Finding a job these days is a hard task, with many of us staying in jobs we hate rather than branching out into the vicious job market. And starting your own company? Forget it! It’s alright for the people on The Apprentice, but you don’t have Lord Sugar offering you quarter of a million pounds to start a cupcake shop. You should stay put, stay loyal to the nice people who did hire you, and get on with it, right?
Then again, isn’t there more to life than punching a clock and churning out work you don’t care about, for results that don’t matter you personally in the slightest? And doesn’t corporate loyalty sounds like an oxymoron these days, anyway? Branching out on your own can be terrifying, but it may be the best thing you ever do for your wellbeing. Here are three reasons why.
1. Freelancers have more chances to be rewarded for hard work.
Even though worker productivity has jumped 23% since 2000, salaries are stagnant and hourly pay has remained mostly flat. This means that the concept of working hard and obtaining steady raises during your career is unlikely. However, freelancing gives you the opportunity to actively improve your corporate wellness. You can set your own (reasonable) rates as a freelancer, collecting payments throughout the week from multiple clients instead of getting the same monthly pay slip year after year. Plus, you can determine your own worth and negotiate a better rate from project to project.
2. Performance reviews do nothing for you.
You have never got full marks across a performance review. How do I know that? Because no one has. It just doesn’t happen because giving an employee a perfect review opens the door for said employee to seek a raise, so it’s plausible that your performance reviews don’t accurately depict your true value to your boss. Even if they appreciate you, you’ll never fully know it, so work for someone who does; you.
3. You’re not getting as much out of your job as you think you are.
According to a survey, carried out last year by The Conference Board, less than half of workers are satisfied in their jobs. A separate survey by Yahoo! Finance and Parade magazine found that 60% of survey respondents wanted a career change. Yes, being your own boss presents plenty of risks like finding enough work, securing payments and facing bigger competition, but if you’re not happy where you are, then what’s the point of staying? What could be more satisfying than calling the shots and seeing the direct impact that your work has?
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