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If you dislike your job, you are not alone. However, the difference between now and the time before the internet is that we’ve got a huge wealth of information out there in terms of creating the perfect career. A career doesn’t have to be anything linear, where you do a job for 30 years and then retire. In fact, many people are switching their careers completely once or even twice during their lifetimes, but then there’s the other anomaly that is slowly creeping up to the ranks: the portfolio career.
A portfolio career is where someone has multiple roles rather than just a single job. The benefits of doing this are that the individual can make the most of their skills and experience in diverse ways, providing multiple income sources and offering a huge degree of flexibility. If this sounds like what you need in your life, let’s show you exactly what it takes. Whether you are a blogger and you want to do something else or you are wondering what it really takes, let’s dive in.
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Align the Roles with Your Interests and Skills
There is absolutely no point in seeking out a portfolio career if what you are doing does not stretch you in some way. Diversifying your roles can provide stability and reduce reliance on a single source of income, but it also makes life far more interesting.
You need to define your career goals and see if there is a possibility of achieving them under one umbrella, but often we can perform roles that give us a lot, but due to financial squeezes, it may only be a part-time role. Therefore, when you are looking at the types of roles available, see about aligning them with what your interests and skills are, which will make everything far more appealing. If you are someone who is into education and creativity, you could benefit from a part-time role as a tutor, or, of course, you could set up a business that gets the balance right. Whether you want to sell word walls or start a business that sells educational resources in other ways, the most important thing is to not chase the money. The money can come later on, but if you look at the things that you are passionate about and work hard on developing the skills, eventually you will become an authority within your niche, and this means that you could potentially have a lucrative career through multiple income streams.
Understand Your Limits
A portfolio career has multiple roles, and therefore, this means learning multiple things. One of the downsides of a portfolio career is that if there are a number of avenues you are interested in, you’ve got to learn how to be a master in all of them. This can mean potentially working yourself to the bone or doing a few evenings a week; the most important thing to remember is that when it stops being fun, you may want to think twice as to whether this is actually worth your while.
This is why, at the very outset, take it easy on yourself. If you are starting a role that truly aligns with your passions, you are going to be emotionally invested in it, and this means that during the first couple of months, while you get to grips with the role itself, you should take the time to invest all of your energy in this rather than thinking about how else you can keep your finances afloat. This is why learning to budget effectively can make all the difference, but also look at how you can prepare in the run-up to this role by saving a bit more.
Decision fatigue is a real thing, and this means that before we start our new career path, giving ourselves the breathing space to focus on it properly without worrying about our finances can make all of the difference. You should also consider your emotional limits as well, and this is exactly why at the very outset, you need to take care of yourself.
Try Not to Do Everything All at Once
This partly relates to understanding your limits, but when you are starting in a new career path, you should have enough in your metaphorical tank to ensure you can give your very best to the role. Multitasking is hard work, and therefore, being strict with your time management can make a huge difference in how you tackle your work week, but also your working day. If it gets to the point where you are performing at least two roles as part of a portfolio career that amounts to a full-time working week, managing your time is absolutely pivotal.
For example, if you are performing a role that lasts 24 hours per week and the workload varies from day to day, you need to know when your 24-hour working week is up so you don’t do any more. Block everything out in a calendar in terms of 30-minute chunks so you know exactly where you’re meant to be and what you’re meant to be doing. This removes that decision fatigue, and you don’t need to overthink anything.
It’s also worth thinking about a tool known as the Eisenhower decision matrix. Separating your work into the four following quadrants will help you to prioritise properly:
- Urgent and important: These require immediate attention and should be done first.
- Not urgent but important: These should be scheduled and planned to prevent them from becoming urgent.
- Urgent but not important: These could be delegated to others who have the appropriate skills, or done at a less stressful time.
- Not urgent and not important: These should be eliminated or minimised as much as possible.
The goal is to spend most of your time in the “not urgent but important” quadrant and make sure you assess your time allocation regularly and adjust it accordingly.
Invest in Continuous Learning
One of the hardest things about having a portfolio career is having to manage your time, but if you block out your day properly, this allows you to have sufficient gaps for downtime or have enough energy to invest in your learning. It’s something we should do anyway because investing in your professional development through training courses or certifications can enhance your skills and knowledge, ensuring that you don’t just stay competitive but also expand your portfolio options. Look at what you’re already doing to see if there are hidden opportunities.
For example, if you are doing a part-time role that involves working with people in certain ways, does this provide an opportunity for additional skills like a first aid course? This could then provide an opportunity to teach first aid in a different setting, meaning that you’ve either added to your income stream or can help you start a whole new career path anyway that may result in a far more fulfilling and full-time role. It can be very difficult to invest in ongoing learning because it takes time, and this is why you need to be smart with your goals and specifically use the SMART framework, where your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
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A successful portfolio career is fast becoming the norm for so many of us, and this is why we should potentially look at this, not just as an option to earn a regular wage but also to keep life exciting and fulfilling while also pursuing your goals. Nobody needs to stay in their lane anymore, and a portfolio career is a gateway to the future way of working.
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