Some people can make the switch to freelance life seamlessly. They know their audience, their business, and what they can provide and go with it. They roll with the punches, and learn when they could normally just give up.
For years it seemed that my transition was also seamless. I started taking on oDesk contracts while in college, kept a few when I had a day job, and got more whenever the job market hit. In every lapse in employment, I've always been able to turn to oDesk.
But even after all this time as a writer on oDesk, a writer who actually does more social media and research than anything, I still find myself crippled with fear when asked to write an article.
What if the client doesn't like it? What if I spent too long researching? What if it sounds like I'm as dumb as I feel when writing about your sound equipment?
I most struggle with the fear that I'm not good enough. I get daily invitations from people needing articles, bloggers, ghostwriters... But apart from the fact that I hate '20 Unique Excellent, SEO-optimized articles in 1 Hour!), I hate when hourly jobs ask me to write an article.
I'm just not good at it. I almost feel like subcontracting everything I get to someone who actually enjoys writing for businesses.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Sunday Before Tax Day
My mind is a bit of a mess. I have a headache from the number of worries and hopes running through me right now. But I know that I'm happy.
Today is my little bro in law's birthday party day, and I haven't gotten his gift yet. Tomorrow is tax day, and I can't actually afford the bill from Michigan. I'm sitting in Barnes & Noble, one of my favorite book chains, surrounded by books I can't afford to buy.
My eyes hurt, but it's so beautiful outside after a week of wet and cold weather.
I actually have work to do this week, oDesk jobs that I just started, which is great. I really need to get creative though, and start managing my own social media like I manage other peoples' accounts!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Why Does Cabela's Want My Phone Number?
A few years ago, I started getting a ridiculous amount of spam phone calls. Automatic machines offering cruises, credit card companies trying to offer the Har-JAW-LAAAAAAAHS a new lower-interest VISA, and several calls from foreigners that I couldn't understand (and that I hung up on). I was getting several phone calls to my cell phone everyday, all day. First thing in the morning, before my alarm went off, while in class, and just before bed.
Not only that, I started getting catalogs and credit card offers through the mail.
It took a while for me to put the pieces together and answer the question, "What did I do?"
I know I had opened a Maurices store card, but that's it. Nothing out of the ordinary, no browsing on website and entering into travel sweepstakes. No signing up for any special offers... So I googled something along the lines of "Suddenly getting a lot of telemarketers calling my cell phone." I quickly found the only plausible reason--I had given out my phone number at Maurices, and most likely every store in my area.
Gamestop for sure, JC Penney, Shopko and all of the grocery stores around. Whenever I'd got to Marquette, nearly everyone asked, and I gave it. In the UP, it's common for cashiers to hear your number and ask where you're from. And if you're local, or they recognize the first three numbers, they'll ask you about your area. The entire UP is area code 906, the cities of Houghton/Hancock are 487, 482, 483... If you're from Chassell, 523. If you have Verizon, 281. So it's habit for everyone to just give their number. Chances are, the cashier will say "I have a cousin from Calumet!" and a conversation will spur from there.
But my research showed that when you give your zip code, email address, or phone number to a store for "demographics" or "newsletters," it's really going into a pool of information that merchants can take advantage of. That zip code you just gave them with your name is like handing them your entire address and life history in a portfolio, with instructions on how to exploit your information. Yes, please call my phone at all hours. I'd love to get junk mail from your friends.
(See the article, "Should you tell stores your zip code?" via NBCNews.com)
So I stopped giving out information. A semi-polite "no, thank you" and I'd be on my way.
This past weekend, I went to Cabela's in Tulalip, WA with my husband to spend some of his birthday money. I'd gone there several times in the past few months to get a few gifts, and my "no, thank you" worked just fine. It's just for demographics, they say. I'd rather not, I say.
But on Saturday, my husband had found nearly $100 worth of feathers and hooks and fly line that he had to have, even after doing the same thing only a few days prior. (Too much money spent at Cabela's!). The girl rang up the total, and asked for my phone number, and I said "Oh, no" while trying to swipe my card. She stopped me from sliding my card and said that she had to have the number.
I told her that it's just for demographics, and I'd rather not give out that information. She told me that it's just a phone number, and that she couldn't let me buy anything without it. I started to explain that a phone number attached to a name and credit card is like handing over my identity, and she interrupted me to say again that I wouldn't not be able to buy anything unless I gave her the info. She then started pushing buttons on the intercom, trying to get a manger to come over. I told her that I'd come to this store many times without any problems, have a Cabela's card, have spent a ridiculous amount of money there... And she spoke over me to instruct me that those cashiers must have been new hires and it's required. By this time, she looked to be shaking with annoyance and wouldn't even make eye contact. She kept repeating, "Just give me the number!"
My husband is not one to stand up for things. He doesn't like petty arguments and is really forgiving.
I'm not like that.
He didn't want to cause a scene and gave this woman MY PHONE NUMBER so that we could escape. She had just turned to face me, looking about ready to beat me in the face if I didn't give her the number and he caved. Of course then, I couldn't believe he'd do that after my persistence, and wanted to SHAKE HIM (among other things).
Minutes later, I called the store and got in touch with Customer Service. I told them what happened, that this woman (by name) refused to let me spend money without my phone number. She wouldn't let me slide my card. She wouldn't let me leave the store. Of course they apologized, told me I was right, asked for her name, etc.
But I've never felt so humiliated, so mistreated, and so shocked while shopping before. I spent my Saturday to enjoy Ladies Day Out at Cabela's, entered sweepstakes and won a few things, only to get talked down to by a cashier who would rather rip my hair out than let me leave the store without my personal information.
I need to come up with a fake identity.
Not only that, I started getting catalogs and credit card offers through the mail.
It took a while for me to put the pieces together and answer the question, "What did I do?"
I know I had opened a Maurices store card, but that's it. Nothing out of the ordinary, no browsing on website and entering into travel sweepstakes. No signing up for any special offers... So I googled something along the lines of "Suddenly getting a lot of telemarketers calling my cell phone." I quickly found the only plausible reason--I had given out my phone number at Maurices, and most likely every store in my area.
Gamestop for sure, JC Penney, Shopko and all of the grocery stores around. Whenever I'd got to Marquette, nearly everyone asked, and I gave it. In the UP, it's common for cashiers to hear your number and ask where you're from. And if you're local, or they recognize the first three numbers, they'll ask you about your area. The entire UP is area code 906, the cities of Houghton/Hancock are 487, 482, 483... If you're from Chassell, 523. If you have Verizon, 281. So it's habit for everyone to just give their number. Chances are, the cashier will say "I have a cousin from Calumet!" and a conversation will spur from there.
But my research showed that when you give your zip code, email address, or phone number to a store for "demographics" or "newsletters," it's really going into a pool of information that merchants can take advantage of. That zip code you just gave them with your name is like handing them your entire address and life history in a portfolio, with instructions on how to exploit your information. Yes, please call my phone at all hours. I'd love to get junk mail from your friends.
(See the article, "Should you tell stores your zip code?" via NBCNews.com)
So I stopped giving out information. A semi-polite "no, thank you" and I'd be on my way.
This past weekend, I went to Cabela's in Tulalip, WA with my husband to spend some of his birthday money. I'd gone there several times in the past few months to get a few gifts, and my "no, thank you" worked just fine. It's just for demographics, they say. I'd rather not, I say.
But on Saturday, my husband had found nearly $100 worth of feathers and hooks and fly line that he had to have, even after doing the same thing only a few days prior. (Too much money spent at Cabela's!). The girl rang up the total, and asked for my phone number, and I said "Oh, no" while trying to swipe my card. She stopped me from sliding my card and said that she had to have the number.
I told her that it's just for demographics, and I'd rather not give out that information. She told me that it's just a phone number, and that she couldn't let me buy anything without it. I started to explain that a phone number attached to a name and credit card is like handing over my identity, and she interrupted me to say again that I wouldn't not be able to buy anything unless I gave her the info. She then started pushing buttons on the intercom, trying to get a manger to come over. I told her that I'd come to this store many times without any problems, have a Cabela's card, have spent a ridiculous amount of money there... And she spoke over me to instruct me that those cashiers must have been new hires and it's required. By this time, she looked to be shaking with annoyance and wouldn't even make eye contact. She kept repeating, "Just give me the number!"
My husband is not one to stand up for things. He doesn't like petty arguments and is really forgiving.
I'm not like that.
He didn't want to cause a scene and gave this woman MY PHONE NUMBER so that we could escape. She had just turned to face me, looking about ready to beat me in the face if I didn't give her the number and he caved. Of course then, I couldn't believe he'd do that after my persistence, and wanted to SHAKE HIM (among other things).
Minutes later, I called the store and got in touch with Customer Service. I told them what happened, that this woman (by name) refused to let me spend money without my phone number. She wouldn't let me slide my card. She wouldn't let me leave the store. Of course they apologized, told me I was right, asked for her name, etc.
But I've never felt so humiliated, so mistreated, and so shocked while shopping before. I spent my Saturday to enjoy Ladies Day Out at Cabela's, entered sweepstakes and won a few things, only to get talked down to by a cashier who would rather rip my hair out than let me leave the store without my personal information.
I need to come up with a fake identity.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Best Jobs In America
Best Jobs In America. This is what they should hand out to incoming freshmen!
If you could do it all over again, which would you be?
[caption id="attachment_293" align="alignnone" width="600"]
Best Jobs In America[/caption]
If you could do it all over again, which would you be?
[caption id="attachment_293" align="alignnone" width="600"]
Best Jobs In America[/caption]
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Don't Quit Your Day Job
It's nearing December and I know now that satisfaction in my career probably won't come to me any time soon. Part of it is not knowing what I want out of life and my future, the other part is fear that once I find it, I won't be able to achieve it.
For over a year I was pleased with my freelancing efforts. I got to stay at home, I got to sleep in and make my own schedule. I got to move cross-country without worrying about finding a job when I got there. Everything I created while working was mine, every success was mine. I was stressed out, focused on my clients constantly, but when I provided good work, I got instant feedback and support. The possibilities in freelance work are endless when you're good at what you do, be it writing, design, or even tech support.
After my contract with Blue Volcano ended, and work for Firestarter slowed down to trickles and bursts of random tasks, I knew I needed something regular. If only to please my money-conscious husband. So for the first time in a long time, I entered the mass of job seekers. This time, in Portland. I went to career fairs and was bombarded with sales positions, I went on Craigslist and was stricken with automotive service writing positions, and was so annoyed that I got a LinkedIn JobSeeker membership to contact employers directly. It took a week and I ended up at Bonfire. After a month of great work and praise, I was on the jobseeking hunt again.
Only this time it wasn't a hunt. More like an angry, wandering prowl through websites and doubtful possibilities. I didn't want to go through job loss again. I didn't want to fail again. I didn't want to put myself into that position again, in a small agency where my job could be dissolved without cause. I didn't want to take a contract that could be over tomorrow because the employer ran out of money.
There's a job that I've wanted for months. Technical Writer at my husband's company. They're paid fairly, it's stable, and there are so many employees that there's room to grow.
It's been clear to me that no matter what I do, how many people I contact, how many times I contact the recruiter, they're not hiring any more writers. They're looking for engineers. Another slap in the face with my degree.
So where am I now? Really hating myself for taking a job that I really didn't want in the first place for a paycheck. A meager, sliced up one at that with all the taxes and insurance payments that I didn't have to worry about before. I'm not using my brain at all, I feel pretty stupid and it's been barely a month since I started doing data entry in a cube. I feel even more stupid knowing that I'm the laughingstock of the office because I took this job with my stellar resume.
I'm kind of hurt, and lost at the moment. Trying to figure out what I want out of my career, so I can go after it, and leave this grey box of click...ctrl+C...click...ctrl+V.
For over a year I was pleased with my freelancing efforts. I got to stay at home, I got to sleep in and make my own schedule. I got to move cross-country without worrying about finding a job when I got there. Everything I created while working was mine, every success was mine. I was stressed out, focused on my clients constantly, but when I provided good work, I got instant feedback and support. The possibilities in freelance work are endless when you're good at what you do, be it writing, design, or even tech support.
After my contract with Blue Volcano ended, and work for Firestarter slowed down to trickles and bursts of random tasks, I knew I needed something regular. If only to please my money-conscious husband. So for the first time in a long time, I entered the mass of job seekers. This time, in Portland. I went to career fairs and was bombarded with sales positions, I went on Craigslist and was stricken with automotive service writing positions, and was so annoyed that I got a LinkedIn JobSeeker membership to contact employers directly. It took a week and I ended up at Bonfire. After a month of great work and praise, I was on the jobseeking hunt again.
Only this time it wasn't a hunt. More like an angry, wandering prowl through websites and doubtful possibilities. I didn't want to go through job loss again. I didn't want to fail again. I didn't want to put myself into that position again, in a small agency where my job could be dissolved without cause. I didn't want to take a contract that could be over tomorrow because the employer ran out of money.
There's a job that I've wanted for months. Technical Writer at my husband's company. They're paid fairly, it's stable, and there are so many employees that there's room to grow.
It's been clear to me that no matter what I do, how many people I contact, how many times I contact the recruiter, they're not hiring any more writers. They're looking for engineers. Another slap in the face with my degree.
So where am I now? Really hating myself for taking a job that I really didn't want in the first place for a paycheck. A meager, sliced up one at that with all the taxes and insurance payments that I didn't have to worry about before. I'm not using my brain at all, I feel pretty stupid and it's been barely a month since I started doing data entry in a cube. I feel even more stupid knowing that I'm the laughingstock of the office because I took this job with my stellar resume.
I'm kind of hurt, and lost at the moment. Trying to figure out what I want out of my career, so I can go after it, and leave this grey box of click...ctrl+C...click...ctrl+V.
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