bit of a weird situation. ive been freelancing for about three years doing mostly construction and some event coverage, built up a decent client list. last week a regional engineering firm reached out and offered me a full time staff position as their dedicated drone operator / data analyst. salary is pretty reasonable, benefits obviously, and the work would be a mix of bridge inspections, utility corridor surveys, that kind of thing.

part of me is really tempted because freelance is exhausting in ways people dont always talk about ? the invoicing, chasing payments, the dry spells in January and February where the phone just stops ringing. but i also feel like id be giving up something. the freedom i guess and also honestly the earning ceiling. when i have a good month freelancing i make more than what they're offering.

so yeah just wondering if anyone has made a similar switch either direction and how it worked out. the inspection and survey work sounds genuinely interesting to me which helps. just not sure if the stability is worth trading the upside

i took a staff position at a utility company about two years ago after freelancing for four years and i dont regret it. the work is actually more interesting than i expected and theres something really nice about not having to think about where the next job is coming from. my weekends are mine again which sounds small but it wasnt when i was freelancing and every saturday was either a shoot or editing. the pay ceiling thing is real but so is the floor ? i was having some rough patches before i took the job and a steady paycheck honestly relieved a stress i didnt even realize i was carrying around

have you tried negotiating any freelance rights into the contract? like being allowed to take outside work as long as it doesnt conflict? some companies are fine with it especially if the work youre doing on the side is totally different from what they do. might be worth asking before you assume its all or nothing. also def read the IP clauses carefully, ive heard of pilots signing contracts where technically the company owns any drone footage you shoot on your own time which is a nightmare