4 ms·

I'm curious how he is framing his current situation. "I'm currently looking for freelance work" "I'm trying my hand at contracting" is much different from:

• dpcan 16y ago
  Excellent point, because my first thought was: what on earth is he saying to people to have them ACTUALLY say what they are saying???? I've been in business for 10 years for myself, and I have always told people I run my own business and nobody has EVER said something about me trying to find a job or being unemployed. Ever. It must be a vibe he puts off, or the way he describes what he's doing. Maybe he's wishy washy in what he says he's doing, or doesn't speak with confidence.
  • zmoazeni 16y ago
    Great feedback @djb_hackernews and @dpcan! I'm constantly evaluating how I'm communicating with others and improving it where I can. While this isn't justification for poor communication skills, a conversation is affected by the other's perceived notions as much as the way you present yourself.
• jrwoodruff 16y ago
  Just remember he's from Michigan, #1 in unemployment. Everybody here knows someone that's been laid off, can't find work or is underemployed. I imagine he's saying 'I'm self-employed' which in this state, people just assume you're out of work. Because who in their right mind would try and start a business in this economy... Sounds like it's not such a bad idea after all.
  • zmoazeni 16y ago
    Yeah Michigan does have it tough, but there are some great pockets of entrepreneurship popping up both in West Michigan and the Ann Arbor area. I'm hoping we can turn around the feeling of hopelessness to something better.
• jey 16y ago
  <pedant> It's "principal". :-) </pedant>
  • deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]