My last day sitting in a cube farm.
Going through some old email this past weekend I found a picture that a good friend took as I was taking the few items I had left at my last full time job and was heading out the door.
The departure was somewhat bittersweet as I loved many of the people that I worked with and the organization was amazing – but it wasn’t for me any longer.
That was the last time I spent any time in an office cubicle and I’m never going back. Blogging and working with my startup team is the most satisfying “job” I’ve ever had and I can’t think of anything more relaxing and rewarding.
My question to you is this: When was the last time you worked in a cube?
Perhaps for some of you the question is actually this: When will you finally say bye-bye to the cube?
Humor me a little and share with me those dreams! And, how can I help you get there faster?
I’ve never sat in a cube and have no intention of starting
. But I have no delusions of thinking my blog will support my family any time soon, which is ok….that’s not my goal. It’s more about doing it well than making money doing it and I learn things here that otherwise I wouldn’t learn.
More power to you all on the $$ front though….Have at it!
so where do you work right now?
I’m a photographer and director of interior design (aka stay-at-home-dad) while my wife is deployed.
sweet! love the titles…!
Well i’m not trapped in a cube but more like trapped in a restaurant where I feel like I’m a baby sitter to grown adults who don’t know how to act their age.
I will say bye bye to it when I can support myself online and say good bye to it!
In the pic, you look really tiny for some reason.
haha. i’m not that tall to begin with!
June 2000. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long.
that’s awesome. the year 2000 was a fun year.
I believe I have around 31 more YEARS left before that happens!
so… you’ve never been?
January 21, 2011 was my last day. It has been exciting and the possibilities are plentiful.
But to be honest, the past few weeks have been quite frustrating. Several things have fallen through. When the county you live in has an unemployment rate of 15%, drumming up business becomes more of a challenge.
doh! that’s rough jay. anything i can do to help/
Nothing right now bro. Thanks for asking!
Have to say I love the bootcut jeans and headband. =)
I’m glad SOMEBODY understands why I had to preserve the moment for future generations…
…….. lucky.
that’s how i roll baby. northpoint required attire.
For me it wasn’t a cube I escaped, but a cockpit (my last job was as a captain for a small airline). I couldn’t handle the angry people and never knowing when I would see my wife again.
The job I have now would be like a cubicle hell for most, but the people are great and I have the autonomy to do what I need to in order to move our department forward. There’s no micromanagement or other bs at all from those above me and in that I am blessed.
chris, that’s awesome!
what airline? just curious… that is pretty neat… i guess the question is why did you leave?
Last workforce job I had was 7 yrs ago this month. I was a Greeter/Membership staff person at the YMCA. I left 2 wks before my daughter’s due date, with no intention of returning.
Since then I have been a domestic engineer.
I love it. The longer I’ve had this job, the more flexibility I am gaining to pursue parallel interests, like blogging & photography.
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE that title… domestic engineer… my wife does that.
can i borrow that title?
Sure, borrow it all you want.
I’m pretty sure I heard it somewhere else in the last 7 years anyway.
I’ve been working on my “What am I an expert in?” list, and I’m having trouble putting anything down. I think I’ll add domestic engineering to that list.
for sure!
you know, that domain is a killer domain… and how do i know this? google, inc. owns it!
Some day I’ll get there. I would love to get to a place where I could support my family doing something other than sitting in a cube farm. Not sure if that will ever be through blogging or through another source but I look forward to that day, whenever it comes.
kelly,
it may come and sooner than you hoped (or not). the question is how interested are you truly of getting out?
also, do you have a gravatar?
Still in my cube. I do like my job, but I am so tempted to bring in a big piece of plywood to make myself a roof so I don’t have to deal with these florescent lights.
so………. when are you leaving? (or are you interested in leaving?)
That’s a good question. Not sure when I’m leaving. I could actually do 99% of my job sitting on my couch at home, but I guess companies like to see people at a desk.
I did love the freedom of working wherever and whenever when I was on staff helping to start Beachside Community Church. Maybe one day I’ll be able to make my own schedule again.
Hopefully I never will. Data Centers FTW!
HAHAHAAH! you love it don’t you.
Heck yes! If you ever want a tour of TW Telecom’s in ATL, just lemme know!
By my calculations, another 18.5 years.
Yeah, that’s depressing.
………. doh!
I’m only in a cubicle once, MAYBE twice a week… don’t know when, or if I’ll be done with it because I love youth ministry. But I suppose that if I can generate enough income from consulting and my blog that I would probably stop taking a paycheck for youth ministry and work for free. I still may have to put in some ‘cube-time’ though. Haha!
ah. youth ministry… that’s a tough area to be in! that would kill me.
You know what though John, I think you would surprise yourself! I think you’d be great with high school kids! Come out to Cali for a week and we can do an experiment!
I’m still cubed but living vicariously (& getting inspired by) those that have escaped. I have some ideas cooking but need to throw some cash (& time) at them.
love it! how can i help?
You still part of Milk Engine? Maybe I can throw out my ideas & get your perspective on feasibility & possible costs, which, honestly, is the the part that freaks me the out most. I just want it break even. Anything beyond that is supplemental for the next idea.
No end in sight right now. I have some side things going, but I do not see them getting me out of the office scape any time soon.
I can still dream of the day though…right
!
I’m in the same boat brother. Here’s to finding a way to make those side things become full time things!
… but that’s where you want to head, right?
I would love to be my own boss, work from home, and be able to support my family doing so. That would rock!
yes…. it does rock!
December 17, 2008. I was temping in the legal department at Warner Bros. studio. I hated going back to temp work in the summer of 2008, but my literary agent reminded me I would meet all sorts of people, talk about my book, and get inspiration for other characters. Once you’ve landed your dream job it’s hard to go back to other work, and you can feel like a failure if you do. But this is a tough economy, and sometimes you just have to do it. My husband HATED leaving freelance writing in 2007 to work to go work for a communications agency. He had to work in a cubicle and deal with corporate politics and egos. But he started writing for the Union Rescue Mission, and slowly migrated to writing exclusively for rescue missions. Now he writes from home and travels all over the country, writing for rescue missions. He absolutely loves it. I guess the bottom line is, even if you are in a cubicle at the moment, it isn’t always a bad thing. Have an exit strategy but don’t overlook the skills you might be developing right now.
susan,
this might be the most well-rounded comment on this post. thanks!
also, do you have a gravatar?
June 21, 2010. Since then I have done some odd jobs, interned with youth ministries at my church, and now I run the household. Fortunately, the wife has a job and unemployment extension has kept me from working for minimum wage.
chris,
so what’s stopping you from going freelance full time?
I don’t want to make excuses. I just have to get my act together.
I hope my last day in a cube farm will be December 31, 2011
love that goal… so what’s going to happen between now and then?
I do believe you and I just emailed about this recently. Hopefully soon. I’m ready for what’s next. I just don’t know what that will be yet and I can’t leave my cube (actually a private office with a door) until I know what I’m doing next. I don’t have the savings account in a place where I can just leave and take the leap yet.
Currently working on some side projects but the revenue I get from them is not close to enough to leave my full time job yet. The nice part about my full time job is that my bosses are okay with me “leaving the cube” and working from Starbucks or home when I need to. You will for sure be one of the first people to know when I actually do “leave the cube”!
It’s true! I’m taller than my gravatar suggests. (About 6’5″ – 125pixels)
I actually enjoy working in a cube. I am a fairly social person that enjoys human interactions on a daily basis. For me, I like to the ability to turn around and ask someone a questions regarding whatever subject I might be working on at the moment.
In all fairness, I should note the company I work for is a pretty large, multinational tech company, and our cubes are pretty big
zack,
that’s awesome! the goal is to be where you’re doing great work and feel satisfied with it!
btw, do you have a gravatar?
Wish I could say that yesterday was my last day, but here I am dressed up and ready to head to my cube. I live in a city where unemployment is still up around 12%, so there aren’t a lot of jobs around here. Really hoping something comes around soon though. The cubicle is not for me.
doh! what is the perfect dream job?
Well, for a while I wanted to be an English professor. But I realized halfway through my masters that it wasn’t for me. Now I’d love to get in to publishing, ideally as an editor. Unfortunately there’s not much of a market for that where I live in PA. I’d probably have to move toward Philadelphia if I really wanted a shot at it. But moving takes money, and I’m not making much where I’m at now, so it’s kind of a double-edged sword…
Where do you live in PA? I was born & raised in Sharon, PA.
I live in the Reading area for the time being…
interested in being an editor? hmm.
Even if I could make a living from blogging I would probably stay put in my current job.
I am a missionary in Germany and I am really content with where God has me.
PS: Making a little dough through blogging would not hurt my feelings any.
Where at in Germany?! I have friends who were missionaries out there and more that may be going back with them.
Peine, Germany. It is near Hannover. Where are they at?
david,
love this attitude! that’s a true tentblogger!
been a cube monkey for over 6 years… grateful the new gig lets me work from home from time to time.
shorts + wife beater FTW!
that is awesome!
I haven’t gone “back to the office” since I went on bedrest with my son 2.5 year ago. I’m just now starting to “work” again (with a “steady” source of income) as I build my online presence and income.
that is sweet. my wife hasn’t gone back to work since her first birth and she loves it!
I am not sure about “finally” but I will be saying goodbye to cubeland this coming Saturday, as my seasonal position with Amazon.com comes to a close. I am curious, excited and a little scared to see what God has in mind. God has a way of providing at the 11th hour.
whoa. wow! did you make this announcement on a blog post? awesome!
Check out http://blog.danielcberman.com/emerging-from-the-amazon-jungle
John:
I currently sit in a cubicle now, surrounding myself with cool stuff that helps me remember what I really am fighting for…from scripture to a bunch of random sketches I’ve done and Sonic and Tails sitting on my CPU.
My hope is that my careful planning and learning from you and countless others moves me from the “cubicle culture” to full-time ministry, with blogging and drawing my comic strips and speaking in events being the general norm for me. Somewhere in between there, I hope to have some of my works published as well.
I believe I can and will through Faith and preparation and consistency…its, I’ll be honest, very hard work…not complaining though. What can you do to help…I suppose, keep doing what you are doing!! You’re articles have given me some VERY good awareness in blogging. I am NOT yet a “professional,” although I am heading that direction. I think you should have seminars or write a book out of your posts, seriously! You’ve probably thought of that though a LONG time ago.
Even now, I’m re-focusing the direction for Cartoon Daily News as well as my other blog sites. A shift is occuring and I’m trying to stay on it and move as God tells me to!
awesome! so excited for you! keep it up!