Sidelines Talk and a Shingle Job

Last weekend, I went to two of my son's soccer games. The best part of games is talking to other parents on the sidelines. I am one of those parents who rarely talks about the game. I pay enough attention so when my son discusses various plays on the car ride home, I can nod along like I know what he is talking about. I usually get about 50%.

At Saturday's game, I talked to fellow transplanted Chicagoans about the Cubs victory. We were yucking it up to the point we were unaware an injured player from the other team was being taken off the field. Oops.

Sunday, I talked to another mom, Amanda, about getting a job. I had never met this woman before--our sons had never been on the same team until this year when the league changed the age brackets. She seemed to know I was looking for a job before I said anything, like she had ESP. It was surreal. Or maybe she was at another game and I was too busy blabbing with the moms I already knew and she overheard me say was looking for a job. Either way.

Amanda is an independent compensation consultant who works with a few other people. Years ago, I was in compensation consulting at a large firm. We collected survey data about how various positions were paid, and advised large companies on salary structure for employees. It was interesting to learn, but dreadfully boring after two years when I learned the basics. After that, it was repeating one of a dozen or so reports for different companies. I needed something else, which is when I got into change management.

I told Amanda I had been in compensation consulting, but hadn't done it in decades.

"The field hasn't changed," she said. "It's still comparing median market rate salaries to what a company pays."

I thought about this--maybe I could get a shingle job, like my dad used to say. Lawyers and accountants can work for large organizations or they can put up a shingle, get their own clients and be their own boss. Maybe I could do this for compensation consulting. It wouldn't be thrilling, but it wouldn't be too intellectually or emotionally taxing, either, for my first foray in returning to the paid workforce. I'd have to ramp up, but I already know the basics. This was intriguing...

"I really want to get out of the house and work with other people," I said.

"Oh," she said. This pause was not good. "I don't really connect with the people I work with. We have nothing in common. I rely on my friends in my different communities for social interactions. I mostly work at home part-time, because I am still carpooling my kids before and after school."

I work at home enough. The goal for me would be to get out of the house, not stay in it. Part of what I loved about my volunteer work was working with other people. On the other hand, volunteer work doesn't come with a paycheck.