What do I want to be when I grow up?
I get asked about my job a lot. It's one of those questions that people seem to ask when you're over a certain age. Right after high school, the question was always "What's your major?". Very soon after, that question stopped as the majority of kids changed their major, their school, or dropped out altogether. I don't recall the school guidance department giving much of a heads up to that regard, though I don't recall the school guidance department giving much guidance at all.
The fortunate ones have careers they like by the time they reach thirty years of age. I like to think that most of the folks I know in their late twenties have some idea of what their careers will be. Many seem to fall into careers by accident, or have them forced on them for one reason or another.
For me, it was natural to go the path I went. I'm not normal. I suppose the phrase I should use is: I'm unique.
The past six years I spent working for myself, which is to say I was working for a lot of different people. I can now affirm that working for clients is no different from working for a single employer. I sort of accidentally found myself properly employed this year. The right opportunity presented itself.
I can also say that the stress level working for a single employer is significantly lower. I have yet to see whether working for a single employer is as rewarding as working for myself.
I'm used to having a flexible schedule, traveling whenever I feel like it. Things like sick days, vacation days, and a regular pay cheque are completely foreign to me.
One thing that I think more employers should do to keep their employees happy is offer that flexible schedule to salaried employees. I'm not talking about flex-time, I'm talking more like what Best Buy corporate has attempted. Laptops and wifi allow me to function just about anywhere.
I should be able to telecommute from South Africa for two months, Los Angeles for six months, etc.
Right now my job is requiring a lot of face time, but if I do my job correctly during the next few months, the rest of the year will require virtually no face time. We'll see how it plays out.