18/08November

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When I decided to go out and start working for myself, nobody was more surprised than me. I’ve never thought of myself of the business-type, and never really had any aspirations of being self-employed growing up.

I didn’t take any business classes in school, and focused a lot of energy on learning what many called “useless” theories about community interaction and social relationships. I was a social science nerd to the core. My grades were okay, but not excellent: I preferred to engage with the ideas I was studying through discussions with friends outside the classroom instead of slaving over books and papers.

There wasn’t a single business bone in my body.

Turns out, I’m typical.

It looks like my focus on social sciences and mediocre grades were the perfect set-up for a career of self-employment and consulting. A recent study by Chad Moutray of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy makes a connection between small business ownership and non-business academic study. From a summary post by Dan Pink:

  • “The self-employed tend to have slightly lower grade point averages (GPAs) than their wage-and-salary peers.” The students with the best grades were more likely to seek work in the not-for-profit or government sector.
  • Business and management majors were among the least likely to become self-employed. The most likely folks to go it alone: Social science and “other” majors.

Who would have thought? Turns out I might have had it in me all along. You can read the whole report here (pdf).

That being said, I’m actually currently in the process of exploring some more permanent work positions that would take me out of the world of the self-employed. More on that later, I promise.

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