The beautiful thing about the portfolio career is the chances it gives you to clear the decks and head in new and exciting directions from time to time. The portfolio career lets you reshape your professional life whenever you see the opportunity to do so.
My portfolio career encompasses freelance and consultancy work in the areas of editorial, research and education services. In my line(s) of work, summer is an ideal time to take stock and re-evaluate. As a lot of my work is connected to education, I’m getting a break from my teaching commitments. The education clients I work for in editorial and other capacities tend to be quieter at this time of year too. As people head off on their holidays around now, other non-education areas of my work are also slowing down. This gives me a bit of breathing space to think about my next steps. This year I was able to plan completing some big projects at the start of the summer, the proceeds of which would see me through the quieter weeks ahead. That said, as always, the summer is never as quiet as I assume it will be! I’m finding myself working on local youth projects and facilitating workshops for private training providers in between trying to have a bit of head space to think about the direction of my portfolio career.
One of the areas I’ve decided to pull back on a bit is some of my primary and secondary level tutoring work. This will free up time to let me focus on some university teaching I’ve been offered. I’m also diversifying my portfolio by looking into ways I can offer a professional one-stop-shop for clients by adding branding and easy-to-use website services to my editorial offer. These two new elements complement and build on what I do already but are exciting new challenges for me.
If you like routine, get nervous about change and sometimes find it hard to get motivated, you shouldn’t assume that a portfolio career won’t suit you. At this time of year, as I take a bit of time out to look at how my portfolio career is taking shape, I realise that sometimes I like routine, sometimes I hate it. Sometimes I get nervous about change, sometimes I thrive on it. Sometimes getting motivated is a struggle, other times it’s difficult to stop working because I’m so engrossed. I’ve been amazed at how much having a portfolio career has changed my perception of myself. I once loathed the idea of networking and ‘selling’ but now I have a completely different outlook and can actually enjoy both of these activities when they relate to things I enjoy and am passionate about doing well.
As I unpack, re-order and make room for new things in my portfolio I realise that this career choice makes me more open-minded, flexible and free than I’ve ever been before in my life and I am humbly grateful for that.
My portfolio career encompasses freelance and consultancy work in the areas of editorial, research and education services. In my line(s) of work, summer is an ideal time to take stock and re-evaluate. As a lot of my work is connected to education, I’m getting a break from my teaching commitments. The education clients I work for in editorial and other capacities tend to be quieter at this time of year too. As people head off on their holidays around now, other non-education areas of my work are also slowing down. This gives me a bit of breathing space to think about my next steps. This year I was able to plan completing some big projects at the start of the summer, the proceeds of which would see me through the quieter weeks ahead. That said, as always, the summer is never as quiet as I assume it will be! I’m finding myself working on local youth projects and facilitating workshops for private training providers in between trying to have a bit of head space to think about the direction of my portfolio career.
One of the areas I’ve decided to pull back on a bit is some of my primary and secondary level tutoring work. This will free up time to let me focus on some university teaching I’ve been offered. I’m also diversifying my portfolio by looking into ways I can offer a professional one-stop-shop for clients by adding branding and easy-to-use website services to my editorial offer. These two new elements complement and build on what I do already but are exciting new challenges for me.
If you like routine, get nervous about change and sometimes find it hard to get motivated, you shouldn’t assume that a portfolio career won’t suit you. At this time of year, as I take a bit of time out to look at how my portfolio career is taking shape, I realise that sometimes I like routine, sometimes I hate it. Sometimes I get nervous about change, sometimes I thrive on it. Sometimes getting motivated is a struggle, other times it’s difficult to stop working because I’m so engrossed. I’ve been amazed at how much having a portfolio career has changed my perception of myself. I once loathed the idea of networking and ‘selling’ but now I have a completely different outlook and can actually enjoy both of these activities when they relate to things I enjoy and am passionate about doing well.
As I unpack, re-order and make room for new things in my portfolio I realise that this career choice makes me more open-minded, flexible and free than I’ve ever been before in my life and I am humbly grateful for that.
Helen,
ReplyDeleteExcellent to see you're doing so well. Hope that your University teaching is a fun experience.
Rich
Thanks Richard - good to hear from you. Be great to hear what you're up to these days.
ReplyDelete