I am 24 and I for the most part disagree with your advice. I completely agree you can learn an incredible amount by working for yourself and by collaborating with others. You learn a lot about yourself and the valuable skill that is being a self-starter. Also, given the low barriers to entry, this in now as easy as ever.

Where I disagree with you, is your statement regarding “not entering big business because you will spend the first 5-8 years taking on the bad habits of your managers.” Now, this assumes your manager is terrible, and not inspirational. While there are tons of worthless, go-with-the-flow managers in the work force, there are tons of managers who want to teach and inspire the people that work for them.

At the same time, I think it is very important for young employees to think and be aware of their environments. DO NOT BE A DRONE. How can they even know what a good manager is without understanding what a bad manager is? This translates to starting your own company, how can someone know how they want to run their company without having something to base it on. I have worked at a major advertising agency and currently work at a major media company and at the same time I want to be an entrepreneur. I know that my experiences will be valuable in shaping the company I want to run and how I want to run it.

I think the solution is both; starting your career at a huge company and having the fortitude to think outside the hours of 9-5. It does not need to be one or the other. Employees should have a Google Reader account with dozens of industry feeds to understand what is taking place in their industry outside of the company walls. They should be constantly be brainstorming ideas and working with peers with similar interests. Finally, when they have a substantial idea or a business with the groundwork laid (during their free time), they can make an educated decision to leave the company to become a full time entrepreneur. Don’t burn bridges, and if it doesn’t pan out, you have a place (MAYBE! And if that place doesn’t exist given everything happening right now, you have made some good contacts) to come back to.

Unless you are an entrepreneurial wunderkind, I think experience is the most important thing. Sorry for the long response but this kinda struck a cord with me.

@piers: yes, there's gonna be some bad managers that you may end up working for, but you'll also see really strong leaders. learn from both and develop you're own brand w/n the company. and when you're confident of brand you, go out and take on the world.

Credibility is another issue. Companies are laying off longtime workers left and right, and many of those newly jobless professionals are becoming freelancers. It will be tough for recent graduates with minimal experience to compete against their resumes.

You should also take into account that Liz is the one writing this article–and she has already done what you've suggested. Her first book will be published in March and she has done freelancing work for a number of media outlets. But she still understands the importance of financial security from a "real job" for those of us just starting out.