The more I look 1 me, the more self-employment seems to be the way to go for many people. I’m not sure if this is just my 2 or it's indeed a global phenomenon, so I'd like to discuss it with you. In my opinion, there are two major reasons why self-employment seems to be popular. Necessity Many people lost their jobs because of the recent financial 3 . I read many stories about people with high salaries who suddenly found themselves out of work and found it difficult to get new jobs. For them, self-employment might be the only way to go because the job market isn't as 4 as it was. Opportunity Many other people choose self-employment not because of necessity 5 because of opportunity. They find that self-employment gives them more freedom and flexibility, not to mention the potentially big financial rewards they could get. Self-employment can also give them more security. They are less likely to suddenly fall into a deep 6 trouble because of lost income. I am an advocate (拥护者) of self-employment and over time I become more and more 7 because of the stories I hear from people around me. I often hear about those who lose their jobs and how it could take them months to get new jobs, if ever. I imagine that if only more people take the path of self-employment, I would hear 8 such stories. Of course, there are also 9 aspects of self-employment. First of all, it's not easy to start a self-employment career. It could be difficult to get consistent income in the beginning because of the difficulty to find clients. You might also need to work harder than when you work for a company since you are now totally on your own. That being said, I think the freedom and security is still 10 it. With the world and the job market becoming more unpredictable, having your destiny in your own hands seems to be the best alternative.