Is Self Employment a Viable Career Option?

Corey —  July 12, 2012

For one of the first times in my life, my future career is uncertain. I remember as a child thinking that I wanted to be all sorts of things, including a police detective, architect, religious leader, etc. It’s amazing how our childhood dreams always change, isn’t it? I am convinced it’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a fact of life. We grow up, we change as we experience life in new ways, and we learn more about ourselves.

My Career Change

As it turns out, my career path has been on a roller coaster in the past 2-3 years. I started graduate school thinking that I would continue on to get a Ph. D. in religion, but that has since changed. While I dreamed of being a professor of religion one day, reality has caught up with me. I realized that I would not make a great professor and to make matters worse, that job has become increasingly competitive with fewer job opportunities available. I realized that I while I may be able to get into a Ph.D. program, it would be hard to get a job after 5 years of studying.

Around this same time, I came into some opportunities to pursue some business ideas. The business opportunities were small, but it got my feet wet in applying some of my business ideas. Once I started making a few hundred dollars on the side, I realized that there was potential to make this a long term thing. I could make a living off of running a small business.

Is Self-Employment for You?

While running a business may sound great on paper, I have learned that there are many small things that could make it annoying to the wrong person. You have to keep a close eye on your finances (or pay someone to do that for you). This could mean utilizing some sort of merchant services or hiring an individual to do your taxes. Not everyone likes to do all of these things. Being a successful business owner means being able to manage diverse tasks.

Running a small business also means putting in the work at the beginning to make it successful. I don’t know about you, but it’s easy to lose hope. It’s easy to become discouraged and lose confidence in your service or product.

While it may not be the best option for everyone, I think I will give it a shot in the future. There is something about making something successful from nothing that intrigues me. There’s something about being able to be my own boss. While it may mean more work and less pay for a while, I think it will give me the freedom to pursue my passions and not be stuck in a dead-end job.

Have you ever considered self employment?

If you enjoyed this, you might like:

Corey

Posts

Corey is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in religion. While he enjoys learning and writing about Christianity, another one of his new passions is writing about personal finances in order to help others make wise decisions with their money.

Trackbacks and Pingbacks:

  1. Financial Planning Articles this Week from Blogs | Personal Investment Management and Financial Planning - July 19, 2012

    […] presents Is Self Employment a Viable Career Option? posted at Provident Plan, saying, “Find out if self employment or running your own business […]

  2. Nerdy Finance #3 - July 20, 2012

    […] at Provident Plan writes Is Self Employment a Viable Career Option? – Find out if self employment or running your own business is the right thing for […]

  3. The Carnival of Financial Camaraderie #42 | mastercard-offers.com - July 21, 2012

    […] @ Provident Plan writes Is Self Employment a Viable Career Option? – find out if self employment or running your own business […]

  4. Yakezie Carnival - Passive Income to Retire - July 22, 2012

    […] @ Provident Plan writes Is Self Employment a Viable Career Option? – Find out if self employment or running your own business is the right thing for […]

  5. Weekend Ramblings & PF Blog Love: First Speeding Ticket Edition - July 22, 2012

    […] @ Provident Plan writes Is Self Employment a Viable Career Option? – Find out if self employment or running your own business is the right thing for […]

  6. Carnival of Money Pros – Summer Break Edition | 101 Centavos - July 22, 2012

    […] @ Provident Plan writes Is Self Employment a Viable Career Option? – Find out if self employment or running your own business is the right thing for […]

  7. Carnival of Retirement | Master the Art of Saving - July 23, 2012

    […] @ Provident Plan writes Is Self Employment a Viable Career Option? – Find out if self employment or running your own business is the right thing for […]

  8. Typographer Invented, Ford Sells First Car and a Roundup - Wealth Artisan - July 23, 2012

    […] @ Provident Plan writes Is Self Employment a Viable Career Option? – Find out if self employment or running your own business is the right thing for […]

  9. Carnival of Money Pros - Summer Break Edition - 101 Centavos - January 1, 2014

    […] @ Provident Plan writes Is Self Employment a Viable Career Option? – Find out if self employment or running your own business is the right thing for […]