Rockin' it in my "home office."
This last week, I was laid off from my full-time job as a QA Engineer. The company I was working for ran out of funds and the majority of us found ourselves packing our bags and heading home a little early. So much for “stability.” That was Groundhog Day.
I suppose it probably caught some people by surprise… but the writing had been on the wall for quite a while, so I had already prepared myself mentally for the news, so when it came it didn’t feel like a semi-truck full of bricks hitting me. Actually, it felt very much like a burden lifted off my shoulders. All of a sudden I could do whatever I wanted.
The only problem was that I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. So I did what any other person would have done. That night I spiced up my résumé and began searching for another full-time job, scheduling a couple interviews for the following days.
By end of week I had completed 3 job interviews. As I exited each interview it felt like a dark cloud kept looming around in my head. I felt good about how I performed in the interviews, so what was it?
I realized the thundercloud in my head was the thought of joining the rat race on someone else’s terms and working a full-time job again. What I really wanted to do was work for myself, on my own terms, and not be held back by what someone says I can and cannot do.
I didn’t make the decision to freelance immediately, but because I had already had interviews, I knew I needed to make it soon. If I were to be offered a job and still be wavering in my decision, I would probably fold. Being religious, I spent quite a bit of time praying and reflecting on the needs of my family vs. getting another full-time job vs. working for myself, and by the time Sunday evening was drawing to a close, I had decided to strike out on my own.
So here I am. As of Monday, 7 February 2011, I’m a freelance web designer, consultant, copywriter, and application designer.
Am I nervous? Yes. But I’m doing something I love and taking a path I’ve dreamt of taking for a long, long time. It’s going to be a hard road ahead for a while, but I look forward to what the future brings.
