I think I have a good reason to do so.
Here's the story....
I've had a business relationship with a freelance client that goes back 20 years. He gives me work sporadically, not regularly, but he always calls me when he's got something. He's my oldest freelance client.
Shortly after I started my full-time job, he came to me with a request to help him write a 40-page or so case study, which would likely earn him an educational designation in his field and be a feather in his cap, as only 200 others have this designation nationwide.
He started writing the case study a long time ago but other things get in the way. Like work and family.
So when he asked me to help, I explained that with my new job, the only time I could work on his project was on weekends, He was ok with that and said his goal was to have it done by end of the year. So I reluctantly said yes, becus I, too, feel incredibly stretched for time since starting the new job. It pays very well, and I don't need to freelance anymore, but my full-time job is temporary thru year's end and I may or may not get the perm job.
If I don't get the perm job, then my old freelance client's work would really come in handy. But if i get the perm job, i don't need it, and frankly, there are only so many hours in my weekend and i don't relish the thought of working every weekend thru year's end, which is likely what it would take to get this case study done.
But when I agreed, we scheduled a phone call to discuss the project. I spent a fair amount of time prior to the call reviewing all the emails, attachments and URLs he sent me. I was ready to go, and i'd blocked out part of my saturday to get started on this project. When he called me, he said he wasn't really prepared to talk in detail and could i wait til the following weekend.
Fine. Next weekend he called and again he wasn't ready. He said he had some handwritten notes he had to type up and then he'd email them to me. Never got them.
This was the 3rd weekend. We have a standing 8:30 a.m. Saturday date to discuss the project each week. He sent me an email Friday night saying he was meeting with a builder and couldn't make it at 8:30 a.m. and was there an alternate time We could talk? I emailed him back last night and said how about 4 pm. I never got a reply from him, but at 4 pm I was here at home, waiting for his call. It never came.
So we've had 3 weekends in a row when he's been a non-starter. I'm a little annoyed. He's procrastinating. I realize how hard it it to do this on your free time, but it's my free time too!
I think at this point I'm going to tell him very nicely that he'd probably be better off doing this himself. The problem is that i can't do any of the writing until i basically get a brain dump from him on what he wants me to say. And this requires we coordinate our time, which hasn't been working so well.
I feel I have a better than 50/50 chance of getting this perm job. No guarantee, but i i have such a full plate i really don't want this freelance job regardless. And if i do get the perm job, I'll immediately have to start studying for a securities license (FINRA Series 6) as passing it within 3 months of my start date is a prerequisite of keeping the job. So I'll have even less free time in early 2011 than i do now.
So whaddya think? I hate to leave someone high and dry, but he hasn't made much effort.
Would you give up on this guy?
October 30th, 2010 at 09:56 pm
October 31st, 2010 at 12:07 am 1288480062
October 31st, 2010 at 02:39 am 1288492744
October 31st, 2010 at 03:28 am 1288495737
I took the series 6 and passed with an 88% the first time. I did read and study the quizzes on a regular basis before the test. I'm sure you'll do awesome!
October 31st, 2010 at 01:09 pm 1288530585
October 31st, 2010 at 06:24 pm 1288549499
October 31st, 2010 at 07:31 pm 1288553486
November 1st, 2010 at 03:21 am 1288581673