The myth of employment
Why I don't miss job security as a self-employed worker
This essay was originally published in June 2021 and reserved for the few paid subscribers this newsletter had back then (thank you, early supporters!!). I’m republishing it for free while I’m traveling this week, because it feels timely again in this moment of uncertainty where I’m hearing from a lot of folks who are interested in bolstering their income against corporate fickleness.
For four years, I was steadily climbing the ladder at a fast-growth media start up, with a booming salary, 100%-paid health insurance, an industry-leading 401(k) match… and I quit to take a job with a 10% pay cut where I was laid off after two months.
I started freelancing and didn’t have time for my planned job search, because my work quickly filled my schedule.
Nine months later, I was offered a full-time job, but I turned it down to remain a freelancer instead.
About twice a month as I grew my freelance business, a recruiter would send me a message on LinkedIn encouraging me to apply for a staff writer position with some personal finance site. Each time, I thanked them kindly and asked whether they had any freelance needs.
My mom thought I was nuts.
“When you have an opportunity like that…” she’d say wistfully as I turned down another job.
It seems the key goal of our adult lives is to seek quality, stable employment. Between a volatile economy and shifting corporate priorities, that’s a tall order for anyone of my generation (or the next).
I had it. And I gave it away. I was offered it. And I turned it down. It’s always within my reach, and I don’t grab it.
Sometimes I worry I’m downright ungrateful. For the sake of so many I’ve seen lose work over the years, for the women who’ve fallen yet further behind because the world treats us like nothing more than baby vending machines, for the younger me who never believed she could make a living writing… what right do I have to turn down well-paid work?
But I don’t think I’m an ingrate.
I just don’t believe in the myth of employment
The myth of employment says a job means security. A steady paycheck. A retirement plan. Health insurance. Upward mobility.
The myth of employment says a job means less worry.
It’s just not true.
I didn’t have to witness nearly 15% unemployment in 2020 to know a job can be yanked from under your feet any second.
I work in digital media — where we watched veterans of print media flock to our sites amid mass layoffs in their industry, only to suffer the same waves of “restructuring” each time Facebook or Google flipped a switch in its algorithm.
We don’t expect to keep our jobs. We just hope we’re in the lucky bunch next time the bosses splice the staff and gather a group of us into a room for a meeting they think we don’t see coming.
Employment doesn’t mean security to me. It means putting all my eggs in one basket.
All of my income. My savings. My health insurance. My time off. My professional development. My network. My opportunities for advancement. My ability to experiment and learn.
All tied up in a single position.
I’ll digress and point out none of this should be tied to employment, and solutions like universal basic income, public health care and quality education would free us as a whole from depending on jobs to dictate our ability to access basic human needs.
But until those policies exist, our quality of life is largely dictated by the kind of work we choose. I don’t want to rely on a single company for my quality of life. I don’t want to be afraid my entire wellbeing could be yanked — again — at the drop of a hat.
Working for myself offers me far more security.
I’ve got my eggs in baskets all over the world, and I’m responsible for my own health insurance, savings, time off and professional development. No single entity’s failure can take all of that away.
Replacing a client can happen in the span of an email — compare that with 40 hours per week of resume tweaking and cover letter writing after months of zero employment.
Yeah, self-employment has its challenges, too. But the winner for me is clear.
🏝️ Want to add the security of self-employment to your life?
In my class, How to Start Freelancing, I walk through the exact steps to set yourself up financially, professionally and emotionally to start freelancing — whether you want a career change or a side gig to make a little extra money. You’ll learn how to add ease and joy to your life by designing the job or career that’s just right for you. Paid subscribers have full access to this and all Healthy Rich classes.
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Yes! There is no such thing as security in our job market. We have a laughable safety net. Traditional employment is temporary at best, subject to the whims of crap management, unqualified boards, nepo "executives" and 19th century hiring practices. Count me the fuck out!
I feel the exact same way! I’ve been self-employed for 15 years and have started two different businesses. I’m not a freelancer, but rather a fractional operations consultant with 3-4 long term clients at a time + a gardening blog that generates side income. That means I have 4-5 income streams at any given time. I pay 100% of my health insurance, contribute to a SEP, work virtually, take every Friday off and gift myself 6 weeks of vacation spread out over the year. I get to construct my employment in the way that works exactly for my life. No one is forcing me to come back to the office 5 days a week or cutting my pay without my consent. I used to think it was more risky to be self-employed, but my fed worker brother is concerned he’ll lose his job this year and my municipal worker sister was forced back into the office 5 days/week. If I lose a client due to the current administration I’ll likely be able to replace them with another.