While that is not entirely bad, making informed decisions about your career is important. This article discusses the pros and cons of working full-time on-site to help you weigh your options properly and make a career-friendly decision.

Pros of Working Full-Time (On-Site)

Although freelancing and remote work may be ahead of full-time on-site employment on the trend table, there is still a lot to gain from working nine to five. Let’s look at them below.

1. Steady Income

One of the attractive benefits of working full-time on-site is having a consistent source of income. And knowing that you are entitled to a fixed pay monthly or weekly, irrespective of market outcomes, gives you a decent level of financial security. You can go days without doing anything extra at the office, go on vacations, etc., and still be sure of a paycheck at the stipulated time.

This also helps you consolidate your career and other aspects of your life. Planning and budgeting become much easier when you know you have a steady income. Moreover, as the company’s revenue increases, and you have a verifiable work profile, you can expect a bonus or raise.

2. Access to Loans

Working full-time on-site increases your credibility and allows you to take advantage of modern financial services. Banks and lending companies are more eager to fund mortgage plans and assist one with loans when they see you have a steady source of income.

This assures them that you are less likely to default, unlike freelancers with an irregular income pattern. So, if you need a car, house, etc., and can’t afford them immediately with your salary, you can take a loan and revert the fee accordingly when due.

3. Develop Social and People Skills

Instead of depending on apps to boost your social and conversational skills, full-time on-site employment allows you to do so physically as you interact and collaborate with colleagues and visitors at work. You can build solid connections (that could last a lifetime) while executing a project, during lunch, or even after-work social events.

This limits your risks of isolation and other mental health issues. Besides, you get to learn about other people’s cultures and see life from different perspectives, which you may not if you are confined to your own “four walls” as a freelancer.

4. Job Security

Job security comes with the feeling of assurance that you can be an employee in your current workplace for the foreseeable future. And that is what you get to enjoy in full-time on-site employment. You are not susceptible to sudden layoffs; even when such happens, you are entitled to your ideal salary.

Although there are various job security tips every freelancer can leverage, they do not compare to the full-time on-site job security package that ensures you don’t fret about your job. You don’t have to worry about waking up to a client canceling a project and seeking refunds or being dismissed for “personal reasons.”

5. Access to Different Work Tools

Working full-time on-site gives you access to the company’s gadgets, software, and amenities that facilitate a smooth workflow. You can enjoy the office gym, cafeteria, relaxation room, etc. Albeit shared, on-site workspaces are also tailored to be aesthetically pleasing, conducive, and optimized to carry out various tasks.

Plus, they can be renovated as the company progresses. However, working remotely is a different ballgame, as you are obligated to set up your home office. And getting what you need for the best home office setup may cost a fortune, deterring you from having a robust workspace.

Cons of Working Full-Time (On-Site)

Since there are two sides to a coin, let’s also consider some disadvantages of working full-time on-site.

1. Lack of Work-Life Balance

With a 40+ hour work schedule (excluding weekends), you are less likely to have time for other non-work pursuits, such as family, faith, and education. You may also find it difficult to unwind as often as possible in full-time on-site employment. This affects your overall disposition to life, as work becomes your topmost priority, leaving no room for you to thrive in other areas.

2. High Chances of a Redundant Career

Full-time on-site employment can stifle your career, as every day may look the same for you. You get to do the same thing daily (within the same environment) per your job responsibilities. This makes your career redundant and gives you little or no time to diversify or advance.

The absence of work-life balance also makes it difficult to take on the path of professional career development, except when it is sponsored by the company, which is usually farfetched. Plus, you may limit your career opportunities to your locale as a full-time on-site worker.

More work hours equals more responsibilities, higher expectations, and increased stress levels. Unlike freelancing, you are likely to feel overwhelmed, fatigued, and under pressure each day when working full-time on-site. This affects your sleeping/eating patterns and increases anxiety, to mention a few.

Commuting to work every day also puts you at risk of communicable diseases and other serious mental and physical health conditions like lung cancer, heart disease, migraine, etc.

4. Shallow Resume

A shallow resume is often one of the effects of a redundant career. You have little or no experience, skills, and projects to enrich your resume when you are doing the same thing repeatedly. Committing to an employer isn’t bad, but having a long tenure at one employment depicts a lack of enthusiasm or opportunities to advance your career.

This also affects your earning potential. When your resume lacks depth, you give employers a stronghold to offer remunerations lesser than industry standards for your position. And in most cases, you may be unable to demand otherwise because being a full-time on-site employee gives you little or no chance to be versatile.

5. Lack of Work Autonomy

Full-time on-site employment deprives you of the luxury of work autonomy. You have to conform to set structures, hierarchies, and duties, whether they are favorable or not. In other words, you can’t set your work hours, choose your tasks or execute them at will, make project decisions without reporting to a higher authority, etc.

This can limit your creativity and make it difficult to showcase your innate talents. You must always show up when called upon and do as instructed, except when indisposed.

Is 9 to 5 Really for You?

After all you have read, do you think full-time on-site employment is ideal for you? Consider your career path, location, experience, wages, and industry, before answering this question. The structure and routine of full-time on-site employment aren’t a great fit for everyone.

Reporting to work by 9 am and dismissing by 5 pm may seem harmless at first, but it can become a problem in the long run. So, it is important to carefully assess your lifestyle and professional goals before deciding the employment path that best suits you. In other words, think long-term!

Besides, you can check out the pros and cons of being an online freelancer to know exactly what you’re up against.