Taking a Full-Time Job Was the Most Entrepreneurial Move of My Career
Less money, less pressure, less stress but most importantly — more time
In 2011, I was pretty disenchanted with my job. I’d worked in IT for 13 years, first as a developer and then as a project manager. I’d enjoyed success, gained responsibility, and gradually earned more money.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like the work — I just didn’t like being an employee. I found setting and monitoring career objectives pointless. I didn’t see the benefit of being line-managed and avoided having to manage others. I just wanted to do my job well, to gradually get better at it, and to earn more in the process — an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.
What really grated was that many of my team were self-employed contractors, better paid than me, and free from the shackles of employment contracts. They were paid a day-rate specifically for their skills. If they were good, they were kept on, and if not they were let go. That made sense to me — it was what I wanted.
Risk was the barrier that prevented me from becoming a contractor. I’ve had kids to support since I was 23 and felt afraid of making the jump to self-employment.
