Considering self-employment? Career fields with double-digit growth

Americans were born to make lemonade. If you have any doubt about the resiliency of U.S. workers, consider the many reports that indicate millions of Americans are turning life's lemon of layoffs into an opportunity to work for themselves. With unemployment rates still high, many people are looking to self-employment to create stable, rewarding careers for themselves.

Self-employment offers many advantages, including more flexible work schedules, less job uncertainty and the satisfaction of working for yourself. If you're considering a career change to self-employment and want to start your own business, insurance may be the field for you. It's one of four fields, including child care, accounting and financial planning, that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts will see double-digit growth in the next few years.

Opportunities in the insurance industry for sales agents will grow 22 percent between now and 2020, according to the BLS's Occupational Outlook Handbook. Agents help clients understand their insurance needs and choose policies that best fit those needs and protect the things that are most important: homes, automobiles, businesses and above all else, lives.

The insurance field offers quick entry, even for those with only a high school diploma, and profitability can be even more accessible for those who pursue professional training. Companies like Farmers Insurance, which is expanding into eastern states from its base in California, offer self-employment opportunities for those who wish to run their own agencies. Farmers provides training and can even assist with start-up financing at attractive terms. Along with all the benefits of self-employment, including a more flexible work schedule and the potential to work at home, agents who align themselves with an established company like Farmers can enjoy the benefit of working with a well-recognized brand.

While it may be difficult to predict what the country's overall unemployment rate will be, there is still plenty of good news for career changers looking for fields that offer growth potential. Choosing a career in insurance, financial planning or another industry that anticipates double-digit growth in the next decade can help many career-changers achieve their dream of becoming successful entrepreneurs and help them make lemonade out of life's lemons.