As you already know, I’m not a fan of the whole pajama lifestyle stereotype that goes along with freelance writing. For sure, ours is a casual way of life, but the image it portrays makes me cringe . I’ve joked about it in the past, but to be honest, the descriptions used to illustrate the freelance lifestyle bug me because they paint us as anything less than professional. By tossing out words such as “casual,” “barefoot,” and “pajama,” it paints a devil may care attitude that might work against us.
I understand the whole fuzzy slipper thing is to show our freedom from the rat race, but I wonder if the people who hire freelancers consider these very things when hiring freelancers, and, if so, could this be the reason some writers feel the need to use pen names to hide their gender or real names?
- Do potential clients see “WAHM” and think “someone who is too busy with kids to pay attention to work?”
- Do potential clients see “pajama lifestyle” and think “lazy?”
- Do potential clients see “carefree” and think “irresponsible?”
Now, I don’t feel this is necessarily the case, but I think about it a lot. It’s none of our client’s business what we do in our spare time or what we wear in the privacy of our own homes. However image counts for a lot more than we care to believe. Clients want to be sure they’re making a good investment, who will they choose?
I also wonder if the pajama lifestyle theme muddles a freelancer’s way of thinking. Does knowing we can blow off work at any time keep us from working at our full potential? Are we giving up lucrative gigs simply because we don’t feel like doing them? Don’t get me wrong, I love being my own boss, but I’m not going to deny a lack of professionalism at the beginning of my freelance career as I reveled in my new-found freedom.
Freelance writing is a business. When you set out to do business with someone, image and first impressions mean everything. If you walked into a business, whether it’s a hair dresser or a law firm, and the workers were relaxing or dressed ultra casual, would they make as big an impression as the place where everyone was doing a job and dressed in a professional manner?
We enjoy our comfort and flexibility, but does that mean the world has to know about it?
How much attention do you pay to your professional image? Do you think your clients see you the same way?
Discuss…
lol, great topic. I’m part of the fuzzy slipper crowd, although mostly it’s barefoot, shorts or jeans… EXCEPT when I go to meet clients or they come here. I clean up pretty well and do it for clients… heck, I do it for the public – to the post office and the grocery store etc.
I will admit that Trader Joe’s sees me more in jeans than in a business suit, but they sure don’t see my old torn t-shirts and ragged whatevers.
A
My freelance style is neither barefoot or carefree. I admit that I love the flexibility of freelancing and I am the envy of nearly all of my friends. However, you can’t be a “carefree” freelancer if you expect to meet your financial goals year after year. For me, that means that I probably work more than my gainfully employed counterparts. That includes marketing, networking and staying up on industry news.
I run my freelance business like, well, a business. My clients see me as professional (I hope!!) I have business hours, a separate business phone number and keep my personal life out of it. They don’t know whether I have kids, illnesses, etc. And I think that gives them more confidence in me than they would if they knew that often work from my living room in my pjs with my dog at my feet.
What P.S. Jones said is exactly me too. I keep business hours, have a business phone, dress professional to meet clients and keep my personal life out of my work. I chose this career path because I love writing and I love the flexibility of being my own boss. That being said, it’s a profession that takes a lot of confidence and hard work. How can I portray that I am a hard worker if my clients think I sit around all day in my PJs? How can I feel confident about myself and my abilities if I never even make the effort to get dressed? I have cultivated a professional image to my clients and to myself. I am a professional, I dress like one and act like one.
tricky… didn’t pick freelancing to be a WAHM (didn’t even have a boyfriend at the time), and started out very businesslike with lots of business lunches, separate phone, professionally designed cards, etc.
Over time, got married, had kids, and am now much more casual.
Here’s why:
1. I used to work mainly in my local area. But now ost of my clients are not local. I never meet them, so it doesn’t matter what I’m wearing or what I look like.
2. I have an established reputation and a huge clipping file. I don’t need to impress people with my wardrobe or restaurant choice, since I can impress them with my client list and products.
3. I am now juggling a pile of responsibilities, and need every free minute I can get. No time for leisurely shopping for low-cost heels and office wear.
4. I can’t afford an out-of-my-home office or phone (financially or timewise).
5. As a woman, I’m less concerned than some men about maintaining the physical appearance of full-time employment. This is a cultural issue, and perhaps others have a different take.
Lisa
I think that as companies begin to embrace telecommuting for their employees a lot of the “pajama stereotype” they attatch to their freelance writers will go away. Working hard is more about the person that it is about the place – people slack off at the office all the time. People who work from home can be just as productive as those who commute, and they’re generally much happier in their jobs. All we’ve got to do as freelancers is make sure we don’t get lumped in with all those “make-money-working-from-home-doing-next-to-nothing” scams and our image should be okay.