Yesterday we looked at how to quit accepting low paying gigs and how to make a living wage as a writer. But what if you really can’t find a gig? Should you take a low paying job because it’s better than nothing?
As noted in the last post, a while ago I needed to pick up a couple new gigs. I applied for tons and didn’t hear back from any of them for a good long while. Frustration kicks in and those low paying gigs start to look better than nothing. Trust me, I do get the appeal of the low-pay, easy to score gig. However, when this happens the best thing you can do is hang in there and avoid temptation. It’s hard but you can do it. How do I avoid temptation?
I have great friends: For example, Deb in particular is handy when I’m frustrated because we think alike about wages. When I was whining about no jobs, she’d continually tell me, “Hang in there, you’ll score a good gig” and she was right. I can always count on Deb and a couple of other good pals to talk me out of a bad low paying job decision. Get some friends who think like you and who will hang in there with you when job hunting sucks. You’ll feel better.
Go back to your income goal: In the last post we looked at setting your income goal. You set your goal for a reason. Remind yourself that you’re worth it and keep on trucking.
Reassess your choices: If writing is never going to pay the bills, you may need to reassess your situation. When I was super frustrated at the lack of blogging and web writing jobs, I considered going back to print. In the back of my mind I knew that if print didn’t work out, my next step would have been to get a job in social work (what I used to do). Getting an out of the house job would make it hard to juggle my son’s schedule, but I’d do it before I’d accept low wages. It all goes back to what your time is worth and what you feel you’re worth. I love writing, but I’m not going to work for $10 an hour. It’s smart to realize that if you can’t live on your writing wages, then writing may not be your ideal career. It might be just a hobby.
How do you avoid the temptation of those super easy to score but low paying gigs?