Feeling stymied; looking for help
Jon W. on January 29, 2016
Career Change, Career Management, Job Search, Work/Life/Cancer Balance
I am looking for advice, information and help in taking control of my work situation. I am 54, diagnosed in 2005 with a Giant Cell Tumor in my pelvis. I've had 3 resections and am currently undergoing chemotherapy and expect to have another surgery in the next few years. This tumor is really a chronic condition, generally not fatal but also not very treatable; it leaves me with chronic and unpredictable pain, generally at a 4 or less on the pain scale, and usually less than 4. Walking can be an issue. Sitting can generally be pain free for an average work day.
I have been working full time as a software developer for my entire career and throughout my treatments (with the exception of STD/recovery after surgery) and would generally describe my companies and industry as 'volatile'. I've survived hundreds of reorgs/layoffs and have also gotten caught up in a few as well. I have always survived the volatility by working hard, being focused and producing quality results.
I've discussed some of this with a Social Worker from the Cancer Center and she pointed me to your site/resources. She has suggested that I consider SS Disability as it is very likely I would be approved. I would prefer to work, simply because I really like writing software and can't sit idle for days/years. Also, I have less than 2 years to pay off my mortgage and I am trying to get that taken care off before taking an income drop. Fortunately my wife has a very stable job and carries our benefits, so I have a lot of flexibility, as I do not require work that provides health insurance.
I commute 2+ hours 5 days a week and am finding that my physical and emotional ability to do this is decreasing. My ideal work would be about 20-30 hours a week, working remotely from my home. I am feeling stuck by the 'standard' HR polices about traditional work as well as the current trend in my company (and in the software industry) requiring Agile teams to be co-located (no working remotely). I am reluctant to ask my company for any accommodations or change in my work hours because of the volatility and their lack of support for remote employees. Based on poor product revenue, I expect more downsizing within 6 months and even the potential cancellation of the entire product in which the full team would probably be laid off.
I am also finding it difficult to engage in a new job search because I am not seeing a lot of companies offering the flexibility that I want or need.
It has been suggested to me that I offer consulting services. That could be a possibility but I prefer writing quality code, not schmoozing clients, dressing up and managing accounts. I tend to be a 'doer' not a 'talker'.
So I see several possibilities (with my feelings about each in parenthesis):
- suck it up and keep doing what I am doing until something changes (layoff, reorg, surgery,...?) (this option feels 'trapped')
- Actively look for another job that offers what I really want (I've looked some but only at job openings in my area, of which there are not many)
- Approach my current employer and request an accommodation (less hours, more remote work) (I've been afraid of this option)
- Take SS Disability and use the income as a 'safe base' to start consulting (not sure about the complications of being on SS Disability AND earning income as well as making ends meet on reduced income) (feels risky)
I could use some help sorting through these options.
4 Comments
Sarah Goodell
Feb 10, 2016
Cancer and Careers Staff Comment:
Hi Jon,
Thanks for reaching out to us and apologies for the delayed response. We recently redesigned our website and are having some issues with the alerts when new questions come in, so I'm very sorry about that. I have sent your question over to our coaches who will be in touch soon.
In the meantime, I would recommend that you check out FlexJobs, it's a great resource for finding flexible work options: https://www.flexjobs.com/. It is membership based, but if you enter the code CANCER when you check out you will receive a 50% discount.
I hope that this is helpful, our coaches will be in touch soon.
Best,
Sarah, Manager of Programs, Cancer and Careers
Julie Jansen
Feb 10, 2016
Career Coach Comment:
Hi Jon,
I second Sarah's apologies about the delayed response to your email. I appreciate all of the background information you porvided and am so terribly sorry you have experienced so much trauma.
I am not an expert about SS Disability so I suggest that you immediately research the parameters that exist regarding the amount of income that you can or cannot earn. It might give you a little peace of mind to be knowledgeable about this. Asking your current employer for accommodations makes the most short-term sense to me. You don't say what you are afraid of. Is it being fired? If this were to happen, you could collect unemployment while you look for more flexible work. Or you tough it out for a few months and then ask for accommodations and this buys you a few more months to pay your bills. Regardless of what you do in the near future, you need to leave your job to take care of your health. I would actively look for flexible work and I am pretty sure that you can write software virtually. I would create a target list of companies and approach them as well as research the many sites that offer virtual work. I agree that consulting may not be a fit but what about also approaching IT temp firms to see what types of opportunities they have? I hope this is helpful and wish you good luck!
Take care,
Julie
Jon W.
Feb 10, 2016
Sarah and Julie, thanks for this information. One would think that it should be easy to find software work from a remote location which would fit my life better at this point but I don't think i have honed my skills to find that work ...mostly because I have not needed it and have some tension about needing a better health/life and getting my mortgage paid off with known steady income. I have gotten feedback on my resume from your service but I've asked again for ideas that might make me more attractive as a remote employee. I am interested in Flexjobs and have to figure out the how and when I actually make a step. This conversation is helpful and I want to approach it from a 'what I want and need' perspective not from a what I might have to suffer thru perspective. So my first goal is to work with you to revamp me resume (if necessary) to be ready for a flex job search. Being ready means I can make the move whenever I feel like it, not when downsizing occurs or when I reach an unhappy breaking point with my current situation. Thanks so much!
Bud Bilanich
Feb 11, 2016
Career Coach Comment:
Jon:
I think you are moving in the right direction here. You realize that your current job with its two-hour commute and potential for layoffs in the near future is not a good long term fit for you. That’s a good first step. You also have figured out what your ideal work situation is: 20 – 30 hours per week working remotely from home. That’s a good second step.
You say that “it has been suggested that I offer consulting services…but I prefer writing quality code, not schmoozing clients…” Here is where I agree with Julie and her thoughts on looking for flexible work. You don’t have to become a self-employed consultant to do this type of work. As Julie points out, IT temp firms are a great place to start.
After reading your response to Julie and Sarah, I sense that you would like to go in the direction of finding flexible part time work. You should know that by its very nature flexible part time work has its ups and downs when it comes to income. You will be unlikely to count on a specific amount in a paycheck every month. This may or may not be a problem for you when it comes to paying the mortgage. In my experience though, after you get started and establish yourself as a reliable contractor, your income worries are likely to lessen.
Julie is the resume expert. She can help you craft one that will make you attractive to IT temp firms. So you are once again on the right track. Keep moving forward and you’ll be OK.
One last thing, if your health allows it, I suggest you stay with your current position until you have a firm offer of some contractor work. It’s always easier to present yourself to a prospective IT temp firm when you have a job than when you are unemployed. And, if a layoff occurs while you are redoing your resume and contacting IT temp firms, you will be able to collect unemployment. In most cases when you leave a job voluntarily, this is not the case.
Best of luck as you move forward.
Bud
post a comment
Please sign in to post a comment