Re: Decisions,decisions.(longish)

["Elna Tymes" <etymes -at- lts -dot- com>]

"Marc A. Santacroce" wrote:

> I can commit to a company now and give a good 5-10 years, whereas if
> I continue contracting, I might not be able to convince a company of
> that commitment a few years from now. On the other hand, I have to
> wonder how much longer I can stay competitive as a contractor, and
> where contracting will leave me in 5 years.

Marc, it sounds as if you're worried about how long your brain can help you
earn a living.  As one of the "elders" around here (I'm older'n you, kid!) I
can vouch for the fact that age and gray hair does NOT make or break you as a
technical writer.  I can also tell you that, with the right tools and
experience set, you are MORE than competitive as a contractor.  I'm still
stunned by the last bidding war for my services.

What makes a technical writer valuable in this marketplace is ability to drop
right into a situation, use the tools, and get productive on whatever it is
that needs doing, and quickly.  There's always a bit of a learning curve with
new tools, and there's always a bit of a learning curve with new technology,
but when you've been around a while you find all sorts of parallels between how
you approached things on a previous project and how you can approach things on
a new project.

Granted, that senior people are somewhat in demand as managers.  The question
for you is not whether you can do the job now or 5-10 years down the road, but
what kinds of work make you feel good about yourself.  Most people would rather
not manage again, largely because of the politics and the stress.  And then
there are those of us fortunate enough to be in the middle of a white-hot
market where contracting generally pays more than direct employment.

If you're worried about staying competitive 5-10 years down the line, the
single best way to do that is to stay exposed to the newest tools and products.
As you've already discovered, as a manager you tend to not be involved with
tools; as a contractor, you're in the middle of it all the time.

What are the benefits and risks associated with being a manager vs. being a
contractor?  By being a manager, you get a regular paycheck, probably benefits
like medical/dental insurance, and maybe some stock options or other goodies.
You get limited vacation time.  You probably get your expenses paid to one or
two professional conferences.  But you have to be on-site most of the time, you
have to put in extra hours without extra compensation, and you can't avoid the
politics.  By being a contractor, your paycheck is probably (much) larger
although not as regular, you pay for your own medical insurance, and you don't
get the stock options.  You get whatever vacation time you want. You pay your
own way to professional conference.  Whether you are on-site all or part of the
time depends on the contract, and you get paid for every hour you work.  And
you can sidestep almost all of the politics.

Looks pretty obvious to me.

Elna Tymes
Los Trancos Systems