Making the Right Choice

Choosing the right career can be the decision of a lifetime for any person. This single decision can make or break a person’s career, as the right job at the right time can work wonders. There are people who would prefer to spend their lives in a 9 to 5 job working for an employer in a secure environment, while there are some others who march to the beat of their own drummer. These people can never see themselves working under a boss in a fixed time-bound schedule and would prefer being self-employed anytime. Most of these self-employed people either have a business plan already, or are in the process of finding or creating one. There are also some people who manage their full-time jobs along side their personal businesses, thereby reaping the benefits of both. But like with everything else, there are pros and cons of having a job as well as being self-employed. Let us ponder over these points which will help you make a decision regarding your future career tactfully.

Weigh Your Options

There are a lot of issues that you must consider and a lot of questions that you should ask yourself when choosing between a regular job and self-employment. One of the biggest questions to ask yourself is that, “Am I willing to take the risks involved in starting my own business?” This is very important because a lot of people can have big, brilliant plans for their business but they can develop cold feet when executing the same and not be willing to take a risk of any kind, financial or emotional. Major features of self-employment include the opportunity and satisfaction of using your creativity and talents to the fullest and what more, even getting paid for doing something you love. But you also need to be patient and constantly striving towards your goals, because turning your business into a success story can take months, or even years. Ask yourself if you can handle the pressures of owning a business. Do you have the drive, motivation and self-discipline in applying your mind for meeting your targets?

Life in a Regular Job

The joys of a salaried life can be very tempting. There is a predictable income that one takes home every month with added benefits like sick leave pay and medical insurance. A regular job requires a person to have lesser responsibilities as compared to someone with his own business who has to step in for any kind of work incase of non-availabilities. You also have to work under a boss who watches over your shoulder all the time. A person working in a regular job also has to handle a major issue called “Office Politics”. It is not unusual to find co-workers bending rules and stepping over each other to impress the boss or cinch a new deal. It has also been seen, especially amongst female employees, that a good equation between coworkers is essential for a conducive work environment. Gossip related to a person in an office environment, can also throw him off his mental balance and cause unnecessary stress. If you choose to be in a regular job, you will also have to take into account the regular morning and evening commute, sometime over long distances. This is also one of the reasons why people prefer working from the comfort of their homes or a place close-by.

Being Self-Employed

Self-employment is an attractive option for people who seem to be allergic to the word “Fixed”. In a normal job, you will have to put up with working in a fixed schedule, wearing fixed office attire, following fixed company rules bestowed with a limited, fixed freedom of decision-making. Worst of all, you will also be enjoying a fixed vacation period with limited, fixed opportunities for increasing your income. Self-employed persons get additional tax advantages and deductions which a salaried person is not entitled to, as well as you getting paid first and not the government. You also get complete flexibility in choosing the time to spend with your family and loved ones. But the amount of time that you give them majorly depends on the kind of business that you have and if you work from home or not. You have to take note of the changes that would affect your family, directly or indirectly, when you choose or change your career plans.

It’s Your Call Finally

But the most important thing that you need to do is to identify your areas of excellence and if your personality type suits the career of your choice. Invest some time in doing research regarding your career plan and think of all the aspects, before reaching a definitive conclusion. Of course, your pay packet matters but it is not alone adequate to create an interest in your job. After all, satisfaction achieved from a job well-done is more valuable than anything else, at the end of the day. Now is the time for you to make the right choice. All the best!