Well, I didn't get the job I was interviewing for. I'm a bit bummed out but I'll get over it. I always do.
I mentioned to DH that if I didn't get this one, I might consider contract / mat leave positions.
The pros are that when it comes to work, I bore easily and if I'm not constantly challenged, I feel stagnate. Also, with contract work, I can get more experience working in different industries and environments.
The biggest con is that once the contract is over, I'm once again out on the street looking for work. Having said that, if I know that my contract is up in three months, I can start looking before I leave the current position.
I would definitely want a contract of a year or longer. Anything less than that doesn't seem worth while.
Has anyone done contract work? What advice would you offer?
I have done contract work in the past.
If are easily bored, wanting change, etc, it can work out OK.
The main thing is to have very very low ongoing financial commitments and an extremely flexible attitude..
Essentially, you are willing making yourself a migrant worker with enough money to reliably pay the bills for 3-6 mths at a time, for maybe half of the year.
That wage of $12/hr gets stretched so that it is $6/hr due to the droughts of work between hirings.
Also, it is very annoying to constantly be under review and having to prove yourself as a new hire.
Believe me, I would not accept a job for $12 an hour. I can't live on that.
Some of the contract / temp jobs I've seen are for as much as $22 an hour. That, I can do.
I'm not familiar with the tax laws in Canada but I know in the US if you work as a 1099 (contractor) you are responsible for all of the taxes like Social Security, unemployment compensation, and the like. Also, consider the implications of accepting a contract and then having an employer offer you something you'd prefer. Early termination clauses can be a royal bitch.
I'm sorry you didn't get the position.
No advice on contract work - I've never done it.
Sorry you didn't get the job ((hugs)).
I was a freelance contractor as a graphic artist in New Orleans for a couple of years before we moved away. I loved it. I'm not cut out for sitting in an office full time, listening to the hum of the lights, so as a freelancer I worked from home quite a bit, which is a pure joy for me. I had one job that required me to be in their office from about 11am to 5pm about 3 days a week, and I took any unfinished work home with me. At one point I was making around $30 an hour, it was so much better than being tied to a place full time with no end in sight.
When we moved to Portland, Maine, I wasn't really able to get much work there, and it was very low paying when I did. Same thing in Tulsa, and nothing here in San Diego. But that's the nature of graphic design, it's highly competitive and you need to be in a very large market. I don't know what you do for a living, but perhaps freelance/contract work might be good for you.
I WISH I could afford to work that way! I was happiest in the 4-5 years I was temping. Unfortunately, my overhead is way too high.
Hopefully, as I gain experience in my chosen field and build my portfolio, I will be able to move in that direction again, though.
The only advice I have is that if you go that route, you'll need to set up a savings plan of some sort--make sure to shore yourself up against work droughts. If possible, try to land contracts that pay slightly MORE than you need, so that you can sock away anything over your bare-bones budget.
Good luck!
Jen M.