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Isolation And Consulting

One of the most difficult things I have had to deal with in recent years is my transition from a 9 to 5 office to a consultant working from home. While on the surface it may seem like the ideal scenario, and it has its obvious perks, there is a downside.

The isolation is overwhelming at times. Sure I work for a large shop and I’m part of a ‘team’ but, regrettably that is a team in a virtual sense. I almost never see my team members and occasionally converse via email. At no time however does this afford for a team building interaction. After 6 and half years with a medium sized shop it is difficult to be suddenly alone.

This is not to say that I don’t have friends and family to talk with. This is the absence of co-workers. The absence of a team dynamic. Never thought I would say this but, I really do miss that collegial interaction.

I have received some advice from Hoff, myrcurial and others and I thought I would share this with folks who are newly minted (or re-minted) into the consulting space.

  1. Excercise. No really, this helps to sharpen focus.
  2. Schedule meetings in person whenever possible.
  3. Try to have video conferences if geography is a problem. Virtual face time is better than an email.
  4. Clearly delineate time. If you work from 8 until 4, stick to it. When working from home you run the real risk of eating into your home life.
  5. Try to maintain contacts with people in you industry. Attend meetings at hackerspaces, 2600, and various security organizations in your community
  6. Attend conferences. Your company might not spring for it but, there are many cons that are affordable such as Defcon, Shmoocon, Notacon etc.
  7. Interact online. Twitter is the current hangout and there are groups of like minded folks online. Zach Lanier is marshaling a group of security professionals called Security Twits that is worth checking out.

Now, this by no means an exhaustive list. So, this is where you can help out. What helps/helped you maintain your sanity when faced with the isolation that comes with consulting? Feel free to share your experiences or tips so that other folks can benefit from it.

Thanks!

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