Groundhog Day
Craig’s Story
Do you have the feeling that every day is the same? That nothing new is happening in your life? Feel like everything is almost planned out for you, and you have no control? That’s how Craig started to feel about working for others.
The set hours, lack of opportunities to try anything new and lack of incentive to work smarter or harder seemed illogical. As was working in a team full of trained tech communication writers, all working under a decision maker who was not trained in this area. Arguments and frustration became common place and led to good team members walking, with Craig becoming increasingly frustrated and depressed.
“To be honest, I was unhappy at work most of the time back then. I had my own issues outside of work too, which didn’t help matters. I could do the job, but I wasn’t a good match for the organization, and vice-versa. And yet I stayed so long, pretty much because of lack of opportunities and being tied to the area.”
Looking back, Craig says he can see that his mental health was not right from his teenage years, long before work became a factor. But did it get worse at work? “Yes, definitely. It compounded my feelings of frustration and not “fitting in” or being able to find my calling.”
He was miserable most days.
When the company was bought out by a multi-national, the presentations led Craig to think that it was going to become more corporate. It just felt like the right time to get out. He’d already been freelancing part-time and had plans to move out of the area in the next couple of years, and so thought why not? “My wife was very supportive of it too, she realized I’d been there too long, doing the same thing and needed change to grow (and calm down).”
When he finally took action he says it felt great, a real weight off his shoulders and he’s never had any regrets about it. “I’ve not gone for longer than a few weeks without work so far, so things have worked out well (touch wood).”
What change has Craig seen in himself since going solo? “It has changed my outlook. I’m far more helpful when working for myself and have a determination to do a good job and keep my customers happy. I didn’t have that so much as an employee, as I was given less to do, and had to follow their working practices and make more compromises than I’m comfortable with. Self-employment is more rewarding too, financially and emotionally.”
Though he didn’t enjoy those previous experiences, it has taught him more about himself, such as the type of organisations he prefers to work for and the type of people he needs around him. He also reflects that he has always tried to be himself, which maybe wasn’t appreciated, “I’ve never been one of those people with an “at work” professional personality and an “at home” personality. Maybe that was part of the problem?”
Self-employment has also given him more control over what work he does, who he does it with, and he feels it much easier to push back and say no. This has been a lot better for his mental health, “I have a healthier work ethic and attitude now. When working for myself, I am in charge of my own destiny, so it’s up to me to get customers, do the work, and keep customers happy. That responsibility means a much stronger work ethic than I had as an employee.”
Could he see himself ever going back to working for someone else? “Self-employment has been more hard work than I expected; the added hassle of dealing with your website, accounts, insurance, pension, and all that takes up time. But I’d rather not go back to that life.”
Quite soberingly he does say that there are circumstances that could lead him to go back such as changes in the industry trends which make his job more about writing code. For a while, he thought IR35 might also be the trigger, “if it suddenly becomes less lucrative to work for yourself, then really, what is the point?”.
A sensible perspective, but let’s hope it never comes to that.
<Puts the rose-tinted blinkers back on>.
Craig Wright - Technical Writer, Straygoat Writing Services Ltd