background. The following interviews will be with the hiring manager and then other team members or leadership. The final round is usually an onsite or panel video call (if the role is remote) with a presentation, depending on the type of role.

After the interview, you'll want to send a follow-up email to show your enthusiasm and keep the line of communication open by thanking the interviewer for their time.

Anticipate common interview questions

Interviews are a combination of behavioral and technical assessments. The exact process can vary from company to company. The recruiter and hiring manager want to make sure you have the technical skill set for the role and are also a good cultural fit for the team and company.

When answering behavioral and situational (non-technical) questions, use the STAR technique to format your answers as an engaging story. STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result—everything your story needs. Questions that fit the STAR technique well will often start with "Tell me about a time when..."

Research the company and take a look at its values and mission statement. Try incorporating these principles into your past experiences. Many companies grade candidates' answers against company values.

Before the interview, re-read the job description and take note of the different technical skills the job requires. Create an example for each of these skills that you can use in your interview.

You may be able to find real examples of the types of questions recruiters and hiring managers ask at bigger companies on sites like Glassdoor and Comparably. This can help you prepare by having your answers ready ahead of time.

Common interview questions to be ready for include:

• Can you tell me about yourself?
• What are your strengths?
• How did you hear about this position?
• Can you walk me through your resume?
• What type of environment do you work best in?
• Do you prefer to work independently or as part of a team?
• What is your greatest professional achievement?
• How do you stay organized?
• Can you tell me about a time that you failed?
• What type of management style do you like best?
• How do you handle stressful situations?
• What motivates you?
• Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

Discuss your freelance experience

During your time freelancing, you've likely picked up many hard and soft skills that help make you qualified for the types of roles you're applying to. When interviewing, you want to showcase these skills and experiences—they are the strengths that can set you apart as a candidate.

Freelancers are entrepreneurial and self-motivated. They're used to feedback and going the extra mile to make their clients happy. Freelancing teaches people how to manage their time and maximize their productivity so they can earn more and work efficiently. These types of skills are valuable to employers.

Your interviewers will likely ask why you want to stop freelancing, and that's OK. The interviewer's goal is to find the best candidate possible, and part of this is finding out why they're looking for a new role. Think about your answer and how you can frame it as positively as possible so you don't inadvertently signal any red flags.

Example:

"While I've enjoyed working with clients and the experience that freelancing gave me, I’m looking for a full-time role that provides more predictability and stability at this stage in my life. I would like to work in a team environment again and be an employee so I can have benefits like health insurance for my family."

5. Transition into your new role

When you're used to freelancing and working independently from home, transitioning to a new role as a full-time employee can be an adjustment, especially if you're working in the office. Moving to a full-time position can also be exciting, as you'll have coworkers and teams to work with. You may realize you've missed catching up with a colleague over lunch and having a schedule.

Start mentally preparing yourself for your new role. If you're going to be in the office, you may need to go shopping and get some new work clothes. Don't forget to ask what the dress code is. You may still be working from home, but you can reorganize your desk and get used to being ready to start at a specific time.

Once you pass the final round of interviews, if they want to hire you, you'll receive a job offer. As a full-time employee, this offer should include your salary and any benefits and perks the company provides. Before accepting the offer, you can negotiate your salary and benefits. Many companies expect this and give a lower offer than what the position is budgeted for.

Tips for the first days on the job

Starting a new job can feel like being the new kid in school. While you've met some of your colleagues during the interview process, you don't know them on a personal level yet. The first couple of days on the job are typically for training and onboarding. Your manager will likely give you time to settle in and get to know your team and coworkers.

First impressions matter. Try your best to be positive, enthusiastic, confident, and grateful. Think about your introduction and what you'll say when you meet your colleagues. Practice explaining who you are and what you do.

Welcome lunches or happy hours are great opportunities to get to know your colleagues better. You can look them up ahead of time on LinkedIn to start pairing names with faces. As part of the onboarding process, some companies assign new employees "buddies," a person who has been at the company longer and can help them get settled in.

The first few days and even weeks are a learning period, make sure you attend any onboarding events you can and take advantage of training tools. Take in as much as possible, from company policies to organizational structures. Sign up for the benefits you want and pick your plans.

You'll want to meet with your manager for a one-on-one. If they don't schedule one in the first few days or weeks, you can ask for a meeting. Write down any questions you have, and then you can see which are the most important and figure out who to ask.

Make sure to arrive early to account for any mixups or traffic. Talk with the hiring manager or recruiter beforehand to find out your schedule. Get a good night's sleep, and make sure you have appropriate clothes for your first couple of days.

Adapting to the full-time work environment

Give yourself time to settle in and feel comfortable. It may not happen in the first week, and that's OK. Try to pay attention to the company culture. Learn when people get to the office, what they do for lunch, and when they leave. Many of the inner workings of a company aren't in the company handbook. You'll learn from observing and getting to know your colleagues.

Try to make work friends and find others that you connect with. You may need to get out of your comfort zone to strike up a conversation and ask to sit in an empty seat at lunch. Your coworkers can help you get oriented and answer any questions you have about office policies and etiquette.

Each company has its own type of culture. You may have a close-knit team that goes for happy hours every week. Remote environments tend to be more independent, but you can connect with your colleagues through messaging tools like Slack and any project management software the team uses to collaborate.

If it's been a while since you've had to commute to the office or log on at a specific time, you may want to take some time to create a schedule. Figure out when you'll have time to go to the gym, shop for groceries, meal prep, and spend time with friends and family during the week. Part of avoiding burnout is making sure you have a work-life balance. If possible, set boundaries, like not checking your email or Slack after work hours.

Find work on Upwork

Many people choose to freelance because of the flexibility and control it gives you over your career. You get to decide how many hours each week you can dedicate to clients. The skills you build as a freelancer can help you land your dream job later on if you decide to transition from freelance to full-time. You can even find contract-to-hire jobs and start off freelancing for a client and move to full-time if it's the right fit.

You can continue freelancing while you search for a full-time job and build your career while keeping your options open. Create a schedule that works for you based on the proposals you send and the offers you accept from clients. Build your network and join the Upwork Community to connect with other freelancers just like you. You can get advice from other freelancers online and find the support that makes working as a full-time employee appealing while still having the flexibility of working from home.