Embracing a Portfolio Career: A Path to Future-Proofing Your Work Life

In Canada’s changing job market, the concept of a portfolio career is gaining momentum. Unlike a traditional career, where individuals typically climb the ladder, a portfolio career involves juggling multiple roles, projects, or part-time jobs simultaneously. This diversified approach to work is not only a viable option, but it is increasingly seen as a strategic way to manage and future-proof your career. As a team of portfolio careerists, with over 20 years of experience, we know the advantages of an income streaming portfolio career.

Here are our top 6 reasons why we believe embracing a portfolio career can be a game-changer.

1. Flexibility and Autonomy

One of the most appealing aspects of a portfolio career is the flexibility it offers. Instead of being tied to a 9-to-5 job, we can design our work schedules to fit our lifestyles or personal needs. This flexibility allows for better work-life balance, which is important for maintaining mental and physical well-being. Additionally, having control over our workload and hours fosters a sense of autonomy and empowerment that is often lacking in traditional employment. We are self-employed portfolio careerist who enjoy the autonomy that an entrepreneurial portfolio career offers.

2. Diverse Skill Development

Working in multiple roles across different industries enables us to develop a broad skill set. This diverse skill development has made us more marketable and adaptable in an ever-changing job landscape. For example, our freelance graphic designer who also manages social media can offer a comprehensive service package that is attractive to potential clients or employers. This blend of skills not only enhances her employability but also opens more opportunities for career growth and innovation.

3. Financial Resilience

A portfolio career can provide greater financial stability compared to relying on a single source of income. By diversifying income streams, we can mitigate risks associated with job loss or economic downturns. If one source of income disappears, other projects or roles can help us bridge the gap. This financial resilience is particularly beneficial in uncertain times, offering a safety net that a traditional single-income career might not provide. If we lose a job or project, we have other income streams we can potentially dial up and rely on.

4. Continuous Learning and Personal Growth

Engaging in a variety of projects keeps us intellectually stimulated and continuously learning. This constant exposure to new challenges and industries leads to personal and professional growth that may not happen in a single job. Additionally, a portfolio career encourages us to stay updated with industry trends and advancements, ensuring we remain relevant and competitive in the job market. We know that employability is the new job security.

5. Enhanced Networking Opportunities

Working in different roles and sectors expands our professional network. These diverse connections can lead to new opportunities, collaborations, and even mentorship. A robust network provides us with support, inspiration, and guidance, helping us navigate our career or entrepreneurial path more effectively. Additionally, being known across multiple industries has established us as a versatile and resourceful workers, further enhancing our reputation and the opportunities that come our way.

6. Aligning Passion with Profession

A portfolio career has allowed us to pursue our passions alongside other professional goals. This alignment can lead to greater job satisfaction and a more enjoyable work life. For instance, our instructional designer and our project manager are also passionate about theatre production and freelance play writing. This integration of their passion for the arts and their professional learning design work leads to a more motivated and engaged professional life as their creativity aligns and soars in all the work they do.

Finally, in a world where job security and industry demands are constantly evolving, a portfolio career offers a compelling alternative to a traditional career path. The flexibility, diverse skill development, financial resilience, continuous learning, enhanced networking opportunities, and the ability to align passion with profession make it an attractive option for many people. As we move towards a more interconnected and multifaceted job market, a portfolio career is not just a trendy concept but a smart, strategic choice for people looking to thrive in a modern workforce.

How to Personally Brand When You Have Multiple Income Streams

Should I throw down multiple business cards like a poker hand in Las Vegas?

That was Peter’s question when it came to managing his personal branding and his multiple income streams. When you're a professional engineer by day, a professional guitarist on the weekend and a landlord, should you have more than one resume, more than one business card and what should you call yourself?

The answer is as unique as each portfolio careerist because no two portfolio careerists are alike. However, there are some basic personal branding questions that you should ask yourself to determine how you choose to connect and communicate with potential employers, clients, or customers.

Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels

Who do you want to help and what tools will you use to connect?

In each stream of income, you are helping someone. If you are searching for employment as one of your income streams, you want to communicate how you can meet your targeted employer's needs with your knowledge, skills and experiences. This is best done through a conversation, your modernized resume and a well-crafted LinkedIn profile highlighting your aligned knowledge, skills and experiences.

Next, if a branch of your income comes from self-employment as an independent contractor, consultant or freelancer, you want to communicate to your clients how you can make a difference in their business. The best way to do this is through conversations, possibly a website, a digital portfolio of your work, a LinkedIn profile or possibly another social media platform. It could be that all of the above is your strategy.

As well, if you're test driving a side hustle business, you want to connect with your customers. You might choose to do this through an in person marketplace, a digital marketplace or through social media platforms. You may need to do some research to find out which strategy connects best to your customers.

Next, what should you call yourself?

What you call yourself matters, but maybe not in the way you think. Many professionals think that their job title is their most marketable asset, but in reality, employers, clients and customers want to know if you align to their needs and can make a difference. They are more concerned with the transformation you are going to make for their business or in their lives.

For example, employers want to know how you plan to meet their needs and add value to their business as an employee. Clients want to know if you can solve their pain points as a contractor, consultant or freelancer. Customers want to know how your product solves their problems or adds value to their lives. Yes, your shiny business cards need to look professional, your brand colors are important, and your social media platforms should look pulled together. However, it's more about your message.

So...work on your message. This means taking time to drill down to how you make a difference, solve problems, increase, decrease, reduce or gain something of value for employers, clients and customers. What makes you unique and how do you stand out from your competition? How are you going to take the problems and issues that you see and make them better?

Finally, how can you be contacted?

Make it simple. Your contact tools should simply contain your well crafted message, a call to action and where to get a hold of you. Remember a deck of business cards doesn't replace a conversation or a more robust connecting strategy, so think through your connecting strategy carefully because business cards can fall into the black hole of someone's purse or end up on the floor of your client's car. You want to think through long-term connecting strategies that allow you to "stick" in the minds and hearts of the employers, clients and customers that you meet.

The reality is that portfolio careerist with multiple income streams may have multiple messages and multiple tools that they have curated for each income stream. The engineer above who is looking for a job, a gig and is managing a rental property will have to have a three pronged connecting approach. He will customize his resume for every job opportunity plus strategize how he can network and connect to employers in his industry to have conversations about how he can help them. At the same time, he may use YouTube to create a video portfolio strategy to connect to bands in his local music industry. Finally, he might use a well crafted Rent Faster profile for his rental property and also share his rental with his social media following to attract the type of renter he wants.

Personally branding across multiple income streams can be a challenge, but by identifying who you are helping, building relationships and creating a messaging and contacting strategy, you will create a cohesive and successful personal brand.