A great read for those aspiring to a portfolio career

A step by step guide to creating a portfolio career caught my eye in my favourite bookshop in  London (the Gower Street Waterstones) back when I was weighing up my next career move.  Written by Barrie Hopson and Katie Ledger, And what do you do? 10 Steps to Creating a Portfolio Career jumped off the shelf as it was exactly the route I was thinking of going down. I’d heard the term before and it had always appealed to me. Something about seeing a physical, printed book on the subject, which had such a positive and inspiring tone, was the final confirmation I needed to know I was barking up exactly the right tree.

Back then, little did I know that in just a few months’ time, one of the authors would be inviting me to guest blog about my portfolio career experiences on their website. Serendipity indeed! When I met Barrie recently, I had to confess to him that I hadn’t actually bought his and Katie’s book that day in Waterstones, although it had nevertheless inspired me and spurred me on to keep going down my emerging portfolio career path. Barrie kindly righted this for me by giving me my very own signed copy, which I promptly devoured in two sittings. Having now read it cover to cover I wanted to share with you why it’s a useful and inspirational read for any anyone thinking about a portfolio career.

It was hugely affirming for me to read Barrie and Katie’s clearly laid out advice because I realised the steps they recommend were steps I had indeed taken. Had I read their book first I may have even taken them more methodically! The early part of the book concentrates on defining portfolio careers and then helps you work out if it’s right for you. It then gets straight into the practicalities of how you will afford it. This is a huge concern for most people and it was for me too. I did have some savings and a wonderful family to support me when I decided to opt for a portfolio career and I can’t deny that this cushion really helped. However, I’ve been amazed at how quickly I have been able to make a decent living from my portfolio career – much more quickly than the conservative projections I came up with. One of the beauties of having a portfolio career is that the mix and match approach to work it offers allows you to come up with a strategy that works for you.

Next, the book looks at your ‘motivated skills’ and values - what you’re good at and what makes you get up in the morning. As I was embarking on my portfolio career, looking at these were very important to me. It helped me realise and accept that writing, education and making a genuine contribution to society were all very important to me. This led to a portfolio career that includes editorial services, cause-related PR, education consultancy and teaching as well as the sort of work-life balance that gives me time with my family, the great outdoors and volunteering.

A significant part of the book is about networking; something I’ve posted on before both in terms of it being a necessary skill and as a way to connect with other portfolio careerists. Barrie and Katie also offer valuable tips on social networking, blogging and the importance of creating your ‘story’ and ‘brand’. Creating a coherent story, brand and offer were all stages I went through and could completely identify with. It’s a challenge to present yourself as a portfolio careerist because you don’t have an neat and tidy title that everyone immediately understands like ‘Teacher’ or ‘Doctor’ but I applaud Barrie and Katie’s message that all portfolio careerists should state with pride that what they do is both manifold and fulfilling. I know I do.

This modern, friendly book with its action-orientated layout, exercises and summaries is a must-read for anyone thinking of taking the plunge. It cross-references its own associated blog and the stories of the many portfolio careerists Barrie and Katie met while they were writing. It’s realistic but inspiring, practical and aspirational. I loved its focus on how portfolio careers can help us stay true to ourselves. When I asked Barrie about how he’d sum up the portfolio career phenomena he said:

“I and other portfolio careerists I know all have one thing in common - we believe that everyone should be able to explore different ways of working; that we shouldn't have to suffer work which is boring and unchallenging; that we should choose a blend of work that suits our lifestyle for now (accepting that this may change over time); that we should be clear which of our skills we want to use and what values drive us. We can all be architects of our own futures and portfolio careers are an exciting way to do this.”