One morning in June 2008 Fred Dover changed his life. The impulse had been nagging at him for weeks, maybe even years but that morning he fired up his email and wrote a letter of resignation. He had had enough.
As technical officer in the museum Fred became involved in events from a mere practical side and over time realised that he enjoyed the events more than unplugging a toilet or getting a door unjammed. He figured that he would manage quite well and enjoy his work much more if he ventured on his own.
A couple of months later Fred was entusiastically managing a number of events. Not as many as he had hoped. The one event was his cousin’s wedding, who was doing it on a shoestring budget. It was costing Fred money but he figured it would get him into the wedding scene.
The second event was for the launch of a local NGO dealing street children. Fred had some brilliant ideas for the launch but the problem was that the NGO struggled to finalise their board and nobody could make a final decision on anything.
Though he did not want to admit it to himself Fred was missing the assurance of a steady paycheck. And he could certainly deal without the stress of a mounting phone bill and no income that would pay for it come month end.
The only saving grace at the moment was that Fred’s wife was still working and he had no kids to support yet.
Okay, Fred Dover is a figment of my imagination. But his situation is a reality. The reality that a lot of people find the workplace alienating. Enough so that they turn their back on a good job and venture out in search of freedom, riches, and a change for self expression.
But reality hits and it is quickly apparent that things are not as easy as it seems.
For instance. I completed a big job a couple of weeks ago. I worked on it for four months. The pay is roughly what I want to earn per month. I charged about half of what the job was worth. I desperately need the money. The job was done for a certain individual but it needs to be paid for by an institution. Problems.
I’m not a company but an individual doing a job in my own name. This concept seems foreign to an institutional accounting mentality and I am waiting for my money. Why I don’t know.
Around every corner the free lancer will find that the world works against you. You do not have the leverage, the tools or the know-how to really get what you need. You can do the job as well as anybody within an organization who work at inflated prices because they pay for overheads if you can only get the job.
In the meantime you are running at a hectic pace just to remain in the same spot. And at least once a week you consider getting a real job (so that your mother can stop worrying about you).
Does this seem familiar to you? Do you wish it was different? Would you love to get a handle on how to change your situation?
Great! So would I. Keep watching this space.
