Freelance

Pros

You get to choose the contracts you take on and where and when you work.  Some freelancers take the summer and Christmas off altogether.

You’ll get a breath of experience that will enrich your cv, often working on exciting  launches or projects rather than the hum drum of press office / retainer work

You can earn more money by charging a day rate

You’ll build great contacts which will provide in roads to other opportunities down the line.

You’ll be able to avoid the office politics

Cons

Work is never guaranteed.  You’ll have to work your recruiters hard and push your own network of contacts to maximise your chance of regular work

You can be ignored!  Some freelancers report turning up and not even being shown where the toilets are let alone receiving any pleasentries from co-workers

You are rarely briefed thoroughly.  You’d better be prepared to make assumptions and go with your gut, using your expertise since there is often little time to properly induct you

You will miss out on essential skills. Freelancers are often brought in for the work, rather than to manage people, so that entire side of your skill set could get lost the more time you spend as a freelancer.