so this is the year that I said I would give myself to either bring freelancing to a full or part time gig. As things are going, I could realistically see it becoming a “full” part-time job by years end, and then working somewhere to help fill the gaps.

There are definitely a few steps that I need to take to even make the part time option.

1. evaluate local market
2. market myself
3. evaluate service offerings
4. determine areas of recurring revenue
5. take action

I hope to expand on these over the next few months and share a bit of how I come to whatever conclusion I end up at.

So I have an interview next week that I am prepping for and though I would drop a couple quick notes of the steps I go through.

1. check LinkedIN to see who I know there, or who knows someone there. Also look to see if there is a company page and who might have worked there in the past.
2. check my social networks (facebook, twitter, etc) to see who might have talked about it recently.
3. reach out for information about the company, and possibly people you might be talking to.
4. research any recent company news, press releases, etc
5. if possible, find out what technology they use in house and any recent developments they may have released.

heres to holding out for good news this week.

This will most likely be a rambling post that will cover almost the past years worth of things that I could have posted given the motivation.

Sometime in December it will be a full year since my last serious full time job (not counting a month in the middle somewhere there).  While it has been a struggle to keep on top of bills, stay sane, and in general stay motivated, there have of course been the bright spots.

Just after my last official day last December, my second son, Ben, was born the next week. While this meant more responsibilities and such long term, the short term timing was great.  I spent the first half of 2009 as a stay at home dad watching my two boys almost every day of the week!!  This was more than enough work to fill the lack of a job, as far as time goes, and also was quiet amazing to watch the boys develop their own interaction, and personalities with each other.

Outside of this part of my life, was the frustration and stress of an ongoing separation, the continual and increasingly frustrating job hunt, and the general depression that goes with not feeling the adequacy to provide for your family (both emotionally and financially).

This year of unemployment has had it bright spots, and that is what I am using to carry me through to whatever end this part of the journey may be.  I have had the opportunity to network (could do more) within the local Portland community.  The ability to attend @beerandblog, enjoy the chatter of Albina Press, and talk with others in some of the same scenarios has been a great boost when needed.

While this may be a bit early for an end of year retrospective, my posting frequency gives me some leway.

As this year draws to a close, I have reaffirmed my close circle of friends, worked to develop some structure to some consulting opportunities, and most importantly, learned to truly cherish the time I have with my boys and my Portland and extended friends and family.

This is yet another first post in a long series of reboots for my personal blog life.

Definitely more active over on twitter, sharing things on Facebook, and consolidating all online activity on FriendFeed.