3 Lessons I Learnt From Losing A Contract Job

For the risk of over-sharing (and, perhaps, I would) I decided to make this a CAREER post and not a ‘Dear Diary’ entry. 

When you lose a contract, a job or a business deal, the last thing you typically feel is positive.

Losing A Contract Job

I am not ready to job-hunt but I am ever-ready and willing to put my skills to work and make some cool money. Having spent almost half a decade as a creative freelancer, I pride myself on being good at what I do. I'm thoughtful about managing communication and relationships, clear about my rates and scope of work, and good at under-promising and over-delivering on results. 

Generally speaking, my clients are always happy. While some show their gratitude with words, others do by referrals. 

Wait, I’m losing focus. This article is not about how good I am but how TERRIBLE I am at NEGOTIATION.

I like being liked, and I tend to feel uncomfortable getting into a squabble with someone over money. So it caught me off guard when this contract went south.

As awkward as it was, I learned quite a few lessons that I hope can help you too. They are: