
Ask HN: Self employed who have transitioned to a job: Is it worth it? - caniwork
I am considering applying for a job and seeing what it&#x27;s like working in a team.<p>For now, for work I spend a couple of hours a week maintaining a website.<p>Most of my time is spent travelling (9 months of the past year) and really enjoy hiking&#x2F;skiing&#x2F;mountain biking&#x2F;surfing with my friends.<p>The idea of working in a team, learning from other people, having some consistency all motivate me.<p>However, when I imagine myself losing all my free time, having to wake up at 8 or 9am, spend all day behind a computer, lose autonomy over what I do, I start to think twice.<p>Am I missing out on a lot by working alone and not in a team?<p>For those that have never had a job and then switched to employment how did you find it?<p>A few other facts about me:<p>* I&#x27;ve never had a job, I&#x27;ve always worked for myself.<p>* 21 years old<p>* Withdrew from top university in my country after 6 months (skipped classes I was enrolled in and chose to spend my time at the lectures that interested me instead).<p>I also am very much a generalist with no specialist skills. What employers would this be valuable for?<p>Any advice or thoughts would be much appreciated. I&#x27;m really unsure what to do. =)
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sethrin
It's difficult for me to even respond to this politely, but I'll give it a
shot.

> For now, for work I spend a couple of hours a week maintaining a website.

So you have some sort of life where you have no responsibility and don't work.
I can see how that might be difficult for you.

"Go find something you love and do it," is the typical life advice. I don't
get the feeling that you're doing that. I don't get the feeling an office will
change that.

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sethrin
Also:

> Withdrew from top university in my country after 6 months

combined with

> I also am very much a generalist with no specialist skills. What employers
> would this be valuable for?

None. Not phrased like that anyway.

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caniwork
Thanks for your insight. Have you come across any scenarios where someone
without specialist skills has been able to thrive?

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sethrin
You've described "maintaining a website" and dropping out of university, and
those virtues have enabled you to travel the world. That suggests that this
ability is independent of your skills. I honestly feel like I'm being trolled
here.

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caniwork
Sorry should have clarified! - scenarios where someone without specialist
skills has been able to thrive under employment?

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lhuser123
I think you know the answer. Just look again at your sentence that starts with
: However ...

