Careers/Jobs Where You are In Control

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by flyingwriter

Air Traffic Control. You get to control aircraft and you don't really have someone looking over your shoulder. There are managers/supervisors, but they aren't really there to look over your shoulder. Pilot would also fit the bill, you are the final authority as to the operation of your aircraft.

I disagree controllers have come under significant scrutiny lately and with that, the job has been ranked as working for one of if not THE worst employer...the FAA.

[nicet4]

Originally Posted by Neutral

If you have to ask, you are not cut out to be self-employed.

Most people aren't.

I've been on both sides over my 40 year work history about equally split. 20 years working for someone, 20 years self employed.

I am finishing up working for someone else because I don't want the hassles of being self employed and I no longer need the money.

I loved being self employed it was the only way for me to have a consistent six figure income and my benefit package was out of this world.

But there was a price I paid.

A "short" week was 50 to 60 hours.

A "typical" week was 60 to 70 hours. Monday through Friday I would be the first one at the shop getting there around 6:45 AM and except for Friday I never got home earlier than 6:00 PM. I had a 10 minute commute.

Most evenings I would take work home for something to do after the kids went to bed. The average evening work was two hours.

Most of the time I worked Saturday mornings at the office getting things done in the peace and quiet I couldn't get done during the week.

I made good money but it wasn't all that good if you figure the hours I worked. About $25 an hour if you figure time and a half overtime working 3,500 hours a year. 65 to 70 hours a week was normal.

I took risks and if you know about master surety agreements coupled with construction performance and payment bonds you will agree with me. With a master surety agreement there's no hiding behind a corporate veil.

Most people have no idea what level of commitment it really takes to make a business work. Working for yourself means you will work twice the hours you would working for anyone else.

[Raine Carraway]

Lots of sales jobs are pretty independent, but you're basically self-employed, and usually on a commission income [with no paid benefits most times]. There's a big learning curve in learning to look at is as your own business, and run things accordingly, but you can make good money if you find something you enjoy and can stand behind. I'm in sales now [real estate] and love it, but I worked a few sales jobs early on that we're pretty rough [vacuums, water softeners, etc].

[Genghis]

Any kind of teacher is pretty much self-employed. They have to answer to administrators to some extent, but they often have tenure which means there's not much the administrators can really do to them. I guess anyone who runs a corner store or something is self-employed. The hard thing is to be self-employed and have a steady income. I mean a cab driver is self-employed, but that would be highly unpleasant IMO.

[tired-of-mn]

I think the two that I can think of that you have total control and answer to no one is independant stock investor and professional poker player.I dont know much about stocks but I used to deal poker and I played semi-professionaly for one year.If your an eliete poker player its one of the best livings out there but it takes alot of work and patcience to become really good.I still have a ways to go before I can live off my winnings.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by heeha

Does anyone know of any careers/jobs where you don't have to work for anyone and you are in control of your destiny/earning potential?

Outside sales, inside sales, Any commisioned sales job. You get paid for what you produce. Many jobs available where you have limited contact with a manager, although I don't know if you can get 100% away. Your earnings are limited by how well you do. Chances are you may not even need a degree to get a job. One good way to move up to the good jobs is to put your time learning sales at retail, car sales, what have you.

Some good positions are medical equipment sales, Business to Business sales, big ticket item sales. The harder something is to move and the better you become at closing the sale, the more money you will make.

[veloman777]

Trade stocks.


The ultimate commission job.

[tired-of-mn]

OH farming you dont anwser to alot of people.And independant prospector, you can dig curancy out of the ground.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

How about AmWay?