To job or not to job, that is the question...Advice please!

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   pgrundyposted 15 years ago

   I have been hired for a 10 to 30 hour a week route service merchandising job. (10 to 30, what a spread!) I would have 15 accounts that cover a territory of about 50 miles in all directions, and I'd be doing all kinds of crap, from straightening out gift cards at big box stores to assembling home theater displays at electronics stores. The pay is $10/hr, plus mileage after 15 miles.
   
   These folks investigated every detail of my life and required me to pee in a cup, which I did and passed. (Best pee they ever got, I'm sure!) The hiring process took three weeks. Now I have to do 6 hours of online training, after which they send me some kind of electronic device to hook up to my computer and carry around on my route so they can track me. Oh yeah--and I drive a 1984 Honda Accord--so there's that.
   
   Here's the thing---I live in SW Michigan. There are no jobs here. Nada. Zero. But if I take this job I will definitely not be able to finish my daily freelance work, which pays more than $10 an hour. I have half a dozen regular clients and have weekly work with half of them, so I'd have to let some of them go if I take the stupid merchandising job. But if I turn down the ankle-bracelet parolee corporate job, I may not get another one in this economy. It's 1 degree outside today, with two feet of snow, and I SOOOOO don't want this job today.
   
   My gut tells me to turn the job down now, before it's too late, but my head says don't be stupid keep the job because we're sailing into Great Depression II.
   
   Of course I will make my own decision but I want feedback from you guys. Help!
   
   What would you do?

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   Elena.posted 15 years ago

   I'd say, listen to your gut.  Did you good with Bobby.  Instinct is what you know deep down is right.  I'd say, follow it.
   
   There is also the gain consideration. You say you do more per hour with writing, which you love, than with this job, which you hate.
   
   I keep editing this... maybe I should stop to think before posting, but the thing is, I'm alos posting from instinct   Anyhow, last edit, I think:  You already went through corporate hell, why go there again?  You know it's not for you.

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   pgrundyposted 15 years ago

   Thanks Elena--I just needed to hear it from someone else. I come from a long line of blue collar diehards, and Bill has a good job with a trucking company and has been there 25 years, but the last three corporate jobs I had left me physically ill and miserable and did not pay well--I mean, at least his job pays decently. I think $10 an hour is not much for all they are asking, and I had the same thought--I just went through this and it blew up in my face. So I'm really gun shy.
   
   I AM leaning toward passing on that job. What I want to do is write. But I feel scared and a little guilty, like it's not a real job if I work for myself.
   
   Thanks for your gut reaction--it matches mine.

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      Rochelle Frankposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I think this backwards, Pam. It's not a real job if you are working for someone else. More people need to do what they are passionate about.  In my opinion you are the BEST writer on Hubpages.
      
      You need to do what you do, instead of risking life, limb and vehicle on icy roads.
      
      Besides, someone else really needs that job.

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   Leta Sposted 15 years ago

   My, God, Pam--
   
   If you are making enough on your writing, by all means, please write!
   
   I started my new copywriting job, as you know, and although I have a great boss, it is still a freakin' corporation.  Before I got there, they rewrote the job description on me, and added all these things I don't know if I want to do or CAN do.  Sigh!  Huge sigh.
   
   Write!

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   Elena.posted 15 years ago

   Hi again, Pam -- Gut reaction is gone so now I can post this with a more "reasoned" approach
   
   1. You have some steady clients for your writing, which pays better hourly than this other job, and you would have to drop some of them if you took a worse paying job.  Doesn't make sense.
   
   2. A job is anything that feeds you at the end of the day, assuming you work for the money, which most of us do.  Doesn't matter if you work for yourself or for others, the end goal is to keep our heads above water, so to speak.  Why not be happy while doing just that?  I'd say, don't feel guilty for wanting to do something that you enjoy --and that helps pay the bills besides!
   
   3. Feeling a little scared is the one weighty issue that I could see conditioning this decision, if it were my decision.  The economy being what it is, I reckon we all think twice "before jumping" --which, in a manner of speaking, is what I'm doing with this post.  Still, looking at items 1 & 2 in the list, I think I'd be more scared of making the mistake to choose something that I'd hate, plus that subtracts time from something I love, which incidentally is something you make money off.
   
   What a mouthful, I hope it made sense!

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   kerrygposted 15 years ago

   Elena said pretty much everything I was going to say. I don't think it makes sense to drop the freelance work you enjoy and are relatively successful at just for corporate job "security." You're a great writer, I would probably focus on expanding your client base and diversifying your income streams from writing - maybe joining Squidoo or ehow if you haven't already and starting to work on one or two of the niche sites you've talked about creating.
   
   Best wishes whatever you decide.

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   pgrundyposted 15 years ago

   Thank you Elena, Kerry, Lita & Rochelle,
   
   Right after I posted this our server went down for three hours. I was really frustrated, so I went upstairs and cleaned my office (which by the way I never use) and set up my desk facing the acre in back of our house and vacuumed everything and pitched a ton of old papers and garbage. The office is in a kind of loft with skylights and a cathedral ceiling, and a whole bay of windows looks out at our wooded back acre. (It sounds more glamorous than it is--the rest of the house is pretty, uh, 'unique'--lol!)
   
   Anyhoo, while I was cleaning, the merchandising job called and I didn't answer the phone because I was still in a knot over it. As soon as I got my office in order, our server came back on! I immediately emailed a 'no thanks' to the merchandising job, then came to HP to find all this great advice.
   
   I have to give the writing my best shot. Right now I have enough regular accounts to get me by, and I have a bunch of half-done projects of my own too.
   
   What hit me hardest here though was Rochelle's comment about 'someone else needs that job' (the merchandising one). That spoke to me, because when my last merchandising job blew up a couple of weeks ago for no apparent good reason, the first thing that came to my mind was, "I'm taking somebody else's job. This blew up because it's not my job--someone else is supposed to be here."
   
   I know that sounds crazy, but I had exactly that thought.
   
   Thanks again--Now, I guess I better get busy! lol!

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   Rochelle Frankposted 15 years ago

   That's great!
   Now we all (including you) feel better.

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   Anamika Sposted 15 years ago

   Pam, I am also in your kind of situation. After having left my job with the Bank i have had less head aches. Life now looks more colorful to me. Now the problem is that one of my ex bosses wants me to join a very responsible position in the Bank. It's difficult to say a 'no' to him because he would not accept it. Moreover, he is a wonderful boss and i have been a star performer when i worked with him earlier so a fat pay check might not be a problem. But I know in my heart that I will have to say a 'no' because I do not want to do the same things i have been doing all my Career again. I want to try something different.
   
   The security of a day job is quite lucrative. But If you don't have your heart in it you would fail miserably. You should take the decision based on what your heart says after weighing the pros and cons. All the Best for what ever you decide.

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    pgrundyposted 15 years ago

    Hi Anamika,
    
    My years at the bank were so miserable, even when I did well I felt sick. I think some people just aren't cut out for the corporate life. I know just what you are saying! I hope you find something that makes you happy and don't look back! Life is too short to stay in a situation that creates misery and illness. Good luck!

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    LondonGirlposted 15 years ago

    Very best of luck with your writing career.

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    Marisa Wrightposted 15 years ago

    PJ, if the job had been for a fixed 10 hours a week, I would have said "take it as a safety net".  It would be the best of both worlds - giving you time to write but also a guaranteed income as a backup.  However 30 hours a week is practically a full-time job so I think you made the right choice.

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    LegendaryN8posted 15 years ago

    PGrundy, you have all the makings of a true entrepreneur to me.
    
    You have invested your time well into promoting yourself on hubpages.
    
    Honestly, I think you can do better than this job you had to pee in a cup for.
    
    The economy is rough, yes, but money must flow somewhere.  I am young, but I would like to offer this bit of advice for you: what do you really enjoy doing? Find something you do that you lose track of time doing, and pursue that with all of your might.  Anything that we truly enjoy doing that we just happen to make money from is paradise in my opinion.
    
    If you truly enjoy writing, then write with all your might!

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    pgrundyposted 15 years ago

    Yes I had the same thought about the 10 to 30 hours thing--If I knew it would be 10 consistently, that would have been ok, but 30 is a lot. I couldn't get much done writing if I was driving around for 30 hours each week.
    
    I agree Legendary N8--it's always best to do what you love. It isn't always easy, but that's what we all want I think.

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    Mighty Momposted 15 years ago

    Danger, Pam Grundy, Danger Pam Grundy!!
    I can tell just by the way you describe your duties and the process of getting hired into this company that your heart's nowhere close to being in it. And if it's this bad before you even start, imagine how you'll feel 2 weeks or 3 months in? The work itself sounds awful. The traveling around icy roads in your old car is downright dangerous. Do they even pay benefits (which in my world would be about the ONLY reason I'd consider going back "inside.").
    You say your SO has a good job and makes decent $. So you won't starve, no matter what.
    How much more would you need to pull in from each of your clients to be comfortable? Can you ask each one for one more assignment -- or how about a referral?
    How many new clients would you need to get to justify, in your mind, staying home (in the 1 degree weather) and doing the thing that comes so beautifully and naturally to you?
    I know it's cliche, but it's true. A mind as vibrant as yours is a terrible thing to waste!!!

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       pgrundyposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you MM! I needed that. I did turn it down--so now I have to deliver on the freelance thing! I already made a list of how I can beef up my cash flow without too much extra work, and when I think about how much I'm going to NOT be paying in gas, car repairs, and sedatives, I do believe I made the right choice.
       
       They did not offer benefits. No one seems to anymore. And they all expect so much 'off the clock'. As you say, the  process of getting in there was nuts in itself--You'd think it was  a CIA job, not a part-time, no benefits, grunt job.
       
       Thank you for the good advice. Sometimes a person needs a cheering section, you know?

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          Rochelle Frankposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          "Sometimes a person needs a cheering section, you know? "-- you said
          
          You have a lot of cheers here, obviously. You have a wonderful writing facility, an actual MIND and active intellect, and an admirabiley superb wit. 
          
          You may not be able to use all of those things in all the writing work you do for pay... but they will all contribute to your success.
          
          GO!

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    Eric Graudinsposted 15 years ago

    You made the right choice Pam.
    I can't believe that you jumped through all of those hoops (and more!) for that McJob.
    Which you would be at risk of losing at the stroke of a pen from some idiot manager trying to improve his "figures".
    
    If you need any sort of help with setting up a site, blog, etc. just let me know.
    
    cheers, Eric G.

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    Mishaposted 15 years ago

    Congrats Pam!

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    pgrundyposted 15 years ago

    Thanks Eric and Misha. Now, as they say, the rubber meets the road. But I feel good about it.

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