(MONEY Magazine) – LIKELY AS NOT, YOU ARE PROBABLY FEELING frustrated on the job these days: overworked, insecure, even downright angry at your overbearing boss. Who can blame you? Along with many of those toiling for corporate America, you are almost surely working with less staff, more pressure and greater demands for efficiency. "There have been enormous changes in the workplace over the past five to 10 years," notes Princeton-based management consultant Craig Schneier, "including a steady stream of prophecies, programs and new technologies that have made many workers feel overwhelmed."

Little wonder, then, that half of Money readers (51%) would prefer to be running their own business rather than working for a small company (27%) or a large corporation (22%), according to our recent 10th Americans and Their Money survey (see page 24 in the May '95 issue for the complete findings). Here's why so many of you would rather work for yourselves:

-- DOWNSIZING IS DEEPENING WORKER ANXIETY. Most companies now consider cutbacks as a routine part of business. In all, nearly 2.5 million employees were pared from payrolls since 1990, according to Challenger Gray & Christmas, an international outplacement firm in Chicago.

-- MORE CHANGE IS FORECAST. A whopping 84% of 259 Fortune 500 senior executives last year said their firm had at least one "major business transformation" in the works, according to the American Management Association and Deloitte & Touche LLP Management Consulting.

-- EMPLOYERS ARE NOT SHARING THEIR WEALTH. While corporate profits were up a healthy 11% or more last year, average pay raises stayed stuck at around 4% for the third straight year.

-- FULL-TIME JOBS ARE HARDER TO FIND. Since 1991, a staggering one out of every seven of the 7.5 million jobs created in the country has been a temporary position.

-- AND BENEFITS ARE BEING SCALED BACK TOO. One indication: The percentage of large firms that paid the total costs of their single employees' health-care coverage dropped from 49% in 1989 to 30% in 1993, according to Watson Wyatt, a Washington-based benefits consulting firm.

Although many workers react by plotting to start their own business, that's hardly the only option-or necessarily the best. For example, you can gain more control in today's survival-of-the-fittest workplace with a lot less risk by making changes in your current job. Here's the first step: Stop thinking of yourself as a company employee. Instead, picture yourself as a marketable free agent-something like a consultant, a contractor or a skilled artisan on loan to the firm that pays you the most and helps you perform at your best.

Here are the five steps you should take now to get your career on track:

1. DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT. Back in the old days -- we're talking the late '80s -- "companies set the rules for career growth and employees followed," says Priscilla Claman, president of Career Strategies, a Boston consulting firm. Well, forget that. With job security all but a memory, you must figure out your own professional goals -- be they power, money, creativity or recognition. Whatever you choose, you must first focus on what you want before you can achieve it. "That way," says Claman, "when new opportunities come along, you'll have a way to judge whether they can help or hinder you."

2. BUILD PORTABLE SKILLS. Your abilities and experience, not your job title, hold the key to your security. Look for opportunities to gain expertise in practical areas, such as computers, foreign languages, writing and public speaking. And work on developing skills such as being able to collaborate and lead a team, advises Edward Marshall, author of Transforming the Way We Work (Amacom, $22.95). These talents, maintains Marshall, are necessary to succeed in today's ever-shifting, team-oriented climate.

3. SET UP YOUR OWN BOARD OF DIRECTORS. You may not want your boss or manager dictating your career, but you still need advisers. Claman suggests you assemble five to 10 people -- such as a former boss, a trusted colleague, a client and a member of your professional organization -- who know your track record and the opportunities available in your chosen field. Check in with one or more of them informally every few months to discuss your best moves.

4. CREATE AN ESCAPE HATCH. Try to devise a few exit strategies. That way, even if your company capsizes or your pet project founders, you won't be shipwrecked. Your options might include a lateral move within the company, switching to another firm, pursuing a degree to broaden your experience or following your dream of teaching in the Job Corps for two years.

5. ACCEPT CHANGE. Lastly, take to heart this advice from Marshall: "What you resist, persists." Change is about the only career constant there is these days. Instead of blaming the boss or the company, take responsibility, accept the inevitable and make the new ways work for you.

How do you feel about the current job pressures? Let us know by answering the questions on the next page, assembled with the help of consultant Craig Schneier. Feel free to add your comments on a separate sheet. Return the poll and your thoughts by fax (212-522-0119) or by mail (Money, July Worklife, Room 32-37, Time & Life Building, Rockefeller Center, New York, N.Y. 10020). We will report the results in upcoming columns.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR JOB

YOUR JOB

1. How satisfied are you about your job now? a) Extremely satisfied b) Moderately satisfied c) Satisfied d) Moderately dissatisfied e) Extremely dissatisfied

2. Which of the following things would increase your job satisfaction? (Circle the top three.) a) More pay b) Less work c) Fewer hours d) More staff help e) Promotion f) More opportunity to interact with colleagues g) More training h) More access to your boss i) Programs that help balance work and family demands j) More authority k) More feedback about your performance

3. If you have changed jobs or companies in the past two years, what was the primary reason? (Circle one.) a) Better pay or benefits b) Better working environment c) Lost your old job d) Lighter workload e) More responsibility or opportunity f) Joined a more family-friendly company

4. On average, are you working longer weekly hours than you did a year ago? a) Yes, one to five more hours b) Six to 10 hours more c) Fewer hours c) No change

5. In thinking about your ideal job, which of these criteria would be most important to you? (Circle the top three.) a) Pays above average b) Challenging work c) Contributes to society d) Prestigious title e) Flexible hours f) Low stress g) Job security h) Independence i) Consistent feedback about performance j) Programs that help balance work and family demands

6. Do you think you could lose your job in the next 12 months? a) Very likely b) Likely c) Not very likely

7. What one thing would you change about your job tomorrow?

YOUR CAREER

1. Are you more or less ambitious than you were two years ago? a) More ambitious b) Less so c) No change

2. Which of these subjects would you like to learn more about in the next 12 months? (Circle the top three.) How to: a) Do your job in less time. b) Manage people better. d) Balance work and family. e) Earn more pay. f) Learn the skills you need to get promoted.

3. Over the past 12 months, have you considered (circle all that apply): a) Looking for a new job b) Switching careers c) Asking for a more flexible work schedule c) Working part time from home e) Starting your own business f) Asking for a promotion g) Asking for more staff help

4. What impact does your immediate manager or supervisor have on your career? a) Helps b) Hinders c) No impact

YOUR COMPANY

1. Do you have concerns about the safety of your work environment in regard to (circle all that apply): a) Air quality b) Eyestrain c) Repetitive stress injuries d) Contact with toxic materials e) Workplace violence

2. Do you feel you are treated fairly on the job? a) Yes b) No

3. Looking ahead five years, your career expectations are: a) Staying in your job b) Becoming self-employed c) Working in the same company with an enhanced title and pay d) Moving into a different industry e) Working for a competitor f) Retiring

YOUR PAY AND BENEFITS

1. Which of your benefit plans do you find difficult to understand? (Circle all that apply.) a) Health insurance b) 401(k) plan c) Flexible spending accounts d) Profit-sharing plan e) Stock-purchase plan f) Retiree medical program g) Pension plan h) Workers compensation

2. Which of your compensation plans do you find difficult to understand? (Circle all that apply.) a) Bonus plan b) Merit-pay plan c) Salary grades and level d) Stock-option plan

YOUR WORK AND FAMILY LIFE

1. What would help you balance work and family demands? (Circle the top three.) a) Flextime schedule b) On-site child care c) Emergency child care d) Shorter work hours e) More pay f) Work-at-home options g) Flexible leave policy h) A more understanding boss

2. In regard to your vacation, do you (circle one): Part I a) Take all the time allotted. b) Take less time. c) Request more time. Part II a) Stay in touch with the office because of company policy. b) Stay in touch with the office voluntarily. c) Don't stay in touch at all.

3. Would you be willing to have 5% deducted from your pay in exchange for an on-site child-care center? a) Yes b) No c) Does not apply

DEMOGRAPHIC INFO

City and state:

Marital status: Single Married Divorced/separated

Do you have children? Yes No

Does your spouse work? Yes No

Age: Under 25 25 to 40 41 to 55 Over 55

Your occupation: Owner Managerial Professional/technical Administrative/clerical Manufacturing/skilled labor

Company size: Large (more than 2,000 employees) Medium (501 to 1,999) Small (500 or fewer)

Household income: Under $40,000 $40,000 to $80,000 $80,001 to $100,000 More than $100,000