Job Angst

Subject: Job Angst
From: Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- AXIONET -dot- COM>
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 1997 10:57:22 -0400

Dianne Walsh <ldwalsh -at- VOICENET -dot- COM> wrote:

>So, what to do? Do I stay and grit my teeth on the present job >and take solace in three weeks of vacation, plus some >sick/personal days, a little life insurance, and modest >tuition reimbursement, or do I strike out for the work I want >to do, in an exciting, creative environment--and say the heck >with the extras for now?

Job angst is a specialty for me (it's called being a contractor), so I
couldn't help responding with a few comments:.

Going over your letter, I think it's plain that you want to take the new
job. Just the way you describe the choices makes that clear. But a sense
of caution is making you hold back.

But, just think: if your job bores you now, how are you going to feel
about it ten-fifteen years from now, when you retire? Unless your
finances are very shaky or your health is very poor, you'd probably be
better-off overall in the new job.

On the other hand, maybe you shouldn't see the choice as being between
your old job and this new prospect, as between staying at your old job
and looking for another prospect, or taking the existing prospect. Your
posting suggests that you won't be happy just settling down in your
present job.

Another consideration: in Canada, some consulting companies and other
organizations have benefit packages for freelancers and for employees
who don't have group plans. If such things exist near you, maybe they
could make the benefitless prospect more attractive.

Anyway, just some stray thoughts. Hope they help!
--
Bruce Byfield (bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com)
Technical Writer / Job Bank Team, STC Canada West Coast Chapter
h: (604) 421-7189

"...this was the code of nobility, one had obligations to one's peers,
and enemies were just as important as friends; enemies were equals, they
were necessary, they were what made it possible to be a good friend."
--Kim Stanley Robinson, "Blue Mars"

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