Is freelance work "free"?

Freelance and content creation jobs are in high demand in the job market, but is it easy to succeed without discipline and hard work?

The wave of job hopping is on the rise.

In the early days of 2025, the Vietnamese labor market is witnessing an unprecedented wave of job resignations and job hopping. According to forecasts from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs , after the Lunar New Year holiday, some industries may face localized personnel shortages as many workers seek better opportunities.

In particular, the information technology (IT) industry is at the heart of this trend. A clear example is a recent report by the recruitment platform JobsGO, which shows that 54.5% of IT professionals expressed their intention to change jobs in 2025 – a significant increase from 40% the previous year. With the rapid pace of technological development, IT professionals are forced to constantly upgrade their skills and seek new, more suitable environments.

The labor market will undergo changes in early 2025.

Not only in the IT field, many young people are also deciding to leave office jobs to try their hand at new fields. The remote work model is becoming increasingly popular, along with the strong development of the digital economy , leading many to choose the path of online business or becoming content creators on YouTube and TikTok in the hope of greater "freedom".

Driven by a desire for freedom and a better income, Vu Thai Bao (25 years old, Hanoi ) is one of the young people who dared to change direction. He previously worked in an office with a salary of 8 million VND/month, but the pressure of KPIs and fixed working hours made Bao feel constrained.

Believing that freelance work would give him more autonomy, he decided to quit his job to become a fitness trainer and content creator. Bao invested all his time in developing his personal brand, persistently building his TikTok channel and attracting over 35,000 followers in just a few months. The results were quick, with his income increasing to 20-25 million VND per month, many times more than his previous office job.

Freelancing or double the pressure?

The pressure of KPIs, a restrictive office environment, a generation gap with colleagues... all lead many young people to believe that freelancing is "paradise" because there's no boss, no deadlines, and no obligations. But the reality is not that simple.

Trinh Quoc Binh, a communications specialist in Hanoi, once considered quitting his job to become a freelancer, but quickly realized that, despite the pressure of the office environment, it offered a clear support system and discipline.

"Having an organization that guides work and applies KPIs helps me work more systematically. Achieving KPIs isn't easy, but it's a shared challenge that everyone must overcome. If the majority of employees don't meet the targets, the leadership can make adjustments, rather than letting everyone fail," Mr. Binh shared.

Even Vu Thai Bao, who left the office environment to pursue freelance work, has realized one thing: Freedom doesn't mean ease. "When I first started freelance, there was no one supervising, and my work performance declined noticeably. After that, I had to create my own schedule, and be even stricter with myself than when I worked in an office, otherwise I would fall behind very quickly," Bao admitted.

With the increasing trend of job hopping, retaining employees is becoming a major challenge for businesses. In an interview with the Industry and Trade Newspaper, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, Business Director of Liko Vietnam JSC, stated: “The labor market is changing rapidly. Previously, employees tended to stay with a company for the long term, but now, they are ready to leave if they don't see opportunities for development or deserved recognition. Therefore, retaining employees is not simply about increasing salaries or benefits, but requires a long-term strategy – from corporate culture and work environment to individual development paths.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong also believes that choosing between a stable job and freelance work is neither right nor wrong; what matters is whether each worker is adequately prepared.

"Freelancing offers flexibility, creative opportunities, and unlimited income, but it also demands high discipline and good work and financial management skills. Without thorough preparation, workers can lose control, experience unstable income, and face even greater pressure than when working in a corporate environment," Ms. Hong added.

Therefore, according to Ms. Hong, regardless of the chosen path, the most important thing is readiness in terms of skills, mindset, and long-term career planning.

In the current economic climate, boosting sales is a top priority for businesses. Therefore, sales positions consistently rank among the most frequently recruited, according to annual surveys conducted by Navigos Group. This trend isn't limited to the period after Tet (Lunar New Year) but continues throughout the year, reflecting the ongoing needs of businesses.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/thi-truong-lao-dong-2025-cong-viec-tu-do-lieu-co-tu-do-375983.html