Re: wisdom from freelancers

["CL T" <straylightsghost -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Permanent was their classification.

I agree with you completely. Nothing is permanent in the workforce a fact of
life I came to grips with in the Dot Com explosion. I know I am replaceable,
could be outsourced in a heartbeat (even though that's not an ideal solution
for them) or this company could go bye-bye.

MUCH different than the mindset of 25 - 30 years ago.


-Collin Turner
Tech Writer, Screencaster, Writer
www.collinturner.com



On Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 10:21 AM, Katherine Noftz Nagel (Kat) <
lists -at- masterworkconsulting -dot- com> wrote:

> straylightsghost -at- gmail -dot- com (CL T) wrote on 2008/10/22:
> >This year (back in April), I made the decision to NOT take a new
> >contract gig and go for something a little more recession-proof.
> >Permanent, somewhat boring, full-time job.
>
>
> Permanent?
> What's "permanent?"
>
> Ain't NUTHIN' permanent about full-time jobs where I live.  Most major
> employers in town, after swearing that their last layoff would be
> their...um...last, have just announced Yet Another Downsizing.  (At
> least they have the decency to not call it Right-sizing, any more.)
> At one of those companies, the contract employees are still there
> until their contract term runs out.  Only the direct hires were walked
> to the door.
>
> So, if I were the original poster, I'd go with the contract.  I'd save
> the difference between the new salary and my pre-layoff salary, take
> advantage of the work-from-home option, and save the gas money to use
> for health insurance when the spousal coverage runs out (which I'd
> negotiate to continue as long as possible).
>
> If I liked the company, the people, and the work, I'd look hard for
> other things they need that I could do for them.  When this contract
> ended, I'd tell them I'm available for an extension.  If they said no,
> I'd pitch 'em for a different project, with a complete formal proposal
> that showed I know the company and its culture.
>
> If I didn't like the place, the people, or the work, I'd still stick
> it out for the original contract length --- I can stand anything for a
> year --- and start looking around for another gig toward the end of
> that period.
>
> In this crazy economy, I certainly wouldn't turn down a good contract
> job for the possibility of a so-called-permanent job that might not be
> offered to me.
>
> My $0.18 (two cents, adjusted for inflation)
> K@
> Kat Nagel
>
> "The transformation of calories into words, of words into money,
>  and of money into calories again are the three basic cycles in a
>  freelance writer's metabolism."   _Poison Pen_ by Mary Kittredge
>
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