Persue a Portfolio Career
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Is a Portfolio Career for You?
A portfolio career isn't for everybody, especially those who need group health insurance and other benefits that usually come with full-time employment. But if you can get coverage elsewhere and a portfolio career sounds intriguing, here's how to evaluate whether it's right for you:
- Inventory Your Values: What's important to you at this juncture in your career? If you need stability, the prestige of a steady position and a guaranteed income, focus on finding full-time work. But if you want more control over your time and the chance to develop new skills and knowledge, to work in different sectors, to create something new or be your own boss, consider a portfolio career.
- Assess Your Aptitude: Take an honest look at whether you can successfully juggle multiple jobs at one time, secure contracts, serve clients effectively and build relationships that will deliver paying work.
- Ask the Right Questions: Instead of wondering, "Who will hire me?" ask:
- - What skills and abilities do I have now?
- - What can I get paid to do now? Who would buy these services?
- - What do I really want to do in the future?
List your ideas. When you go beyond job titles and think about function and outcomes, your possibilities widen.
- Test Your Ideas: Research your ideas and target markets. Get feedback from colleagues or networking contacts. You might find that one idea has more potential than another. One feature the portfolio career offers is fluidity. Your work activities can and will evolve over time. When you feel ready, get that first contract and build from there.
The portfolio career can be a creative solution to career change for experienced professionals, with an array of benefits. You can spread your risk, gain some work/life balance, earn a healthy income, pursue your dreams and open yourself to unanticipated possibilities. Most of all, you can achieve a sense of satisfaction that your talent isn't being wasted at this stage in your career.
[Ian Christie founded BoldCareer.com to help individuals build bold, fulfilling careers and help organisations attract, develop and retain talent. A career coach, consultant, three-time entrepreneur, former senior director at Monster and former retained executive search consultant, Ian is an expert in the fields of careers and recruitment. He believes that career management is a central theme to both personal and organisational effectiveness. BoldCareer.com offers career services to companies and individuals as well as free career resources.]
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