There are few career choices that offer as many opportunities and options for self-employment as new media careers. In today's information-driven societies, people turn to social networks, blogs, wikis, and websites to get their news, research topics of interest, or learn about products and services of interest. New media has made it possible for the masses to get their news and entertainment from some of the same sources. For example, large websites like Yahoo, MSN, and AOL display news stories, advertisements, games, and social websites all on one page. The ability to personally customize how, when, and where information and entertainment is accessed means there is room for everyone.

For example, some people prefer to read about pressing social or economic issues from first hand sources. They would prefer to read blogs by real estate professionals and experts to determine their stance on the housing market rather than listen to news reports. For some, hearing from industry professionals provides more inside, credible information than traditional news outlets that may want to present their own spin. Quite simply, they do not trust news outlets to present unbiased information. In today's new media, people want to give their trust to individuals rather than organizations. This provides a wealth of new media careers for those with an entrepreneurial mindset.

One example of new media careers where self-employment is possible is website design and development. In the case of real estate professionals, for example, these professionals have extensive expertise in their industry. However, building a format from which to share their wealth of information is often outside their skill set. They must hire a new media professional to help them build an online presence where they can share their expertise through website copy, videos, graphic illustrations, podcasts, and other tools. This leads to another example of a self-employed new media professional, programmers.

Programmers, coders, and other behind the scenes new media careers are perfect for solo practice, self-employment, or freelance work. These individuals have extensive knowledge of advanced software and tools necessary to take advantage of new media. These professionals, like their website design and development colleagues, are uniquely positioned to work under the employment of an organization or for themselves or even both. Likewise, writers, reporters, and other traditional media professionals can easily provide their expertise on a freelance basis for new media pursuits. In fact, the explosive growth of new media has provided a virtually limitless pool of opportunities for professionals to expand their knowledge and offer their considerable expertise for hire.

Naturally, before pursuing solo new media careers, professionals should gather real world experience working for established outlets, companies, or organizations. Not only will this provide professionals with extensive experience, inside information on how the industry works, and networking contacts, but also credibility. Clients want to know the person they hire has the experience for which they are paying. As such, the ability to list past employers, job descriptions, and project experience provides clients with information about a potential contractor's past job roles and experience.