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A comment on How to balance full-time work with creative projects.

Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by perfunctory on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @02:07PM (#18545564)
The best way is simply not working full-time. Work part-time. I know you'll now come up with all sorts of excuses why it's hard/impossible. But hey, you want to do a creative project. That implies you are a creative person. So get creative. I assume the partial loss of income is not a problem. Can't be in our industry. So go negotiate with your boss. Negotiate hard. Your boss can't agree because he needs someone to occupy a desk - work half a day. Trade other benefits. Get your colleagues on board. No luck - change jobs, become a freelancer. Hack, you could even become a freelancer at your own former employer. There are plenty of options. Get creative!
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by frankhorrigan on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @04:20PM (#18546886)
YMMV, but:

My previous employer told me part time w/ benefits was impossible. When I found a new job that offered part time w/ benefits, my previous employer made me a counter-offer: part time w/ benefits.

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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by snowisgone on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @10:19PM (#18549034)
How did you find the job that offered part-time? Is there a list somewhere for this?
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by frankhorrigan on Wednesday November 28, 2018 @02:06PM (#18554583)
HN Who's Hiring thread ~4 years ago.
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by onemoresoop on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @06:27PM (#18547855)
Did you take it?
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by frankhorrigan on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @07:30PM (#18548216)
Took the new job. Wanted the chance to learn from new people.

It was the right choice.

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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by default-kramer on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @03:09PM (#18546203)
Yep, I got this and I love it. Alternating one week on, one week off at about half my previous salary. I just released version 0.1 of a passion project, and now I think I'll take a break to practice bass guitar and play video games.

It does sting a little bit to be saving so much less for retirement. On the other hand I wouldn't mind working part-time forever. I just hope age discrimination in tech isn't as widespread as some people say...

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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by snowisgone on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @10:21PM (#18549045)
Can you tell me more about how you did this? Would love to chat about this option because it's very appealing to me.
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by default-kramer on Wednesday November 28, 2018 @11:03AM (#18552550)
I was the entire IT department at a small company. (Maybe 50% development; the rest management, sysadmin, and support.) I was pretty sure I could convince my bosses to allow it, since I perform well and am hard to replace. The only hard part was finding someone to share my job with me, because my bosses didn't want to increase my budget. Luckily someone in my network liked the idea, and now we share a job.
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by scarecrowbob on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @02:27PM (#18545802)
I think it's incredibly hard to do this.

But it's not impossible. I managed to do it; that's how I can afford to be a musician and play paying gigs.

I had to negotiate a position at a very small firm, but I get a salary based on a 30h week and I've been doing that for several years now.

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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by chadcmulligan on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @06:58PM (#18548046)
yes, this. I'm doing this and negotiating firmly is the key, but stick to your guns, be prepared to not get as much money as you could if you're full time, but if you have valuable skills then in the current market its certainly doable. They'll grumble a bit at first but once its a fact then life is smooth.
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by _1fxn on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @10:22PM (#18549048)
How much did you lose from your initial compensation?

I am looking to do this, but I'm ~1 year in. How viable is this?

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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by chadcmulligan on Wednesday November 28, 2018 @06:55AM (#18550837)
oh nothing hourly - just pro rata. But a lot of higher paying jobs are less flexible. The one I have now is a good balance - for me anyway.
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by magic_beans on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @02:46PM (#18545999)
> The best way is simply not working full-time

I would LOVE this, but I can't get insurance or benefits this way (in the US).

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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by mk926 on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @10:07PM (#18548978)
If we do love this, I think we will eventually find a way. Just prepare for this.
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by baroffoos on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @08:09PM (#18548416)
Move to a better country.
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by jcoffland on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @02:48PM (#18546014)
You can buy your own insurance and save for your own retirement.
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by mathgeek on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @04:01PM (#18546687)
> You can buy your own insurance

Depending on where you live in the US, this can be more costly than it's worth (compared to group coverage).

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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by jcoffland on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @04:29PM (#18546993)
With group coverage you are paying much more than you think. The cost to your employer could have been paid to you as wages. The best option for buying your own insurance is to buy the absolute minimum coverage with high deductible and HSA option. Then put money in the HSA and save on income taxes.
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by dragonwriter on Wednesday November 28, 2018 @01:42AM (#18549701)
> The best option for buying your own insurance is to buy the absolute minimum coverage with high deductible and HSA option.

It's probably the highest expected return, but the greatest exposure to downside risk (conversely, buying the near maximum coverage HMO plan is probably the lowest average return, but least exposure to downside risk.)

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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by qud on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @07:09PM (#18548102)
So this is a stupid questions but, what's the importance of buying insurance? Is it mandatory or something? PS. I life in Australia
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by codazoda on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @11:13PM (#18549246)
It is mandatory in the U.S. as of a few years ago. There is around a $2,000 annual fine if you don't purchase insurance.
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Re:How to balance full-time work with creative projects by driverdan on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @09:11PM (#18548707)
Why not? Make it part of salary negotiations.
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