In today’s dynamic age, pursuing new and unconventional methods is unsurprising. We’ve seen new trends and practices being adopted in the workplace, and we can only expect to see the same transformation in how professionals approach their careers.
Traditional careers may no longer apply to every worker. This is why many professionals engage in diverse professional pursuits, creating a portfolio career. In this blog, we’ll talk about how you can maintain strong employee branding while working on various careers.
What Is a Portfolio Career?
Just as the name implies, a portfolio or multi-career is a person with multiple job responsibilities that may not be aligned with each other. It is more flexible and adaptable than the standard 8-5 grind, which only focuses on one career path. Portfolio careers remove the limitation professionals have by only working in a specific career progression, company, or industry. This ensures that you can become successful on your own terms, skills, and preferences.
Before, this type of career was mainly exclusive to executive positions. Being in top positions, they’re most likely part of different boards, engage in various businesses, or offer coaching and consulting services to enterprises or professionals.
Today, as long as you can provide valuable skills and services, you can establish a portfolio career—which is made easier in a world where globalization, technology, and the internet are dominant.
Portfolio Career Examples
There are endless possibilities for building your portfolio. TPC even discovered the bizarre combination of an accountant who is also a circus entertainer!¹ This proves you can prioritize your preferences and aspirations during job searching. As long as you have the opportunity for it, be bold to take on new career paths.
Here are some portfolio career combinations you may be interested in trying:
- Administrative assistant and freelance graphic designer
- Office manager and small business owner
- Receptionist and event planner
- Mechanical engineer and DIY product inventor
- Civil engineer and online course instructor
- Assembly line worker and custom furniture maker
- Forklift operator and fitness trainer
- Skilled welder and YouTube content creator
4 Advantages and 4 Drawbacks of a Portfolio Career
There are some apparent benefits of pursuing an unconventional career. However, there are challenges as well. To navigate this new territory effectively, take a comprehensive approach to portfolio careers. Here are 8 portfolio career advantages and disadvantages you need to consider:
1. Opening New Income Streams
One of the obvious benefits of having a portfolio is the opportunity to earn more. Having two jobs may not be illegal, but it could hinder you from fulfilling your responsibilities. So, being an accountant and a sales manager in competing companies might not be the best solution. Instead, you can offer your skills in a different industry or provide professional services.
This can provide you with financial security, especially during uncertainty and market disruptions. We’ve seen how economic instabilities like a pandemic can easily disrupt physical work. This is why remote work, freelancing, or contract jobs have become more widespread today, reducing monetary vulnerabilities and creating long-term career resilience.
Drawback: Inconsistent Pay and Lack of Job Security
While multiple jobs can bring more money into your home, there may be little to no job security, especially if you’re a freelancer or a business owner. On the other hand, freelance work often experiences payment delays for many reasons, making it unreliable if you need a steady source of income.
When juggling multiple jobs, choose a more stable income source like a 9 to 5, and partner it with a side hustle. This will increase your chances of having a steady income flow in case of unexpected unemployment.
2. Pursuing Personal Fulfillment
Having flexibility with your work allows you to design a career based on your aspirations, passions, and situation. This is one of the main reasons people choose this path instead of the traditional approach.
Look at your skills, experiences, previous roles, and interests. These can help assess whether you’re truly in the field you want to pursue. At the same time, it allows you to unlock new paths that you may never uncover if you maintain linear movement. This helps diversify your perspective and capabilities by expanding your reach and engaging in new activities.
Drawback: Work-Life Balance Struggles
One drawback of pursuing your passions is reducing your time for everything else. Work may overlap with your personal boundaries, which can cause fatigue and burnout. Also, the increased responsibility may become overwhelming, especially when combined with personal obligations.
Before selecting what to pursue, evaluate how your choices will affect your life and plan how you will manage your lifestyle. This way, you can prepare yourself and your family members for your career plans.
3. Leveraging Your Transferable Skills
No matter what path you choose, it’s best to align your choices with your personal interests, strengths, and long-term objectives.
- Are you interested in providing training, tutorials, coaching, and consulting services?
- Do you want to engage in arts or craftsmanship?
- Do you want to launch a small business that can utilize your passion for cooking?
Your skills will help add value to your portfolio, so make sure to incorporate them when you find your next project. The goal is to nurture a career that fulfills your personal satisfaction and can also face market changes.
Drawback: Lack of Career Identity
Pursuing multiple careers, roles, and industries may make you feel like you have no real profession. However, this is why portfolio careers are seen as unconventional methods in career planning. You’re lucky if you can pursue your passion. However, if you can’t, you can still find fulfillment in what you do and the benefits you gain from doing them.
Read more: Your Career Narrative: A Powerful Alternative to the Resume Objective
4. Gaining a Flexible Lifestyle
Do you want to spend more time with your family, hobbies, and interests? Are you interested in pursuing your passion or starting up a business? Or do you want to continue your education and increase your knowledge?
Regardless of your purpose, a portfolio career can offer this flexibility. This is one of the main reasons why many professionals today prefer flexible work arrangements, such as remote or hybrid. While not every job today can be remote or hybrid, there are many opportunities out there that you may consider adding to your portfolio.
Drawback: Lack of Social Interaction
Remote work has remarkably improved productivity, solving the problems caused by the pandemic. According to Forbes, remote work increased the productivity of contact center agents by 13 percent during the pandemic.² In the same article, surveys conducted by Great Place to Work, the University of Chicago, and Stanford University also showed positive results.
However, it can increase social isolation and perpetuate silos within an organization. Traditional office environments can easily boost camaraderie and collaboration. Without these crucial factors, employees can become 23 percent more lonely, making them less engaged and unmotivated, according to Buffer.³
How to Maintain a Strong Portfolio Career CV
Your portfolio works only if you have the right planning and execution. This career is not something you just stumble upon. Rather, it requires careful and deliberate planning.
1. Look ahead.
Look at who you want to become and where you want to go 5, 10, 15, 30 years from now. What kind of profession would you be most fulfilled and most likely engaged in? Are you planning to start a family or a business, or do you want to pursue a passion? Deciding on these facts will allow you to consider every possibility and reduce your chances of failing.
2. Don’t quit your job.
A portfolio career doesn’t mean you need to quit your 8-5 job. This should remain your primary source of stable income. However, it shouldn’t hinder you from exploring new possibilities.
3. Choose your work and activities wisely.
You may be interested in a very unconventional line of work. However, you need to consider your limitations. Ask yourself these questions:
- Is pursuing this career going to fulfill me?
- Will this career affect my lifestyle?
- Will this career require a complete change of career?
- Does this career align with my skills, expertise, and experiences?
- Will I be able to support my lifestyle or family?
Read more: Strategic Job Hunt: Why Focusing on the Right Role Matters More Than Quantity
4. Build your skills and portfolio.
As a skilled worker, you may have focused on and developed a very specific line of work. Before elevating your portfolio, consider learning the basics first. For example, are you interested in social media marketing to offer logistics services? Learn about Facebook ads, crafting engaging posts, and targeting the right audience first.
Read more: Skyrocket Your Career: 5 Must-Try Upskilling Methods
5. Prepare to balance multiple responsibilities.
You may think having flexibility and more authority over your work is easier than having a standard 8-5 job. However, there are many challenges you will face. This includes managing your taxes, addressing the lack of PTO or benefits, managing your time, and prioritizing. Be sure that you’re aware and prepared for these challenges so that you can navigate them more effectively.
Do you need career advice? Masis Staffing can help!
At Masis, we encourage personal and professional fulfillment. Your success is part of our priorities and goals. So, whether you’re looking for stable 8-5 employment or more flexible work like temporary or temp-to-hire positions, we have a list of job openings for you.
Give us a call, and let us help you today!
References
- Legg, Ben. “What is a portfolio career?” The Portfolio Collective, https://portfolio-collective.com/content/articles/understanding-portfolio-work/what-is-a-portfolio-career/. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
- Tsipursky, Gleb. “Workers Are Less Productive Working Remotely (At Least That’s What Their Bosses Think),” Forbes, 3 Nov. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/glebtsipursky/2022/11/03/workers-are-less-productive-working-remotely-at-least-thats-what-their-bosses-think/
- “State of Remote Work 2023,” Buffer, 2023, https://buffer.com/state-of-remote-work/2023
