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Portfolio career

I came across the term "portfolio career" in a women's career management book I'm almost finished reading. It's a career consisting of several jobs and ways to make money.

There are several sites on the Internet about how and what these portfolio careerists have done. Just type "portfolio career" in Google, and you'll soon find out.

Most people are oriented to do one job at a time. We grow up with the idea that we study and get trained in one area and become more specialised in it. We devote ourselves entirely to one company and one job at a time.

Does a portfolio career require multi-tasking and the arduous compromise of having to switch one's attention between different cognitive frameworks? Not necessarily is the answer.

When I was growing up, I got paid as a babysitter, accompanist, rock band keyboardist, church organist, and piano teacher. I also got pocket money from selling hotdogs at the football stand and home-made brownies at special bake sales. There were so many different ways to make money back then.

Somewhere along the line, I got inducted into this one track career thinking. Anything outside of my full-time permanent job I would do for free: playing at concerts, giving advice, brokering blind dates, entertaining foreign corporate representatives, and accompanying music auditions. The rationale was that I was already paid and shouldn't ask for more.

Now that I've finally untangled myself from total dedication to a single company and a single job, I can now embrace this "portfolio career" concept. Pay me to do all those things that I can do. But the one thing I can't stand doing -- and it's probably the most essential thing -- is to ask for money.

How can I charge my neighbour for a telephone that she needs and wants and likes? I would sell it to a stranger for a tenor, but I just find it difficult to charge someone I know and especially someone as nice as she is. How can I ask for money upfront, to set up meetings when I know I would enjoy the get together as well?

For too long I've viewed the world of work as being serious or even unlikeable business. If I could get paid to do what I love, I wouldn't think it's work. Or maybe I would fall out of love.

30 October 2002 Wednesday

analyticalQ career page

possible jobs in a portfolio career:

pianist for Weddings, Memorial Services, Private functions - playing background music as well as ceremonial and theme music

piano teacher

accompanist

language tutor: Mandarin, English

web site related: content developer, marketing and promotions advisor, web master

information broker: London, energy industry, immigration matters, music (where to find something)

writer and editor

analyst

programmer

researcher

consultant: write a proposal, liaise with clients, consult

lecturer: develop a course or workshop, teach

tour guide

cook, chef, caterer

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