News

Vox Pop: Self-Employment Or White-Collar Job, Which Is The Best?

Byhvzclarence

PublishedNovember 9, 2018

Continuously, there have been divergent views on which is the best between a white-collar job and self-employment. However, MISTURA OLADELE, SAINDAT ABDULROUF, AISHAT ADEPOJU, MIRACLE IMOHIMI AND ABDULRASAQ AJIBOLA went to town to sample opinions of people on this: Excerpt:

It can be really difficult to settle for one between white collar job and starting a job of your own. Thought of where and how to raise funds for business coupled with the risks involved in starting a business often scares people from making it a choice. Be that as it may, I still prefer to be self-employed rather than be looking for a white-collar job because of several reasons.

Starting your own business spares you the problem of working with a difficult boss. Being a boss of yourself, you control how your work is done, how projects are executed, how decisions and policies are formulated and implemented, which is a contributing factor to job satisfaction.

Also, being self employed grants you freedom to choose your clients and determine the type of business relationship you are willing to share with other companies. You choose who you provide services to, but as an employee in a white-collar job, you are bound to attend to anybody that shows up for business at your employer’s place whether or not you are comfortable with the nature of the deals.

A self employed person will get a job done with freedom than working as a staff. You get credit, take glory and honour for your own work but in white collar job, your boss takes glory and honour for whatever you laboured for.

Being self employed afford you appointment to diversify your business by investing in other related businesses in order to facilitate business growth and expansion.

As a self-employed person, you don’t have fixed income, you can realise as much as you can but in a white collar job, your monthly salary is always fixed which may not be enough to cater for your needs.

Badmus Oladele (Computer Technician)

To be self-employed is much better than a white collar job, because self-employment offers flexibility in terms of personal management unlike when you canonly act based on instructions.

There is always lot of excitement since the person is the boss of his/herself, he is free to do whatever he/she likes interms of developing ideas to grow his business without interference from any angle since he owns the job.

The person will have freedom of his own and will be able to control those under him and have time for himself. Most importantly, a self-employed man won’t depend on monthly salaries which can never be enough and might not even be paid as and when due. Being a self employed personnel, one can earn his income daily based on the kind of work he/she does.

— Mr Kayode Emmanuel (Student)

Self employment is more important and better than white collar jobs. Firstly, white collar jobs are almost impossible in our Nigeria of today. Meanwhile, instead of sitting at home doing nothing, with a minimum capital, you can start something that will bring income for you.

Being a self employed personnel, you are your own boss, you do not answer to anyone’s call but your customers, there is no need waiting till end month to get paid. Moreover, you can get your income everyday, depending on how genuine your services are, you can work at your leisure and nobody would scold you for doing so.

As long as you are good in what you do, self employment is far better than white collar job, because it gives financial freedom and job security.

— Adebayo Adekunle (Civil Servant)

To be independent contractors or business owners, the first step is developing a business plan, which includes determining individual interest, skills, and strength and so on.

This step also involves, figuring out who the potential customers and competitors will be as well as researching the market for the intended line of business.

So, self employed individuals feel compelled to accept a variety of assignments due to sheer scarcity of work.

Self-employed workers require attention to administrative matters such as record keeping, accounting, insurance and maintaining equipment.

So, self-employment is the best which need self decision making to bring out effective result.

— Ajayi Bartholomew

Self employment is when a qualified or abled person has a personal job which is convenient for him/her without depending on any person. In self employment, people will be free without bosses around unlike the white collar job that you will be controlled by your boss.

Also, if you are self employed, you won’t be panicking to get to work unlike white collar job that you will be rushing to office because if you violate the rules and regulations of the establishment you may lose your job.

Even though, as a self-employed person, you have to be diligent with what you do and be committed to it, but you will be free to control your business.

In addition, a self employed earn money anytime of the day with no worries not like white collar job where workers will earn at the end of the month.

With a white collar job, a worker can get sacked anytime, but a self employed person can not be sacked.

— Lawal Abdul Akeem (Student)

It is good to be self employed because you will have access and freedom to go to your work place at anytime you wish or like and have time for your family. You will have freedom for yourself, resume at work at your own time and you do not need permission from anybody to attend to personal things.

More importantly, you won’t be waiting for any salary at the end of the month. In your own business, you make profit on time, spend it the way you wish in such a way that it would not affect your business and save the amount you wish.

— Oladele Ganiyat (Nurse)

A self employed is a person that operates independently on his own and there are many advantages in being self-employed. Using my case as an example, as an electrician, I am very comfortable with my job because I have time for some other things even when am at work. I can go to anywhere anytime because I am a boss of myself.

For example, I have a contract worth N5million at hand and I have just been called for another job at Ede. I just have to source for some capable hands who can handle the contract I secured first for me while am on my way of getting another contract that worth more than the one at hand.

Apart from this, I will have time for my family. I can go to work anytime and close anytime after I might have done what needs to be done. Also, I used to travel when especially I receive calls from another state for work as a matter of urgency and I don’t need to be panic that somebody will scold me for that.

Another factor is that, I can make in one month, money that a person with white collar job will earn in a year. Self-employment even adds value to your community, economic growth and development in the sense that they employ people who are unable to secure job for them to have daily bread.

Although, it is not everyday that a self-employed person will get work to do, but still, it is far better than white collar job more so that it is not easy to secure the job in Nigeria today. Also, one can be sacked at any time and when that happens, one will be back to square one.

However, white collar job has its own advantages because one will be sure of the amount he would earn at the end of the month as salary and be able to plan on it.

— Ganiyu Kazeem (Electrician)

Self-employment is the best because you don’t need to rush to work, nobody can insult you like in the so-called white collar job. White-collar job employee may not earn the kind of money a self-employed person earns in a month. Government may not pay full salary to those with white collar job employment.

Person with a white-collar job do rush to work everyday while self employed people go to work any time they like in such a way that it will affect their businesses, above all, you will have freedon on whatever you do.

— Ibiyemi Olawumi (Trader)