Forty-two percent of women say they’d rather work for themselves than an employer.
The appeal is obvious: Working for yourself often symbolizes freedom, setting your own schedule, choosing projects you’re passionate about, and steering your own career.
I can relate. I started freelancing while working a stressful career in television news just to feel like I had some control over my work. Then, I realized: I can use these hustle skills to rack up freelance jobs and apply that experience to my current career.
Since then, I have been able to create a podcast—producing and hosting the show—and continue doing interviews on my own timeline, just like I would in my freelance life. The switch has helped me steer my career while pursuing things I’m passionate about. Work no longer gives me the Sunday anxieties, and I no longer want to quit the moment I open my laptop.
You can feel this way too—and you don’t have to walk away from your job to do it. With the right mindset and strategies, you can bring the independence of entrepreneurship into your current role. Here’s how.
6 ways to make work feel like working for yourself
1. Give yourself permission to lead your career
One of the hardest parts of feeling like you “own” your career inside a corporate job is believing you have the authority to shape it in the first place.
It’s easy to get caught in a cycle of waiting: waiting for recognition, waiting for the opportunity to lead a project, waiting for the next promotion, waiting for someone else to decide when you’re ready. That waiting game can make even the most capable employees feel powerless.
This is where executive coach and founder of WorkJoy, Tina Schust Robinson, urges women to flip the script. She says the first step toward greater autonomy is learning to give yourself permission. “I encourage all my clients to give themselves permission to identify and communicate their desires,” she says.
That might mean asking to take on a stretch project, requesting more of the work you enjoy, or suggesting ways your role could be shaped to better suit your strengths. “A specific lesson I learned early in my career was to present solutions, not just problems. As a consultant and advisor, I’m grateful I absorbed this earlier in my career,” she adds.
Kristen Zavo, executive and career coach and author of Job Joy, describes the same idea as moving from permission to agency. “Many women wait to be recognized, promoted, or tapped on the shoulder for opportunities,” she says. “But the truth is, no one cares about your career as much as you do. You have to claim it.”
Both agree that you do not need external validation to start shaping your career. The first step is to name what you want and then take small but consistent actions to create it inside your current job.
2. Practice ownership every day
When you picture working for yourself, ownership comes naturally. But the good news is, you do not need to be self-employed to practice it. Treating your role as if you are responsible for its outcomes, not just its tasks, can make you feel more in control.
Schust Robinson says it’s important to “own the outcome, not just the task.” That might mean clarifying what success looks like before diving into a project, documenting your wins for performance conversations, or choosing to describe your work in terms of leadership. Shifting your language from “I helped” to “I led” reminds both you and others that you play an active role in results.
Zavo adds that employees can build ownership by looking at their projects as case studies. “Look for ways to improve or innovate,” she says. She also encourages volunteering for cross-functional initiatives that increase your visibility and skills. And instead of waiting for annual reviews, track and share your progress consistently.
Ownership is less about hierarchy and more about mindset. When you show up like the leader of your role, you start to feel the same autonomy as someone steering their own business.
Read more: How to Have Fun at Work
3. Bring creativity into structured roles
Corporate jobs can sometimes feel like there’s no wiggle room, but there is always room for creativity. Infusing fresh ideas into even the most routine responsibilities can make your role feel more like your own.
Schust Robinson recommends paying attention to the tasks that seem clunky, frustrating, or repetitive. “That’s your opportunity to streamline, fix, or reimagine,” she says. “You do not need permission to improve a process. Start small. Test something. Suggest a tweak. Creativity isn’t about reinventing the whole system, it’s about making things work better, one fix at a time.”
Zavo agrees, pointing out that creativity does not have to be disruptive. “Often, it’s about asking “Why do we do it this way?” and proposing small improvements.” She says it can mean borrowing an idea from another industry and applying it to your team. “When I transitioned from financial consulting to marketing and strategy in the insurance and retail space, I pulled ideas from across industries I’d been exposed to (everything from consumer goods to tech) and applied them in a context that had been fairly traditional. That cross-pollination not only brought fresh thinking, it positioned me as someone who could see opportunities others missed,” Zavo says.
4. Build trust to gain independence
Feeling like you work for yourself inside a company often comes down to the freedom you have day to day. That freedom is built on trust. When your manager can loosen up the reins and knows you will deliver, you are more likely to be given independence in how you approach your work.
Zavo emphasizes the importance of consistency and visibility. “Follow through on what you commit to, share updates before you are asked, and invite feedback early,” she says. She adds that learning your manager’s communication style and adapting to it can make collaboration smoother.
Schust Robinson advises clarifying expectations right away. If your manager is vague, do not be afraid to share your understanding and confirm alignment. “Speak in terms of outcomes, not effort. And, again, align with those expectations. If your manager is too hands on or too hands off, gently ask for what you need to achieve shared objectives.” she suggests. Managing up not only builds confidence in your abilities; it gives you more room to operate without constant oversight. She also says it’s important to share progress early and often and own your mistakes.
Trust is not built overnight, but every time you deliver, communicate, and adapt, you create more space to work independently.
Read more: What is Your Superpower? How to Answer One of the Trickiest Interview Questions
5. Align your work with strengths and passions
One reason many women dream of working for themselves is to focus on what they love most. I knew that storytelling was at the heart of my passion, so it was imperative that I brought that into my day job. But you can often find ways to highlight your passions within your current role if you know how to frame them.
Schust Robinson says it starts with self-awareness by identifying what your strengths and passions are. As a career coach, she uses what she calls the three Ps: superpowers, passions, and priorities. “The three Ps shape our personal brand. Take a strengths assessment. Make a list of when you were in flow, loving life, and what skills you were using. Ask trusted colleagues and friends what they see as your natural talents.”
Schust Robinson says once you define those, you can assess how much you are using them in your current work and identify opportunities to leverage your strengths and passions more often.
Zavo advises going one step further: connect your passions to business outcomes. “The key is to frame it as a win-win,” she says. “Instead of simply asking for what you want, connect it to business outcomes: I would love to take on X because it leverages my strengths in Y, and I see it helping us achieve Z.” Zavo says advocating for projects that showcase your strengths is not selfish, it’s strategic.”
By showing how your passions benefit the organization, you position yourself as a leader adding value, not just an employee asking for special treatment.
6. Start small this week
Bringing autonomy into your role does not require sweeping changes. Often, the smallest actions spark the biggest shifts. It can start with the art of gratitude.
Schust Robinson encourages noting one thing you appreciated about work each day. “What’s one thing you liked, appreciated, and were thankful for?”
She also uses her “more of, less of, maintain” exercise: choose one thing to do more of, one to do less of, and one to maintain in the week ahead. These quick reflections help you steer your work experience in a way that feels intentional. It also gives you a chance to celebrate your wins.
Investing in yourself so you have other options is a path Zavo recommends. She says pick one area of your work and approach it like a CEO would, with your employer as an important client instead of your entire identity. “A CEO never bets the future of the company on just one stream of revenue. Similarly, you can build your career in a way that gives you both autonomy and options. That might mean developing skills that are transferable across industries, or pursuing an interest outside of work that strengthens your personal brand.” Zavo shared that for her, it was giving talks to build her credibility inside and outside of the organization. “Over time, that visibility opened doors I never could have predicted.”
Taking even one small step builds momentum. Over time, those small choices accumulate into a career that feels more self-directed.
The bottom line
You may not own the company you work for, but you do own your career. By giving yourself permission, practicing ownership every day, bringing creativity to your role, building trust, and aligning your work with your strengths, you can create the same sense of independence and fulfillment that many seek through entrepreneurship.
The difference is that you are doing it within your current role, proving that autonomy is not about leaving your job, but about leading your career from wherever you are. Meet yourself where you are—trust me, it’s worth it.
Read more: Your Essential Guide to Driving Your Career Growth
