I have been in IT field over 10 years. It includes the booming time and depression era of internet. I have a Master degree in computer science. I am well trained. However, my career didn’t go smoothly. It had been hard for me to get a job because I was a foreigner, later on a green card holder, then a US citizen. I went through the hard life of being a foreigner.
It turns out that I have been a contractor all these years. I am used to be paid by hourly and no benefit. I know how to bargain and what I should get. I set up my own company entity and work for myself. However, I didn’t even make $30,000 last year with 5 contracts in hand. Two of them are $70/hr pay rate. It is hard to get clients. Even I get them. They are calculating each penny and it turn out that they will get rid of me as soon as they found somebody who is cheaper. A great sale’s effort is needed in deed. However, I am a straight technical person. I don’t like to spend much time on sale.
I work hard each day to keep up modern technology. One can not believe that I work 12 hours a day and 7 days a week. It is not exaggerate. I really conclude that it is really an easy job to work for somebody else. It will take 200% effort to work for oneself.
However, I am used to go solo and it is hard to get into a team. I began to think of an artist’s life lately. Those people can not stay in an office because they need creativity. If one merges himself into general public, he will loose his creativity. The trade off is that the artiest is starving often and most of them have been poor for the whole life.
I used to think that there is no way that I am the same as those artiest. However, I have learnt digital arts for about 5 years. I am much better a graphic designer than those who came out of school. Sometimes, people never thought that I came from science and engineering background. They see an artist in me.
Well, I am in an artist track. With all the degree and experience I have, I am living in poverty. I told to my husband today that I have to get a stable job to keep up income.
