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Contemplating switching jobs - M A V I C - 11-24-2011
I've worked for myself for about 10 years now. For the last month+ I've been helping out, onsite, for a big company. Although the role I'm in is frustrating, it's been a good pressure cooker that's bringing out what's important to me in a job.
Trying to keep the story short, they're looking to hire me FT at a more senior level position. I don't know what I wan to do next.
I have a couple clients that I still work with and want to keep. I love web design/development/marketing/architecture... and these last couple months have shown me that I'm actually much better at it than I thought I was. I most enjoy working with tech, game and resort (ski/snowboard/mt bike) clients.
There's a ton of variables to such a decision. The web has become much more complex over the years, and anymore I can't do as much as I could before because it takes so many more hours. I had a team, but I built it from people I knew and knew were great at what they do. That's a bad way to build a team as it's not sustainable. It lasted for nine years but this last year has shown that change is inevitable. The way things were designed, I relied on extremely capable and motivated people and they are very hard to replace.
So continuing my own consulting doesn't seem very feasible as I'm just one guy and on my own I can't create the level of work I want to create. Dealing with government, taxes, accounting, health insurance... ends up sucking down ~25% of my time. Dealing with lots of other stuff that I wouldn't have to deal with at a FT position sucks down another ~25% of my time. That said, at a FT job, I waste ~8hrs/wk commuting (taking the bus, or I would have to buy another car) and another 15% of my time dealing with "capable challenged" people.
Another option that I hear happens though isn't common, is getting a part-time contract job for ~20hrs/wk, preferably working from home. That would pay the bills. Then spend ~25% of my time on my own clients, and the rest of the time on whatever I want.
That said, there's some perks of a FT job. Their insurance is very good - eg 100% vision is included. They also have a ton of corporate perks, including an employee Apple store where things like a $2200 MBP go for about $2000. There's discounts on Apple software too. They also have discounts at Dell, HP...
I don't like being away from my kid so much. I might be able to telecommute much of the time.
What would you do? I'm especially curious what the self-employed here think.
Re: Contemplating switching jobs - john dough - 11-24-2011
The more I consult for companies and individuals, the more I do NOT want to work for others and do projects where I know to be incorrectly administered.
I recently did some work where I was hired to set up a remote office for a company in a new location (they will have 2-4 workers there and otherwise no IT support). It was less expensive to hire me for this project than fly one of their own out for this setup. Anyhow, I was setting up the routers and setting the WIFI encryption as WPA2, when was told by their "senior" IT person to leave encryption off as it was a "hassle to the salespeople to remember another password."
:eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2:
I did as I was instructed, even though I told them how unsafe that was, and was told, verbatim, "I know, but that is what they want".
I owe it to some of my key clients to keep doing what I am doing, as they, pretty much to a person, have told me that they would not know what to do without me helping.
I have found that the money is better, working for yourself, as well. I work half as many hours as I did when I was working in a corporate IT job, get paid more, have no daily commute and schedule my time away from work on my terms (like vacations, doctor's appointments, etc.).
Re: Contemplating switching jobs - mattkime - 11-24-2011
it seems that the only thing thats certain is the full time job right in front of you.
In theory, I'd prefer to be freelance, but the hustle + actual work seems to be more work and less pay than a full time job.
Re: Contemplating switching jobs - cbelt3 - 11-24-2011
What's the future hold for the FT ? Long term ? Opportunities for growth, both personal and professional ? Totally Amazing coolness with beaucoup corporate bucks behind you, or a Dilbertesque experience trapped in a fabric box working with fools and nimrods ?
Only you can decide.
I enjoy the security of the corporate world, I sucked at freelance.
Re: Contemplating switching jobs - vision63 - 11-25-2011
Whatever you choose to do, I wish you great fortune. Working freelance is fine, but I don't think I would do it without having long-term contracts (usually year to year). Some years are better than others. I'm still trying to figure it out myself. I just want to be rich enough to be able to buy the good cheese.
Re: Contemplating switching jobs - GGD - 11-25-2011
Standard advice that I give everyone working for someone new.
All companies are F'd Up, it just takes you about two years to recognize that.
Also, figure out what is attracting you, the project, the people, the corporate environment. Projects end or get canceled, people leave, companies change directions. How will you fit in as thing evolve?
Did you have a lot of variety in the types of work that you did freelance, will you be happy working a job that focuses you in just one specific area?
I've worked both sides for the past 33 years, the past 15 have been working for myself, and I don't miss the corporate environment, but I have a large network of former co-workers from the earlier days spread through out my industry that I have no trouble finding projects via word of mouth. I'm not sure I would have been as successful if I did things in the reverse order.
Re: Contemplating switching jobs - Jimmypoo - 11-25-2011
Does this job include your skydiving and a possible faulty parachute? That would be an awesome job for you!
Re: Contemplating switching jobs - Dennis S - 11-25-2011
How is your health insurance PT? Can you resume your PT job if you don't like the FT job after awhile?
Re: Contemplating switching jobs - Mr Downtown - 11-25-2011
I'm looking at the very same issue. Still in the early stages of talking, but I expect to be offered a really good job with the leading company in my industry. Sounds like interesting work, good pay, chance for a foreign posting, health care, and retirement plan. But I've been on my own for 16 years, and I'm worried about whether I will chafe at authority, or feel lucky to be part of a shared enterprise. I wonder whether my years of dealing with clients has taught me how to navigate troubled waters with my dignity mostly intact, or if some of the few clients who've drifted away over the years did so because I was too argumentative.
Re: Contemplating switching jobs - Chakravartin - 11-25-2011
Similar position here.
I'm only working part time for my former full-time employer & have been freelancing to make ends meet.
'Just interviewed for a job that wouldn't provide me with more money than I'm earning now, but it'll save me from digging up work when things slow down, paying my own health insurance and doing my own invoicing/billing/collections. Plus, it'd put me on a regular work-schedule. And they've got low-turnover, which is a good indicator that it's not a bad place to work. That's all very appealing.
The big downside is that they'd want me to sign a noncompete that would potentially prevent me from working in this field for 2 years in this region if (when) we had a parting of the ways. I'd have to move if I ever quit the company and went back to what I'm doing now.
...And I wouldn't be free to make my own schedule anymore.
'Not sure which way I'm gonna jump yet.