In Helen’s definition of a Portfolio Career she uses the phrase “far from conventional”: which for me embodies the idea of both multi-faceted employment and my personality. Much to the frustration of my family, I have always defied convention, taken the alternative or more demanding options, or broken out of the box to embark upon an adventure!
On reflection my crystal ball could have told me I would become a Portfolio Careerist. With areas of study including Art and Design, Cultural History, and Communications and PR, with personal interests in travel and hospitality, what I do today unintentionally incorporates all of those elements. After all, a leopard never changes its spots.
I moved to Cambridge on 1 June this year with few expectations and no plans, hoping to find somewhere to settle. Despite my ad-hoc approach to life I quickly found myself adjusting to the city, finding its rhythm and becoming part of a close community. This whimsical approach of mine does not usually transpire into secure, established employment. Therefore a Portfolio Career suits me greatly, and after numerous job applications, and a few unusual agency posts, I decided to take the leap of faith and go it alone. Now, I am no longer “careering”; I am a Portfolio Careerist.
This winter I find myself in an incredibly exciting place. I continue to work at Urban Larder in Cambridge, a vibrant local produce store and coffee shop. This hub provides me with connections to local community groups and business owners who use the space to hold informal meetings, it gives me a great amount of joy as I have worked in cafés and restaurants for over ten years whilst studying and travelling and it meets all my foodie/caffeine needs!
In addition, I recently got in touch with Helen, the Portfolio Careerist, an old friend who kindly offered me work with her Comms Agency and the opportunity to expand my copywriting portfolio. Seeing how she juggles roles, interests, passions and expertise is inspirational and demonstrates to all those who are trying to carve out their own portfolio career - how it can be done successfully. Working for Helen is varied and engaging, and encourages me to write regularly. Writing is a skill I am very grateful for and keen to improve upon. Words are a powerful tool. They instigate people to think, do, smile and talk; building a career around words is so rewarding for those reasons.
I have taken up a volunteer role at Cambridge Art Salon, a community interest company who provide studios and a gallery space to creatives. CAS is the only arts enterprise incubator in Cambridge, serving artists and cultural entrepreneurs who need a nurturing, affordable environment to springboard their creative idea. Using my skills and interests I am becoming involved in the PR and marketing, and am being given the opportunity to expand my portfolio, to network and to become involved in fundraising. My role encourages me to reignite my interest in art and design and I have already established a collaboration between another local business and Cambridge Art Salon.
As we hurtle ever closer to Christmas, I can all but hope for more of the same. My network is growing by the day, and the response from those I have met in the early stages of my Portfolio Career has been nothing but supportive. Living in such an active community will be to my benefit and I hope to find more work from within the local area.
My blossoming Portfolio Career offers me such freedom that I still find myself with time, energy and motivation to explore my own personal interests. 2013 will see me embarking on a pottery course, exploring the possibility of establishing an Arts and Culture blog, and continuing in the hunt for business premises in which I can establish my very own food haven and coffee shop. Holding down a nine to five would, for me, mean that these desires would forever remain elusive.
Above all, I support inclusion and local business, creativity and freedom of expression, I believe in learning from others and sharing knowledge. My work supports people to fulfil their ideals, and the people I meet enable me to fulfil mine. For anyone thinking about embarking upon their own Portfolio Career, I highly recommend it.
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