[Photo via]

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth.

- Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken”

…

Earlier today, I posted on my personal blog about the fear of missing out on alternate lives due to the decisions I make.

I waxed eloquent (I hope) on how worried I am that, because of ways in which I’ve settled in and settled down, there are no more surprises around the bend.

Funny that the same neuroticism doesn’t plague the way I approach my career.

At least not anymore.

About two years out of college, I was unemployed, and had just run through the last of my unemployment benefits. I had interviewed at two places, and was offered a job at one of them. The problem? It was outside of my field of interest, and I worried that accepting a job outside of my ideal industry would prove to be a huge setback.

I ended up accepting the position, because I was desperate, but left within a month after suffering a major panic attack. I had started receiving e-mails from a book publisher, and feared I was missing out on a major opportunity.

It wasn’t until later that my new shrink pointed out to me that I’m never truly stuck.

I’ve taken her lesson to heart, and have since dared to dream bigger…to want more…to want to learn more…to want to do everything!

My husband says I’m unfocused. But who needs focus when you’ve got a patchwork paycheck?

Want to live multiple careers? Try some of the following, and leave more ideas in the comments!

• You’ve taken plenty of writing courses. Why not take a photography course so as to improve the visuals of your blog posts? Or take an improv class and use your newfound courage to teach others? Or, heck, learn how to play the ukulele, and squeeze in some performances on the side.
• You’re an expert at what you do. Why not try consulting? Or mentoring? Or some type of life coaching?
• Go on a Vocation Vacation, or find your own industry guru to shadow temporarily. If you have the time, it might even be worthwhile to try out an internship in a field that holds some interest to you.
• Try working abroad for a set period of time. Or if that seems way too daunting, stay at an artists’ community and focus on your work while surrounded by other creative minds.
• Take the skills you use every day and put them to use for the greater good. Sites like VolunteerMatch can help you find the volunteering opportunities that work best with your schedule, skill set, etc. (I’m most intrigued by Girls Write Now.)
• Think back to what you wanted to be when you “grew up.” It’s not too late! (Though I don’t think the ballerina lifestyle is in the cards for me…)

What have you done to mix things up in your career?

]]> http://www.freelancedom.com/2009/01/27/following-multiple-paths/feed/ 1 http://www.freelancedom.com/2009/01/23/side-jobs-go-back-to-school/ http://www.freelancedom.com/2009/01/23/side-jobs-go-back-to-school/#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:03:09 +0000 Steph Auteri http://www.freelancedom.com/?p=345

Since money became especially tight about four months ago, my mother has been suggesting that I become a substitute teacher. My response? I’m the type of person who can’t even control 4-year-olds. An entire classroom full of any age would eat me alive.

Still, as far as side jobs go, teaching is a good one for freelancers, and I don’t mean subbing. Those who teach classes and workshops in their area of expertise can bring in a good amount of extra cash, in addition to extending their brand, establishing themselves as an expert in their field.

What are some avenues through which you can explore teaching?

The Learning Annex: Offering over 8,000 events a year across the United States, the Learning Annex can be a hit-or-miss grab bag for students looking to learn more about health & wellness, business, spirituality, or personal growth. Perhaps you’re the teach who can deliver the goods? The Learning Annex also offers online courses.

Gotham Writers’ Workshop: Another school offering both online and in-person (NYC only) classes, the Gotham Writers’ Workshop specializes in creative writing. Their full slate of courses, however includes article writing, business writing, memoir writing, and just about anything else you can think of. You can find more information about joining the faculty here.

ed2go: My husband has taken some classes through ed2go. It’s actually a network of more than 1,500 college, universities, and other schools across the U.S., Canada, and Australia. All classes are online, and the course catalog seems to cover the breadth of human knowledge, from computers and technology, to writing and language, to outdoor survival techniques (!).  Read more about applying to teach here.

eClasses: Another site the hubby’s taken online classes through is eClasses, a smaller-scale operation focusing on web design, web programming, and eCommerce. With only 60 online courses, competition for teachers can be fierce. They’re looking for instructors, though!

mediabistro: I’ve taken a couple mediabistro classes before, for stuff like QuarkXPress and magazine writing, but classes span aspects of the entire media industry. If you have an idea for a class, draw up a proposal and send it on in. mediabistro sometimes even posts ads for instructors on their own job boards!

Colleges and Universities: At one continuing education class I took at the New School, the prof told us that she had started teaching in order to support her writing habit. She continued to do it because she realized what good karma it was. Extend your own good karma by teaching a class at your local university. As far as requirements go, a Masters in your field is preferred, and at least 18 grad. credits are required. You can also teach remotely! Check out this directory of online degree and certification programs.

The Conference Circuit: Hop onto the conference circuit. Panels, workshops, and lectures abound.

Corporate Consulting: I don’t know much about this, as the corporate world frightens me, but mediabistro has a helpful piece on going “From Freelancer to Consultant” right here.

Earlier in the week, we discussed how the very act of being prepared can strengthen one’s self-confidence.

Today, I’d like to go over the various forms such preparation can take.

If you’re teetering on the edge of starting up your own freelance business, such steps toward readiness will take your plans from romantic to realistic.

Become Active In Online Forums/Blogs Specific To Your Interest:

As someone with an invested interest in writing and publishing, I’ve been spending time on the MediaBistro bulletin boards — and been reading the MediaBistro articles — since my college days. Such a forum allowed me to learn more about the field, and ask questions of those more experienced than I, for little no cost. Since I’ve begun focusing on blogging, blogs such as ProBlogger have given me a free education in just about everything I’ve needed to know, and blogs such as this one, and FreelanceSwitch, provide great tips for building your own at-home business. Search through Alltop to find blogs that focus on your own area of interest, or look through the blogrolls of the blogs you’re already reading.

Head To Your Local Library or Bookstore:

I’m a firm believer in the power of a good how-to or self-help book (as evidenced by a previous blogging project), and strongly encourage you to read up on your dream career as much as possible. The great thing about books is that they lay everything out for you — in an extremely user-friendly format — all in one place. For example, when Darren Rowse came out with his ProBlogger book, I immediately ordered it. It’s great to have on hand as a reference tool, as are all the other books I’ve read and marked up and tabbed. Go to the library and get your books for free. If, like me, you’d rather build a library of books that you can re-read and mark up at will, buy your books used to save money. I order plenty of used books through Amazon, and also shop at a used book shop near me. At the local used book shop, I can sell back the books that aren’t worth keeping, and earn store credit, so that I barely pay for my books at all!

Talk To An Expert:

If you haven’t yet Made the Move, it could be a good idea to seek out informational interviews from those already in the field that interests you, so that you can make a more informed decision about whether or not this it’s right for you. For example, I’ve recently been considering getting a Masters in counseling, or certification as a career coach. In preparation, I’ve contacted two life coaches I found through the International Coach Federation, five career counselors I found through the Career Counselors Consortium, and a bunch of program directors at various universities. I suggest searching for similar sources of information through relevant professional organizations and, once you’ve set up your appointments, preparing for them in much the same way you would prepare to interview someone for an article. Remember to ask not only about salary/rates, but also about training and credentials, and personal experiences in the field.

Consider An Internship:

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’d like to reiterate: An internship — unpaid or otherwise — can give you low-pressure access and experience in an unfamilar field, while at the same time providing you with an opportunity to network like crazy. If your schedule can accomodate this (and many internships are quite flexible), it’s well worth a try.

Head Back To School:

I’m not necessarily suggesting that you earn an M.A. or Ph.D. in your field (though, in some cases, it could help), but many continuing education classes exist in which you can further your studies, or strengthen some shaky skills. I myself took courses in QuarkXPress, essay-writing, pitching, and more post-college, all for non-credit (which is both cheaper than for-credit classes, and a helluva lot less pressure). Not only did I learn some valuable tricks of the trade, but I was able to workshop my active projects and network with both my professor and my fellow students. Why not check out the continuing education opportunities at the schools near you?

Head Online:

If an on-campus class seems a bit too pricey, there are many courses you can take online, for a fraction of the price. So, while I spent about $500-$600 each to attend a few classes at the New School, hubby spent only about $80-$240 each to attend a trillion classes online, at sites such as eclasses.org, the HTML Writers Guild, the International Webmasters Association, and ed2go.

Buddy Up:

One of the additional benefits of the continuing education classes I took? I ended up forming a workshop group with several of my fellow students. With varying strengths and weaknesses among the lot of us, we were able to help each other out in a multitude of ways — from editing to contact sharing to troubleshooting plain and simple motivation. If you don’t have ready access to a group of peers who share your career interests, it could be worth joining a Meetup group for that purpose.

Practice Makes Perfect:

In closing, I can only say that practice makes perfect (as a comparison of this blog post to, perhaps, my Kindergarten-era poetry will attest). Into web design/programming? My husband likes to spend time practicing new coding and whatnot (don’t ask me; I’m web design clueless) on his own site, as a means of solidifying his own skills and knowledge. As for myself, I’ve maintained several personal blogs for years just to stay in practice. Learn by doing, and then repeat. There. I think you’re ready.