I was recently having a conversation with some colleagues on Facebook and we were discussing the state of employment opportunities in the IT world (as many of you know, I have a strong corporate email consulting background). The topic centered around “are there jobs for older IT workers”, and quite honestly, many people concurred that there ARE jobs, but they are not regular employment.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

During this conversation, some argued that while there is no employment for older IT workers, there is contract work, and that often the older IT worker’s skills cannot be found amongst younger workers.  There was some lamenting that there was only contract work, and some admonition to younger workers that are looking for a long term career path, that contract work might not be something they want to embark upon, because the less employed one is, the less likely employers are to want you.

Hmm.  That really made me start reflecting and thinking.  Reflecting on the 20 year career I’ve had as a self-employed, work at home consultant “for hire”, and thinking about my three children and what they want to do with their lives.  Perhaps because they have had a role model in their lives who “works for herself” they have all voiced interested in somewhat entrepreneurial endeavors.  But regardless of why all three have entrepreneurial spirits, I believe they are on the right track.

I found this topic fascinating, because my friend Richard Bliss and I had just been discussing this very thing last week!  We were talking about the changing job world, especially in the context of “older” workers (as he had just turned 50 – whippersnapper!). When Richard and I spoke last week about this, our consensus (we typically agree on an awful lot) was that the job market has changed dramatically in our lifetimes. I didn’t come out of high school or even college with the idea that I would step out on my own and create my own business and my own business rules, but it happened. I’m not sure that Richard expected that for himself either.  But over the years we’ve both taken very similar paths and abandoned jobs for self-employment.

Working for yourself is not for everyone, I realize that!   In the group of colleagues discussing this topic, it was clear that some saw contract work as a compromise.  Something they had to do in tough times to get by, and something they would abandon if a real job came about. Others (like me) were the opposite.  A job for some of us would be a compromise (even a torture), and working for ourselves, on our own terms, was where we wanted to be.

So, to the topic of this message – I’m unemployable – and proud of it!  I do not have a job, I have a business and a career. I do not work every day, but I make money EVERY day.

If you too want to be happily unemployable, let me know.  I’d love to work with you to help that happen!  Just click here to contact me!

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Danita