Job Hunting Chronicles

Happy Sunday 📰 I'm in the middle of cat sitting for a new client. Her cats are VERY shy, I didn't even see them when I went over for our meet and greet. I told the client not to worry, cats usually end up coming around to me. We'd be fine. So I've been going over twice a day since Wednesday (the job finishes on Memorial Day), and while there's been evidence that they've been out when I'm not there, they haven't dared show their fluffy faces in my presence. That changed this morning. I saw one of them sitting in the window as I drove up (but of course, s/he was gone when I came in). Then after doing my routine, I decided to sit in a chair that looks down the hall to the bedroom and guess what I saw? A cat...just staring at me. But more importantly, not running away. I took a quick picture to send to the owner, stating I *thought* it was Ivy but I wasn't sure (per the owner, both cats look very similar with Ivy being smaller - not much to go on if...

Happy Friday 📰 I love #MemorialDayWeekend because it's the unofficial kickoff to Summer ☀️ I'm in the middle of a cat 🐈 sitting job that goes through Memorial 🇺🇲 Day so I don't get the day off but I am taking the weekend off from the job search. Hopefully I'll be able to read 📖 a little while sitting out on my balcony. Enjoy your weekend, whatever you do. #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #WorkFromHome #RemoteWork #CatSitting #CatSitter #WorkLifeBalance #JobHuntingChronicles

Happy Thursday 📰 On Monday, I spoke with someone who had reached out to me about paying their bills for them each month. It was just an informational phone call, no pricing was discussed, but I could tell she was hesitant to move forward. I sent her a thank you email that day. This is her reply (and yes, she misspelled my name). Most people who do things the old school way are harder to convince to change. They're comfortable with what works. And I'm a big proponent of doing what works for you. This isn't a business, it's someone's personal finances, and if they like writing checks for their bills each month, there's not a lot I can say to change their mind. Is it wise to start setting up the ability to pay online in the event something happens that makes it difficult for her to write and sign checks? Yes. But she's not there yet. And that's ok. Sometimes as a freelancer, I have to think of a "no" as a "not right now". I know othe...

Happy Tuesday 📰 If you're looking for a job, you've undoubtedly come across a post like this one. This person gives no information about the job. Nothing. Now, I realize this is most likely a very small company (based on where I saw this post) and they probably don't know how to advertise for a job, so I messaged this person asking just two questions: • Are you hiring full or part time? • Are you hiring an employee or independent contractor? (not that I expect them to know the difference) I've yet to hear back, which makes me think it's a scam, or the person conducting the job search can't be bothered. Either way, I'm glad I didn't hand over a resume and portfolio just because the ad asked for it. Job seekers, please be careful when applying for a job. I know it's tough out there - believe me, I'm in it with you, but there's no way I'm sending my resume to someone who can't answer a couple of basic questions. Everyone has to d...

#MerryMonday  📰 When I was working in an office, I sat in my chair (and not a great one) ALL DAY LONG. One job, I had so many Teams meetings that the only time I got up was to go to the bathroom, go to get water, go to pick up lunch, or go to the conference room for an in-person meeting. Other than arriving to and leaving the office (and the examples I listed), I felt like I was chained to my chair. And believe me, my back suffered because of it. So this is your friendly reminder to get up and move throughout the day. Your body will thank you. #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #WorkFromHome #RemoteWork #CatSitting #CatSitter #WorkLifeBalance #JobHuntingChronicles

Happy Thursday 📰 The hardest part of freelancing (for me) is turning down a potential client. I work REALLY HARD to try to meet them half way but I've learned walking away is sometimes necessary: ➡️ Think my fees are too high? I wish you luck in finding someone who can do it as well as I can but for less money... ➡️ Can't decide what you actually need help with? Let me know when you figure it out... ➡️ Think you can do it better/faster than I can? Be my guest... ➡️ Your previous person only charged $x? Go back to them... ➡️ Expect me to be available whenever you want? Here's my on-call fee... It's definitely been hard but I realized if I don't set boundaries, a potential client can start out with unreal expectations. #freelancer #FreelanceWork #FreelanceLife #WorkFromHome #RemoteWork #CatSitting #CatSitter #WorkLifeBalance #JobHuntingChronicles