Freelance 101:
Chronicles for the Self-Employed

by Leanne Rollins, Membership Manager

Another life-altering decision

I’ve gone and done something crazy—I accepted a full-time position. No, seriously. I know, I know. All my talk about how great freelancing is, how it’s a wonderful complement to the lifestyle I want, and wham! In just one minute, I signed it away. You’re probably wondering why I did this ghastly deed? Honestly, it’s complicated. Let me explain.

I signed on with this particular client in November. It was clear from the start that they could benefit from my skills in ways other than just pure writing. After the Team Lead abdicated for another opportunity, all direction for the product documentation was lost. Then, the writing team took another hit when a struggling junior also left the company. The only writer left is a senior with great writing skills and absolutely no desire to lead or set direction. With a budget to hire only one person, this company needed both a leader and a hard worker. When they first offered me the job, I turned it down immediately. But then, I watched them go through a painful process of trying to find just the right person. After a few months, they ganged up on me. In force.

Explain yourself!

But that isn’t why I eventually accepted the job. Over the course of these months, I began to see the possibilities for change at the company. In the absence of leadership, I stepped up to help even though I was just a contractor. Before my arrival, Development saw no need to review the “technical” documentation. I fought tooth and nail to change that, and I saw the “light” come on (we caught major errors that explained why users called support so often). I realized that this company was open to change. They just needed someone to push ahead and show them the way to better docs and to a better process.

And so, in part it’s the challenge that has engaged me. Freelancing has offered a challenge in a different way. It’s been more about the chase—getting a client and keeping the client happy. But the day to day work has been mostly pure writing. I needed that for a while. And now, I think I need the challenge of looking at the bigger picture–planning the corporate documentation strategy (did I mention that the head of R&D doesn’t believe in online help?), executing the strategy over time, and working as part of a team to pull it all together. What fun! Ah heck, I just like to be needed. Simple as that.

The chance to be part of something

And the other part? It’s the lure of the team. In just 16 months, I had five full-time job offers. Although I was tempted by other offers, this was the first offer that piqued real interest. What then, is different about this client than the others? I’ve been onsite now for almost six months, and they welcomed me with open arms. I have gotten to know most of the employees (it’s a fairly small company), and I feel part of something. With all of my other clients, I never really got to know the rest of the team or to spend a lot of time understanding the culture. This client has been completely different—I’ve come to understand the personalities, the dynamic, and yes, the politics. And it is something I want to be part of.

A foot in both worlds

I’m not giving up the freelancing world entirely–I plan to keep taking small contracts for some of my clients that I can manage during my “off” hours. And this company offers excellent flexibility, so I can still get my runs in when I need to, and perform my taxi duties as required. Best of all, they agreed to delay my start until July. Yep, that means one whole month all to myself without ANY work whatsoever. A looong vacation! I figure I’ll need that time to rest up and get ready to meet the new challenges that lie ahead.

You haven’t heard the last of me

And so, this means the end of the Freelance chronicles, at least for now. But Quill readers haven’t heard the last of me. I plan to write a new series for the next STC season that reveals my journey back into full-time employment and all the challenges that I will meet along the way. And if you want to know which client I signed with, you’ll have to email me to find out!

About Leanne Rollins

Leanne recently became a self-employed contractor, escaping management roles for the first time in years. This newfound freedom has allowed Leanne to take on extra-curricular activities such as a more active role in the STC. When not writing or playing with her kids, Leanne enjoys running and soccer.