Summary

The content details the author's decision to transition from a long-standing career into full-time writing, amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the job market.

Abstract

The author reflects on the clichés surrounding the concept of timing in one's career, particularly in the context of a significant career shift. Despite being threatened with an action plan for poor performance, the author had planned to leave their job of twenty-five years to pursue a writing career. However, the onset of COVID-19 disrupted the job market and freelance opportunities for many, including the author's writing colleagues. Paradoxically, the pandemic also delayed the author's action plan at their current job, allowing them to continue earning a steady income while they prepare for an inevitable layoff. The author acknowledges the risks of starting a writing career during an economic downturn but remains determined to make the transition, believing it to be their true calling.

Opinions

The author believes that despite the timing being less than ideal due to COVID-19, pursuing a writing career is the right path for them.
There is a recognition that timing plays a crucial role in career decisions, as evidenced by the experiences of fellow writers who have lost work due to the pandemic.
The author views the decision to switch careers as a personal challenge to overcome timidity and fear, and they are committed to facing rejections and continuing to submit their work.
The author is pragmatic about their current job situation, accepting the likelihood of layoffs due to the economic impact of COVID-19.
There is a sense of self-awareness and humor in the author's assessment of their decision-making process, acknowledging the risk involved in their career transition during such an uncertain time.

Career

Undeniably The Right Thing To Do And Probably The Wrong Time To Do It

The Experts Tell Us Timing Is Everything

What are all the cliches and idioms about timing, whether good or bad? There’s no better time to start than now? Time never waits for anyone? How about being in the right place at the wrong time or the wrong place at the right time?

Or what about always being late to the party as I usually am.

A while back (in time…ahem), I wrote a story about life forcing me to make a career path decision. A complete divergence from the career path I’d been traveling on for the better part of twenty-five years.

The decision I was forced to make was after being served notice I was going to be put on an action plan because of poor performance at work. For the record in my twenty-five years of service, I’ve never been put on an action plan. Well, I then started planning my exit strategy and made the decision at the end of that ninety-day plan I was going to give two week’s notice and skedaddle.

My plan was (and still is) to embark on a career as a full-time writer. The idea was to ignore my timidity and fears and just go for it.

I was (again, still am) going to knuckle down and be part of a content mill if I had to. I’d decided I would welcome the inglorious rejections from publishing houses and magazines and shrug them off.

I was going to continue submitting until I snagged a yes. I promised myself I would tackle this career change with the same tenacity as I do my daily writing and I.Would.Make.It.

And then — COVID happened.

The experts tell us that timing is everything, and I’m sitting here chuckling as I force myself to admit they are probably right.

I know a lot of writing sisters and brothers who were making some pretty good coin in the freelancing gig economy until COVID came, and all their clients vanished.

There isn’t a day that streams by I don’t hear of or read about a freelancer’s backlog of jobs and clients swirling down the toilet. And these freelancers are struggling to fight back, to find new clients or implore old ones to throw a little work their way.

Most of them are finding paying clients, but nowhere near what they had before the COVID beast struck.

So, where does that leave little old me?

Well, because of the shelter-in-place and me working from home, the action plan never happened. Oh, I have no doubt it will sometime in the future, but for now, well, for now, I’m still drawing a paycheck and benefits from work and giving the company what they pay for.

Yes, I’m shamelessly accepting gobs of money (not that many gobs trust me) while I attend the conference calls, build the project plans and PowerPoints, and the Gantt charts for the three critical projects I’m currently running.

And being the “plan your work, work your plan” kind of guy I am, I’m still moving forward with my efforts to write full-time.

During work lulls, I’m sending out bids for freelancing gigs and submitting some of my work to magazines and publishing houses. Between these intermittent spurts of work, Monday through Friday, I continue to seek out writing employment. I’m moving toward my goal because I know due to COVID and the economic downturn, my company is probably going to have to sack me anyway.

The last company-wide conference call I was on (last week), the CEO started talking about layoffs right out of the gate.

Speaking of timing. It’s only a matter of time.

For me, I believe in my heart and my head that writing full-time is undeniably the right thing for me to do. It always has been. I’ve just been a coward and taken the easy way out.

I’ve said many times before being a writer is what I do, and it’s most definitely who I am.

Now the timing thing?

Yeah, I probably should have been a little better at that. Starting a writing career in the middle of an economic melt-down seems to be just a bit risky for my tastes, but then we all know what I say about my decision-making process, right?

Yeap, I ain’t the sharpest tool in the tool shed, or the brightest Crayola in the box.

So, there you have it, folks. I’m making the shift from one career to another career in probably the most jagged, haphazard manner ever, but it just might pay-out in the long run.

I guess only time will tell, huh?

When Life Actually Forces You To Follow Your Dreams

The Worst Moments Usually Help You Get There

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