Another reason for going freelance...

For me the motivation for freelancing was to give me the time and flexibility to (hopefully) eventually build up my business into an agency in its own right. Also to know that I'll succeed or fail mainly as a result of my own decisions and skills. I saw aiming to have my own business as the eventual route to earning more as well as having the satisfaction of being my own boss. Two years on those long term aims remain the same although I've learned a lot about dealing with prospects, clients and suppliers in that time. Even though I didn't expect to be a success over night and I knew it would take some years to get there I've realised I was a little naive about how easy (or difficult) some aspects would be to achieve. That said, I wouldn't change my decision to go it alone.

Regarding the low salaries offered for jobs I think it's always been that way to a greater or lesser extent. At the moment, with job opportunities few and far between and candidates desperate for work, it will be even more so as the jobs market means that the employer holds all the aces, especially for junior level positions. After graduating 10 years or so ago I had an interview for a job down at a design agency in central London. They were only offering £7000pa (or thereabouts if I remember correctly) which wouldn't have gone very far towards rent and living costs etc - despite that though they'd had several hundred applicants. Obviously junior jobs are an apprenticeship of sorts but when employers offer these salaries and want several years experience as well you do wonder how desperate people must be to apply. While universities continue to churn out the current numbers of design graduates and it remains an attractive career to follow the situation is unlikely to change.