Li Shian, a fellow journalist from a malay publication, threw this question at me today. Strangely enough, I never stopped to think about it that way. Not in terms of regrets anyway, since every path we take in life will have its ups and downs.
But yes, being a freelancer- what do I miss about working full-time? How about these:
1) Job perks. No one will offer you promotions, medical benefits, annual leave, annual bonus, company trips. You've got to create your own job perks to stay motivated.
2) Colleagues. Freelancing is a very lonely world; you don't get people coming over to say hello, invite you for lunch, sharing the latest gossip or birthday cake. If you're getting too much of these at your workplace, you'll probably say good riddance to all these- but try working solo for two decades and you'll see what I mean. Freelancers seldom get a chance to form deep friendships the way full-time staff do over lunch or tea.
3) Nice freebies. You know what I mean. We all know suppliers, clients and business associates send gifts to whoever is holding certain portfolios as goodwill gestures. Quit your job today and all your freebies will be going to the person taking over your position. Freelancers never even get a sniff of these....because you are not representing any important organisation and are not in a decision-making position. In fact, when you attend meetings, don't be surprised to overhear not-so-subdued remarks of : Who's that again? Oh, just a freelancer/supplier.
4) Mental stimulation/interaction. Not from colleagues, but the rest of the industry. People don't forward you the latest happenings in the industry to keep you updated or invite you along for industry-related events. You'd need to be on the ball constantly so as not to miss out on what's new. Even then, you'll never quite catch up, unless you are an excellent networker.
5) Team assistance. Computer trouble? Got a splitting headache? Need input on a project you're working on? Hard luck- it's all DIY.
6) Recognition and feedback. The only way you can now whether your work is any good is when your clients keep coming back or you start getting referrals. I've been lucky on this though, as I happen to work with some really caring editors and clients (you know who you are if you're reading this!), who take the trouble to tell me how an article can be improved and when they like a certain piece.
So have I ever considered working for others? Yes, of course, for all the reasons above. But then again, I've come to realise that I'd be giving up more than I bargained for if I ever trade my freelance job for full-time employment. I don't want to give up:
- Long chats and loud laughter over the phone
- Gardening
- Morning walks
- The flexi-hours
- Working without having someone breathing down my neck
Am I lucky to be a successful freelancer? Perhaps...but luck is only one percent of the equation. To make freelancing to work, you must really want it to. Are you prepared to give up those perks I mentioned (and those I didn't, like getting to wear pretty clothes to work, shopping during long Friday lunches, carrying impressive positons on your call-card)?
It's not always about the money. It's the quality of life you want. The more you want it to work, the higher the likelihood it will. Sure enough I've got my fair share of regrets, but it'll take more than a super-duper salary to make me a full-timer.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Tara Barker
It was 2000, the year when Malaysian Women's Weekly (MWW) was newly introduced to the stores. It was one of the many women's magazines competing for readership, alongside a whole host of magazines on beauty, health, travel, cars, gadgets, you-name-it.
I was thirty, have just had my third baby and was in a state of depression, not post-natal but more because of the financial state we were in. Three children, no job, nothing to look forward to.
I knew things were bad because I had started to recognise each of my neighbours' car sounds. At 8am, one neighbour will be starting her car to go to work. This lady came back at 6pm daily, while her husband leaves for the office a little later and came home close to midnight.
Another car sound meant that another neighbour was getting ready to send his wife to work. This guy had opted for early retirement at the age of 40 after a bad accident, hence he gets to enjoy insurance benefits even without having to work. His wife worked at a supermarket just down the hill where we stayed.
And so on it went. All I could think of in those days was 'everyone is doing something and going somewhere- except me'. I felt trapped and helpless.
That was when I decided to learn how to use the computer. The Word document was a daily experiment, as I struggled to type as fast as I thought. More so when I had to juggle computer 'lessons' with caring for 3 little kids in the background.
I surfed the internet for ways on how to make a living with freelance writing. The top 2 tips were almost always the same- study the publication and get in touch with the editor.
When I read MWW for the first time, deep down I knew I wanted to write for them. I emailed several story ideas to the magazine editor, as recommended by online sources. But no reply came. It was a disappointing start.
When I bought my next issue of MWW, I noticed an ad inside about some workshop that the magazine was organising. It struck me that this would be the perfect chance for me to meet the editor-in-chief, Tara Barker! My application form and payment was sent within 24 hours.
It was an excellent workshop, by any standards, yet all I did was try to ascertain which one was Tara. And I was shaking, partly due to the cold air-conditioning system, partly because I was scared out of my wits! I've never met an editor before and I had no idea what to say!
During a tea-break, I nervously asked a girl holding a camera (Elizabeth Soong) whether she worked for MWW and which one was Tara. She kindly pointed out a Caucasian lady who was talking to someone. When I told her I wanted to write for MWW, Elizabeth led me over to Tara and introduced me to her.
Very nervously I stammered, "I'm a freelance writer and I love MWW. I'd.. l'd love to write for you."
Tara gazed at me for a moment (probably because I looked ashen!) before asking if I had experience. I told her I was new to writing but I had many story ideas and was a fast-learner. When I mentioned that my emails to her had gone unnoticed, she was very apologetic. Handing me her call card, she told me to write to her using her direct email, promising to get back to me with a reply.
To cut a long story short, Tara replied my emails following that incident. They didn't take many of the story ideas I pitched to them, but she started giving me stories instead.
The assignments grew and grew, until 2003 when Tara finally told me she was tired of micro-managing my ad-hoc invoices.
"How about becoming our contract writer? This way, you'd get to take care of your babies and yet have a regular income writing for us," she said on the phone.
She probably did not realise the impact those words had on me. They meant a sense of security, a promise of monthly revenue without having to sacrifice my maternal responsibilities.
It was the perfect solution for any work-from-home mom, one that was not easily available in Malaysia where employers still see the need to have staff in the office 5 days a week to ensure work gets done. Tara had trusted me like no other, giving me an opportunity to turn my life around.
Fast forward to 2011.
I terminated my retainer contract with MWW just a year ago when I felt I should perhaps give way to someone who needed retainer work more than I did. Ten years of writing had helped in establishing myself as a freelance writer and I want other freelancers to enjoy the privilege I once did.
But I'll never forget the first time I met Tara and the way she changed my life. Truth be told, I never knew her personally because we met less than 5 times over the last decade; yet she always has a kind word for me when we met.
I hear she's a strict boss who is a stickler for discipline and deadlines, so in a way, I'm glad I'm not a full-time staff. But that's what made it all the more meaningful. She never knew me, but she gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. How many people would do that for a total stranger?
If you're a MWW fan/reader, you may know that MWW's slogan is 'For women who want it all'. What you may not know is that Tara, as the editor-in-chief, embraces this philosophy by encouraging women to strive for their full potential. That's why MWW often features inspirational stories of women- so that readers will also be inspired to do things they never knew they could.
Are you another Tara Barker? If you are someone in authority, remember you have the power to make a difference in someone else's life. Like Tara, you could have saved a marriage and a family from falling apart. You could have given another woman the much-needed self-confidence to move into uncharted waters.
For all the Tara's out there, I salute you. For the rest of us, we'll never know if something we did had made us a Tara of sorts. Perhaps there's a hidden Tara in each of us, waiting to be let out.
Happy New Year and may 2011 be a glorious year ahead!
I was thirty, have just had my third baby and was in a state of depression, not post-natal but more because of the financial state we were in. Three children, no job, nothing to look forward to.
I knew things were bad because I had started to recognise each of my neighbours' car sounds. At 8am, one neighbour will be starting her car to go to work. This lady came back at 6pm daily, while her husband leaves for the office a little later and came home close to midnight.
Another car sound meant that another neighbour was getting ready to send his wife to work. This guy had opted for early retirement at the age of 40 after a bad accident, hence he gets to enjoy insurance benefits even without having to work. His wife worked at a supermarket just down the hill where we stayed.
And so on it went. All I could think of in those days was 'everyone is doing something and going somewhere- except me'. I felt trapped and helpless.
That was when I decided to learn how to use the computer. The Word document was a daily experiment, as I struggled to type as fast as I thought. More so when I had to juggle computer 'lessons' with caring for 3 little kids in the background.
I surfed the internet for ways on how to make a living with freelance writing. The top 2 tips were almost always the same- study the publication and get in touch with the editor.
When I read MWW for the first time, deep down I knew I wanted to write for them. I emailed several story ideas to the magazine editor, as recommended by online sources. But no reply came. It was a disappointing start.
When I bought my next issue of MWW, I noticed an ad inside about some workshop that the magazine was organising. It struck me that this would be the perfect chance for me to meet the editor-in-chief, Tara Barker! My application form and payment was sent within 24 hours.
It was an excellent workshop, by any standards, yet all I did was try to ascertain which one was Tara. And I was shaking, partly due to the cold air-conditioning system, partly because I was scared out of my wits! I've never met an editor before and I had no idea what to say!
During a tea-break, I nervously asked a girl holding a camera (Elizabeth Soong) whether she worked for MWW and which one was Tara. She kindly pointed out a Caucasian lady who was talking to someone. When I told her I wanted to write for MWW, Elizabeth led me over to Tara and introduced me to her.
Very nervously I stammered, "I'm a freelance writer and I love MWW. I'd.. l'd love to write for you."
Tara gazed at me for a moment (probably because I looked ashen!) before asking if I had experience. I told her I was new to writing but I had many story ideas and was a fast-learner. When I mentioned that my emails to her had gone unnoticed, she was very apologetic. Handing me her call card, she told me to write to her using her direct email, promising to get back to me with a reply.
To cut a long story short, Tara replied my emails following that incident. They didn't take many of the story ideas I pitched to them, but she started giving me stories instead.
The assignments grew and grew, until 2003 when Tara finally told me she was tired of micro-managing my ad-hoc invoices.
"How about becoming our contract writer? This way, you'd get to take care of your babies and yet have a regular income writing for us," she said on the phone.
She probably did not realise the impact those words had on me. They meant a sense of security, a promise of monthly revenue without having to sacrifice my maternal responsibilities.
It was the perfect solution for any work-from-home mom, one that was not easily available in Malaysia where employers still see the need to have staff in the office 5 days a week to ensure work gets done. Tara had trusted me like no other, giving me an opportunity to turn my life around.
Fast forward to 2011.
I terminated my retainer contract with MWW just a year ago when I felt I should perhaps give way to someone who needed retainer work more than I did. Ten years of writing had helped in establishing myself as a freelance writer and I want other freelancers to enjoy the privilege I once did.
But I'll never forget the first time I met Tara and the way she changed my life. Truth be told, I never knew her personally because we met less than 5 times over the last decade; yet she always has a kind word for me when we met.
I hear she's a strict boss who is a stickler for discipline and deadlines, so in a way, I'm glad I'm not a full-time staff. But that's what made it all the more meaningful. She never knew me, but she gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. How many people would do that for a total stranger?
If you're a MWW fan/reader, you may know that MWW's slogan is 'For women who want it all'. What you may not know is that Tara, as the editor-in-chief, embraces this philosophy by encouraging women to strive for their full potential. That's why MWW often features inspirational stories of women- so that readers will also be inspired to do things they never knew they could.
Are you another Tara Barker? If you are someone in authority, remember you have the power to make a difference in someone else's life. Like Tara, you could have saved a marriage and a family from falling apart. You could have given another woman the much-needed self-confidence to move into uncharted waters.
For all the Tara's out there, I salute you. For the rest of us, we'll never know if something we did had made us a Tara of sorts. Perhaps there's a hidden Tara in each of us, waiting to be let out.
Happy New Year and may 2011 be a glorious year ahead!
The starfish on the beach
Ever read about the guy who walks on the beach picking up starfish that were washed up to shore? Every time he finds one, he picks it up and throws it back into the sea.
One fellow who saw him doing this decided to stop him and ask, "Why are you doing this?"
The starfish picker said ,"They'll dry up and die if we don't toss them back into the sea."
"But there are thousands of starfish on the beach. How can you make a difference to all of them?"
The starfish guy looked at the starfish he just picked up. As he threw it into the sea, he said,"Well, it makes a difference to this one."
I've always loved this tale because it reminds me that the small things we do can make a huge difference to someone's life. We may not be able to save the world- but by a small action, we would have saved someone's world.
This will be my leading resolution for 2011 (alongside others like waking up earlier, sticking to my exercise programme, taking 5 minutes for self-affirmation daily)- picking up starfish on the beach.
It's easy to get discouraged when the things we do does not get feedback or does not seem to work. Sometimes all we need is just one teenie weenee boost- whether a phone call, text message, hard-written note tucked away somewhere. What I'm going to do in 2011 is to blog about people who are an inspiration in some way or other.
Some people inspire others through their work; others through their strong fighting spirit; still others just by being who they are. I've met so many along my life travels, yet only now I realise I'm not giving them full credit by highlighting their impact on my life.
What has been holding me back? Well....they might be embarrassed. Or annoyed. Even angry...who knows? But a good story deserves to be told, even when it goes against the grain.
Perhaps their story will inspire you too. Perhaps it might push you to do something for someone that will change their lives. Perhaps it will ignite you to do something that gets you one step closer to your dreams.
If and when that happens, I'd have successfully saved one more starfish on the beach.
One fellow who saw him doing this decided to stop him and ask, "Why are you doing this?"
The starfish picker said ,"They'll dry up and die if we don't toss them back into the sea."
"But there are thousands of starfish on the beach. How can you make a difference to all of them?"
The starfish guy looked at the starfish he just picked up. As he threw it into the sea, he said,"Well, it makes a difference to this one."
I've always loved this tale because it reminds me that the small things we do can make a huge difference to someone's life. We may not be able to save the world- but by a small action, we would have saved someone's world.
This will be my leading resolution for 2011 (alongside others like waking up earlier, sticking to my exercise programme, taking 5 minutes for self-affirmation daily)- picking up starfish on the beach.
It's easy to get discouraged when the things we do does not get feedback or does not seem to work. Sometimes all we need is just one teenie weenee boost- whether a phone call, text message, hard-written note tucked away somewhere. What I'm going to do in 2011 is to blog about people who are an inspiration in some way or other.
Some people inspire others through their work; others through their strong fighting spirit; still others just by being who they are. I've met so many along my life travels, yet only now I realise I'm not giving them full credit by highlighting their impact on my life.
What has been holding me back? Well....they might be embarrassed. Or annoyed. Even angry...who knows? But a good story deserves to be told, even when it goes against the grain.
Perhaps their story will inspire you too. Perhaps it might push you to do something for someone that will change their lives. Perhaps it will ignite you to do something that gets you one step closer to your dreams.
If and when that happens, I'd have successfully saved one more starfish on the beach.
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