Are you looking for jobs in addiction and thinking about working for yourself? Before you take the leap, consider the benefits of working for a company vs being self-employed.

Benefits of Working for a Company vs Being Self-Employed For Jobs in Addiction

Most of us have worked for a company at some time in our lives.  In fact, that is the only experience that many people have.  I remember when I was in college I swore that I would NEVER work for myself and be self-employed because it was simply too risky.  The economy made that decision for me over 5 years ago when my company went out of business and my industry was in the toilet.  I do enjoy working for myself and would hate to give it up but I also see the allure of working for a company.

If you work for a company, there are a lot of benefits that you may not get from being self-employed.  The first of these is, well, benefits.  I haven’t really had any good health insurance to speak of for over 5 years.  The Affordable Care Act may change things for self-employed people but there is nothing like a group medical plan in my opinion.   This isn’t the only benefit that you need to consider, though.  There are no employer-contributed retirement benefits, no paid sick time and no vacation time.  Yes, I can go on vacation whenever I want but it’s not “paid” and no one is working on business while I’m gone.  In fact, I often have a laptop just within reach no matter where I’m at.

There is some risk involved when you work for a company.  If they go out of business, you could be out of a job.  If your boss feels the urge, he can fire you.  In both of these cases, however, you will be able to collect unemployment compensation.  Not so if you are self-employed.  If you go out of business or are not able to make enough money, things – including your personal bills – just don’t get paid.  This can be incredibly stressful.

If you work for a company, for the most part, they provide a lot of the direction and discipline required for the job and workplace.  That’s a bit simplistic but it’s true.  When you are self-employed, no one is going to hold your hand, stand over you or give you a deadline to get something done.  You have to do this for yourself.  There also will not be anyone to give you kudos or a pat on the back when you do something amazing.  Again, you have to do this for yourself and move on.

There are a lot of choices out there when it comes to jobs in addiction and being self-employed may be one of them.  If this is something that interests you, be sure to do your homework and make sure that this is the sort of endeavor that you can be successful at.  A middle of the road option may be to try some telecommuting for awhile to see how you work independently.  Otherwise, stick with the low risk option of working for a company for the time being.