Design firm, desperately. Seriously, somebody hire me! Heh

I've been freelancing for 10 years. I wouldn't have it any other way. You have to be disciplined, a self-starter and have some sales skills to keep work coming in. In some ways it is more secure than working for one company that can lay you off anytime. I can lose one client and still have others. It can be scary at times if things slow down but I just use that time to network and improve my promotional materials.

I've just done freelancing on-and-off while in college. I'm just one semester away from graduating and I'm kinda facing this question myself. All my life I've kept extremely early hours, and enjoyed being the boss and working alone - as long as I can find clients I'll continue to freelance.

However, something is definitely to be said about working for a firm. Not only does it allow you to "have a steady job," it also allows you to not focus on the business side (like taxes). Also, you can learn while working for a design firm. You learn from co-workers and the projects that come to your desk. I could definitely understand the concept...

For me however, freelancing just kinda fits my lifestyle right now.

A design firm allows you to focus you're energy on the design project on hand without worrying about finding your next client or making rent. However if you have your steady clients, it's nice to work your own hours.