Old and Unpublished: The 5 Strangest Things About Having a “Real” Job

I wrote this list over 4 years ago (June 2, 2011), right after I started working at Automattic. I don’t know why I never published it, but here it is:

  1. The paycheck. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten a regularly scheduled paycheck. Even though I’ve only gotten one paycheck, its still a nice feeling to know another is on the way in a few weeks.
  2. Co-workers. Its been a while since I’ve worked with someone on a regular basis. Its nice to have people around who you can get to know and form friendships.
  3. Asking for help. Having others around to ask for help is so valuable. Google can only go so far.
  4. No clients. I don’t have to be constantly thinking about client reviews, timelines, billing, and other crap.
  5. Vision. As a freelancer, I was often left out of the decision making for the future of the project. Though I’d try to influence my clients, they often ignored my comments. As an employee, my main job is to help create this vision. And then I get to work towards making it a reality.

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