What if you don't like 1099 life?
Say you get your first 1099 gig and then, contrary to what you expected, you don't like it!
I haven't heard of this being true for anyone, at least, not in the federal space, but here's what I'd advise someone in that position to do:
- Don't quit right away
- Figure out what specifically you don't like about being a 1099
- Address those specific issues
For example, if you think you don't like 1099 life in general, but in reality, you just don't like working alone, you may be tempted to go back to a large company as a W2. The better solution may instead be to find a 1099 project in which you're a member of a larger team.
Or, say you don't like the insecurity of being a 1099 and always having to find a new project. That's a legitimate concern and part of the tradeoffs of being a 1099. Maybe the solution IS to go back to a secure W2 job. But what if you could get good at finding new projects? Or earn enough money so that gaps in your projects aren't a big deal?
Big, generalized problems are hard to solve. Discrete problems can be more easily addressed.
So if you have a big problem, try to break it down into smaller ones and addressing those separately.
You are more likely to come up with creative solutions this way.
Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.