Tools and Sunscreen: why I ask “Do I have to work onsite?”

One of the common questions I ask when considering a gig is “do I have to work onsite?”

Basically, I’ve been a successful freelancer for 15 years and never really worked in the standard office environment. I’m not (totally) a prima donna – I’m willing to work on site. There’s very good reasons for this question that have more to do with productivity and less to do with working in my PJs.

It’s like Wear Sunscreen, but for geeks.

When considering environment, ergonomics (let alone comfort) is often overlooked. This is probably because contractors are only present for a short term. Sadly, our careers aren’t so – working as a contractor means migrating between these potentially damaging environments for years. I’ve been lucky, but my colleagues have not been so. A young buddy of mine had 3 months of surgery and another 3 months of recovery – all at his own expense while living off his savings and credit cards, due to a lot of hard work and poor ergonomics.

Another big difference comes down to tools. Working onsite often means working with insufficient, primitive, and/or foreign tools. Think about how construction/repair tools have changed in the past twenty years. Most of us think hammer, saw, screwdriver, maybe some nails? In reality we have compressed-air guns, laser-based levelers, cordless drills, and everyone uses safety gear including goggles, finger guards, etc.

The same can be said for computer hardware and software. Most HR reps and project managers are essentially using the basic hammer and saw: email, calendars, and spreadsheets. Professional developers and designers require much more advanced, and often personalized, tools.

Unlike 99% of the population, I’ve never had a Windows PC – I’ve been using Apple computers since 1990. Additionally, I’m both designer and developer so I use a wide assortment of tools beyond Eclipse and Creative Suite. On my Mac I currently have 150+ applications ranging from Acrobat Connect to xScope, almost a GB of fonts, and 5+ years of email and chat history at my disposal.

Most of my work is on-screen so I don’t have to be sitting next to people to get things done. My network is a click away – Skype enables me to share text and code, do video calls, conference calls, and screen sharing, all from home and for free.

Let’s talk workspace.

Your workspace:

(Yes, that’s a real start-up on the right…)

As a contractor, I’ll be working at cubicle or folding table. If a cubicle it will reflect pre-internet efficiency with a multi-line phone I will never use and crawling under the desk each day to get to the power outlet and ethernet jack. Sometimes the client will insist I use their computer which takes one to three days to configure and only contains basic software (MS Office, Creative Suite, VPN) – some even insist I have to use Windows (which is a deal breaker). If I need a cable or software, that’s a special request that has to go through IT who can often be “persnickety” about Macs.

On the upside, sometimes I get a brand new office chair (because the company is expanding) – other times it’s the musical-chairs finalist. I’ve also been lucky to always be able to get a 2nd monitor, which is universally a Dell.

I’ll bring a bag of stuff to work, including my own laptop, laptop stand, mouse, trackpad, keyboard, cables, and extra power cord. I’ll install a few apps onto my work computer – Teleport, DragThing, Skype, Audium, Dropbox, and xScope. I don’t install too many because I’ll have to remove and/or de-authorize them when the gig is over.

My workspace:

It’s not pretty or fancy, but it works for me: 17″ Macbook Pro, 20″ Apple Cinema Display, glass Icemat gamer trackpad, Logitech MX Revolution mouse, a C-size Herman Miller chair (so I can sit yoga style), Event 20/20 monitors, back-up hard drive with Time Machine, and various hardware and devices. Downstairs are more computers, cables and tools, including a 100+ bit screwdriver set so I can take apart any computer.

I sit here for 8 to 12 hours each workday so everything is ergonomically positioned and sized for me. I also have a window looking out on the Oakland Hills and over a dozen restaurants and coffee shops and my gym within walking distance. And a cat.

So HR folk, if you’re wondering why I ask “do I have to work onsite?”, the differences go back to the construction metaphor. You want me to work on your project because I’m a specialist. But often you want me to use your tools and workspace which are often primitive, unfamiliar, and/or potentially harmful.

It’s not because I want to slack. It’s because I want to take care of myself and do things the best way, based on many years of experience and knowhow.