Report From 20 Years in the Self-Employment Trenches

Many technical communicators are interested in working independently at some point in their careers. For some it’s a choice; for others, it may be a stop-gap on their way to their next “full-time” job—which may or may not ever materialize.

The world of work is changing however, and today’s definition of a “full-time” job may be quite different tomorrow. While change is never easy, it can be managed. What is needed is an understanding of what those changes in how we work mean to us and what we can do to ensure their ramifications are positive. Webinar attendees will also learn about recent regulations that have changed the “self-employment trenches,” some for the better. They will also learn that some aspects of working independently that might appear difficult to handle can actually be managed quite easily, while other factors that appear less of a problem really deserve higher priority. Learning how to differentiate between these two categories is a major skill that helps independents increase their success.

What will be covered:

• How the organization of work has been changing
• Why and how technical communicators are positioned to take advantage of these changes
• What it’s likely to mean to you (and everyone else)
• Why it’s good—and why it may not be so good
• Lessons learned from 20 years in the self-employment trenches