These days, a significant number of people tend to be self-employed, rather than working for a business or organization. There are many reasons contributing to this phenomenon, but the most likely one is the freedom that comes with working for yourself. Of course, some drawbacks come with the price of being self-employed as well, namely reduced job security and employment benefits.
There are many reasons why more and more people are choosing to work for themselves, but the one that has the most significance is the autonomy that these individuals can gain by choosing this career route. When you’re an employee of a certain company, you have to respect their rules and values and in many cases, your personal preference is of no importance. However, with self-employment, these individuals are free to do everything according to their own will. To exemplify, a web developer who is working for Facebook, has to comply with the company’s guidelines, but if they resign and start their own business, they can create their own rules and goals.
Nevertheless, while self-employment sounds very ideal, it comes with a variety of disadvantages, the main one being the loss sense of job security and unpredictable professional future, along with losing the benefits that organizations provide for their workers. For instance, when a medical doctor is working for Mayo Clinic, they’re offered a handsome salary with opportunities for promotions, and they’re also provided with loans and various discounts, but if they decide to open a private clinic, they lose all of that and risk their investment and new business failing.
In conclusion, there are quite a lot of reasons that can explain the trend of individuals deciding to work for themselves instead of being employed by companies, but the most important ones are freedom and autonomy. In addition, there are a number of cons to this development, losing employment security and benefits to name a few.