Jobs will come back when the economy recovers, but they will never be the same.

It makes common sense to be managed by results and it's freeing to know you are in control of your own destiny. I'm so passionate about this because I have seen how merit-based judgment has helped create individual successes and yield a better system for everyone.

The notions of going to work, putting in set hours, and getting 'face time' are increasingly antiquated ideas. Because of technology we have entered a modern era of work where we can work from wherever we want, whenever we want and we can be more productive and make greater contributions than ever before.

In talking to founder after founder; I've heard almost visceral reactions to working for companies, even very cool ones with great things to work on and lots of opportunity, like Facebook, Google, or consulting firms.

It's fantastic that the world is becoming more open to different ways of working, but we still have a long way to go in terms of changing perceptions.

Independent contractors - a rapidly growing piece of the workforce - can often achieve the best quality of life. They can choose from where they work, whom they work for and for how long.

By the time I got to be director of product management at Thomas-Conrad, I was in a better negotiating position, as I had accumulated more accomplishments and gained a reputation for having a great work ethic.