In Retrospect

Having the week off and doing some shopping has given me a better perspective on what I do and my thoughts on leaving the profession which I was considering earlier this year.

I’m very fortunate in not having to deal with demanding customers (or any for that matter), working on my own most of the time, not being under the constant eye of supervisors or being micromanaged, listening to my iPod while I work, getting two raises in two years, and being paid more than minimum wage in an economy where such a thing is pretty rare.

The raise, by the way, is inclusive of my last review which was positive. It will kick in when I return to work on January 2nd. It’s not a lot but will at least cover the cost of gas I put into the tank for the 200+ miles I drive to and from work each week.

I’m also very lucky in that I’ve never, ever had to flip a burger – at least for a paycheck. I’ve done it many times on my BBQ (when I was fat used to eat too much red meat).

Of course, the downside of all of this is being a contacted worker and going to the office with the knowledge that every day could be your last. I’ve seen it happen many times to great people and it’s not a very pleasant experience.

But the bottom line is that I’m just pretty gosh darn lucky to still be there considering my position was intended to be temporary, lasting only two months from October 2010. And from what we’ve been told, 2013 promises to be yet another busy year for us with tons of projects in even more languages than we already proofread.

It looks like we’ve already got our work cut out for us, which could take me into my third year on the job.

Yup. Lucky indeed.