In Praise of the Portfolio Career

3 Oct

Are you a slashee, solopreneur, squiggly careerist, or multi-hyphenate?

What am I talking about?

(If you are one of these, you’ll already know)

Yes, it’s likely to mean you have a portfolio career.

So instead of having one full-time job for one employer, you have a number of part-time, freelance or contract work and/or a variety of roles of varying size and shape.

Slashee is so-called because on their ‘about me’ line it will be something like Model / Actor / Singer.

Solopreneur is someone, like me, who is both founder and employee of their own business and provides services to different companies.

Squiggle careerist is someone who has pivoted and changed jobs throughout their working life.

Whatever we call it, I want to propose...

In these times of change and uncertainty, redundancies, and restructures, we’d ALL do well to have a portfolio approach to our careers.

Why? Well let me count the ways!

I’m not going to say it’s easy because if it were, we’d all be doing it already. But here goes:

1. No More Pigeon-holing

As beings, we are naturally multi-skilled and talented - so let’s not get pigeon-holed into doing one thing. Finance director who loves to paint who also runs an AirBnB? Why not?

So having a portfolio career where you get to use your different skills and talents is incredibly fulfilling.

2. Diversifying Your Income Streams

This is something all businesses are looking at doing. Gone are the days where you can be reliant on one source of income forever and ever, so having a portfolio career of different jobs with different income streams is fast becoming a way to survive.

Younger generations than me naturally seem to have side hustles.

And who’s to know when your side hustle may become your main hustle? Have a hustle!

3. The Times are Changing so you NEED to be Adaptable

Having a portfolio career helps you be more adaptable to an ever-changing world. As needs rise and fall, so too can your reliance on one type of role or another.

It’s easier to pivot if your eggs are in multiple baskets.

You are much more ready to take advantage of opportunities that come up and also ditch things if your interest in them wanes.

4. It Gives You Flexibility

What I love about my portfolio career is the flexibility it gives me.

Yes, I have to hustle for work, it’s not handed to me on a plate BUT when I do work, I manage my own diary and organise it to work with all the other many things I like to do - family, hobbies, learning, travel etc.

Plus, it’s now possible to Work From Anywhere.

Recently I delivered a 3-hour workshop to a company in New York from a hotel in Cardiff and a group coaching course from a cottage in Suffolk!

5. It’s Confidence Building

At the heart of any successful portfolio is understanding your own value:

What you can do and what impact you have on others in a multitude of ways be it large or small, for huge amounts of cash or small.

Rather than ‘working for the man’, YOU are the so-called ‘man’, the brand, the product, the magic.

It’s YOU that makes things happen and I find that very empowering and therefore confidence-building. Instead of relying on a company to promote you and advance you, YOU are in control of your career and direction.

So if you are wondering how to go about creating a portfolio career then check out my free webinar on the 3 Ps of Pivoting Career

Tracy