It seems like every other business book I pick up lately is written by a successful entrepreneur who either A) experienced a ridiculous amount of trial and tribulation to pursue his dream – such as living homeless for a year – or B) shunned a traditional education and drove a high-powered career on resourcefulness alone.  I wondered aloud why these stories are still so appealing, even though they are so frequently published they are almost a cliché, and my husband reminded me that Horatio Alger-esque, rags-to-riches tales have always sold off the shelves.  They represent the American dream, and the fact that we exist in a society where anything is possible, and just by virtue of living here, you can achieve whatever you put your mind to.

But is this really true?  Forgive me for sounding like a wet blanket, but I prefer to be more of a realist.  Today, it’s fashionable to say that you’re going to become an entrepreneur, that you’ll shun the corporate world to go out and start a business according to your own values and your own rules.  But here’s the thing.  I’ve said before that not everyone is cut out for the life of working for oneself, and I hold to that statement.  Not only is being an entrepreneur costly, nerve-wracking, and incredibly hard work, but because of the way our economy is structured, it’s simply impossible for everyone to be one.  It reminds me of a psychology study my husband told me about recently, which showed that 75% of people believed they were above-average looking.

I bet the same thing is true of would-be entrepreneurs.  A lot of people believe they have what it takes to run a successful business, but in reality, few probably do.  Instead of telling everyone that the answer to career satisfaction is to abandon the corporate world, we career counselors should be encouraging people to look at an array of options, including those that involve working in business – and yes, working for someone else. 

If you’re frustrated being a cog in a wheel at a company where things don’t run the way you think they should, don’t automatically assume you need to chuck the situation entirely.  Since most people will end up employed in a more conventional work environment, it’s wise to develop the skills and the attitude that allow you to succeed and achieve your professional goals within the context of that setting.  Maybe someday you will have the opportunity to “go entrepreneur,” but your happiness shouldn’t be contingent on it.