ThinkerPool.Com

I am a coward.

Despite the prevalent American ideals of self-reliance, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, and industriousness, all I want is a decent job that gives me a steady paycheck and my own personal slice of quiet desperation. I even gave that a shot right out of college, securing employment at an online retail company for two years before I was laid off due to the struggling economy. I gave it another shot after that, this time working at a large law firm, before I was let go again two months later.

So, with no real immediate job prospects, I started surfing job boards for freelance writing gigs. Somehow, even though I was just looking for a way to make some food money until I got my real job (which never came despite hundreds of resumes sent to companies in every industry imaginable), I wound up getting enough work to freelance full time eventually.

But while most people might have been glad that they got fired when they did, thus leading down this unexpected path of self-employment, I’m a little less enthusiastic.

Why?

It’s Bad for My Daughter

I am the proud parent of a chronically ignored three-year-old girl. A three-year-old for whom I don’t make nearly enough to send to daycare on any regular basis. Which means that her day consists of kicking a soccer ball around with Dad for an hour or two, playing with toys in her room, and sitting in front of the electronic babysitter. My wife takes her out to the park and Chuck E. Cheese, and does other fun stuff when she doesn’t have school or studying to do that day (which isn’t often), but I just know I’m harming my kid’s development by not being able to provide her with more stimulation in these formative years.

I Need Some Rest

Between watching my daughter and working, my day starts at 9 AM and ends at 1 AM, seven days a week. I know most freelancers have battle stories of 100+ hour weeks, but I have never been a high energy guy and just don’t know how long I can keep this up.

I know, I know. I need to manage my time better. I need to ask for more money if I’m working like this and barely scraping by. Believe me, I’m working on it, and hopefully soon I will have enough free time to shower and eat something that requires preparation — but until then I’m going to be very droopy-eyed and eternally cranky.

I Need Insurance

Here’s another reason why I’m a terrible father: no one in my family has any insurance. Part of the reason I’m working these crazy hours is that I’m trying to figure out how to earn enough to insure three people. But as I’m sure many veteran freelancers can attest, this is much easier said than done.

I Need to Know How Much I’m Going to Make Next Month

When I had a specific amount deposited into my bank account every month, I could budget. If I was low on cash, I knew exactly when I was going to get more. Today, I have no idea how quickly clients will respond to my invoices or how much work I’m going to get next month.

When I was laid off those two times, I at least received unemployment checks shortly afterwards. Today, if my pool of clients dries up, I will have absolutely nothing to stand on.

So what exactly do I want?

I suppose if someone were to call me and tell me “I have a job for you. It’s not very fun, it involves long hours, and the pay isn’t great, but it will be enough to support and sufficiently insure your family,” I would probably proceed to email the majority of my regular clients to inform them that I would no longer be available for writing work.

This kind of “decent paying and stable” job might have gone the way of the polar ice caps, but I tend to believe that there a still a few people out there who are hard working, college educated, and can lie about being an “organized self-starter” during a job interview.

Then again, someone who has been laid off twice before he turned twenty-five ought to know better than to think that filling out a W-2 form guarantees a steady paycheck. That’s why, despite the fact I would prefer a nice, solid nine to five, I’m going to pour everything I’ve got into this freelancing thing. I’ve even laid out a plan that, if everything goes as expected, will allow me to enjoy all the comforts of an office job without the pains of an office job in a matter of months.

I suppose, deep down, I don’t like freelancing right now because I know I’m bad at it. I’m disorganized. I have atrocious negotiating skills. And I really have no idea how to properly deal with the money that comes in.

Fortunately, however, with the help of websites like this and a devotion to shedding my un-American cowardice, I think I can turn that around.

Logan Strain is, apparently, a full time freelance copywriter. If anyone would like to offer him a cubicle he can call his own or Canadian citizenship so he can mooch off the free healthcare, he can be reached at logan.strain at gmail dot com.

Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com

I am a coward.

Despite the prevalent American ideals of self-reliance, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, and industriousness, all I want is a decent job that gives me a steady paycheck and my own personal slice of quiet desperation. I even gave that a shot right out of college, securing employment at an online retail company for two years before I was laid off due to the struggling economy. I gave it another shot after that, this time working at a large law firm, before I was let go again two months later.

So, with no real immediate job prospects, I started surfing job boards for freelance writing gigs. Somehow, even though I was just looking for a way to make some food money until I got my real job (which never came despite hundreds of resumes sent to companies in every industry imaginable), I wound up getting enough work to freelance full time eventually.

But while most people might have been glad that they got fired when they did, thus leading down this unexpected path of self-employment, I’m a little less enthusiastic.

Why?

It’s Bad for My Daughter

I am the proud parent of a chronically ignored three-year-old girl. A three-year-old for whom I don’t make nearly enough to send to daycare on any regular basis. Which means that her day consists of kicking a soccer ball around with Dad for an hour or two, playing with toys in her room, and sitting in front of the electronic babysitter. My wife takes her out to the park and Chuck E. Cheese, and does other fun stuff when she doesn’t have school or studying to do that day (which isn’t often), but I just know I’m harming my kid’s development by not being able to provide her with more stimulation in these formative years.

I Need Some Rest

Between watching my daughter and working, my day starts at 9 AM and ends at 1 AM, seven days a week. I know most freelancers have battle stories of 100+ hour weeks, but I have never been a high energy guy and just don’t know how long I can keep this up.

I know, I know. I need to manage my time better. I need to ask for more money if I’m working like this and barely scraping by. Believe me, I’m working on it, and hopefully soon I will have enough free time to shower and eat something that requires preparation — but until then I’m going to be very droopy-eyed and eternally cranky.

I Need Insurance

Here’s another reason why I’m a terrible father: no one in my family has any insurance. Part of the reason I’m working these crazy hours is that I’m trying to figure out how to earn enough to insure three people. But as I’m sure many veteran freelancers can attest, this is much easier said than done.

I Need to Know How Much I’m Going to Make Next Month

When I had a specific amount deposited into my bank account every month, I could budget. If I was low on cash, I knew exactly when I was going to get more. Today, I have no idea how quickly clients will respond to my invoices or how much work I’m going to get next month.

When I was laid off those two times, I at least received unemployment checks shortly afterwards. Today, if my pool of clients dries up, I will have absolutely nothing to stand on.

So what exactly do I want?

I suppose if someone were to call me and tell me “I have a job for you. It’s not very fun, it involves long hours, and the pay isn’t great, but it will be enough to support and sufficiently insure your family,” I would probably proceed to email the majority of my regular clients to inform them that I would no longer be available for writing work.

This kind of “decent paying and stable” job might have gone the way of the polar ice caps, but I tend to believe that there a still a few people out there who are hard working, college educated, and can lie about being an “organized self-starter” during a job interview.

Then again, someone who has been laid off twice before he turned twenty-five ought to know better than to think that filling out a W-2 form guarantees a steady paycheck. That’s why, despite the fact I would prefer a nice, solid nine to five, I’m going to pour everything I’ve got into this freelancing thing. I’ve even laid out a plan that, if everything goes as expected, will allow me to enjoy all the comforts of an office job without the pains of an office job in a matter of months.

I suppose, deep down, I don’t like freelancing right now because I know I’m bad at it. I’m disorganized. I have atrocious negotiating skills. And I really have no idea how to properly deal with the money that comes in.

Fortunately, however, with the help of websites like this and a devotion to shedding my un-American cowardice, I think I can turn that around.

Logan Strain is, apparently, a full time freelance copywriter. If anyone would like to offer him a cubicle he can call his own or Canadian citizenship so he can mooch off the free healthcare, he can be reached at logan.strain at gmail dot com.

Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com