A few years ago, I was talking with a friend who’d lost her job. It wasn’t her fault at all; they were restructuring the company and downsized her role. She kept saying, “I was so loyal to that company! I can’t believe they did this to me.”
Here’s the thing: The most important thing for a business is the survival of the business. And that’s not just because they’re “profit-hungry” or anything like that, but if that business isn’t focused on success and thriving, the careers of everyone who works for it will be jeopardized.
Job Security Is an Illusion
And that’s okay! But that means there’s one important thing to remember: Your job is never completely secure. You can be loyal, you can work hard, but things outside of your control can happen.
Let’s also talk about someone who emailed me about six months ago. She wanted to be a copywriter, but she was afraid of reaching out to clients. (Which is understandable. Most people are afraid of it…until they do it and see how easy it can be.)
She told me that she was going to rely on those job-bidding sites to build her business. I advised against it (for the reasons here and here) but it’s her career and she should try it if she felt strongly about it.
Well, a few months later, she emailed me again. She told me that I’d been right—she was frustrated with waiting for people to upload jobs, having to undercut her rates, and, especially, having to compete for work. It felt stressful and precarious all the time.
Many people opt for either of these two scenarios (an on-staff job or trying to get work farmed out to them) because they feel safer. More secure.
Security Comes from One’s Self
But here’s the thing: You are most secure when you are in charge of how your money comes in.
And don’t get me wrong; I’m not knocking full-time jobs. I’ve held a few in my time and there are plenty of full-time, on-staff copywriting jobs that are completely fulfilling. But no job is ever secure. And with a skill like copywriting, you can always find freelancing clients if you need to pay the bills until you find your next on-staff job. That’s real security.
The point is that when you are in control of prospecting for clients, landing clients, working with clients, and upselling them into more work, you are in control of your finances.
You’re not relying on a semblance of security from a job that can’t make any guarantees about job longevity. You’re not competing with who knows how many other freelancers trying to entice a single prospective client. You’re in control.
And here’s the thing that I think a lot of people miss: Prospecting for clients isn’t even close to hard when you have the right systems in place! Once you’ve got your system, it’s just rinse and repeat. (That’s part of what we teach in the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy.)
So, the choice is between a false sense of security…or a real one. Which one would you prefer?
Watch More: The Illusion of Safety
In this episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Nicki and Kate discuss how job safety is an illusion and the only way to truly be “safe” is to be in control of your career yourself. Listen to this episode to hear some hard truths about job safety and learn how being a freelancer can give you the freedom to live your life the way you want to.
Last Updated on October 30, 2024
“Your job is never completely secure. You can be loyal, you can work hard, but things outside of your control can happen.”
This really hit home for me. My parents both worked successfully for decades in lucrative industries, but when the economy sank in ’08, my dad found himself out of an executive-level job because of major downsizing and outsourcing. My mom found more rewarding and better-paying work when she struck out on her own and landed several clients who desperately needed her services and my dad has followed by slowly building up his private consulting business.
I’ve been working in education for some years now and I’ve realized it’s a lot of the same. Supposedly, once you’re tenured, it’s stable. Until then, as an adjunct, you can be removed if there aren’t enough classes to go around or the economy dips and keeping you on just doesn’t fit the projected budget for the coming semester. I don’t want my financial security to be at the mercy of things I have absolutely no say in. Hence, using my summer to learn copywriting and build a career.
The idea of striking out on my own and taking as close to 100% control of my future as possible is daunting, but it’s not quite scary. What’s “scary” to me is continuing on plugging away at the same old job, enduring the same lack of prospects and certainty, and facing more of those same elements without anything changing for the better. A lot of what I’ll be facing is new, relatively unknown and will require patience and learning, But that’s what I’m good at; I’m ready to take that plunge. It’s like skydiving: it’s a rush, but it’s not a mad lonesome dash off of a plane; it’s preceded by training, learning, and preparation provided by experts. You’re still nervous the first time, but the rush and the rewarding feeling once it’s done, are awesome.
Maybe then, rather than finding it scary, I should say I find the process “exhilarating.”
Hi Sebastien,
I’m going to quote you right back to yourself, too. 🙂 “I don’t want my financial security to be at the mercy of things I have absolutely no say in.” SO many people never come to two big realizations in that sentence; first, that their financial security is at the mercy of other people and, second, that it doesn’t have to be that way.
It is both scary and exhilarating to strike out on your own, but there are exact steps you can take to pursue success. More than anything else, it’s a matter of being dedicated to taking those steps and sticking with them (and improving your process) in the face of inevitable “no”s. Because if you do that, you will eventually get to more “yes”es than you know what to do with. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
LOVE THIS!!!
I’ve just signed up to CCA – my company are making thousands redundant due to COVID-19, and while I’ve escaped the drop this time, I don’t want there to be a next time, so I see this as an insurance career, and who knows, if it works out for me, it may become THE career!
Scary times!
Hi Stuart,
It’s very wise of you to create a backup plan (or, potentially, new full-time plan!). Unfortunately, people on staff just aren’t in a position of power, especially right now. The best way to for us all to ensure we’re “looked out for” is to look out for ourselves — now and when the world returns back to normal. Whenever that’ll be! 🙂
Welcome to the CCA – and thanks for commenting!
Nicki
This is a great article! And I agree, you’re most secure when you’re in control…well…I am 🙂
I’ll be sharing this article with friends and family. This makes a lot of sense.
Hi Teresa,
I’m glad you liked it! And I think everyone is more secure when they’re in control, but not everyone is committed enough to take control. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Hi Nikki!
Being the master of my own financial fate is absolutely terrifying to me, but also extremely exciting! To be honest, its what I need to grow spiritually (in the loosest sense of the word), and its very much a part of my enthusiasm for copywriting.
Great thoughts!
Hi Nicholas,
If you ask me, it’s a whole lot better than letting some company be the master of your financial fate! 😀 Good for you for being open to growth – that’s exactly the right attitude. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Thank you, Nicki! This article really hit home for me! I have felt out of control of my financial security for so long. And even when I felt “in control” at a full-time job, I truly wasn’t. As you wrote, it was a false sense of security. I feel fortunate that I have the ability (and will soon have the knowledge) to take control of this aspect of my life. 🙂 Looking forward to learning from you and my fellow students!
Hi Kristin,
I’m so glad you found it helpful! It’s so easy to get kind of lulled into that feeling of false safety (especially when so many people around us believe in it), so good for you for being willing to think about it a different way—and take control. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Yes, this article is very insightful. Being closer to retirement in age but not financially has truly caused me to reevaluate what I am doing. I have realized that I have to make different choices to get to where I want to be. Companies and 401K’s are not going to do it for you. You guys have said a mouth full, YOU MUST take the responsibility and necessary steps to be financially healthy.
Hi Jacki,
Yes! You can’t rely on anyone else to “set you up” for retirement—which is really empowering when you think about it, isn’t it? You’re in charge of your own life. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Part of what initially attracted me to the CCA was Nicki’s ability to speak to her clients (in this case, us as CCA students!) through her writing.
I was recently let go from my job at a company where I’d worked for over five years. In the time of the COVID pandemic, I’m sure there are at least a few others taking the course who are in the same situation. The “no job is safe” mantra certainly resonates with anyone in this uncertain situation, which is only compounded by an unsteady job market.
As daunting as prospecting for clients sounds, is it any more difficult than scouring job boards, filling out job applications, or conducting informational interviews at companies you’d like to work for? I’ve often felt disempowered by job sites after either getting rejected or straight up ignored on job applications where I seemed like a good fit. This only lends credence to the idea of prospecting your own clients rather than waiting for them to reach you. No job is secure, but we can only focus on what we can control, right?
Hi Max,
It only sounds daunting because you don’t know how to do it yet. 🙂 Once you get to the point in the course where we dig into it, you’ll see that it’s not so scary at all. Or, at least, once you send out your first ones, you’ll realize that it’s not scary. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Makes total sense! I see so many talented people lose a great job and they can’t make even if their life depended on it because they were are so reliant on somebody else! My first day during this course and I am learning so much already.
Hi Omar,
I’m so glad this is resonating with you! And good for you for digging into all of these posts. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
I was always a person who needed to know where my next paycheck was coming from. That was my way of feeling secure. Then, a little over a year ago, I got laid off from my “secure” job. After the initial shock, I realized that I had been really unhappy in my “chosen” career for a long time. That’s when I decided to rethink my philosophy of what security meant to me. It took me a little time, but for me, the idea of having multiple income streams from multiple clients now seems much more secure than one paycheck that can stop at any time. And writing feels better to me than any of my other jobs ever did.
Hi Jody,
I’m so sorry that happened to you, but good for you for making the most of it. Many people don’t come to the realization that a salaried job doesn’t actually equate to security until layoffs happen but once they understand that they can have so much control than when they were on salary, they rarely go back! Or even if they do, they keep freelancing on the side. And I’m *so* glad you’ve found that writing is such an important calling for you. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Wow! You’re definitely speaking to me. I’ve been there. At one of my last jobs, I made record sales in my territory 2 years in a row. I was so dedicated to the job, I worked 12-hour days, gladly. But when the layoffs came, my performance and dedication provided no shield from the inevitable. And I’ve been laid off by 3 different companies in the last 10 years. I can definitely see the writing on the wall. Although I’ve been gainfully employed with no interruption for the last 4 years, I’m not waiting around for the next hammer to drop. I just joined the CCA and in 2021 I’m taking control of my future. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.
Hi Mike,
I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that, but good for you for being clear-eyed about work – even while working full-time. Unfortunately, it’s been a lesson a lot of people have had to learn this year. And welcome to the CCA! I look forward to working with you in the Facebook group. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki