Today there are a lot of terms for roles that basically mean you work a more flexible job than the traditional 9-to-5. If you’re interested in having a bit more control and freedom in your professional life, freelancing is an attractive option. A freelance job is one where a person works for themselves, rather than for a company. While freelancers do take on contract work for companies and organizations, they are ultimately self-employed.

Freelancers are responsible for all sorts of things that traditional employees are not, such as setting their work hours, keeping track of time spent on different projects, billing clients, and paying their own employment and business taxes. Freelancers are not considered “employees” by the companies they work for, but rather “contractors.”