When people ask me what I do, I don't have a simple answer. Besides trying to take over the world, I manage several projects including digital media content creation, public speaking, audiovisual services, writing and instructing. I can't really say I am a '_____' or a '_____' because definitive titles are too constricting and don't match my personality or work beliefs.
As a result of this style of working, I am always going back and forth between work locations, taking mid-day meetings here and there, preparing my speeches and presentations, renting cars and there was a time period when I was flying away six times a year. I don't like to be in one location for too long.
My career as a part time career college instructor has been going for several years, my freelance business activities have been steady for several more and my public speaking activities have been developing for some time now. I chose the lifestyle of a hybrid career and I like it, but it doesn't come without it's issues.
Pros of my hybrid career
- Free time! I have lots of free time to work on promotional materials and write for my webpages and upcoming books.
- I get paid and I charge for services.
- There is not a lot of formal 'bossing' (seen as an expert /professional).
- I can say no to work and get (or refer) someone else.
- Promotional materials and computer gear mean tax advantages.
- I get to work with all sorts of equipment, old and new - and learn new technologies.
- I can meet a lot of people.
- I am exposed to many industries.
- I get to learn for free.
- I can hire freelancers.
Cons of my hybrid career
- No work, no pay!
- No sick days.
- No employee benefits.
- Sink or swim - I have to be a step ahead to plan paydays.
- I sometimes have to chase people down for money.
- Bill-paying can become a nightmarish game, if you let it.
- Some days are really, really, really long.
- I HAVE to do a great job, or someone else will.
- It's much easier for a company to stop calling you than to fire you!
- If I DO get a contract, I must fulfill your obligations.
- I can have four deadlines at once.
- I can't be in two places at once, so I have to pay freelancers sometimes.
- I have to get up VERY early, sometimes.
- I might not see the sun and occassionally have irregular sleep patterns.
It may look a little heavy on the 'con' list, but I'm not comparing exact numbers of pros and cons. If you ask: "Would you change anything if you could?" I'd say: "Of course...and I often do." It's a matter of career evolution in order to produce my life's work.
Showing posts with label career change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label career change. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Hybrid Careers Have No Titles
Friday, September 25, 2009
New Video - How to Start or Change Your Career in 9 Steps
I made this video as part of my thinkWORKnotJOB DVD series, which will be available in October. It covers my 9 step process for anybody who is starting or wanting to change careers. Here are the nine steps, copy and paste them into notepad, Word, etc, and make notes as you watch the video :
1) Phase out what you don't like
2) Focus on what you do like
3) Write down your plans
4) Memorize your mandate
5) Keep stoking the fire
6) Ignore all objections
7) Keep yourself educated
8) Stay on track
9) Don't get too comfortable!
I hope these steps help anybody who feels as though they are stuck in a rut and need an exit strategy. Cheers! - Buck Moore
Here is the link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4-nF6SF1EI
1) Phase out what you don't like
2) Focus on what you do like
3) Write down your plans
4) Memorize your mandate
5) Keep stoking the fire
6) Ignore all objections
7) Keep yourself educated
8) Stay on track
9) Don't get too comfortable!
I hope these steps help anybody who feels as though they are stuck in a rut and need an exit strategy. Cheers! - Buck Moore
Here is the link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4-nF6SF1EI
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Is My Job Important? Part 1 - The Man Who Swept the Floor
I like this story and thought I would post it:
"Bernie was a talented young man, in his early twenties, who had his mind set on success. He swept the floor of his workplace daily, after doing his job, and contemplated what success meant to him. He sometimes seemed frustrated that he was sweeping the floor and not doing his dream-job, but those looks of frustration were merely a result of his intense thoughts. He thought about one day running his own business.
After Bernie did what he was supposed to for the day, he filled the rest of the time not only by sweeping, but by cleaning washrooms and taking out garbage. He was constantly reminded by his co-workers that he didn't have to do those things but Bernie just smiled and carried on. Sometimes he did his regular work so fast that he ended up with more time for sweeping and cleaning.
To the average worker, it appeared as though Bernie was sucking up to management and trying to make them look bad, but they were wrong. It is true that Bernie was promoted a couple of times over those with more seniority, but that wasn't on his agenda and even though he was eventually further ahead and getting raises, he still swept floors. He even re-swept the floor after another disrespectful co-worker spit on it and he 'let it go' without incident.
Eventually, Bernie started a service business part time and was very good at what he did. He had studied in his spare time to learn a trade and it eventually paid off. He still does well and continues to move forward.
So, why did Bernie sweep and clean in his spare time when he clearly could have relaxed without any pressure to over-work himself? There were several reasons:
1) He kept moving to keep himself in good shape.
2) He made notes of almost every aspect of the business because he could travel into all departments and learn about them while networking with other co-workers he got along with.
3) He learned that always being busy made him untouchable at work and he would be the least likely candidate to be laid off should there be a slump in business.
4) Most importantly, he could do the one thing that pleased him the most: 'think'. He thought about starting businesses, he thought about what kind of staff members were most beneficial to a company, he thought about how to be a good manager by taking cues from both good and bad, he thought about lyrics for songs, he thought about his future and everything else he wanted to think about - and nobody could stop him!
They could not stop him and they would not stop him, and Bernie knew that. If he was busy all the time with seemingly menial tasks, he could get a lot of work done in his head and at the same time, the business never looked so clean! Because it was a retail store, cleanliness was important for the customers.
Where's Bernie now? Running his service business and continuing to educate himself and grow. In short, he is doing exactly what he wants to be doing.
Sweeping the floor may seem like a menial task requiring little skill, but not everybody is good at it...and not everybody can see the opportunities in it!"
- Anonymous
"Bernie was a talented young man, in his early twenties, who had his mind set on success. He swept the floor of his workplace daily, after doing his job, and contemplated what success meant to him. He sometimes seemed frustrated that he was sweeping the floor and not doing his dream-job, but those looks of frustration were merely a result of his intense thoughts. He thought about one day running his own business.
After Bernie did what he was supposed to for the day, he filled the rest of the time not only by sweeping, but by cleaning washrooms and taking out garbage. He was constantly reminded by his co-workers that he didn't have to do those things but Bernie just smiled and carried on. Sometimes he did his regular work so fast that he ended up with more time for sweeping and cleaning.
To the average worker, it appeared as though Bernie was sucking up to management and trying to make them look bad, but they were wrong. It is true that Bernie was promoted a couple of times over those with more seniority, but that wasn't on his agenda and even though he was eventually further ahead and getting raises, he still swept floors. He even re-swept the floor after another disrespectful co-worker spit on it and he 'let it go' without incident.
Eventually, Bernie started a service business part time and was very good at what he did. He had studied in his spare time to learn a trade and it eventually paid off. He still does well and continues to move forward.
So, why did Bernie sweep and clean in his spare time when he clearly could have relaxed without any pressure to over-work himself? There were several reasons:
1) He kept moving to keep himself in good shape.
2) He made notes of almost every aspect of the business because he could travel into all departments and learn about them while networking with other co-workers he got along with.
3) He learned that always being busy made him untouchable at work and he would be the least likely candidate to be laid off should there be a slump in business.
4) Most importantly, he could do the one thing that pleased him the most: 'think'. He thought about starting businesses, he thought about what kind of staff members were most beneficial to a company, he thought about how to be a good manager by taking cues from both good and bad, he thought about lyrics for songs, he thought about his future and everything else he wanted to think about - and nobody could stop him!
They could not stop him and they would not stop him, and Bernie knew that. If he was busy all the time with seemingly menial tasks, he could get a lot of work done in his head and at the same time, the business never looked so clean! Because it was a retail store, cleanliness was important for the customers.
Where's Bernie now? Running his service business and continuing to educate himself and grow. In short, he is doing exactly what he wants to be doing.
Sweeping the floor may seem like a menial task requiring little skill, but not everybody is good at it...and not everybody can see the opportunities in it!"
- Anonymous
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Stuck in a Rut at Work? Own It, then Change It!
Everybody seems to experience a low point at work, whether they chose their career or fell into it. Back in the 1990's, I used to hang onto Sunday nights as tightly as possible and wish that the clock would just slow down so I could savor every last moment before facing Monday morning. Then Monday morning came and I was off to the rat race.
I didn't like what I was doing but I needed the work, so I showed up every day. Eventually, I realized the the future of the position would end up being the 'same old thing' every day and I decided to leave. I actually knew I was going to leave within a couple of years, but I had to wait for the right time - when it felt right, that is.
I didn't like what I was doing but I needed the work, so I showed up every day. Eventually, I realized the the future of the position would end up being the 'same old thing' every day and I decided to leave. I actually knew I was going to leave within a couple of years, but I had to wait for the right time - when it felt right, that is.
I began to get cards printed up for cheap because I worked for a printing company and because I was listening to inspirational and entrepreneurial materials as I drove around all day. I would hand out cards when I ran into potential leads and I also dressed up more than needed because I wanted to own the position.
Changing the way I did things and listening to tapes put me in a state of mind that if I was going to drive, I would be the best I could partly to represent the company, but mostly to represent myself. The changes also kept me happy there until the bug to leave finally bit hard enough. Almost two years later, it did. There was nothing that could keep me there any longer and I began a new, exciting career.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Working for a Living? Revitalize Your Livelihood!
Most people I know work for a living. There are not a lot of folks out there paying bills and mortgages with no income - we must have money coming in, there is little choice about that. But how you create income is up to you. The trick about working for a living is to do something you want to do or fix what you are doing in order to get the most satisfaction from it. Because it is so easy to lose steam at work, even if what you work at is perceived to be a dream job, some revitalization is occasionally needed. Nobody wants to get sick of what they do, but it happens often.
Viral Office Attitudes
One thing to be aware of when losing steam is your immediate surroundings. If your attitude permeates to the extent of influencing others, they may take on a similar attitude. It's like when somebody brings a cold to the office and others get it. In the same way, people can take on a new attitude when they let their guard down, not just because it is 'in the air'. This is especially true when the person with the attitude problem is in a position of authority.
Work Isn't Hard if You Like What You're Doing
It's a difficult thing to feel trapped in a place of work when you really don't want to be there. It is even more difficult when your options for a change of scenery are burdened by recession, lack of motivation and fear of the unknown. Sometimes appreciation of a position comes only by comparison when you think: "It could be worse, I could be doing ________". The comparison can also come from actually quitting a job out of spite, going to work somewhere else, then asking for your old job back because you didn't realize how good you had it.
One excuse for the 'quit then get re-hired' scenario is that a person may only feel qualified to do what they know, so they 'stick it out' no matter how uncomfortable they get. Money is only one motivator in that kind of situation with the quality of the surroundings sometimes being more important. If the money is right and the surroundings are one-of-a-kind, work does not always seem like work, but a team effort to get things done in a fun way.
So, when somebody feels trapped, it is important for the person to think about the situation very rationally and create a plan to change it so they can get to a point where they actually like going in to work. This transition period can be tricky, however, as the person in question may cut a lot of corners and make their present business suffer as they daydream about their coveted position. That doesn't work well because why should somebody leave behind a mess for someone else to clean up?
Cleaning Up Your Mess
Whenever you leave a position, you leave something behind. That 'something' can be a system you had developed, a drawing on a napkin, a joke you used to tell or simply your way of doing things. Too often negative things are left behind such as a system nobody knew but you, angry customers, unfinished paperwork and the list goes on.
Remember, it's not about the job or the company all the time, it's about the people; it's about you. Why leave a mess for somebody else to clean up? That's inconsiderate with little chance of lingering respect being attached to your name. Even people we despise get respect because they did the right thing in their own way and that's something that is irrefutable, even if it wasn't to our advantage.
Not Just 'Work', 'Life's' Work
Adopting an attitude of 'life's work' or 'body of work' instead of merely 'work' (or 'job') can help revive the positive mental state originally brought in with a person to the work they were excited about in the first place.
"All things tend toward disorder" states the second law of thermodynamics. Entropy can happen everywhere and usually does, unless revitalization takes place now and then. This can mean a reinvention of oneself or one's position or career. With every revival comes excitement and that is the kind of excitement that should permeate through the air and be infectious to others.
Life's work should be difficult from time to time, like a battle. But, that would be the kind of battle from which it's worth showing off the scars.
- Buck Moore
Viral Office Attitudes
One thing to be aware of when losing steam is your immediate surroundings. If your attitude permeates to the extent of influencing others, they may take on a similar attitude. It's like when somebody brings a cold to the office and others get it. In the same way, people can take on a new attitude when they let their guard down, not just because it is 'in the air'. This is especially true when the person with the attitude problem is in a position of authority.
Work Isn't Hard if You Like What You're Doing
It's a difficult thing to feel trapped in a place of work when you really don't want to be there. It is even more difficult when your options for a change of scenery are burdened by recession, lack of motivation and fear of the unknown. Sometimes appreciation of a position comes only by comparison when you think: "It could be worse, I could be doing ________". The comparison can also come from actually quitting a job out of spite, going to work somewhere else, then asking for your old job back because you didn't realize how good you had it.
One excuse for the 'quit then get re-hired' scenario is that a person may only feel qualified to do what they know, so they 'stick it out' no matter how uncomfortable they get. Money is only one motivator in that kind of situation with the quality of the surroundings sometimes being more important. If the money is right and the surroundings are one-of-a-kind, work does not always seem like work, but a team effort to get things done in a fun way.
So, when somebody feels trapped, it is important for the person to think about the situation very rationally and create a plan to change it so they can get to a point where they actually like going in to work. This transition period can be tricky, however, as the person in question may cut a lot of corners and make their present business suffer as they daydream about their coveted position. That doesn't work well because why should somebody leave behind a mess for someone else to clean up?
Cleaning Up Your Mess
Whenever you leave a position, you leave something behind. That 'something' can be a system you had developed, a drawing on a napkin, a joke you used to tell or simply your way of doing things. Too often negative things are left behind such as a system nobody knew but you, angry customers, unfinished paperwork and the list goes on.
Remember, it's not about the job or the company all the time, it's about the people; it's about you. Why leave a mess for somebody else to clean up? That's inconsiderate with little chance of lingering respect being attached to your name. Even people we despise get respect because they did the right thing in their own way and that's something that is irrefutable, even if it wasn't to our advantage.
Not Just 'Work', 'Life's' Work
Adopting an attitude of 'life's work' or 'body of work' instead of merely 'work' (or 'job') can help revive the positive mental state originally brought in with a person to the work they were excited about in the first place.
"All things tend toward disorder" states the second law of thermodynamics. Entropy can happen everywhere and usually does, unless revitalization takes place now and then. This can mean a reinvention of oneself or one's position or career. With every revival comes excitement and that is the kind of excitement that should permeate through the air and be infectious to others.
Life's work should be difficult from time to time, like a battle. But, that would be the kind of battle from which it's worth showing off the scars.
- Buck Moore
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