Generations ago, your trade was your family’s trade. You followed in their footsteps, carving out your living as a family unit. If I had stuck to my great grandparents’ paths, I would currently be an Illinois dairy farmer or a teacher in South Dakota.
One hundred years ago, professions looked very different. You chose your career and then began a defined path. You got your education, landed a good job, and worked at a company until retirement.
As Kris notes in Owning It, career paths are much windier today. College graduates are predicted to have upwards of six careers (or more.) Not just jobs. Careers. And these careers are evolving quickly as technology, globalization, and societies advance.
One powerful trend that’s quickly emerging in today’s job force is self-employment. You might know this as the gig economy and picture Uber drivers and people renting their spare bedrooms. Well, think again.
The Trend of Independence & Self-Employment
When Kris launched her consulting business in 2004, her peers and friends heard what she wanted to do and doubted that anyone would pay her. “They told her not to give up the security of the known – a regular paycheck with a good company – for the risk of going at it alone (Owning It).”
Instead of listening to them, Kris continued on. By doing so, she built a business that enables her to do work she loves with clients she respects while finding overall prosperity. And since she made that leap in 2004, the consulting field has expanded considerably.
I successfully launched my marketing business, Elevate Online, in 2016 after graduating from Purdue University. I had a solid portfolio, a strong work ethic, and was undeniably young.
Kris and I both thought that I was an exception in the field of consulting. After doing our research thanks to the help of LEAP alumna Valory Meyers, we were surprised to find that I’m part of an overall trend.
Younger generations are driving the acceleration of freelancing. Almost HALF of working Millennials freelance, which is more than any other generation (Edelman Intelligence 2017). Not all of these Millenials do this full-time, but they are still exploring self-employment as ‘moonlighters.’
Here are two more staggering statistics. Today, 40% of the workforce is estimated to be independent (Edelman 2017), and by 2028, over half the professional workforce will be independent (Pofeldt 2017).
These numbers include jobs that are usually associated with working for a company, like accounting, marketing, and HR. IT, sales, and engineer. Finance, engineering, and R&D. All types of careers have been affected by this shift and will be affected by this shift.
No matter your profession. No matter where you live. No matter your industry.
Will Your Career Path Include Consulting?
While the future seems to lean toward self-employment becoming a career norm, Kris and I believe that independence may be a great career choice for some and not for others.
With the great freedoms of consulting (doing work in the way you want to, managing your time, aligning your earning power with your life, to work with the clients you love) come great responsibilities (doing the best work possible, running a business, and more.)
There are also certain factors that might influence if now is the right time for you to make the leap to independence.
These are some of the reasons Kris wrote a book that can help you explore what independent consulting might look like for you. In Owning It: Take Control of Your Life, Work, and Career, Kris explores the workplace trends that make independence possible and shows you how to assess your own readiness…all with the full advantage of her experience, wisdom, and tips to making owning it a reality.
If you’re ready to own your career and set a strong foundation for your journey into independence, we encourage you to look at our Launch Series program. In six weeks, you’ll learn, ask questions, and discover the practical how-tos of running a successful consulting business.
To a Career of Your Choice!
No matter what you choose to do with your career, we hope that it is meaningful. Kris and I want to see a world where more people can build careers doing work that they truly love.
Wishing you clarity on your career journey,
Katie
