A Hub for the Working Class

We all know what it's like, working for the man (or woman). As Forbes contributor Carmine Gallo wrote "70% of your employees hate their jobs." Forbes' audience of course tends to be on the corporate side, so let's take a look at the other side of the coin.

Why exactly do we hate our jobs? Is it the job itself? The people we work with? The person we work for? Or is it all of the above? This of course depends on the person, the job, etc. But for the most part, all of the above just about covers it. Your employer, however, has the power to make matters better or worse — and this is where the trouble starts.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 79.9 percent of us worked in the service industry in 2012. That percent, is increasing. Now some of us might actually like helping others and serving people in their daily needs, but what the majority of us do not like is how we are treated by our supervisors in doing so.

Day to day, supervisors can be condescending, ignorant, and outright rude. In the service industry, intelligence does not get you to the top — keeping your mouth shut does — and once you get there the power play of finally being able to give orders to someone else takes hold.

This problem occurs not only in the service industry, but in every industry. It does not matter how smart you are, or how skilled, it matters only that you know how to take orders. Even our education systems are focusing on how best to prepare students to take orders in the future, because that more than anything will decide your success.

But change is on the horizon, and the solution has already begun.

The solution: Freelancing.

According to Elance, a website that connects freelancers to jobs, earnings for U.S. freelancers rose 69 percent in 2013 from the previous year, and hiring increased 51 percent. As current-day society depends more and more on technology, the employment industry does too.

Before the digital world, freelancers struggled to make ends meet and spent most of their time doing the 'leg-work', searching for jobs and customers. Today, with freelance sites like Elance and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, making it as a freelancer has never been easier.

With freelancing, you are your own boss and you decide what you are worth. You do not have to be talked down to or given orders, you simply create and do what you do best. Freelancers have the opportunity to use both their intellect and their skill set, where in many jobs neither are really used.

Some tips for starting out as a freelancer:

• Don't quit your day job just yet- While freelancing is still much easier than it was a few decades ago, it still takes time and patience to build a support base for yourself. Make sure you are off to a good start before pulling the plug on your other job.
• Become Tech-Savvy- You can't get far these days without knowing your way around basic computer techniques. Catch up on the latest social media sites, and freelancing sites, to see what the tech world has to offer you. It will make your job, a lot easier.
• Invest in yourself- Whether through education or online training, develop your skill set as a freelancer. You are now the heart of your business, and worth every penny to invest in. It pays to keep your skills relevant to our ever-changing world.

So grin and bear it — but remember that for now, it is only temporary. Our world is changing for the better, producing more opportunities than ever before and all you have to do, is take them.