As a professional musician, I was often questioned about “job security.” The conversation always centered around insurance, benefits and a “steady paycheck.” I always understood their points (and their concerns), but my dream of succeeding minimized my concern for those things.
When I did eventually get a real job with all those things, I have to admit, I did feel more secure. The first time I got a paycheck, I called my wife, told her I had been paid and said “guess what? I get another one in two weeks!”
But it wasn’t long before I realized something. I am totally dependent on one income stream. And not only that, but there is very little I can do to make quick income of any kind. My company dictates what I make (actually the market does), when I make it, and ultimately, when to stop it.
As a musician, I had multiple people that called me to work, and when one stopped, it wasn’t the end of the world. I could also find extra work when I needed it, and each gig usually paid pretty well.
Something else has happened too. As illustrated in this post, it’s an increasingly fragmented and fractured economy and professionals are abandoning the corporate life for freelancing. They are finding out what musicians have known all along: ultimately, it’s your own hard work that gives you security.
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