Why do people always think I’m a freelancer?

Sharissa Kuurstra
3 min readSep 6, 2023

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Hi, my name is Sharissa, and I’m NOT a freelancer. I often get questions like: “What is it like to be a freelancer?” “How’s the freelance life treating you?” “Are you also open to being employed by a company?” “If you come back from travelling, will you start working as a freelancer again?”

In the beginning, it was quite confusing. I just didn’t understand it. Why do people think I work as a freelancer? In this blog, I give you (and myself) 2 reasons why people could think I’m a freelancer.

Diverse working experience

During my studies, I’ve had multiple side jobs and an internship in marketing. They were only for a short amount of time. 6 months, maybe a year. Recruiters on LinkedIn could therefore think I work as a freelancer.

It makes sense. Solo freelancers or “solopreneurs” often work on short-term projects or have a small number of clients. However, for me, my diverse working experience is just part of my professional 9 to 5 career.

Active Social Media use

I’m living a very active life on Social Media. I try to post at least once a week on LinkedIn and post daily and sometimes multiple times a day on Twitter. Or as we have to call it now, “X”.

I engage with other people’s content on both platforms. I have a travel Instagram and proudly manage the socials for my Rugby Club.

Especially on Twitter, it can be confusing. Why is she trying to build a personal brand? Or why is she sharing so many tips and tricks? And all that if she’s not trying to generate leads or convert clients?

I use Social Media because I really like it. I’m excited to connect with like-minded people, start a conversation, and learn from them. And I’m happy to share my experiences and knowledge about marketing to help, inspire, and/or inform others.

So yes, I’m very active on Social Media, but not as a freelancer. Just as a Social Media addict.

Some other reasons

I would love to give you more reasons to make this blog more marketing-proof. As you may know, odd numbers like 3-5–7 are psychologically more triggering.

However, I honestly don’t know why people would think I’m a freelancer. Maybe because I do some blogging in my free time? Maybe, because I’ve been travelling for 8 months, they assume I’m working remotely?

It could have many reasons, but the only thing I can say is: “I’m not a freelancer.” For now, I’m very happy with working for a boss and being surrounded by professionals who I can learn from. But… I’m open to short (ongoing) gigs if it’s doable next to my 9 to 5 job.

Sharissa behind her laptop in her old office. This image is decorative for the blog “Why do people always think I’m a freelancer?”

Do you struggle with something similar? Or do you have a good reason why people may think I work as a freelancer? Let me know in the comments or connect with me on Twitter.

Have a great day!

Cheers,

Your Favourite Content Warrior — Sharissa🔥

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Sharissa Kuurstra

💥 Content Warrior 🔥 Online Marketer 🍫 Chocolate Addict 🍕 Pizza Lover 🏉 Rugby Player 🐶 Proud Dog Owner 🇳🇱 Dutch