Is your character suitable for self-employment?

Want to say the boss the magic words "I quit"? Make sure that the work on yourself is suitable for you by examining the list of qualities necessary for self-employment.

Many people all over the world work for themselves, even in job-friendly places.
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The level of self-employment rises every decade. Some predict that by 2020 more than 40% of America’s workforce (and that’s more than 60 million people) will work for themselves. Due to the fact that self-employment, in many respects similar to entrepreneurship, bridges the gap between supply and demand in the labor market, its growth leads to a constant increase in economic well-being.

But what is better to be guided by, choosing between the traditional full-time employment and life in the mode of "his own boss"? To get an accurate answer to this question, a lot of psychological research was carried out.

Scientists tried to find a genetic predisposition to self-employment. They assessed whether self-employed individuals differ from those who prefer the traditional form of work (meaning biologically). As a result, several striking differences were found between these groups.

It turned out that the difference is more noticeable on a psychological rather than a biological level. Numerous data show: the level of success and satisfaction with self-employment largely depends on personality traits: character set and behavioral preferences determine how effective and happy you will be after the transition to independent work.

And again, gender inequality?

The October 2013 study of ^★ demonstrated that the following personality traits are usually stimulated to work on themselves:

1. openness to experience is a character trait associated with creativity , a sense of beauty and liberal political views;
2. propensity to risk and extraversion - focus on concentration on the external rather than the inner world.

Meanwhile, benevolence and risk aversion force people to abandon individual work and even interrupt such activities. These deep differences in character can also explain why self-employment among women is lower than among men, even in spite of the economic component.

In all cultures, women are usually less open and impulsive, but more agreeable than men. Particularly interesting is the role of risk, since it is the increase in its level that pushes people to self-employment, as well as to conduct business. The September 2014 study of ^★ shows: the average, rather than the high level of risk is more strongly associated with the success of self-employed people. Simply put, you must be an adventurer to work for yourself, but you can achieve success, just without falling into extreme self-confidence.

Entrepreneurial spirit

Self-employment is the best alternative for people with an entrepreneurial spirit who are considered more creative, flexible, productive, and far-sighted. The main reason for this is that such traits help maintain motivation and interest even in the absence of a clear work structure and routine. People with such a character are bored in traditional work, and they usually refuse to obey the established order and regime.

Although the likelihood of achieving serious success for entrepreneurs is very small, many successful businessmen — including Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Jeff Bezos — were to some extent unable to work for hire in the traditional sense. They did not want to adapt to someone else's business or follow something other than their own opinion. If you have any problems with the management - personal or unaddressed - self-employment will help you.

No wonder education is also important. Many studies show that professional short-term entrepreneurship courses contribute to the success of self-employed people. A growing number of online courses and educational materials in the public domain are ruining the educational industry. But at the same time, this can be regarded as an attempt to satisfy the demands of millions of people who are going to switch to self-employment or invest in a portfolio for their own careers.

All character decides

Although many people choose individual activities to make their work more enjoyable, freelancers usually have less satisfaction from work than those who work full time. In fact, people who have changed their offices for self-employment usually work more and earn less than they did before leaving office.

It's funny, but individual labor, due to its low sensitivity to economic market fluctuations, is more stable than traditional employment. In addition, self-employed people do not have to find a common language with hard or incompetent bosses.

Character also determines how long a person will work independently. In a study that lasted 50 years, inquisitive, resilient people with a higher level of emotional intelligence (EQ) remained self-employed longer. It is noteworthy that the levels of EQ and endurance are also the key to career stability among employees. Therefore, the desire of people to leave their positions will increase with the growth of their curiosity.
You should think about dismissal and work for yourself if:

1. You can put up with instability.
2. You like the lack of a routine.
3. It's hard for you to follow the rules.
4. You know how to motivate yourself.
5. You are emotionally stable and resilient.

PS We recommend another article on the topic - 10 fun exercises that will help you become a more successful entrepreneur .

Translated by Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of MBA Consult .