Freelancing

on September 14, 2009 12 Comments

If you keep up with me on the social media you already know that I am no longer (completely) unemployed. I am now the proud owner of my first freelance gig. I am the webmaster for a small local arts group. I do things like send out their newsletter, update their website and post to their blog. It’s a few hours a week, or at least that’s the idea, and I’m doing it from home as a contractor.

(By the way, if you don’t keep up with me on the social media, you totally should. I am so much fun on Twitter and Facebook, you have no idea. So much fun.)

I am really, really excited about this for a few reasons:

1. It’s completely, totally different from my work as an engineer.
2. I am working in the local arts community, if only peripherally, which is seventeen kinds of cool.
3. I can do it in my pajamas.
4. Having a paid gig, however small, makes me feel that I am not completely deluding myself into thinking I can freelance.

The website uses Joomla, something I’ve had limited exposure to until now. Right now I am mostly getting my feet wet and learning the system. I will say that all of my time blogging and fiddling around with this site has definitely come in handy. I am a programmer, but writing C code to control big machines is a little bit different than managing a website. Once I get the hang of it, I have grand plans for world domination. We’ll see if that works out for me.

I am still scared a lot of the time, I will admit it. But I can also see how it’s coming together. I have a small job. I wrote my maternity leave guide (which I’ll be speaking about in a second), and I plan to take my week away to write some articles for submission. I believe that I can do this, and I’m going to try. And if you see me in my pajama pants at the Starbucks, you’ll know exactly why. Because I’m a freelancer, that’s why. Yes I am, and I’m excited about it.

Quick Guide to Canadian Maternity Leave

I mentioned last week that I am working on a guide to maternity leave here in Canada. The guide is finished. It’s meant for Canadian parents who want to understand what sort of leave they’re entitled to, how it works and how to go about applying. It’s a very pretty PDF with pictures and graphics and I am rather proud of it.

Now I just need to wrestle with the technology to get all of that stuff in place. I am crossing my fingers that Bob, the little man who controls the internet, is feeling co-operative and plays nicely. Here’s how it’s going to work. I am going to trust Bob and put the guide up there on the internet. You will come here anytime after September 21st, enter your email address, confirm your email address, and receive the guide to your inbox.

In the process you will be subscribed to my mail list (which is not the same thing as getting posts to your inbox). I will be using the list is to keep you up-to-date with the things I’m doing, once a month or so. If you want to subscribe to my mail list but don’t want the guide that’s fine – you will receive it, but you are free to delete it without reading it. There will be no pop quiz. You are also able to unsubscribe from the list at any time.

Now I am off to load two kids in the car and make the trek to Bamfield. In the meantime, any intercessions with Bob on my behalf would be greatly appreciated. ;)

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Going Part-Time

on July 22, 2009 17 Comments

I returned to work reluctantly after my first maternity leave. My whole world had changed since I’d last set foot in the office a full year before. I had become a mom and I wasn’t even really the same person anymore.

I was lucky that my former employer offered family-friendly policies such as flex time and the option to work from home. I decided to go into the office three days a week, and work from home for two. I got a laptop and I was all raring to go. However, I soon discovered that trying to get in an 8 hour day while caring for a one-year-old is very difficult. Maybe even impossible. So I found myself working around the clock whenever I could get a moment to myself. After a month it was clear to me that something had to give.

As I considered my options I was worried. I’m an engineer. On my team of 14 or so people there was only one other woman. Many of my colleagues had wives who stayed home while they were the primary bread winners. They were working full-time and then some to support their families. If I didn’t want to work full-time would I be setting myself apart in a whole new way? What would the consequences be?

There were some factors that balanced in my favour when I decided to go part-time. Thankfully at that time the economy was very different and my company was doing well. I had worked there for seven years and had a proven track record. Plus my salary as an engineer was sufficient that giving up a portion of it was something we could swing. I felt that, in my case, the risk was worth the potential reward. I know that not everyone has the same advantages, or would be able to make the same choices I did.

I spent a few days gathering courage. I worked out a little speech in my head that involved loving my job, and wanting to be mentally healthy enough to give it my all. I walked back and forth to my team leader’s office a couple of times before I managed to poke my head in the door.

In the end I needn’t have worried. I learned that if your employer values your contribution they may be more accommodating than you expect. My team leader was very understanding, and wanted to help me find an arrangement that worked for everyone. He was also a dad with small kids at home. He got it, totally. It was a huge relief to me.

I chose to work 32 hours a week. I went into the office three days a week and worked 2 half-days from home. It was much more manageable, and I was much happier. I was surprised to discover that there were other employees who were working reduced schedules, too. I had no idea because I’d never asked, and it wasn’t necessarily something they were advertising. When news got out that I had gone part-time, though, I heard all about it.

There are some downsides to going part-time. You aren’t going to be promoted or advance in your career in the same way. I have mixed feelings about this, but I understand why it works that way. There is still some stigma with going on the ‘mommy track’. And I did find that I wasn’t as tuned in to the office goings on as people who were there full time or more. There were upsides to being out of the political loop, but there were also downsides.

It’s really hard to find balance as a mom. There may be no such thing. We’re all making compromises, some good and some not so good. Working part-time was one compromise that worked for me, at least most of the time.

What about you? Do you work an alternate schedule? Or would you consider it if it were an option? I’d love to what other moms think about going part-time.

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Going Part-Time

on March 29, 2006 8 Comments

Despite my efforts, I have been finding it nearly impossible to keep my life in check. Between working full-time, being a mom, and keeping myself clean and fed, I don’t have time for anything else. And it’s important to have other things, too. My husband, my friends, and community involvement are also important, as are hobbies and down-time.

So, I made the decision to reduce my work schedule from 40 hours a week to 32 hours a week. Today, I got the final approval so as of Saturday I am officially part-time. I will continue to go into the office 3 days a week, and I will work 2 half-days from home. Really, a half-day is about all I can do with a baby, but I think I can do a half-day reasonably well.

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