Franklin McMahon hosts the popular Media Artist Secrets podcasts. While you’re there, sign up at iTunes to get the last 6 or so episodes. For an easier way to see the extensive list of what he’s done so far, go to Odeo.

Review of Media Artist Secrets: Quitting Your Day Job

Episode 9 is a short, 12 minute podcast touching on quitting your day job, turning away work, taking on cheap jobs and immersing yourself in your craft.

My main interest in this podcast is Franklin’s good job, bad job tips.

• How to judge if you are ready to leave your day job.
• How to figure out if it’s the best time to go.
• Do you start your own company, or work for someone else.

Good jobs, bad jobs

Good jobs: These are where you’re learning and gaining experience. And not just about the creative end. Even if you don’t intend on running your own company, learning how to deal with staff, vendors and clients is just as valuable as becoming a better designer.

It’s similar to advice given in the first Podcast Humpday, where James Archer described how he gained the necessary skills to strike out on his own by working for others. It was the acquired experience that gave him the confidence to launch Forty Media.

Bad jobs: These are where you are just putting in time. Where you are not adding value. You clock in, then clock out again.

You be the judge

What’s your legacy?: One way to tell if you are in a good or bad job is the legacy you leave. If you left today, would your place of employment be any different than before you started? Ask yourself, did you implement anything new? If not, then you’re just putting in the hours.

If you are a clock watcher, Franklin’s suggestion is to leave. Reason? Because it’s not beneficial to either.

It’s excellent advice. And pretty rough.

And in most circumstances I agree. Not moving forward is a career killer.

But for some out there, it’s not always practical. Take those who are unable to start their own business due to heavy financial responsibility (young family to support, years of student loans to pay off, huge mortgage). Or maybe they are just not suited to running their own business (for whatever reason). Tie that in with the lack of choice when it comes to a slightly less, equal, or better paying job. Ouch.

In those circumstances it’d be a tough decision to make. Either to stay, or go. But it all has to be taken under consideration when taking a leap. To wherever. If the decision is to stay, perhaps evaluate why the clock watcher, and why not the instigator. And what you can do about it before your creative juices dry up and fly away.

powered by ODEO

For the sequel, listen to Episode 10 – Quitting Your Day Job.

Until the next
Podcast Humpday,
cat