part time or occassional work

[txdakini]

I quit megacorp five years ago, but not with the idea of retiring. That was still to be a few more years away. However, since this was a month after 9/11, no IT jobs were to be found. i looked for more than a year. Finally, I started my own business, but totally on my own terms. I work when I want, how much I want and doing only what I wish to do. This makes working a no-brainer. I can take summers off or work from wherever I am. I don't make anywhere near what I made in IT, but am considerably happier. I continue to work part-time and will do so for the foreseeable future.

Now that DH is retiring this summer, he plans to take 6 months off then decide if he wants to work part-time or not at all. His company has already asked him to continue working part-time. We don't have to work to make our plan, but may want to work if it's enjoyable or we want some huge extra that we haven't budgeted for or to support grandkids educations.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazygood4nothinbum just within the last few weeks i've been getting this odd sensation to go back to work.

Contact a couple of editors, have them abuse you on grammar & vocabulary, and see if they'll give you conflicting guidance & deadlines. That should cure you faster than antibiotics.

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 I have discovered that I am very strongly philosophically opposed to "work for hire". Funny thing is, I will happily "work for free" - i.e. volunteer, donate time and skills, etc. to a cause I want to support. I think of this as a gift, and I really enjoy giving gifts. But something about doing what someone else wants/needs for their purely commercial reasons for my monetary compensation - that just sets me cold.

The difference to me is that it takes an enjoyable activity that could be accomplished at my pace and turns it into something that has to be done on deadline. Money used to be a powerful motivator for those dissatisfiers, but no longer!

[lazygood4nothinbum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords Contact a couple of editors, have them abuse you on grammar & vocabulary, and see if they'll give you conflicting guidance & deadlines. That should cure you faster than antibiotics.

you just brought to memory this one editor who actually changed the weather in one of my news articles. what a freak. though i just saw an ad for new national online gay newspaper which i think is headquartered near me. might be fun. or i saw another interesting ad:

The clubs editor is responsible for creating and maintaining the most comprehensive clubs directory in South Florida. We're looking for someone who is detail-oriented, adept at problem-solving, knowledgeable about the local scene and not afraid to go out to clubs every week.

i get to party all night, sleep late & get paid? i can't think of anyone better qualified.

[kramer]

I just semi-FIREd so I did not actually vote. But after some decompression and travel the first year, I am strongly considering teaching English overseas for a year or two (this is my default plan right now). In addition to a search for adventure, this is an attempt to keep my SWR below 2% for the first five years of FIRE. I will feel safer drawing more than that in my late 40s. I would rather have worked longer for the money, but my job was so intensely boring that I just couldn't stand it anymore. During all of this planning, the market has gone up so much that I also have the option of just doing nothing. But I think I will stick with the original plan.

After an overseas experience and settling back in the US, I have thought about dabbling in seasonal work like tax preparation or some kind of business, but I am really not sure. I have not even ruled out getting a real tech job again if I am bored. I am trying to stay flexible. My main criterion is that any work should be seasonal.

Kramer

[wabmester]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramer After an overseas experience and settling back in the US, I have thought about dabbling in seasonal work like tax preparation or some kind of business, but I am really not sure. I have not even ruled out getting a real tech job again if I am bored. I am trying to stay flexible. My main criterion is that any work should be seasonal.

Kramer, get married and have a kid. You'll forget all about those crazy w*rk ideas.

[kramer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wab Kramer, get married and have a kid. You'll forget all about those crazy w*rk ideas.

wab, I respect your opinion a lot, so please don't scare me! Actually, one reason that I am keeping work options open and also keeping a higher percentage in equities than I might otherwise, is because I know that getting married someday is a possibility. My savings could support a frugal marriage, but there are not many of those to be found :P

Kramer

[wabmester]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramer My savings could support a frugal marriage, but there are not many of those to be found :P

I seriously think there's a market for a frugal high-net-worth match-making service. Rare qualities in individuals, so must be rare^2 in couples. I'm constantly surprised that no couples have come together through this forum.

In any case, enjoy the adventure! I remember what that burn-out towards the end feels like. You're in for nothing but upside now!

[renferme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha I remember Bennevis is a greater at Pirates games, which sounded fascinating.

Still working for the Pirates, but now as an Event Supervisor.
And still a great part-time job.

[Kitty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 But something about doing what someone else wants/needs for their purely commercial reasons for my monetary compensation - that just sets me cold. I REALLY enjoy the independence aspect of financial independence so much that I don't really want to be at any one else's beck and call. FWIW this strong bias only applies to me personally, capitalism is fine with me — I'm an investor after all! I just don't like demands on my time, my energy, or my soul. Audrey

WOW, that hit the nail on the head. I shiver at the thought of being under someone's thumb, do this do that and get it done before close of business today! Why? Because they screwed up or the one above them screwed up and now the lowest one on the totem pole has to suffer. Grrrrr.

I don't want to work for anybody doing anything. I might if I found the right work/position/business work for myself, as long as the time and conditions were flexible. Somedays I don't feel like doing a damn thing, I have chores to do and that is enough to satisfy my puritan soul

Kitty

[ESRBob]

Great thread.
One thing that a few people pointed out that I think is important: for some people, working PT and getting a salary is a comfortable, convenient way to stay engaged -- it's as if there is a structure there you can fit into and it makes the whole thing easy to be part of -- e.g. Ben's role at the ballgames.

For others (I'm in this camp personally, and Audrey put it really poetically), working for an organization's imperatives just feels like a loss of freedom. In this case, you can be drawn either to no work or to something self-directed. Doesn't mean you'll never have to deal with anyone or get somebody to pay you, but it's much more on your own terms. Mine are writing and sculpture - but the possibilities are truly endless. LG4NB getting to hang out in clubs every night, my wife announcing this morning that she'd like to become a personal shopper. The thought that someone born to shop could start being paid to shop makes her positively giddy. Travelling on an ER budget is a sort of avocation in its own right, and being a gardener, fisherman or golfer are clearly callings of a high order!

The concept of semi-retirement should be really wide, I think. Paid or unpaid, self-directed or employed, volunteer or just deeply involved in something you think is interesting or important. The point is to steer clear of the dark-side, slipping into some sort of netherworld of hermit/couch potato/depressive/low-energy narcissist. With enough money you can shut yourself off from responsibility and other people, at which point bad things start to happen.

[Martha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ESRBob The concept of semi-retirement should be really wide, I think. Paid or unpaid, self-directed or employed, volunteer or just deeply involved in something you think is interesting or important. The point is to steer clear of the dark-side, slipping into some sort of netherworld of hermit/couch potato/depressive/low-energy narcissist. With enough money you can shut yourself off from responsibility and other people, at which point bad things start to happen.

Thank you. Nicely said.

[RE2Boys]

Interesting poll! And now I have the time to monitor this board again.

I retired in early 2000 (on the last day that the early retirement dowsizing offer was available), worked as a consultant for about 18 months for a government contractor but that got old....too much like my career job except a little more control of hours.

So....in the dog days of winter......I work doing tax returns on a seasonal basis. Worked for the green block for several years but now I'm seasonal help at a CPA firm. They've been great and generally allowed me to set my own schedule, but it's been overtime the last few weeks. It sure reminds me how much I like being retired the rest of the year. And they know I don't "need" to be there so they don't get pushy at all. I try and keep it a win-win arrangement and will bust my butt for a short time when they need the extra push in late March/early April.

My last day was Tuesday, so I'm home surfing, going to go out for a jog, and get on with all my spring chores.

Closer to "seasonal" work rather than part-time.

RE2Boys

[kramer]

Quote:

I work doing tax returns on a seasonal basis. Worked for the green block for several years but now I'm seasonal help at a CPA firm. They've been great and generally allowed me to set my own schedule, but it's been overtime the last few weeks.

Hi RE2Boys, Do you mind if I ask how this career path worked? Did you have previous training in accounting? I have thought about eventually getting an Enrolled Agent status and doing taxes part time. But I really have no background in accounting. I thought of working for a chain tax firm before getting the EA, and then trying to get a seasonal job with an established local practice. I have heard that working for a chain tax firm (H&R, etc.) is really bad and the pay is horrible, though. So I have been skeptical about whether this whole path would be worth the effort.

Also, is your position 1099 or straight wages?

Thanks,
Kramer

[joesxm3]

One thing I noticed when I used to do contract programming assignments was that if I had a four or five week gap between assignments and happened to stop back in for a visit at the last one, the total absurdity of the work environment was laid out in crystal clarity. Everyone was rushing around focused on completely unimportant things, yet convinced that the fate of the world hung in the balance.

The sick thing is that once I was back on the next assignment I was one of them again.

I think that a part-time job after ER will run the same risk of falling back into the drink the koolaid line - or the total absurdity of it all will drive you nuts.

I have worked primarily in the insurance industry related IT world, so it may be different elsewhere, but I have a really hard time rationalizing doing large amounts of pointless work that in the end the cost of which is just passed along to society by a heartless evil corporate infrastructure that has evolved into a self perpetuating ecosystem where people delude themselvesw into thinking that thay are accomplishing something.

Dont' get me wrong - the individual people are probably ok, but the net result of the collective is not.

If it was not for the joy of "payday glorious payday" and watching th 65% of my takehome pay adding to the nestegg I would go nuts :-)

[renferme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ESRBob For others (I'm in this camp personally, and Audrey put it really poetically), working for an organization's imperatives just feels like a loss of freedom. In this case, you can be drawn either to no work or to something self-directed. T

In my case, I can select the days that I want to work - I'm not obligated to work
every ballgame. So, no real loss of freedom.

[ESRBob]

Ben,
I can imagine that working for a sports franchise or stadium would be a whole lot easier to stay attuned to than an organization like the back office of an insurance IT department. 8) Still, you need flexibility no matter what -- nice to know you have that and can pick games/dates you can be available.

[Martha]

I ran into an interesting "occassional" job that I wouldn't mind doing if I needed to do some work. Prepare students to take the LSAT, GRE, GMAT, etc. The ad I saw only had one requirement, that you tested at the 99th percentile. Though if I had to take any of the tests again I probably wouldn't qualify to get into grad school.

[Dreamer]

I just found out over the weekend that I did not get the part-time job. I was on a trip to Lancaster PA to see the play, In The Beginning, and called home to talk to DH and he told me. I am leaving Wednesday, to go with my sister to her house in VA for a week. I really do not have time at this stage of my life for even a part-time job. I am relieved that I did not get the job!

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dreamer I just found out over the weekend that I did not get the part-time job. I really do not have time at this stage of my life for even a part-time job. I am relieved that I did not get the job!

So now you can send them a thank-you card and really mean it!

I wonder if your name is on a callback list for the next vacancy...

[Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords So now you can send them a thank-you card and really mean it! I wonder if your name is on a callback list for the next vacancy...

I hope not and now I could say no and not feel bad, since I was not selected for the first job. I hope that the person that was selected, really needed the job and wanted to work and will be happy working there!