"You can build recession-proof careers," Rosati said. "It's very hard for you not to see what's in demand."

Such workers do miss out on stability and other benefits of a traditional job, he said, but a recent survey by Elance of its workers found about 70 percent prefer it to traditional employment.

As for employers, Rosati believes they increasingly will pick certain tasks for internal work and delegate others to the human cloud.

"The vast majority of businesses in the next few years will have a hybrid model," Rosati said.