Self-Employment and the Attributes of the Dream Job.

Gallup’s The Dream Job covers the key attributes employees look for in a job. These are:

  1. the ability to do what they do best
  2. greater work-life balance and better personal well-being
  3. greater stability and job security
  4. a significant increase in income
  5. the opportunity to work for a company with a great brand or reputation

This list nicely illustrates the trade-offs people make when they become self-employed.

The top reasons people cite for becoming self-employed are (data from theMBO Partners State of Independence study):

  1. The ability to control their own schedule
  2. Increased flexibility
  3. Like being my own boss
  4. Do what I love
  5. Work on projects and tasks I like
  6. Earn more money

These two lists almost completely overlap, with the obvious exception being “greater stability and job security”.

Given these lists, it’s not surprising that the self-employed consistently tell us in interviews they are trading job security in exchange for greater work autonomy, control and flexibility.

Most self-employed see this trade-off as being well worth it.

The image comes from the website Broke-Ass Stuart, which has the tagline “you are young, broke and beautiful”.