Today’s my first anniversary on the job.
It’s kinda a big deal to me.
I’ve spent most of the last fifteen years as a contractor. “Contracting” is sort of like “being a temp”; it pays better, but it has about the same job security. Contractors are usually hired to work on specific projects. And, as those of you in the business world know, a project is only as secure as its’ project is in-demand, or its’ sponsor is powerful and decisive.
And in the past few years I’ve worked for some pretty superfluous projects and/or wussy project sponsors, apparently; several of my projects wound up getting de-funded, or (almost more irritating) going into a sort of long-term funding hibernation; the work still needed to be done, but the powers that be didn’t quite want it done yet. Hence, I wound up on the beach, for periods ranging from two days to that hellish stretch of 2003 where I did not a lick of paid work for five months, and worked at a bare subsistence level on 3-7-day long projects for six months more.
Upshot being that in the last fifteen years, I’ve worked at a total of 24 different jobs, ranging from a week to two years, averaging 6.4 months.
But I’m an employee now, and have been for a year. I ride a bus (or, weather and schedule permitting, my bike) to the same office every day; I have for the past year, and – as much as part of me still likes the chase of being a “free-lancer”, “consultant”, contractor or temp – I kinda hope I keep doing it for a while longer.
So – see ya in the salt mines!
Congrats!
“”as much as part of me still likes the chase of being a “free-lancer”””
That part of me is alive and well, too. But it waned once you have kids and need security in their lives, as much as your own. In a few years I look forward to being able to take some risks again, knowing I am only risking my own butt and not theres with me.
Flash
Congratulations. I think the first SITD entry I ever read of yours was employment related. Years ago.
So good luck, from a mostly silent reader who’s been there.
I too am looking at a full time job after years of consulting. The pay is good and the experience will be great but the loss of freedom is terrifying.
I might actually have to show up on time and ASK for vacation days?
I keep telling my slef it’s only 2 years and then I can split and charge even more $$ for my newly added skills.
Congrats Mitch – Possibly per PJK above, I started tuning in to SITD in Jan. ’03, when I was in the midst of a ten month drought, followed by 6 months in a temp to hire gig that pretty much dispensed with what little savings I had left –
As a fellow Dakota expat, the Twin Cities were always the land of opportunity, and the job market here always seemed impervious to whatever was happening with the national economy – But that ’02 – 03′ stretch was a truly lousy time around here to be on the outside looking in –
“It’s kinda a big deal” – Oh yeah –