Working in Industry or Going Solo: How to Find the Right Path for You

In 2025, your options for self employment are greater than ever before. If you have a skill or craft then the internet is a place for you to market it – practically free of charge. If you have an area of expertise, then there are countless online spaces for you to become an educator, sharing your information through blog posts and videos. You could even become a mentor.

Of course, going solo isn’t for everyone and just because you can do something that doesn’t always mean you should. In this article, we’d like to take an honest look at the pros and cons of self employment and how you can decide which path is right for you.

Self Employment Takes Time

Many people move to the world of self employment out of frustration. Either they’re tired of working hours they can’t control, or else they feel that they could be making more money independently than they do with a company. Some people just feel that they’re not valued enough in their current place of work and want to try something new.

For those hoping to escape the frustrations of a traditional career, it’s important to understand that self employment comes with many of its own unique challenges, not least of which is just getting started.

When you’re with a company, you’re surrounded by a whole team. That team contains many different roles including people to find the work, people to do the work, people to check the quality, and people to make sure all the other people are getting along okay.

With self employment, there’s just one person and that one person has to wear many hats.

Finding your feet as a newly self employed person can take time. You have to build up a client list and you can expect to put a lot of hard work in before the rewards start to appear. In other words, self employment can be pretty frustrating in its own right. That said, for those who stick it out and find their feet, the benefits can be well worth it.

The Benefits of Self Employment

Successful self employment can be one of the most freeing career experiences you’ll ever have. Yes, you’re now responsible for everything and, yes, your mistakes will directly impact you, but you’ll also have more autonomy than any traditional employment could offer.

You’ll have the freedom to work from home, to move wherever you want, and to reap all the benefits of the hard work you put in.

In some respects freelancing can be a lot harder and you won’t always be able to keep nice office hours. You may often find yourself becoming a bit of a workaholic and the line between your professional and personal life can become a little blurred.

All the same, the old adage that if you do something you love you’ll never have to work a day in your life often rings true. For many people self employment can be a real path to finding a kind of joy and pride in their work that no traditional job role could offer.

The Advantages of Traditional Job Roles

Of course, it is worth noting that traditional job roles offer many advantages that self employment can’t. First and foremost is stability – even if the company goes under, you’ll usually get some recompense and can carry that experience forward into a new job.

Other benefits include the sense of team spirit and social atmosphere that comes from working as part of a group. Not to mention the opportunities for networking, giving you the chance to meet lots of people in your field.

By contrast, self employment can be a little lonely. Unless you’re interested in building a company, your only companion and confidant is usually yourself. If you’re someone who feels a real need for social connection at work then this is something to seriously consider.

Should You Work For Yourself?

As with all things career related, when you get right down to it nobody can answer this question for you. That said, hopefully we’ve been able to provide you with a reasonable list of pros and cons to help you make the right decision.

If there’s one final thought we’d like to leave things on it’s this: money really isn’t the same as happiness. Time and time again research has shown that, once people pass a reasonable standard of living where their basic needs are met and they’re able to afford some luxuries for themselves, more money vary rarely increases their general level of happiness.

All of this to say that while it’s always important to be able to look after yourself, nine times out of ten the right decision will be the one that makes you happiest on a day-to-day basis.