Is working with a portfolio careerist risky? Clients who work with someone who has a portfolio career might be concerned that with multiple commitments to juggle, they won't give you their full attention. Of course plenty of people have several commitments that don't necessarily pertain to a portfolio career so the same ‘risk’ may apply to them too. Family, caring responsibilities, volunteering and hobbies all consume different levels of different people’s time even if they have a single track career, depending on personal circumstances and priorities.
My view is that working with a portfolio careerist is certainly no more risky than working with any other human being. We all have our other interests and foibles. In fact I'd go so far as to say that working with a portfolio careerist could even be a safer bet. The thing about portfolio careers is that they tend to fulfil a need for multiple interests, the following of passions and a zest for hard work and persistence. I've been making a point of meeting as many fellow portfolio careerists as I can lately and these are definitely common characteristics that we all seem to share.
These characteristics coupled with the flexibility and security of having more than one income stream means someone with a portfolio career can pick and choose the types of work they take on. Portfolio careerists are able to pick projects they really want to work on and can feel passionate about. This in turn makes them much more likely to do a good job than someone who is forced to take something on purely out of financial necessity or because they have no choice (e.g. it’s just bolted on to their job description).
It’s in the portfolio careerist’s own interests to be reliable. Let’s think about it logically; if what drives a person is following their passions in a range of areas, they’ll want to do a good job in all of those areas, not just to get paid but to enable them to keep the balance between the different elements of their portfolio career. What I find exciting about this dynamic is that it keeps both the portfolio careerist and their employers/clients on their toes. I think it leads to strong and professional relationships when both parties have a vested interest in fair and productive ways of working together. Maintaining an awareness that portfolio careerists aren’t solely reliant on the income they get from you can help you raise your game just as much as it makes the portfolio careerist raise theirs. Just as business can be taken elsewhere, so can skills so it just makes good sense for each side to be the best that they can be to the other.
I’m always willing to give 100% and like my clients to have high expectations of me. Having a portfolio career also gives me more power to have high expectations of the people I choose to work with. I see this two-way dynamic as an exciting way to do business and strive for high standards. So is it risky to work with a portfolio careerist? Yes it is, if you’re in the market to be exploitative but definitely no if you’re interested in someone who can offer you competitively priced, professional skills in exchange for stimulating, fair and challenging work.
My view is that working with a portfolio careerist is certainly no more risky than working with any other human being. We all have our other interests and foibles. In fact I'd go so far as to say that working with a portfolio careerist could even be a safer bet. The thing about portfolio careers is that they tend to fulfil a need for multiple interests, the following of passions and a zest for hard work and persistence. I've been making a point of meeting as many fellow portfolio careerists as I can lately and these are definitely common characteristics that we all seem to share.
These characteristics coupled with the flexibility and security of having more than one income stream means someone with a portfolio career can pick and choose the types of work they take on. Portfolio careerists are able to pick projects they really want to work on and can feel passionate about. This in turn makes them much more likely to do a good job than someone who is forced to take something on purely out of financial necessity or because they have no choice (e.g. it’s just bolted on to their job description).
It’s in the portfolio careerist’s own interests to be reliable. Let’s think about it logically; if what drives a person is following their passions in a range of areas, they’ll want to do a good job in all of those areas, not just to get paid but to enable them to keep the balance between the different elements of their portfolio career. What I find exciting about this dynamic is that it keeps both the portfolio careerist and their employers/clients on their toes. I think it leads to strong and professional relationships when both parties have a vested interest in fair and productive ways of working together. Maintaining an awareness that portfolio careerists aren’t solely reliant on the income they get from you can help you raise your game just as much as it makes the portfolio careerist raise theirs. Just as business can be taken elsewhere, so can skills so it just makes good sense for each side to be the best that they can be to the other.
I’m always willing to give 100% and like my clients to have high expectations of me. Having a portfolio career also gives me more power to have high expectations of the people I choose to work with. I see this two-way dynamic as an exciting way to do business and strive for high standards. So is it risky to work with a portfolio careerist? Yes it is, if you’re in the market to be exploitative but definitely no if you’re interested in someone who can offer you competitively priced, professional skills in exchange for stimulating, fair and challenging work.
Couldn't agree more! I've had a portfolio career for the last 2 years combining part-time roles and freelancing in areas I absolutely love. I give 100% to all my work, no matter what it throws at me. Much more so than when I just had a regular job. I think portfolio careers can make you feel alive!!
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