People are opting out of corporate bullsh*t

I've been self-employed since I was 25 years old - which means I only lasted 4 years as an actual *employee*

I loved the work I was doing (strategic planning and policy in local government) and I wanted to keep doing it, but I couldn't stand the organisational overhead and life required to be a full time public servant.

The problem with traditional employment

My journey was a little different to many others. When I started my policy job, fresh out of university, I was 22 years old - and I already had two kids, a 5 year old, and a baby. I was used to running things on my own schedule.

I'd spent that year juggling my postgraduate course load, writing a thesis, and being a single parent to two young children, with no family support. Getting sh*t done was my forte. Perfect preparation for juggling a job and family, right?

Wrong.

When I entered the workplace, I was a bit... stunned. There was so much wasted time. I would race to get the kids ready and dropped at school/ daycare in time for the 830am start (a few minutes late and there'd be scowls from management) only to watch people cruise around chatting, reading news online and organising their desks for the day.

What had I raced here for?

Then, I'd spend half my time in meetings where people talked about work they theoretically wanted to achieve, and write reports about why all of our work programmes were delayed this year... again.

That, apparently, required me to stay until 5pm, and god forbid I left early, even if I'd done twice as much work as anyone else.?

I just didn't get it. My study and life had not prepared me for this. I was the first person in my family to go to university and get a professional job, so for the first few years, I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it was me? Maybe this is normal? Maybe life is supposed to be this way?

Choosing to leave

Eventually, I got frustrated, left, and started my own consulting practice.

Immediately, my life changed. I couldn't believe it. I even contracted back to the?same employer,?for more money, and got to focus on only the stuff that added value - workshops, research, recommendations and implementation - without any of the morning tea shouts and frustrating delays.

It felt like the ultimate life hack - did other people know you could do this?!

Back then, I was the only person I knew who'd gone out on their own as a consultant. 10 years on, my social and professional circles are full of us. We've walked away from the 9-5 in frustration and found a new path without all the endless corporate bullsh*t. Our lives and careers are in our control, our work is more fulfilling, and we're earning more money.

People are losing patience

I wrote a LinkedIn post recently about all the things I think are wrong with corporate culture, and it went totally bonkers. Turns out, there's lots of people who feel like I did - and according to the data, we're voting with our feet.

The scramble

Some companies can see the writing on the wall. They're scrambling to try and retain their best people, and to update their operating models to suit.

But hybrid working, wellness initiatives and long service leave won't cut it when people are trapped in boring meetings and working on reports that won't be read for projects that will fail. There's a rising tide of professionals opting out and for them, it's too little too late.

What I've noticed

This makes a lot of sense to me. I'm meeting this groundswell with my new programme -?Consultants of Choice: development for self-employed professionals?- and if the size of the waitlist is anything to go by, it's meeting a serious need.

I originally designed this programme for people to get their hands on useful templates to kick off or enhance their consulting business but a survey of 365 interested students soon made it clear that the real need is for frustrated, ambitious professionals who are trying to work out how to leave their job.

The pandemic has changed people, and they've had a glimpse of another life. They don't want to go back to being chained to their desk, wasting their precious lives tapping away at work that goes nowhere and feels crap.

They want freedom. Fulfilment. Time with their families. Time to engage with their hobbies. Work that feels like it makes a difference, not pours into an empty hole. I'm there for that, and I'm there for them.

Mostly, I just want you to know that if you're frustrated at work this week, and wondering if it has to be this way... you're not alone.

There are other options.?

Read more on this topic on my website ????

?? Should you start your own consulting business? A guide

?? Why now is the right time to start your business

?????? How to shape a fulfilling career

?? How to do scary things

?? The 8 most important self employment skills

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