Let’s quickly rewind to how I got to being a freelance writer !
Fact 1: After having worked for 14 years as a banking professional, I think I just got extremely disenchanted with the workings of the corporate world. In particular the continued focus on ‘business’ rather than on delivering excellent customer service ( which incidentally was my core responsibility), made it difficult to sustain the fighting spirit of a corporate warrior -believing that I could overcome the challenges and come out victorious towards achieving something tangible (a difficult proposition when you are dealing in customer service) and lasting (sustain levels of service consistently and not simply as a knee-jerk reaction to adhoc initiatives). I suppose many of you out there will understand exactly what I’m alluding to.
Fact 2: All my bosses praised me as being an indispensable resource, someone they relied on completely to get the work done, but I certainly felt that these statements were nothing but conciliatory pats on the back, while the real recognition alluded me. The fact that I changed only 3 organizations over 14 years did not help my progress either. I was never the hop-skip and jump category even when it came to jobs :0)!
Fact 3:About two years back I got married to a wonderful man who happens to be in a job that involves moving to a different location every 2-3 years. So we did the whole long distance marriage thing, only to realize that it was going to be extremely difficult for us to take time off from our work together. Invariably, one of us was in office while the other took time off and sat home twiddling thumbs!
All these facts forced me to acknowledge the following things :
So after nearly a year’s deliberation, I decided something had to give! Taking a decision that was entirely mine I decided to quit my job and find an alternate career. My husband offered me his absolute support regardless of what I decided to do but at the same time made it clear that he would not be party to the actual decision making, as he reckoned that I had to follow my ‘voice’ rather than get swayed by other people’s opinions on the matter, which included him and other members of the family.
Thus, began my quest to find a career that gave me some creative freedom and variety, a chance to be my own boss and enabled me to balance my life better. After having toyed with the ideas of opening a dog walking company, a placement consultancy, a training academy, I decided to work as a freelance writer, taking on projects related to online content and research. Two very important factors in my decision to be become a freelance writer were (a). I enjoyed writing and (b). I needed something that I could do from where ever and when ever I wanted.
And the reason why I am writing this blog is to capture my journey from now till the next one year and create a documentary of sorts of my experience, learning as I go down this road. I am hopeful that something good and concrete will come of recording my journey, if only to remind me of how far I might have come when I look back a year from now.
So my last day in office was 26th November 2012 and I am currently in the process of shifting my base so that I can join my husband. I intend to take a month off and my journey as a freelance writer in the true sense will take off from 1st January 2013.