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]From: Elna Tymes ]Subject: Re: ANON: job dissatisfaction Anonymous: Others here have focused on defining what it is that you want as a dream job, and then going after it. In your original post I heard a lot of dissatisfaction, but no clear statement of just what it was that you did want. And until you can identify just what you do want, you're probably going to experience a lot of low-level dissatisfaction. When I was going through biz school, one of the things we did was write a description of our ideal day at work. The day I described made it clear that I wanted to run things, that I liked wearing several hats and coordinating things, that I enjoyed writing as part of that, and that I had to have responsibility for what I was doing. Very clearly not the job description of most technical writers. But in some ways it fit what a contractor does. Since getting my MBA I've only held one captive job in a company I didn't own, and that was because I hired with the expectation of being part of a triumvirate that would turn the company around from the inside. (So much for that fiction.) That exercise made it abundantly clear to me just where I get my job satisfaction, and I've picked my assignments accordingly since then. Many of my friends are now retired, and when they ask when I'm going to retire, I point out that if the definition of being retired is getting to do what you want, then I must be retired, because I'm doing exactly what I want to do. Most of the time, that is. What I'm hearing in your comment is a kind of general dissatisfaction, almost like "I don't know what I want but that's not it." Trying to define what you want by reacting to things you don't want is one way of doing things, but certainly not very efficient. Others have pointed out that the more efficient way of doing things is to define just what you DO want, and then go for it. Some of the others have also pointed out that proposing what you want can be quite effective in organizations where you're getting little recognition. Some others have also pointed out that your length of time on the job might be a deterrent in looking for other employment. That is probably true for captive employment, but not for contractors. As David Orr pointed out, captive employers are looking for people who have a history of staying on the job for two or more years at a time, preferably longer. Elna Tymes Los Trancos Systems ]Date: Wed, 2 Dec 1998 14:32:32 -0500 ]From: John David Hickey ]Subject: Reasons for Contracting (spawn from Job (Di)Satisfaction) Greetings! The topic of contracting has come up in the Job (Di)Satisfaction thread and it made me think about a couple of conversations I've been having lately. My current contract has almost expired, and come January, I'll be back out on the market looking for new work. Some people have asked me why I persist in being a contractor and go through the hassle and uncertainty of job hunting at the end of the contract. My first response is MONEY! The money/tax breaks are certainly worth the effort of staying freelance. But when a potential client asks me this question, I'm not sure what to answer. I know that some employers feel that freelancers/contractors will "jump ship" at the first sign of trouble, but I'm not like that. The only thing that would cause me to leave is if the situation were so intolerable that I wouldn't be able function properly. If it came to that, I would leave the position, whether I was contracting or not. I like the contracting biz 'cause I find it gives me more freedom and control over what I'm doing, the money is great, I get more responsibility, and the challenge keeps me on my toes. But I get the feeling that the employers are looking for reasons that don't make them nervous. How do you justify being a contractor to an employer? -- Be seeing you, Dave --- John David Hickey (jdavid@farabi.com) http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Hills/7829/ Lone Writer at Farabi Technology Corp. (Montreal, Quebec) They say the pen is mighter than the sword. But if you miss a deadline, you'd better bring the sword. -- Do not confuse my opinons with my employer's. Each exists in blissful ignorance of the other. --- ]From: Suzette Seveny ]Subject: Re: Reasons for Contracting (spawn from Job (Di)Satisfaction) When I was a contractor, I justified it to potential clients as: 1) Constant challenges. I like to keep busy and contracting helps me avoid the slow, non-productive times. 2) Variety. I get to work in a number of different environments, and allows me to almost always bring a fresh perspective to the job. 3) Knowledge. By working in so many different environments, I have the opportunity to become familiar with a variety of processes and tools. This allows me to objectively see what works and what doesn't. 4) I am not a clock person, and most companies expect employees to work 9 to 5. By being a contractor I am able to exercise a more flexible work schedule (usually more than 8 hours a day) that is non-threatening to a company's permanent staff. 5) Greater income - although I never mentioned this one! Suzette Seveny Markham, Ontario, Canada sseveny@petvalu.com or suzette@yesic.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ DISCLAIMER: Any opinions expressed are MY opinions. Feel free to have your own. Let's agree to disagree But Please - Don't Flame Me. ]From: "Frick, Geri" ]Subject: Re: Reasons for Contracting (spawn from Job (Di)Satisfaction) In addition to John's comments: > But when a potential client asks me this > question, I'm not sure what to answer. > > I like the contracting biz 'cause I find it gives me more freedom and > control over what I'm doing, the money is great, I get more > responsibility, > and the challenge keeps me on my toes. > My reason for remaining a contract technical writer for the past nine years is that I've been able to do much more interesting and varied work as a contractor than I ever would have been able to do as a captive employee. This has made me happier and kept my skills up-to-date. ]From: "David M. Brown" ]Subject: Re: Reasons for Contracting John David Hickey wrote: > > How do you justify being a contractor to an employer? Justify? Most of the companies I work for don't want a staffer. Those that do I thank for their kind consideration and say something like: > I like the contracting biz 'cause I find it gives me more freedom > and control over what I'm doing, ... I get more responsibility, > and the challenge keeps me on my toes. Notice I left out "the money's great"--I prefer not to discuss finances, (beyond rates, of course) with clients. --David ============================= David M. Brown - Brown Inc. dmbrown@brown-inc.com ============================= N O W A V A I L A B L E ! http://www.html-indexer.com/ Try HTML Indexer, the easiest way to create and maintain real back-of-the-book indexes for web sites and other HTML documents.