I do career consulting (and resume writing) mostly for clients from tech. I think some arrangement where you had multiple forms of income (or potential income) might be a good solution for you. What might that look like?
- Freelance software development - This would give you some control over what types of projects you work on, and you could focus on areas that really interest you. Maybe it would be projects that enable you to learn a new language. You also can typically work from home, and you will be able to balance your time between different work.
- Freelance writing - If your writing is good you can certainly pick up some $$ here and there by writing articles for tech sites. I've done that for tech sites as a writer on career topics, and many of these sites are always seeking new content. The amount of money may not be a game changer, but if you enjoy the work you can probably make this 10% of your overall income.
Personal projects - Perhaps some of them can be monetized and you just haven't come up with the correct concept. Or perhaps you can come up with some ideas for projects that are both interesting and able to be monetized.
Working for yourself is quite motivating. I've done it for several years, and when failure isn't an option you will find ways to stay motivated. I spent 20 years in recruiting before transitioning fully to my current job (resume writing, content writing, career consulting, other freelance writing projects), and I've really enjoyed the change.
Some people aren't cut out for a 9-5. I certainly am not, and it doesn't sound like you are either.
Thanks for such a thoughtful response. What you're saying rings a bell. Do you think consulting with someone like yourself would be beneficial? I didn't know there was such a thing as career consultant.
I'm not sure if I'd be able to provide value or not, but feel free to message me with additional details and I can give you a more informed opinion. My career consulting work is often paired with resume and other services (LinkedIn, cover letters) where it serves to tie everything together, but I also provide 'consult only' packages to people who are trying to navigate unusual circumstances in careers.
Can you share some info about ‘career consulting’? How does one go about finding a career consultant? Do you work for clients direct? What are the deliverables? Meetings by the hour?
You could do a search on LinkedIn or just general web search for "career consultant" or the more popular term "career coach". I prefer "consultant" based on what I do and the level of service I provide. There are lots of people calling themselves "career coach" that are more about inspiring people (like a life coach) and less about providing actionable advice and solving real problems.
I do work for clients directly, and typically charge for consults on an hourly basis (which can be broken up into smaller sessions as necessary). My contact info is in my HN profile.
I've been paid by Dzone.com (for both writing and editing) and TechBeacon. I was published a few times by Lifehacker although I don't remember if those were paid (and they aren't what I'd consider a tech site).
Reaching out to site editors with a couple samples of work could find you getting work published. As a freelance software developer, getting paid to write is nice, but just getting published can help increase exposure and lead to more incoming requests for project work and improved reputation.
I would hesitate moving to a “3rd world” (I know not all developing countries are the same) long-term as I got the impression once you start caring about schools/healthcare (serious stuff, not getting some routine dental work) they become a lot less attractive.
Quite interesting to see (single) Westerners moving to Asia to find happiness, all the while here I'm born in India but had moved to the West to find independence and opportunities. Right now I'm looking towards achieving a balance: get dual passport and live 1/4th of the year in India and the rest in Canada (including other countries).
Works well for me as I prefer, and am happy, to be single.
The western singles looking for that (I assume) are still hoping to make their money in the West (remotely) and enjoy all the western privileges and “eastern” lower cost of living at the same time.
- Freelance software development - This would give you some control over what types of projects you work on, and you could focus on areas that really interest you. Maybe it would be projects that enable you to learn a new language. You also can typically work from home, and you will be able to balance your time between different work.
- Freelance writing - If your writing is good you can certainly pick up some $$ here and there by writing articles for tech sites. I've done that for tech sites as a writer on career topics, and many of these sites are always seeking new content. The amount of money may not be a game changer, but if you enjoy the work you can probably make this 10% of your overall income.
Personal projects - Perhaps some of them can be monetized and you just haven't come up with the correct concept. Or perhaps you can come up with some ideas for projects that are both interesting and able to be monetized.
Working for yourself is quite motivating. I've done it for several years, and when failure isn't an option you will find ways to stay motivated. I spent 20 years in recruiting before transitioning fully to my current job (resume writing, content writing, career consulting, other freelance writing projects), and I've really enjoyed the change.
Some people aren't cut out for a 9-5. I certainly am not, and it doesn't sound like you are either.