Imagination Versus Reality

[ladysprite]

When I started doing relief work, I was fairly certain that it would take a while to truly fill up my schedule and become busy. I thought that, for at least the first month or so, I'd be working half-time at best.

This was a bit scary on the financial front, but I figured it was unavoidable. And while I love working and would miss the steady challenge of cases, I managed to wrap my mind around the sudden suspected influx of free time. To be honest, I was kind of looking forward to it.

Days off. Free time. I had such high plans for projects at home. I was going to finish sewing a dress, and chew through at least most of my next translating project. I would bake bread from scratch, and make cookies in the evenings, and prepare for teaching dance, and tidy the house, and catch up on reading, and renew my relationship with the exercise bike, and generally get to know myself and my mind again.

Instead, I've somehow wound up working upwards of 40 hours a week, squeezing in job interviews in between shifts, and spending most of my nights desperately trying to catch up on errands that get neglected when you're out of the house for 15 hours at a stretch three days in a row. I haven't had time to reheat leftovers, let alone think about baking, and my sewing and translating projects are buried under a stack of invoices, Mapquest printouts, and hastily scribbled schedule notes.

I think i need to reacquaint myself with the concept of the happy medium. Also I need to take my own advice and embrace the power of No. I feel like a squirrel in autumn, suffocating under a pile of nuts that he's desperately hoarded against winter, though - there's an element of fear, of having to grab every possible hour of work now because I might not have any later.

Happy medium. Without sleep and sanity, there won't be any later to work in. So much easier said than done....

Comments

[z-gryphon.livejournal.com]

I think i need to reacquaint myself with the concept of the happy medium.

"reacquaint"? You've been pretty much incapable of moderation since I've known you, at least... I'd formed the suspicion that it was congenital. :)

[alexx-kay.livejournal.com]

If you *could* master the art of "No", you might consider whether this could be a longer-term career style. If there's that much demand for relief work, you might be abe to do that "permanently" for about 40 hours a week, without getting a more traditional job. Much less office politics and much more flexibility about time off -- but also less stability. I don't know if that would suit you, but it's something to consider.

[siderea]

So, this relief work... is it the equivalent of temping? (e.g. there is a company you work for on a w-2, and they rent you out to the clinics that need short-term help?)

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

Not really - it's more along the lines of me going through the phone book, and sending a letter to every vet clinic in driving distance saying, 'Hey, call me if you need someone to cover any shifts.'

There's a woman who runs a temp placement service that I'm working with too, but I'm not employed by her. I'm an independent contractor, with all the ups and downs that ensue....

[siderea]

There's a woman who runs a temp placement service that I'm working with too

Have you chatted her up, yet? She might be able to give you some insight to any cyclicality of the industry, and how much work is out there over a longer span of time.

BTW, something to think about: is it possible that the reason you've gotten so many offers for work is that you're undercharging the field by a lot? Maybe you should raise your rate?

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

I've talked to her, and she's definitely been helpful. Another friend of mine who does exclusively relief work has been purely amazing, with advice on both the veterinary and the independent contractor ends.

I've talked around, and set my price around the low-middle end of the spectrum, since I'm both a fairly new grad and new to relief work, but it's still definitely within the range of reasonability and more than enough for me to live on if I get steady work.

Right now, given the dearth of good full-time jobs available that are both to my liking and in my area, it looks like I may be doing this for a while....

[siderea]

P.S. Have you done this independent contractor thing before? If you have any questions, ask; there's only a zillion of us on your flist. :)

relief vet shortage

[wren13.livejournal.com]

See, I warned you! I could definitely work more if I wanted to, I try to limit myself to 14 days/month, but it keeps creeping upward (all that money for bills...)
Do leave some time for yourself. I'm hoping to get my new PDA up and running with a color coded schedule, so I can say NO more easily

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Sorry you haven't had the free time, but glad you're getting such a positive response!