Jeff Smith

Waivering…

I’m currently feeling very restless in my position of employment. I say currently, but I’ve had this feeling for quite a few months now. Mind you, I really like the people I work with (and I love developing websites and web apps - but every project in my current job is starting to feel the same), but I have this feeling that there are other, much more exciting projects out there that I’d love to be spending my working hours on. I’d really love to go back to freelancing which would allow me to manage my own work/hours, and would also give me more time to work on my own projects, of which I only seem to have 3 to 4 hours a week to work on now. A lot of time that I used to spend on my own projects is now being spent on more important things, like actually getting away from my desk and enjoying the summer with Krista and some friends from the Maritimes that have recently relocated to Alberta. That being said, I cannot seem to get ahead of financial roadblocks that would allow me to freelance full time. Monthly bills, wanting to buy a home, doing a bit of travelling (time allowing), and other expenses seem to prevent me from setting aside enough of a security blanket to keep us comfortable while I make the transition to freelance and do a bit of marketing for myself. I’ve spoken with a number of different companies since the start of the year regarding some new and exciting projects that I’d love to be a part of ¹, but no one seems to be able to give me any certainty on the duration of employment/contracts outside of two or three months. Two or three months would be great if I knew I’d have something else to move on to for sure at the outset. But, because of the reasons I listed above, I just don’t feel comfortable taking the chance that I could be doing this all over again when the project is completed. Maybe with this career that I’ve chosen in web development, I just need to quit whining and get used to the idea that nothing in this industry is certain or secure, and unless I switch to a different career (or take a job that is secure, but so boring and stagnant that I can hardly take it), I’m just going to have to suck it up, live with it, and take a few chances, even if it means that things could get tough for us again financially. I’d love to hear opinions from any of you, or if I’m just being a big wuss about the whole thing, just give me a swift kick in the ass!

¹ I should note that I’m also somewhat picky about team situations in these new opportunities. I don’t relish working with a large team, because in my experience, large teams often breed politics, which is something I can’t stand. I also find that the fewer cooks in the pot, the better the result. Thus, my considerations so far have been limited to smaller teams of around 5 people. Back