Thinking outside the cube

Peter Gibbons, the character in "Office Space" played by Ron Livingston, famously quipped "Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about mission statements."

That was in 1999; and with self-employment on the upswing, Gibbons could be considered somewhat prophetic.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of self-employed people reached 12.2 million in 2003, an increase of 6 percent from 2000.

Katie Sturino, the president and founder of KAS public relations, New York, is part of this growing trend. "I wanted a flexible schedule," she says. "My time is very important to me. I liked the concept of being able to meet for a cappuccino at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday. I call it ‘alternative scheduling.'"

But as Sturino and the hoards of other people who have given up the regular routine will tell you, it's hardly a life of constant premium coffee breaks.

In fact, it's why Michelle Goodman wrote "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women who Think Outside the Cube" (Seal Press, 2007). Goodman, a seasoned freelancer who has dabbled in all things non-9-to-5, including temping, telecommuting, part-time work, flex-time work, and self-employment, is giving this new generation of corporate castaways a primer course on how to do it.

Goodman says the most important thing to remember is that becoming a cubicle expat is not an overnight process. "You have to set a plan in motion both about what are the professional and financial steps you need to take to make the leap from a steady paycheck to full-time freelancer."
Links:Phillyburbs