I’ve spent a few days back in the corporate world.

It felt both odd and reassuring: odd to be mixing with other professionals after so many weeks not working; and reassuring that my skills and experience (see previous post) are still in demand and still carry a monetary value.

I’ve always had staff jobs and always worked for established companies. That’s given me the comfort, security and reassurance of a set salary each month as well as a career progression. It’s kept the wolf from the door.

I’ve spoken recently to several people who have been self-employed for most or all their working lives. It’s a very different experience.

They’ve always had the worry of where the next pay cheque was coming from. They’ve always had the pressure to keep ahead of their competitors for fear of losing business.

I’m now experiencing some of that as I continue to navigate the world after redundancy. It’s not just losing a job, it’s also losing companionship.

Camaraderie may sometimes be false or enforced in an office but it exists nonetheless and shouldn’t be overlooked or taken for granted. Too much company can soon turn into a lack of company.

I’m starting to settle on a portfolio career: earning some money but also doing more of what I want to do. Volunteering is just as rewarding as working – in some ways, it is more beneficial to my overall outlook and wellbeing even if it doesn’t bring the financial rewards which I used to receive.

What else have I learned this week?

It appears that wherever you go, IT systems are not as user-friendly as they should be. Every office and every company has its problems with IT accounts and arranging logins. Security passes for visitors don’t always behave as they should and I’ve experienced the embarrassment of waving my pass under, over, in front of and behind every scanner and screen in a vain attempt to make the barriers part in front of me.

I also didn’t see a single person in the two companies I worked for wearing a tie. I also looked at my fellow commuters and, again, not a tie to be seen.

But what struck me most of all was that being with people in a work environment is a common shared experience that we lose when we leave under whatever circumstances.

Whatever the future of the world of work and our ways of making a living, taking part in communal activities are the ties that bind us.