Hello, just want to share here my experience with a very chill client that I have been working for.
For some context, I previously worked as an AI Assisted SWE and got paid minimum wage for my work. I really liked my work as an SWE, however due to the low wage I got paid with, I decided to look for a better opportunity.
That's when I found an opening for a Virtual Assistant so I decided to take the opportunity. The task for the VA Job was simple, automate the spreadsheets and maintain it. However, due to me being previously worked as an SWE, I immediately proposed a custom web application for his business which I kept pushing him to do so. This pissed him off and I nearly lost the opportunity he was offering. He did not reply to me for a few days and I told myself that, fuck it, I'm not built to automate spreadsheets anyway. Then to my surprise, he came back to me 3 days later and told me that he still liked my application, so he hired me as a part time for 4 Hours a day.
I gladly accepted this job, but the thing is, i now have 2 jobs, one from my full time (before I resigned) and now the VA Job. I worked 8 to 5 at my SWE job before I resigned and when I got home I'll work 6PM to 10PM. The thing is, the VA Job is the same time as my relax time (basically playing video games) from 9PM to 11PM. So I was really burnt out from my 8 to 5 work, then proceed to work again for my VA Job. This was really mentally exhausting for me but I kept pushing through. Even if I play video games from in my work hours for my VA Job, I still made sure I was delivering what was needed for that day. And when the day I finally got terminated from my SWE Job, I decided to work outside my relax time hours and gave it my full attention. My last day of the part time paid trial is gonna be on Friday.
The client knows that I am now fully terminated from my SWE Job, so yesterday he asked me if I could transition to full time. The thing is, I am also waiting for another opportunity, which is another SWE Job as a freelancer. The opportunity is more promising for me and it aligns more with my previous job. So I got honest with the client and told him that I'm also waiting for another opportunity and was just waiting for the paid trial to end. And during yesterday's call he basically told me that he really wanted me to stay. I have done so much work for his company that he now openly considers the custom software I first pitched to him when I first talked to him. After I told him I was waiting for a new opportunity, he was pretty chill, he really just wanted me to stay, but at the same time it was okay for him that I was honest about the other opportunity.
I have never thought in my life that I would end up in this situation where I have to choose different paths that pay a lot higher than my previous job. Even for me as of this writing, I am confused on which path I will take. But all will be known after the meeting with the SWE Freelance Client this Friday. Thank you for reading.