I woke up today with a job...a real job !!

   / I woke up today with a job...a real job !! #1  

tc35dforme

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New England...Central MA
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Wow /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif...after 7 1/2 years as a stay-at home dad and self employeed consultant, I've gone and jumped back in to the real world. I start next week...part time at first, but sliding into full time.

What a concept...I guess I can't work in slippers and shorts anymore /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I can't wait to see what its like to have a steady income again !
 
   / I woke up today with a job...a real job !! #2  
I gotta feeling your gonner miss all those extra coffee breaks. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
   / I woke up today with a job...a real job !! #3  
I sometimes wake up with a real job again too. Then I realize it was just another nightmare. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
   / I woke up today with a job...a real job !! #4  
....yeah, miss the extra coffe breaks and start counting the months till retirement. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It's that steady income thing ....I know I've gotten used to that.

Congrats and good luck with your new job. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
   / I woke up today with a job...a real job !! #5  
<font color="blue"> ( after 7 1/2 years as a stay-at home dad ) </font>

Boy, life for you is going to get alot easier. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / I woke up today with a job...a real job !! #6  
AMEN. I was retired on disability once, it was nice to get a job and have some time to enjoy. Those honey do jobs were making my day bad.
 
   / I woke up today with a job...a real job !! #7  
Well, congratulations or condolences, take your pick. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I've only been on my own for five years, but during that time a client talked me into taking a full-time job with them; couldn't live without me, it would be a management job, the ceiling would cave in and money would rain from the sky, etc.
Big mistake! Once I was captive, I got way less respect than as a consultant, and the money never materialized - there was always some excuse, and it was always going to happen "next performance review", even though I got top ratings. I gave them two cycles (too long in retrospect) and I quit and went back on my own. The funny thing is, when I quit they were quite anxious to get as much of my consulting time as possible - at a substantial increase in my hourly rate. So now, they pay me as much as they were as an employee, but I only work for them part-time, and I work from home, with no people to manage and no meetings to go to and no office politics.

Life is Good! I don't know what it would take to get me to go back to work for someone as an employee; I suppose I could be bought for some outrageous sum (in writing this time) but I can't imagine that it will ever happen again. Maybe self-employment requires a certain personality defect to be happy or something.

Best of luck in your new job though - I hope it works out well for you.
 
   / I woke up today with a job...a real job !! #8  
From what I've seen and heard, the biggest problem most folks around here have with being self-employed is health care insurance.
 
   / I woke up today with a job...a real job !!
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Health insurance hasn't been an issue...my wife works at a hospital and has a super benefits package. She only works 20 hours a week and gets full bennies... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Her health insurance is paid at 90 % !

The self-employment / consulting business has been great ! Unfortunately, a lot of my client base has been Municipal and Public School work, both of which have been tighter than anything around here in the past 2 years. There doesn't seem to be any brighter future right now.

I'm ready for a change....after a while, you need to get back into the mess to catch up on the latest and greatest. I really miss sitting down with the mechanics, pipefitters, and sheetmetal guys and getting the 'instant feedback' on what is good and bad. Nothing like the education you get from a dozen donuts, some coffee and a good listening session with the actual 'doers'.
 
   / I woke up today with a job...a real job !! #10  
It is expensive, but there are a couple of things you can do that help tremendously - #1: incorporate, and pay for it with tax-free dollars. #2: it really pays to shop around, and to get an independent insurance agent who specializes in self-employed clients.
 
 
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