Freelancing Your Job
Freelance designer. Freelance artist. Freelance Assistant. These days it seems that you can take just about any career and turn it into a self-employed venture, or at least a contract position (where you can negotiate a remote working environment or work-at-home office.)
Overlooked by many wannabe-office-escapees, it’s perhaps the easiest path to having more control over your career. It’s a good way to fire your boss, and a great way to escaping the drab scenery of your beautiful desk. But is it really a feasible thing for you? Take a look at your current job. Could you be just as productive working away from the office and sending your projects to your company via e-mail? Do they really need you to show up from 9-to-5 just for posterity?
Let’s use Susie as an example. Susie is a 45-year old record and bookkeeper for a small financial branch.
Actually, Susie is a boring name. Let’s make her name Chastity instead. Ok, there. I got your attention.
Chastity is tired of coming into the office every day of the week, but even more tired of putting her kids in a corrupt daycare center close to her home. If she could somehow find a way to work at home, she could watch her kids and do work at the same time. Chastity does some thinking and realizes that her boss sends her most of the updated financial information about her company, UltraSuperBrain via e-mail for her to sort and make reports from. The filing system in her office rarely gets used, and Chastity sometimes feels like she just makes token appearances for the few weekly meetings.
It would be extremely easy for her to talk to her boss about turning her position into a contract venture where he e-mails her the information, she collates it from home, and then she sends it back to him on a weekly basis. If there is an important meeting, she could take the trip downtown and show up for a few hours once a week.
Perhaps your position is similar. Could you turn it into a freelance venture? Does your boss really need you to be there from 9 to 5? Unless it is a sales/retail/manual labor position, I doubt it. Give it some thought. You won’t get fired for trying, and it may be the easiest way out of the office!
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escapee January 4, 2008 at 7:05 am
Happy New Year Mike!
There is absolutely no doubt that I could do my job from home- now to convince my boss. That would be the ideal situation for me.
Some bosses, though, for whatever reason just enjoy seeing you sitting in that cubicle whether it is necessary or not. That’s when you know it’s time to rethink that job.
Scott Jackson January 5, 2008 at 11:34 am
At least if I’m at work there’s some sort of social aspect.
Anyway, it’d go something like this
1. I want to work from home
2. boss: shut the fuck up
3. ??????
4. freelancing job!
Mike January 6, 2008 at 4:44 pm
I could write an entire article about step 3.
Scott Jackson January 8, 2008 at 4:52 pm
As I said, there is a downside to freelancing in that for many people work is a big part of where they socialize with others.
SpinDiva March 19, 2008 at 12:38 pm
I like this article. Very informative. I’m a personal trainer but I have not ventured into the self employment world yet. Instead I write about fitness and nutrition from personal and professional experience.
I would like to become a contracted PT but haven’t figured out how to do that yet.
Mike March 26, 2008 at 10:06 am
Thanks, SpinDiva!
I think in your case it just might take some time and making the right connections. If you have enough clients who appreciate what you do and can give you regular work, making the next step is just a matter of timing.
I like your blog, by the way!