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Should I stay or should I go?


Ashley

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So

:

 

Handed in my notice at work to pursue freelance animation.

 

They countered by offering me part-time pretty much on my own terms. They said 2.5 days, but I get the feeling I could go down to 2 (or do 2.5 days work in 2 days) and 3 month notice period would be cut down to 1 month.

 

My concern is animation work would require me to work for week-long blocks and this would prevent that. I could do this for a while and build my showreel, and hopefully get the odd bit of work, and then go freelance. I said to them if I did it would probably only be until the end of the calendar year. Contacted a few freelancers I know for their advice.

 

I know going part-time seems sensible and is the logical option, but part of me feels like I should make this leap. Work has said take however long I like to decide (even said I could decide in July), but what would y'all do?

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I could do this for a while and build my showreel, and hopefully get the odd bit of work, and then go freelance. I said to them if I did it would probably only be until the end of the calendar year. Contacted a few freelancers I know for their advice.

 

I know going part-time seems sensible and is the logical option, but part of me feels like I should make this leap. Work has said take however long I like to decide (even said I could decide in July), but what would y'all do?

Taking the new job offer would be the sensible choice, because if you went freelance straight away you (probably?) won't be able to come back and take the part time offer.

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Taking the new job offer would be the sensible choice, because if you went freelance straight away you (probably?) won't be able to come back and take the part time offer.

 

I probably wouldn't be able to get back into this one, but I imagine I could comfortably get temp work within HE anyway. I've done a variety of work and this job has made me pretty sufficient with the database system most places use. Not exactly my proudest achievement...

 

Accept then quit straight away. Then you have a comfy month to find the freelance work.

 

I would need to source a microphone so I can drop it and say "Ashley out!"

 

As for your current situation...I'm not sure. How quickly do you think you'll get freelance work?

 

No idea...there's so many factors (if my work is any good, projects going on, the general market etc).

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Seems like you have a good offer to try the freelance thing with pretty much no risk. If things are going well and the job is in the way, quit and you're all set up. If things go badly and you need the job - you've still got it. Seems win/win to me to take their offer.

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I would defo do it gradually. Do 2.5 days in your current job, while doing 2.5 days freelance, and see which you prefer. Then after a year decide whether to drop the remaining days.

 

I'm sure you could still do the animation even if you weren't working in weeklong blocks.

 

Also, might you be able to get more contacts from your current job if you stay there?

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Like others I say take the offer.

 

Give you the time to find teh freelance stuff you're after while still having some monies come in.

 

If you find a freelance gig that requires a full 5 days a week then at least you have that 1 month notice period instead of 3 months.

 

Also like @Cube said re: the title

 

 

DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!

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As the others, I would take the part-time job for now. Especially as you don't know yet how much freelance work you can get and if you can earn enough that way. The part-time job is a nice safety net.

 

I would love to be able to get a part-time job and work the rest as a freelancer! Not many workplaces will give an offer like that I think, so I would gladly accept it. =)

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Don't worry, if I was leaving I would give staff a heads up :p

 

I know the PT stuff is more sensible, and what I'm leaning to, but goddamn it I want to shout "I'm leaving" from the rooftops!

 

Chatted to a colleague about it which helped me to think about it out loud. Plus it was nice and sunny and we were sat by the river. Not important, but thought I'd paint a picture.

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Someone did something similar at my work recently. We all got told a designer was leaving but then they ended up staying on to reduced hours and alternating weeks working from home and in the office. If you can fit it around what you're doing it seems a good opportunity to pursue a risky venture whilst retaining a degree of security.

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I keep considering leaving my job, but i havn't yet.

 

In your situation, it is always better to find work in work. So as others have said, take the offer of 2.5 days for now and find some freelance work to fit around the 2.5 days.

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I'd say the security of some work at the moment, coupled with increased flexibility and a shorter notice period is probably of benefit. Roll with it til you need to, and as Daft pointed out, your notice is so much shorter anyway that it isn't a bad deal.

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Unless you can live for free, you need to keep money coming in while chasing freelance work. The only circumstances where it's a good idea to quit a day job for freelance is if you have enough savings (or paid projects lined up) to cover your financial requirements for a long time. Most people balance both for an extremely long time before making the jump to solely freelance income.

 

My advice is to keep your full day job and take on freelance projects on the side. Since you're already earning a steady income, you'll be able to concentrate on expanding your portfolio rather than earning enough to make ends meet.

 

If you hate your current job too much to stay... find another job you can survive on. You may even find you'll hate your day job less when the freelance stuff starts taking root - it'll serve as a constant reminder you won't be stuck in your current job forever.

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I keep considering leaving my job, but i havn't yet.

 

In your situation, it is always better to find work in work. So as others have said, take the offer of 2.5 days for now and find some freelance work to fit around the 2.5 days.

 

To do what though?! Fez Report full time?! :P Here's where Ashley's would make sense...make the leap...with the security of an income from part work once the freelance stuff takes off then you can quit.

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My advice is to keep your full day job and take on freelance projects on the side. Since you're already earning a steady income, you'll be able to concentrate on expanding your portfolio rather than earning enough to make ends meet.

 

BUT I WOULD DIE. Seriously, canne find the time to do everything any more. Okay I could cut down on some things (gym, learning Italian, social life) but I don't wish to.

 

Doing 2 days would be enough to cover rent and a few hundred left over (guestimating rent, as I move next month but don't know where to). I have enough savings to get by for about a year sans job.

 

And as it turns out, if I did about 23 hours I would get the same as I got working full-time at my last job. Gives an indication into my salary jump!

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I feel exactly the same about being unable to find time to do everything, it's horrible to be constantly pulled in all kinds of directions away from where you want to be. If you can make the part time thing work for you, I say go for it. Nothing to lose!

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BUT I WOULD DIE. Seriously, canne find the time to do everything any more. Okay I could cut down on some things (gym, learning Italian, social life) but I don't wish to.

!

 

 

Oh, my heart fairly bleeds for you. What a pitiable situation you find yourself in.

 

It really puts my 72 hour working week into perspective, where I barely earn enough money to pay the mortgage, student loan, pension and £10 a week social life (that I have no time to enjoy because of, um, the work). Gosh I feel so terrible for you.

 

Stop whining. Just go part time and see if it works for you.

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Oh, my heart fairly bleeds for you. What a pitiable situation you find yourself in.

 

It really puts my 72 hour working week into perspective, where I barely earn enough money to pay the mortgage, student loan, pension and £10 a week social life (that I have no time to enjoy because of, um, the work). Gosh I feel so terrible for you.

 

Stop whining. Just go part time and see if it works for you.

 

I wasn't trying to suggest I have it bad, I know that I don't. I was just discussing my situation...

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I wasn't trying to suggest I have it bad, I know that I don't. I was just discussing my situation...

 

It sounded to me like you were bemoaning your lot. Fair enough if that's not the case. I envy you the choices open to you.

 

I'm in a situation where if I earn less than 2k a month, I will be shafted by the bank, the UK government, the Chinese government and my future self. And all I want to do is take a part-time ELT job in a shitty language centre where I have no responsibility and no worries, but take a cut of 500 quid a month. But, no choice.

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