Why I Quit My Job And Became A Freelancer
The year is 2015, and after months of contemplating, I arranged a meeting with my manager.
The meeting was to formally hand in my resignation after almost 5 years at the company.
I did so with no plan B, but I had a 3 month notice period to figure things out.
The job offered all I was looking for and more. Big company, good pay, promotions, annual bonuses and opportunities to work on exciting projects. I felt so happy that I got married there and had a baby. Most importantly, I made some lifelong friends who I still keep in touch with.
My superiors recognized my work ethic and commitment, and I got promoted several times over the years.
Opportunities came up to chair interviews and eventually recruited for my own team.
I had people reporting to me, and that’s when I knew I had made it.
I was a manager not just by title but by responsibility, and it felt good.
For the first time, I was responsible for the career of another person, and I took it seriously.
Regular 121s and PDPs to ensure they move up in their career.
The Turning Point
From the outside, all was well, and I was living the dream.
In less than 5 years, I had gone from a Junior Analyst to a Senior Analyst with direct reports.
I moved to a different department to head their campaign team.
I knew what I was doing and was the guy people came to when they wanted work completed.
The sense of importance drove me daily, and I loved it.
Deep down, I knew I had made it but felt stagnated.
I wasn’t learning anything new and was doing similar things every quarter.
I worked all my career on the technical side of marketing but I wasn’t an expert at anything.
I moved from platform to platform and just learned the new thing.
I had seen so many people leaving for new senior roles.
With the predictability of re-organisations, I knew things will change at some point.
You can either go with the change or make a change of your own.
There was nothing unique about me.
The more I worked with colleagues who enjoyed their job, the more I realized something different.
They were specialists in their field.
They stayed in a particular technical field and became the best at it.
When they changed roles, they always went for a more senior role within that field.
I had always adapted to change, but certain changes act as a catalyst to make a career move and take a leap of faith.
Why I Quit My Job And Became A Freelancer
In late 2015, I had been using Oracle Eloqua for 3 years and I was the go-to guy.
Now, the company was going in a new direction.
Something within me asked; “why not offer my specialist skills to another company?”.
I didn’t want to stay and learn the new thing.
I had a 3-month notice at the time, and every company I had interviewed for were only willing to wait for a month.
This wasn’t great for my job prospects.
Just before my birthday in November of 2015, I made the decision to resign without a job in hand.
It was a birthday present to myself, knowing that I had made a big decision which I had been putting off for a while.
At that point, I knew there was a demand for my skills but I had no offer on the table.
That was the biggest decision of my professional life, and I can tell you, it was the best decision ever.
A New Beginning
A month before my notice ran out, I had an offer for a temporary role for 9 months, and I went along with that.
It paid 20% more than I was on, and that alone was worth it.
It gave me so much confidence being the new go-to guy.
My new team had only started using the Eloqua Platform, and I was able to provide value from day one.
I had found my joy, and that showed to my team in the value I was able to provide.
Regarding contract renewals, it was a no-brainer, and I could negotiate new favourable terms.
I had four extensions within the same company, and each time, I was able to negotiate new terms; be it financial or flexible working conditions.
That was something I would have never dreamed of or deemed possible while I was working as a permanent staff.
8 years of freelancing, and I can say it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.
I’ve learned a great deal just by working with different clients and applying my skill set in different ways.
I would recommend it to anyone thinking about it to at least try it.
In the worst-case scenario, if it doesn’t work, you can always go back.
The weight of regret is too heavy to carry around.
I’ve worked with people who wished they had made the decision over a decade ago.
Now, they are too close to retirement, and the market is not paying too well for their skill set.
Company Loyalty
One thing I would say is company loyalty doesn’t always pay.
I’ve worked in teams where I was the youngest but had the most updated skills the company needed to move it forward. My older colleagues have worked for their companies for 20-40 years. Most of them have stayed because they enjoyed job security and lucrative company benefits.
I’ve worked with people with 30 years of service to a company only to be made redundant because times had changed and they were no longer needed. Whole departments have been closed down and replaced with either software or offshore resource.
Conclusion
The question I will leave with you is, if you lose your job right now, how confident are you that another company will offer you a competitive salary for your skill set?
Whether you are a permanent staff or freelancer, we are all self-employed.
We are exchanging our skill set with a company in exchange for remuneration.
My advice would be to specialize in the field you enjoy working in.
Get certified and a year or two of committed study and experience will make you stand out.
The job market is very competitive, so give yourself the unfair advantage of being excellent in your field.
The rise in remote working offers even more opportunities to work for a client in another part of the country.
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