November 6, 2023 • 29 mins
Ever wondered if it's possible to combine your diverse interests into a fulfilling career? That's exactly what I discuss with my guest, Rachel Schofield, a seasoned career coach and author of the Career Change Guide. We dive into the concept of portfolio careers, which offer the freedom to blend various facets of your personality and explore a spectrum of passions.
Rachel imparts her wisdom on the benefits of these careers, such as increased autonomy and flexibility in scheduling. We highlight real-life examples of individuals who have successfully transitioned into portfolio careers, like a police officer who ventured into furniture designing and a graphic designer turned stone carver.
We also tackle the challenges and opportunities one might encounter when transitioning to a portfolio career. From the identity shift involved in moving from an employed to freelance role, to the imposter syndrome that can creep in when learning new skills, we cover it all. Rachel emphasizes the importance of establishing a clear purpose for the transition and remaining focused on the desired outcomes. We wrap up the conversation exploring the power of small, incremental changes and share useful resources for individuals contemplating a career shift.
Find out more about Rachel:
The Career Change Guide
https://www.rachelschofield.co.uk/
www.linkedin.com/in/rachelschofield
ABOUT ME - AYESHA MURRAY
I'm an accredited career coach with over 20 years experience in the corporate world. Having experienced the working parent juggle first hand, I now coach people through their career and life challenges.
WORK WITH ME
I'm here to give you the confidence, self-belief and support to help you design a life that works for you and your family. Through tried and tested approaches, tools and methodologies, you'll leave the coaching process with clear direction, motivation and energy.
If you'd like to find out more about how coaching could work for you, book a free 30 min call at https://calendly.com/ayeshamurraycoaching/discovery-call
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Parent Equation podcast with me, aisha
Murray.
This podcast series is full ofinspiring stories from working
parents who are passionate aboutdesigning a life that works for
them and their families.
Working parents like you whowant a purposeful, rewarding
career alongside a balancedfamily life.
So today, on the ParentEquation, I'm very, very happy
(00:28):
to have Rachel Scofield with me.
Rachel is a career coach andauthor of the Career Change
Guide, available to buy now.
Welcome, rachel.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I'm excited.
It's great to be with you.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
So today we are going to talk about portfolio careers
and the reason being, I think,what I've seen, certainly with
clients that coming through tome recently, is there's this, I
suppose, fear of everythinghappening in the world markets,
economies, job market at themoment is that maybe I should
have some alternative options tomy potentially long-term career
that I've had, to give me somesecurity, give them variety and
(01:03):
have other things that dip intoas time goes on if necessary.
But I think we spoke aboutearlier portfolio career can
mean so many different things.
So what does it mean to you?
Do you think?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, and that's so interesting that, as a starting
point, the way you'reexperiencing it with your
clients is sometimes from aposition of you know that world
is changing, ai is coming in,maybe jobs are going to vary, so
I need some future proofing, Ineed to have more than one thing
to go.
And you're right, we're seeingthat sense of let me think
through my options and make sureI've got some.
(01:35):
But also I think portfoliocareers come from a desire that
I see increasingly in my clientsas well, to not be locked in to
one pathway that actuallypeople say I'm a sort of.
I'm a diverse person.
I have diverse interests andthings that light me up and
actually I quite like to play toall of them.
I don't want to have to pick.
(01:56):
So I think portfolio careers,it just goes to show, encompass
all sides of a debate about.
You know our working identityand I guess a portfolio career
is what you make it.
Sometimes people with portfoliocareers are called slashes
because they have all theslashes.
I'm a coach, slash writer,slash writer.
I'm a graphic designer, slashartist, slash trainer.
(02:21):
It's that thing of can I have acombination in my work
sometimes of things that seem tosit together quite closely,
that I express in different ways, and sometimes things that you
know seem to have nothing to dowith each other.
And that's the joy of it, thata portfolio career is your
chance to really take ownershipand shape your career in a way
(02:41):
that excites you, plays to yourstrengths or, alternatively,
future, proofs, you gives yousome kind of security and a
sense of being able to changeyour direction you want to.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
It feels like it might also be a generational
thing, because I know certainlymy parents' generation.
You were in a career, you knowyou picked your career after
school, after university, whenit was, and that was what you
were going to do for the rest ofyour life until you were tired,
and that was kind of it.
And there's almost nopermission given that you would
dare to change your career pathor try something different or
add something else in.
But now it seems that there isthat permission to actually say,
(03:17):
actually I don't want to stayin this role, career for 25, 30
years.
There are other I said otheroptions out there for me and I'm
a diverse person who hasdiverse needs and interests.
So I suppose I wonder whether,again, with your experience of
clients, do you have anyexamples of where maybe there's
a sort of slightly generationalviewpoint of actually one one
(03:38):
should stay in what one is doingversus actually I want to be a
bit freer.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
That's a really interesting question.
I was looking at some of thestats and they were.
They were back from 2021, butthe department for education
here in the UK did a survey andFound that two-thirds of people
were taking on multiple jobs orlooking to do so, and what was
interesting there Whether thatwas less generational, but a lot
(04:05):
of that was to do with thepandemic and the.
COVID and those stats alsoshowed that 37% more people have
portfolio careers than beforethe pandemic.
So on the one hand, here we'reseeing the influence perhaps of
the pandemic and the way thatwe're being asked to work and
that impact on our careers.
But you're right, I thinkgenerationally there's been a
(04:26):
shift in the way we workgenerally, that you're not on a
ladder anymore, you don't startat the bottom and work up and
never step off your ladder, thatactually you you're on a
journey that might take you downlots of different pathways.
So do I see it just funnyenough?
I actually the majority of myclients are in their 30s, 40s,
(04:47):
50 and I'm seeing this showingup with them as well.
So I think you're right.
I think Probably the oldergeneration would not so used to
this idea, but it's spread quitewell and I think people are
seeing it of all ages as anopportunity To to do something a
bit different and break awayfrom the ladder like structure
of careers.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, so what do you think the benefits might be?
So Obviously, as a coach, ascoaches, we would extol the
benefits of any change, anyopportunity, any sort of
creative thinking.
But when we put it in some morepractical terms, for people,
what could be the genuinebenefits of considering having a
portfolio career?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Yeah, I think there are lots of different ones and
they come from different places,a bit like where we started.
So I think on the one hand, youcan combine different sides of
yourself.
You can hold two identities.
So perhaps sometimes peoplehave a portfolio career because
they do one thing that's quitetraditional, so you know you're
an accountant for three days aweek and for the other two you
(05:45):
get to go and you know, draw,manga, comics or whatever it is.
So it there's a sense of itgives you that opportunity to
explore the fullness of yourselfand your interests.
I think for some people it'sabout their balance in their
life.
They have a core Part of theirwork that they know has a very
steady income.
It's an employed form of workbut then they want to have
(06:09):
something that they can have alittle bit more control over.
So a couple of days a week theydo freelance work, which of
course they can up or down I canand set the hours that they
want, things like that.
So that's definitely anadvantage.
I think One of the joys of itis actually you can use it as a
transition, so it allows you tostart exploring an avenue or
(06:30):
doing some training or doingsome volunteering Alongside,
something that remains constantand gives you that steady source
of income while you're thinkingWould I like to move over into
this thing?
So sometimes a portfolio careeris a is a period of time, a
transition period.
It actually ends up back with a,with a firm, fixed career, but
it's allowed you to explore both, because, of course, I work a
(06:52):
lot in the career change spaceand people get very panicky, for
obvious reasons, about well, Ican't just jack everything in
and start my whole new careerthe next day.
So why not experiment and takea period of time where you're
you're holding two careers atonce?
Lots of good things about Ithink people talk a lot about
the fact.
Yes, it maybe gives you morefreedom, more autonomy, more
(07:13):
control Over your, the way thatyou shape your week and, as we
discussed, perhaps it keeps youlearning and growing.
It keeps you Expanding yourskill set in new things that
hopefully give you a set ofskills that will carry you
forward.
Should some one part of yourportfolio start to flag or the
industry changes or AI comes inand the job shifts, then
(07:36):
actually you're ready becauseyou've got another Area to pull
on.
So lots of, lots of good thingsabout it.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Yeah, actually the the example that the other
episode in this podcast serieswith one of the parents called
Lee.
His portfolio career is exactlythe first example.
So traditional marketing rolefor a long time, successfully,
and now, alongside freelancemarketing, he also is a
qualified personal trainer, soruns that as a side business and
(08:02):
also over the summer wasD-rigging and rigging that's the
right word festival sites,because he loves music, he loves
being in that kind ofenvironment and so actually that
this is like I love being partof.
So why can't I do the bit ofthat as well?
And it was just, it was just awhy not.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, and a couple of examples to add to that,
because it's often nice forpeople to anchor it, isn't it,
in something real.
So a couple of case studiesthat I feature in my book.
One is very much like that.
It was a police officer, hername's Jeanette.
She's in her 40s.
She again it was slightly atransition thing as well, but
she knew that she's going tohave to retire when she gets to
50, because that's the setup inthe police force, and she didn't
(08:42):
.
She thought, well, I could justgo back into sort of civilian
type policing, you know thereare civilians in the police
force where you can do it untilyou're older.
But she thought there's a partof me that's quite creative.
So what she started to do wasbecome a furniture designer.
She started very simply it wasmore of a side hustle with a
full portfolio and it startedbecause she just went on eBay
(09:04):
and bought a sideboard.
I think she paid 40 quid for it, spent a long time, a lot of
love and energy doing it up andpainting it and decorating it
and sort of redesigning.
So it sold it for £500, I thinkEtsy or one of the and there
was the birth of a career and ofcourse it was slow burn.
But there she is.
She's part police officer witha specialism in fraud, I think
(09:26):
it was and part creativefurniture designer.
And she's sitting thosetogether for a while.
But the idea is that whenretirement comes around she's
already got something that she'sgot ready to run.
Similarly, another example in mybook Fiona is a graphic
designer and this is interestingbecause what she saw is that
(09:46):
the job changed.
Well, when I first startedgraphic design, it was really
hands on.
We did a lot of sort of modelmaking and she said more and
more it became very computerizedand she said it's great because
it's a source of income.
But I've lost the bit that Ilove.
I've lost the hands on bit ofgraphic design as as technology
has moved on.
So she now works part time andincreasingly she's hoping to to
(10:10):
up that amount of time StoneCarver.
She does beautiful lettering,handcrafted lettering on stone,
whether that's headstones orplaques or commemorative things
or gifts for people.
And allowing her to have themoney she needs from graphic
design but also to pull in thatreally tactile experience of
(10:31):
creating.
That's what she really loves.
So people do it for all kindsof reasons.
That's that's the joy of it.
You can sort of use it towhatever end you want and shape
it in whatever way.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
My sort of my red flag, if you like, thinking
about it from a client point ofview, like is how the hell do I
start thinking about what I wantto do?
So stone carving sounds amazing.
Where does that come from, Isuppose, as a thought process?
When you start with a blankpiece of paper, I think I know I
want something else alongsidemy day job.
That could be anything, yeah.
(11:02):
So where do you start with thatthought process?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Yeah, that's a great question and one that you know
as someone who works in thecareer change space, which maybe
portfolios are not comes up alot when people come to have any
ideas.
There are various places youcan look and I think just
bringing your curiosity to yourown is a huge starting point.
We know in coaching that thecuriosity is a brilliant thing
to have a good adopt.
(11:25):
So you might well go looking inyour interests and I'm not like
we would get very lazy here andwe sort of do the whole follow
your passion and people have apassion.
Or, if I do like cooking Idon't want to, you know, open a
restaurant, but I still thinkthat there is definitely
something there about people'sinterests.
So in the case of Fiona, mygraphic designer, you know she
(11:47):
was already doing classes andcourses in her own time on stone
carving and that sort of thingand she just started trying.
She didn't start that I'm goingto make a career out of it, but
she just lent into that andthen found someone commissioned
her to do something.
So sometimes it's around that,sometimes it's around looking at
the work that you're doing andtrying to sort of work out which
(12:08):
bits of it do I really look at,because sometimes the job
you've got you just think,actually, if I could lean more
into that bit, if I could createthat either into my own little
freelance bit that I offer, or Icould reversion it into a
different industry.
Sometimes that can give you alot of clues.
So so you know what you're goodat, what you enjoy, what your
(12:29):
interests are, what people askyou to help them with.
Sometimes you notice thatpeople always come to me,
whether that's professionally orin my personal life, saying can
you, can you help with this?
You know all about, you knowschools and which are the best
schools here that I should be,and how I get through that
blooming application andsuddenly think, could that be a
thing?
So it's just about noticingwhat sparks your energy and your
(12:51):
curiosity, noticing what you'regood at, noticing where you
have ideas that you think couldthat be something.
And with any idea it's, you'regoing to have to go through that
testing process.
What starts with a kind oflittle spark, you're going to
have to decide.
Does it have legs, does itreally hold my attention, could
it really turn into somethingthat people would pay me for,
and all of those kind of things.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Yeah, that's kind of where I came from with my
coaching.
Is I similar, similarly to youwhat you're saying?
There is the role I was doingin marketing.
I actually realized that Ispend the time I spending in my
nine to five 80% was coachingpeople and I started to tune
into what I'm actually doingevery day in this role not as
much marketing as you probablyshould be and a lot more
(13:35):
coaching and so that started theseed of is this something I
could do except send in theability to say you build that
over time?
And this obviously againquestions people can say is
there a risk to this?
So we kind of find somethingyou want to do and Maybe easier
with the flexible workingnowadays again post-pandemic,
but maybe we can carve out a bitof time during the week to
focus on something else.
(13:56):
But I suppose what are going tobe the biggest risks to
actually embarking on thisportfolio career vision.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yeah, Is it risks or is it challenges?
Let me split those two becauseI think there are some
challenges.
The risks, in a way, I'd betempted and not to be glib about
this, but to say the joy of aportfolio career, the joy of
building something alongside,actually de-risks it a little
bit.
I think the risk when makingchanges to say, right next
Tuesday, I'm not going to be alawyer anymore, I'm going to
(14:25):
teach people graffiti art, andyou're like, well, at the moment
you're earning X100K and that'srisky, the kind of throwing it
all in and start without havingtested.
I think with portfolio careersthat risk is actually minimized
because you're saying, well,I'll stick with what I'm doing,
(14:45):
the solid thing that's tried totest it.
Maybe I'll take one day, a weekout of that.
I'll see if I can negotiatewith my current workplace and
change the way I work so I canjust introduce something and
start to just see if it works.
I think there are perhaps risksonce you get up and going that,
yes, the joy of, oh, look, I dolots of different things, how
(15:06):
lovely and varied for me and howfulfilling.
Of course, where do theboundaries sit around?
The difference?
Because it can be easy to think, well, I'm going to do three
days of this and two days ofthat, but, of course, what
happens when the clients thatyou wanted on a Thursday or
Friday say, could you see me ona Monday?
And then you say, oh, yes, ofcourse that's fine.
(15:27):
And then you're suddenly you'reoverwhelmed, Everything's
blending together.
So I think that probably,whether that's a risk, it's
certainly a challenge to think,well, how much time do I want to
give each of these things?
How much money do I need tomake from each of these things?
How can I be as boundary aspossible, as boundaries as I
need to be?
So that can be a challenge.
(15:49):
And another challenge I thinknot.
Well, maybe it's a risk as wellis, although I think we are
seeing the rise of the portfoliocareer, sometimes it is a
difficult identity to holdinternally, partly because
you're like, well, what am I andwhat do I?
When people say so, what do youdo?
And you're sort of like, well,sometimes I D-Rig festivals and
(16:09):
sometimes I do something totallydifferent.
So there's a risk that peopledon't get you.
That can be hard for you,because you sort of think I'm
not very good at explaining thisand how do I make it clear that
I'm an organist but I also I'mahead of HR but I play for
people's weddings, or I don'tmake sense.
So that can be challenging.
(16:31):
But I think there is a riskperhaps that if you don't get
your messaging right, thatexternally as well, maybe that
doesn't play brilliantly if youcan't explain why.
But if you then at some pointwant to major back in on one of
the things you want, to be clearthat you can explain the
journey and why you've spent twodays a week for the last six
(16:52):
years redesigning people'skitchens when you're actually
something totally different.
You work in publishing, maybelike oh, so perhaps that's a
risk is does the worldunderstand you?
But that can again be minimizedby really strong messaging, a
kind of powerful narrative aboutwho you are, why you do what
you do and, if necessary it'snot always necessary how the two
(17:14):
things together and complementeach other and re-emphasize the
skill sets that you've got.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
What really struck me with that is it reminds me of
mum's going back to work.
So you talk about identity inthat and you're talking about
confidence to actually say thisis who I am now, this is my
career and I'm behind it.
So that's my strong message.
And with mum's going back towork and that identity shift of
having been with your childpotentially for six, nine, 12
(17:43):
months and then transitioningback with a new identity as an
employee and a professionalperson and having to then, I
suppose, just deal with whatconflicts that may bring up for
you and what identity do you nowhave as a working parent, and
also that confidence of goingback to a workplace, reasserting
yourself, saying I'm back, I'mdoing, I'm back myself with my
(18:03):
career, et cetera.
So it's a bit of a parallelbetween those two transitions,
because they're both transitions, aren't they in different ways?
So a portfolio career is atransition from your perhaps
well trodden path that you'reused to comfort zone, all those
kind of things, transitioninginto a way of working that can
be quite different and excitingbut daunting at the same time.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yeah, I totally agree , and I think, again, not that
all portfolio careers are thesame, but I think one of the
common things that we see ispeople go from an employment you
know being employed to becomingfreelance in some way.
So they perhaps set themselvesup as a consultant or the, and
again, yeah, that can require adifferent skill set as well.
So, on the one, you've got youridentity challenges going on
(18:45):
and also suddenly you're like,oh, I have to do my own books,
or I have to write this proposalfor this client, or I have to
go and do some marketing, or Ihave to do my own website.
You know, if you've beenemployed all the time and
someone says here's your job forthe day, right, sure, can you
just get on and hear this is theclient and this is when you're
going to meet them and this isthe template that you fill in,
and suddenly you're like, oh, oh, you know, I've got to do all
(19:08):
of that stuff.
So, yeah and as an adult we'renot always great at embracing
new things that we're notfamiliar with we can have a
sudden sense of that kind ofimposterism, of gosh, I don't
know what I'm doing.
And if you're, you know, inyour 30s or 40s or 50s, to not
know what you're doing feelsquite challenging.
You suddenly think, oh, Ithought I just brought my same
(19:30):
skills and just went freelance,but there's a whole other load
of things I have to be able todo as a freelancer or whatever
it is that I'm not familiar with.
So you're right, I think theminds can play tricks and any
transitions offer new challengeswhich are practical and a kind
of emotional and mental levelthrow up some, some things for
us to wrestle with.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
I suppose it has to be outcome based, doesn't it?
So?
If you are going into aportfolio context with a very
clear view as to why you wantthat portfolio career, what it's
going to offer you, whatbenefits, what it's going to
offer me, why I'm doing it, soyou have a real purpose to this
endeavor, then presumably,hopefully, some of those
challenges you come up againstthe imposter, the do I have the
(20:11):
right skills for theseadditional parts of my job
hopefully will be manageableBecause you know that by getting
through those challenges, youare still heading towards
actually that purpose you had inthe first place.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yeah, yeah, I think that's a really good point.
Good old Simon Syneck and his.
You know why?
Yeah, I think, if you can,because there will be moments
when you feel a bit wobbly orone identity starts to challenge
the other, or you think youknow how much do I want to do
with this one and how much do Iwant to do that?
Yeah, it's to say, well, whatis the?
What does each of these give me?
Why am I doing this?
(20:43):
And sometimes you might not knowimmediately because you're just
experimenting, but ultimately,knowing that well, I want to
lean into this artistic side ofmyself because I find it.
It fulfills me, I enjoy thatcreativity, it gives me flow, it
helps me relax, in contrast tomy other role, and that's what I
want from it.
So that needs to be my guidingprinciple.
I don't want it to becomestressful, I want it to be a
(21:05):
release.
Or, similarly, you know, I wantto do this because it gives me
the freedom and more control ofmy time that my other work
doesn't give me.
And keeping those in mindbecause, of course, all the time
that you're playing and holdingthese different roles, then the
water can get muddied and Ithink you're right Knowing what
it is you want from each elementcan help you put some of those
(21:28):
boundaries in place and stayfocused when you get to the, to
the muddly bits where you feel abit like, oh, this is scary.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah, I think also, especially if you have to convey
this message to employers,because maybe you want more
flexible working to follow thesepursuits.
Obviously, family setups arewell need to be discussed.
What's the scenario if I dothis?
Does it affect family income?
How does it affect logistics,etc with kids?
So I think also having thatconfidence to as you said before
(21:55):
I'm going to really clearmessage as to why you're doing
this, so that you can have muchmore confident conversations
with those people that need tosupport or ease your path
through it yeah, yeah, you'reright.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
So this is not normally a solitary process.
Is it for us, if we've gotcaring responsibilities or
partners and things, that, yeah,it's part of a wider discussion
, having somebody to championthat with you, maybe even to
practice how you talk about it,but also to have the very
practical conversations aboutwhat does this do with my income
or our income as a couple or asa family unit?
(22:30):
What can be very interesting aswell is I always think these
sort of career changes or movesinto portfolio career are sort
of contagious.
I have a number of clients whocome to me and the starting
point is I'm thinking about acareer change and then when we
start chatting, I'll be like, sotell me a little bit more about
you.
You know, do you have family?
And suddenly they say, well,yes, my husband or my partner,
(22:52):
my wife.
They're also thinking aboutwhether they might want to bring
their hours down becausethey're totally stressed and
burned, and suddenly it becomesa much bigger process.
So, yeah, it can open up somepowerful conversations, but ones
that need proper thought andconsideration.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Yeah, I think, maybe scaling it back.
We talked a lot about the sortof drastic options, but you
could be a personal trainer anda festival rigger, or an
organist and a police person.
It was the things.
But I think, as you referred tothe beginning, you can create a
sense of portfolio within yourexisting career role.
Yeah, and having differentstrings to your bow.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
I think so.
And going back to that thing wewere saying well, you said you
realised that it was thespeaking to people part of your
marketing role that you reallyliked.
Now that led you, in a way, tofully train as a coach.
But sometimes you just think,well, can I almost create a
portfolio within my organisationwhere I offer to head up a
(23:49):
certain project once in a while?
You know, even if it'ssomething that only comes around
every six months, you think,well, I want to throw my hat in
the ring because that feeds adifferent part of me.
That's the really creativeenergy, you know.
Or there's some event thatcomes around every year and you
think, well, I'd like to getinvolved in that.
It's not, it wouldn't be myfull day job.
Or, similarly, can you knowthese opportunities for
(24:09):
secondments or attachments or tocover somebody's maternity
leave, that actually, then youmaybe can play a little bit with
your identity and lean intothings without going the full
sort of right.
I'm going down to three days aweek and I'm setting up my own
business two days a week.
And, similarly, the tiniest,tiniest ways to start if you're
(24:29):
not, not within your ownorganisation, but thinking well,
could I make something work.
Could I be, you know, a weddingphotographer on the side,
because I love weddingphotography?
Well, just set yourself thetask to say I'm going to find
one friend of mine and offer tophotograph their wedding or go
and do their baby shower orwhatever it is.
Don't, don't?
You don't have to start outwith some massive business plan
(24:52):
and sort of a totally worked outvision of how it's going to
function.
You don't have to go straightinto HR and your job and start
discussing flexible working.
And can I go down to compressedhours and let me just put a
little toe in the water?
Before designed my website andgot business cards to just say
could I get one lovely set ofwedding photographs eight and
(25:15):
see if I enjoyed it and seewhether other people are like oh
, these are good Might.
Might you do my wedding?
You know these things can bereally slow.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Yeah, I'll let you see.
I still haven't got a businessplan.
You need, three or four yearslater, still wing it.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
We need to find a business.
There must be a businessconsultant out there who's part
of their portfolio is to help.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Just sort themselves out.
So, rachel, before we wrap up,which says we've talked about
various different risks,benefits, considerations, etc.
What would be your biggest?
What would be the first one,two or three takeaways for
people who are thinking I'mready to make a change of some
kind.
It might not be as drastic as awhole business change, but even
within the role, how do I startthinking about portfolio career
(25:58):
options?
What would the first, I suppose, consideration be for those
people?
Speaker 2 (26:03):
I think it comes down again to thinking first of all
about think of it as anexperiment.
You're not trying to make adecision, you're just trying to
test out some ideas.
So I think the starting smallis really important.
I'm just going to see if thiscould potentially work.
So that often starts with justsomething as a side hustle,
(26:24):
something you do on a Saturday,looking for one client who'd
take you on to do their websiteas a freelancer, as opposed to
your normal kind of graphicdesign.
So, starting small, testing yourideas, I think as well,
realizing that it's not a setprocess.
I mean, the joy of theportfolio career is that it can
wax and wane.
(26:45):
So you don't necessarily haveto say, well, I'm definitely
going to do three days of thisand two days of that and then
think, oh, this isn't working.
Oh, dear, I've made a mistake.
Well, no, maybe you haven't.
Maybe actually you just need tokind of make a subtle
adjustment that this is aprocess.
I think as well that you keepevolving.
You can iterate time and timeagain.
Same with any career changePeople panic because they think
(27:08):
I'm making a decision, it mustbe the wrong one.
Therefore I will do nothing.
Well, make a start, see how itfeels, and if the kind of
balance that you've got of 50 50doesn't work, then you can
rework that.
So I think, holding it looselyto begin with even though of
course we've said, you know youdon't want to be so casual that
you don't know how you're goingto pay your mortgage and I think
(27:31):
finally yeah, maybe thinkingabout that point we made before
what do you want from each part,so that you don't get so in a
mess with with what am I doingthis for?
That you can.
This will give me X.
These are some of the outcomesI want, and for some people that
will be very measurable.
You know, I need this to giveme this much income, or I need
(27:53):
this in order to, you know, fundmy kids through uni or whatever
it is.
Sometimes it's much more about.
This will give me an outlet forwhat particular part of my
personality and I really want tohonor that.
This will meet my.
My values of adventure and fundon't get met when I'm, you know
, the head of HR or whatever.
It's no offense, I'm surethat's, you know.
(28:14):
It's sort of getting clear onwhat.
What's it all about?
What are the values and theunderlying desires that I want
to meet in these.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Yeah, perfect, thank you so much.
And as I mentioned at thebeginning, your book, the Career
Change Guide, has well has allthis sort of and more for those,
I suppose also not just againdrastic career change, but just
thinking process behind even alower level portfolio career
could all be found in there.
And where else can people findyou if they want to get that
info?
Speaker 2 (28:43):
People can find me on LinkedIn, rachel Schofield.
On my website iswwwrachelscofieldcouk, or I'm on
Instagram, although not verymuch at the moment, but I should
be more.
My Instagram handle is atrework your life, or one word
rework your life.
And you're right.
Sometimes these things feel bigand scary, but you know,
(29:06):
occasionally in fact quiteregularly even a small tweak,
even just connecting with whatdo I want from my career, can
lead to enough change to reallymake a big difference and move
the needle.
Whether that ends up being ahuge kind of complex I'm a this
slash, this slash this or justsome small tweaks that you think
, ah, I've got rid of that bitthat I don't like and I'm into
(29:27):
the stuff that brings me joy.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
Yeah, just some time to reflect, take stock, which we
don't do often enough, I wouldsuggest.
Thank you so much, rachel,thank you for your time today.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Absolute pleasure, always great talking to you.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
To work with me.
Find out more at ishamariecom.
Connect with me on LinkedIn orcheck out my free resources and
quizzes at ishamariecom.
Slash resources.
Welcome to the Parent Equation podcast with me, aisha
Murray.
This podcast series is full ofinspiring stories from working
parents who are passionate aboutdesigning a life that works for
them and their families.
Working parents like you whowant a purposeful, rewarding
career alongside a balancedfamily life.
So today, on the ParentEquation, I'm very, very happy
(00:28):
to have Rachel Scofield with me.
Rachel is a career coach andauthor of the Career Change
Guide, available to buy now.
Welcome, rachel.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I'm excited.
It's great to be with you.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
So today we are going to talk about portfolio careers
and the reason being, I think,what I've seen, certainly with
clients that coming through tome recently, is there's this, I
suppose, fear of everythinghappening in the world markets,
economies, job market at themoment is that maybe I should
have some alternative options tomy potentially long-term career
that I've had, to give me somesecurity, give them variety and
(01:03):
have other things that dip intoas time goes on if necessary.
But I think we spoke aboutearlier portfolio career can
mean so many different things.
So what does it mean to you?
Do you think?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, and that's so interesting that, as a starting
point, the way you'reexperiencing it with your
clients is sometimes from aposition of you know that world
is changing, ai is coming in,maybe jobs are going to vary, so
I need some future proofing, Ineed to have more than one thing
to go.
And you're right, we're seeingthat sense of let me think
through my options and make sureI've got some.
(01:35):
But also I think portfoliocareers come from a desire that
I see increasingly in my clientsas well, to not be locked in to
one pathway that actuallypeople say I'm a sort of.
I'm a diverse person.
I have diverse interests andthings that light me up and
actually I quite like to play toall of them.
I don't want to have to pick.
(01:56):
So I think portfolio careers,it just goes to show, encompass
all sides of a debate about.
You know our working identityand I guess a portfolio career
is what you make it.
Sometimes people with portfoliocareers are called slashes
because they have all theslashes.
I'm a coach, slash writer,slash writer.
I'm a graphic designer, slashartist, slash trainer.
(02:21):
It's that thing of can I have acombination in my work
sometimes of things that seem tosit together quite closely,
that I express in different ways, and sometimes things that you
know seem to have nothing to dowith each other.
And that's the joy of it, thata portfolio career is your
chance to really take ownershipand shape your career in a way
(02:41):
that excites you, plays to yourstrengths or, alternatively,
future, proofs, you gives yousome kind of security and a
sense of being able to changeyour direction you want to.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
It feels like it might also be a generational
thing, because I know certainlymy parents' generation.
You were in a career, you knowyou picked your career after
school, after university, whenit was, and that was what you
were going to do for the rest ofyour life until you were tired,
and that was kind of it.
And there's almost nopermission given that you would
dare to change your career pathor try something different or
add something else in.
But now it seems that there isthat permission to actually say,
(03:17):
actually I don't want to stayin this role, career for 25, 30
years.
There are other I said otheroptions out there for me and I'm
a diverse person who hasdiverse needs and interests.
So I suppose I wonder whether,again, with your experience of
clients, do you have anyexamples of where maybe there's
a sort of slightly generationalviewpoint of actually one one
(03:38):
should stay in what one is doingversus actually I want to be a
bit freer.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
That's a really interesting question.
I was looking at some of thestats and they were.
They were back from 2021, butthe department for education
here in the UK did a survey andFound that two-thirds of people
were taking on multiple jobs orlooking to do so, and what was
interesting there Whether thatwas less generational, but a lot
(04:05):
of that was to do with thepandemic and the.
COVID and those stats alsoshowed that 37% more people have
portfolio careers than beforethe pandemic.
So on the one hand, here we'reseeing the influence perhaps of
the pandemic and the way thatwe're being asked to work and
that impact on our careers.
But you're right, I thinkgenerationally there's been a
(04:26):
shift in the way we workgenerally, that you're not on a
ladder anymore, you don't startat the bottom and work up and
never step off your ladder, thatactually you you're on a
journey that might take you downlots of different pathways.
So do I see it just funnyenough?
I actually the majority of myclients are in their 30s, 40s,
(04:47):
50 and I'm seeing this showingup with them as well.
So I think you're right.
I think Probably the oldergeneration would not so used to
this idea, but it's spread quitewell and I think people are
seeing it of all ages as anopportunity To to do something a
bit different and break awayfrom the ladder like structure
of careers.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, so what do you think the benefits might be?
So Obviously, as a coach, ascoaches, we would extol the
benefits of any change, anyopportunity, any sort of
creative thinking.
But when we put it in some morepractical terms, for people,
what could be the genuinebenefits of considering having a
portfolio career?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Yeah, I think there are lots of different ones and
they come from different places,a bit like where we started.
So I think on the one hand, youcan combine different sides of
yourself.
You can hold two identities.
So perhaps sometimes peoplehave a portfolio career because
they do one thing that's quitetraditional, so you know you're
an accountant for three days aweek and for the other two you
(05:45):
get to go and you know, draw,manga, comics or whatever it is.
So it there's a sense of itgives you that opportunity to
explore the fullness of yourselfand your interests.
I think for some people it'sabout their balance in their
life.
They have a core Part of theirwork that they know has a very
steady income.
It's an employed form of workbut then they want to have
(06:09):
something that they can have alittle bit more control over.
So a couple of days a week theydo freelance work, which of
course they can up or down I canand set the hours that they
want, things like that.
So that's definitely anadvantage.
I think One of the joys of itis actually you can use it as a
transition, so it allows you tostart exploring an avenue or
(06:30):
doing some training or doingsome volunteering Alongside,
something that remains constantand gives you that steady source
of income while you're thinkingWould I like to move over into
this thing?
So sometimes a portfolio careeris a is a period of time, a
transition period.
It actually ends up back with a,with a firm, fixed career, but
it's allowed you to explore both, because, of course, I work a
(06:52):
lot in the career change spaceand people get very panicky, for
obvious reasons, about well, Ican't just jack everything in
and start my whole new careerthe next day.
So why not experiment and takea period of time where you're
you're holding two careers atonce?
Lots of good things about Ithink people talk a lot about
the fact.
Yes, it maybe gives you morefreedom, more autonomy, more
(07:13):
control Over your, the way thatyou shape your week and, as we
discussed, perhaps it keeps youlearning and growing.
It keeps you Expanding yourskill set in new things that
hopefully give you a set ofskills that will carry you
forward.
Should some one part of yourportfolio start to flag or the
industry changes or AI comes inand the job shifts, then
(07:36):
actually you're ready becauseyou've got another Area to pull
on.
So lots of, lots of good thingsabout it.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Yeah, actually the the example that the other
episode in this podcast serieswith one of the parents called
Lee.
His portfolio career is exactlythe first example.
So traditional marketing rolefor a long time, successfully,
and now, alongside freelancemarketing, he also is a
qualified personal trainer, soruns that as a side business and
(08:02):
also over the summer wasD-rigging and rigging that's the
right word festival sites,because he loves music, he loves
being in that kind ofenvironment and so actually that
this is like I love being partof.
So why can't I do the bit ofthat as well?
And it was just, it was just awhy not.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, and a couple of examples to add to that,
because it's often nice forpeople to anchor it, isn't it,
in something real.
So a couple of case studiesthat I feature in my book.
One is very much like that.
It was a police officer, hername's Jeanette.
She's in her 40s.
She again it was slightly atransition thing as well, but
she knew that she's going tohave to retire when she gets to
50, because that's the setup inthe police force, and she didn't
(08:42):
.
She thought, well, I could justgo back into sort of civilian
type policing, you know thereare civilians in the police
force where you can do it untilyou're older.
But she thought there's a partof me that's quite creative.
So what she started to do wasbecome a furniture designer.
She started very simply it wasmore of a side hustle with a
full portfolio and it startedbecause she just went on eBay
(09:04):
and bought a sideboard.
I think she paid 40 quid for it, spent a long time, a lot of
love and energy doing it up andpainting it and decorating it
and sort of redesigning.
So it sold it for £500, I thinkEtsy or one of the and there
was the birth of a career and ofcourse it was slow burn.
But there she is.
She's part police officer witha specialism in fraud, I think
(09:26):
it was and part creativefurniture designer.
And she's sitting thosetogether for a while.
But the idea is that whenretirement comes around she's
already got something that she'sgot ready to run.
Similarly, another example in mybook Fiona is a graphic
designer and this is interestingbecause what she saw is that
(09:46):
the job changed.
Well, when I first startedgraphic design, it was really
hands on.
We did a lot of sort of modelmaking and she said more and
more it became very computerizedand she said it's great because
it's a source of income.
But I've lost the bit that Ilove.
I've lost the hands on bit ofgraphic design as as technology
has moved on.
So she now works part time andincreasingly she's hoping to to
(10:10):
up that amount of time StoneCarver.
She does beautiful lettering,handcrafted lettering on stone,
whether that's headstones orplaques or commemorative things
or gifts for people.
And allowing her to have themoney she needs from graphic
design but also to pull in thatreally tactile experience of
(10:31):
creating.
That's what she really loves.
So people do it for all kindsof reasons.
That's that's the joy of it.
You can sort of use it towhatever end you want and shape
it in whatever way.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
My sort of my red flag, if you like, thinking
about it from a client point ofview, like is how the hell do I
start thinking about what I wantto do?
So stone carving sounds amazing.
Where does that come from, Isuppose, as a thought process?
When you start with a blankpiece of paper, I think I know I
want something else alongsidemy day job.
That could be anything, yeah.
(11:02):
So where do you start with thatthought process?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Yeah, that's a great question and one that you know
as someone who works in thecareer change space, which maybe
portfolios are not comes up alot when people come to have any
ideas.
There are various places youcan look and I think just
bringing your curiosity to yourown is a huge starting point.
We know in coaching that thecuriosity is a brilliant thing
to have a good adopt.
(11:25):
So you might well go looking inyour interests and I'm not like
we would get very lazy here andwe sort of do the whole follow
your passion and people have apassion.
Or, if I do like cooking Idon't want to, you know, open a
restaurant, but I still thinkthat there is definitely
something there about people'sinterests.
So in the case of Fiona, mygraphic designer, you know she
(11:47):
was already doing classes andcourses in her own time on stone
carving and that sort of thingand she just started trying.
She didn't start that I'm goingto make a career out of it, but
she just lent into that andthen found someone commissioned
her to do something.
So sometimes it's around that,sometimes it's around looking at
the work that you're doing andtrying to sort of work out which
(12:08):
bits of it do I really look at,because sometimes the job
you've got you just think,actually, if I could lean more
into that bit, if I could createthat either into my own little
freelance bit that I offer, or Icould reversion it into a
different industry.
Sometimes that can give you alot of clues.
So so you know what you're goodat, what you enjoy, what your
(12:29):
interests are, what people askyou to help them with.
Sometimes you notice thatpeople always come to me,
whether that's professionally orin my personal life, saying can
you, can you help with this?
You know all about, you knowschools and which are the best
schools here that I should be,and how I get through that
blooming application andsuddenly think, could that be a
thing?
So it's just about noticingwhat sparks your energy and your
(12:51):
curiosity, noticing what you'regood at, noticing where you
have ideas that you think couldthat be something.
And with any idea it's, you'regoing to have to go through that
testing process.
What starts with a kind oflittle spark, you're going to
have to decide.
Does it have legs, does itreally hold my attention, could
it really turn into somethingthat people would pay me for,
and all of those kind of things.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Yeah, that's kind of where I came from with my
coaching.
Is I similar, similarly to youwhat you're saying?
There is the role I was doingin marketing.
I actually realized that Ispend the time I spending in my
nine to five 80% was coachingpeople and I started to tune
into what I'm actually doingevery day in this role not as
much marketing as you probablyshould be and a lot more
(13:35):
coaching and so that started theseed of is this something I
could do except send in theability to say you build that
over time?
And this obviously againquestions people can say is
there a risk to this?
So we kind of find somethingyou want to do and Maybe easier
with the flexible workingnowadays again post-pandemic,
but maybe we can carve out a bitof time during the week to
focus on something else.
(13:56):
But I suppose what are going tobe the biggest risks to
actually embarking on thisportfolio career vision.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yeah, Is it risks or is it challenges?
Let me split those two becauseI think there are some
challenges.
The risks, in a way, I'd betempted and not to be glib about
this, but to say the joy of aportfolio career, the joy of
building something alongside,actually de-risks it a little
bit.
I think the risk when makingchanges to say, right next
Tuesday, I'm not going to be alawyer anymore, I'm going to
(14:25):
teach people graffiti art, andyou're like, well, at the moment
you're earning X100K and that'srisky, the kind of throwing it
all in and start without havingtested.
I think with portfolio careersthat risk is actually minimized
because you're saying, well,I'll stick with what I'm doing,
(14:45):
the solid thing that's tried totest it.
Maybe I'll take one day, a weekout of that.
I'll see if I can negotiatewith my current workplace and
change the way I work so I canjust introduce something and
start to just see if it works.
I think there are perhaps risksonce you get up and going that,
yes, the joy of, oh, look, I dolots of different things, how
(15:06):
lovely and varied for me and howfulfilling.
Of course, where do theboundaries sit around?
The difference?
Because it can be easy to think, well, I'm going to do three
days of this and two days ofthat, but, of course, what
happens when the clients thatyou wanted on a Thursday or
Friday say, could you see me ona Monday?
And then you say, oh, yes, ofcourse that's fine.
(15:27):
And then you're suddenly you'reoverwhelmed, Everything's
blending together.
So I think that probably,whether that's a risk, it's
certainly a challenge to think,well, how much time do I want to
give each of these things?
How much money do I need tomake from each of these things?
How can I be as boundary aspossible, as boundaries as I
need to be?
So that can be a challenge.
(15:49):
And another challenge I thinknot.
Well, maybe it's a risk as wellis, although I think we are
seeing the rise of the portfoliocareer, sometimes it is a
difficult identity to holdinternally, partly because
you're like, well, what am I andwhat do I?
When people say so, what do youdo?
And you're sort of like, well,sometimes I D-Rig festivals and
(16:09):
sometimes I do something totallydifferent.
So there's a risk that peopledon't get you.
That can be hard for you,because you sort of think I'm
not very good at explaining thisand how do I make it clear that
I'm an organist but I also I'mahead of HR but I play for
people's weddings, or I don'tmake sense.
So that can be challenging.
(16:31):
But I think there is a riskperhaps that if you don't get
your messaging right, thatexternally as well, maybe that
doesn't play brilliantly if youcan't explain why.
But if you then at some pointwant to major back in on one of
the things you want, to be clearthat you can explain the
journey and why you've spent twodays a week for the last six
(16:52):
years redesigning people'skitchens when you're actually
something totally different.
You work in publishing, maybelike oh, so perhaps that's a
risk is does the worldunderstand you?
But that can again be minimizedby really strong messaging, a
kind of powerful narrative aboutwho you are, why you do what
you do and, if necessary it'snot always necessary how the two
(17:14):
things together and complementeach other and re-emphasize the
skill sets that you've got.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
What really struck me with that is it reminds me of
mum's going back to work.
So you talk about identity inthat and you're talking about
confidence to actually say thisis who I am now, this is my
career and I'm behind it.
So that's my strong message.
And with mum's going back towork and that identity shift of
having been with your childpotentially for six, nine, 12
(17:43):
months and then transitioningback with a new identity as an
employee and a professionalperson and having to then, I
suppose, just deal with whatconflicts that may bring up for
you and what identity do you nowhave as a working parent, and
also that confidence of goingback to a workplace, reasserting
yourself, saying I'm back, I'mdoing, I'm back myself with my
(18:03):
career, et cetera.
So it's a bit of a parallelbetween those two transitions,
because they're both transitions, aren't they in different ways?
So a portfolio career is atransition from your perhaps
well trodden path that you'reused to comfort zone, all those
kind of things, transitioninginto a way of working that can
be quite different and excitingbut daunting at the same time.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yeah, I totally agree , and I think, again, not that
all portfolio careers are thesame, but I think one of the
common things that we see ispeople go from an employment you
know being employed to becomingfreelance in some way.
So they perhaps set themselvesup as a consultant or the, and
again, yeah, that can require adifferent skill set as well.
So, on the one, you've got youridentity challenges going on
(18:45):
and also suddenly you're like,oh, I have to do my own books,
or I have to write this proposalfor this client, or I have to
go and do some marketing, or Ihave to do my own website.
You know, if you've beenemployed all the time and
someone says here's your job forthe day, right, sure, can you
just get on and hear this is theclient and this is when you're
going to meet them and this isthe template that you fill in,
and suddenly you're like, oh, oh, you know, I've got to do all
(19:08):
of that stuff.
So, yeah and as an adult we'renot always great at embracing
new things that we're notfamiliar with we can have a
sudden sense of that kind ofimposterism, of gosh, I don't
know what I'm doing.
And if you're, you know, inyour 30s or 40s or 50s, to not
know what you're doing feelsquite challenging.
You suddenly think, oh, Ithought I just brought my same
(19:30):
skills and just went freelance,but there's a whole other load
of things I have to be able todo as a freelancer or whatever
it is that I'm not familiar with.
So you're right, I think theminds can play tricks and any
transitions offer new challengeswhich are practical and a kind
of emotional and mental levelthrow up some, some things for
us to wrestle with.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
I suppose it has to be outcome based, doesn't it?
So?
If you are going into aportfolio context with a very
clear view as to why you wantthat portfolio career, what it's
going to offer you, whatbenefits, what it's going to
offer me, why I'm doing it, soyou have a real purpose to this
endeavor, then presumably,hopefully, some of those
challenges you come up againstthe imposter, the do I have the
(20:11):
right skills for theseadditional parts of my job
hopefully will be manageableBecause you know that by getting
through those challenges, youare still heading towards
actually that purpose you had inthe first place.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yeah, yeah, I think that's a really good point.
Good old Simon Syneck and his.
You know why?
Yeah, I think, if you can,because there will be moments
when you feel a bit wobbly orone identity starts to challenge
the other, or you think youknow how much do I want to do
with this one and how much do Iwant to do that?
Yeah, it's to say, well, whatis the?
What does each of these give me?
Why am I doing this?
(20:43):
And sometimes you might not knowimmediately because you're just
experimenting, but ultimately,knowing that well, I want to
lean into this artistic side ofmyself because I find it.
It fulfills me, I enjoy thatcreativity, it gives me flow, it
helps me relax, in contrast tomy other role, and that's what I
want from it.
So that needs to be my guidingprinciple.
I don't want it to becomestressful, I want it to be a
(21:05):
release.
Or, similarly, you know, I wantto do this because it gives me
the freedom and more control ofmy time that my other work
doesn't give me.
And keeping those in mindbecause, of course, all the time
that you're playing and holdingthese different roles, then the
water can get muddied and Ithink you're right Knowing what
it is you want from each elementcan help you put some of those
(21:28):
boundaries in place and stayfocused when you get to the, to
the muddly bits where you feel abit like, oh, this is scary.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah, I think also, especially if you have to convey
this message to employers,because maybe you want more
flexible working to follow thesepursuits.
Obviously, family setups arewell need to be discussed.
What's the scenario if I dothis?
Does it affect family income?
How does it affect logistics,etc with kids?
So I think also having thatconfidence to as you said before
(21:55):
I'm going to really clearmessage as to why you're doing
this, so that you can have muchmore confident conversations
with those people that need tosupport or ease your path
through it yeah, yeah, you'reright.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
So this is not normally a solitary process.
Is it for us, if we've gotcaring responsibilities or
partners and things, that, yeah,it's part of a wider discussion
, having somebody to championthat with you, maybe even to
practice how you talk about it,but also to have the very
practical conversations aboutwhat does this do with my income
or our income as a couple or asa family unit?
(22:30):
What can be very interesting aswell is I always think these
sort of career changes or movesinto portfolio career are sort
of contagious.
I have a number of clients whocome to me and the starting
point is I'm thinking about acareer change and then when we
start chatting, I'll be like, sotell me a little bit more about
you.
You know, do you have family?
And suddenly they say, well,yes, my husband or my partner,
(22:52):
my wife.
They're also thinking aboutwhether they might want to bring
their hours down becausethey're totally stressed and
burned, and suddenly it becomesa much bigger process.
So, yeah, it can open up somepowerful conversations, but ones
that need proper thought andconsideration.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Yeah, I think, maybe scaling it back.
We talked a lot about the sortof drastic options, but you
could be a personal trainer anda festival rigger, or an
organist and a police person.
It was the things.
But I think, as you referred tothe beginning, you can create a
sense of portfolio within yourexisting career role.
Yeah, and having differentstrings to your bow.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
I think so.
And going back to that thing wewere saying well, you said you
realised that it was thespeaking to people part of your
marketing role that you reallyliked.
Now that led you, in a way, tofully train as a coach.
But sometimes you just think,well, can I almost create a
portfolio within my organisationwhere I offer to head up a
(23:49):
certain project once in a while?
You know, even if it'ssomething that only comes around
every six months, you think,well, I want to throw my hat in
the ring because that feeds adifferent part of me.
That's the really creativeenergy, you know.
Or there's some event thatcomes around every year and you
think, well, I'd like to getinvolved in that.
It's not, it wouldn't be myfull day job.
Or, similarly, can you knowthese opportunities for
(24:09):
secondments or attachments or tocover somebody's maternity
leave, that actually, then youmaybe can play a little bit with
your identity and lean intothings without going the full
sort of right.
I'm going down to three days aweek and I'm setting up my own
business two days a week.
And, similarly, the tiniest,tiniest ways to start if you're
(24:29):
not, not within your ownorganisation, but thinking well,
could I make something work.
Could I be, you know, a weddingphotographer on the side,
because I love weddingphotography?
Well, just set yourself thetask to say I'm going to find
one friend of mine and offer tophotograph their wedding or go
and do their baby shower orwhatever it is.
Don't, don't?
You don't have to start outwith some massive business plan
(24:52):
and sort of a totally worked outvision of how it's going to
function.
You don't have to go straightinto HR and your job and start
discussing flexible working.
And can I go down to compressedhours and let me just put a
little toe in the water?
Before designed my website andgot business cards to just say
could I get one lovely set ofwedding photographs eight and
(25:15):
see if I enjoyed it and seewhether other people are like oh
, these are good Might.
Might you do my wedding?
You know these things can bereally slow.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Yeah, I'll let you see.
I still haven't got a businessplan.
You need, three or four yearslater, still wing it.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
We need to find a business.
There must be a businessconsultant out there who's part
of their portfolio is to help.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Just sort themselves out.
So, rachel, before we wrap up,which says we've talked about
various different risks,benefits, considerations, etc.
What would be your biggest?
What would be the first one,two or three takeaways for
people who are thinking I'mready to make a change of some
kind.
It might not be as drastic as awhole business change, but even
within the role, how do I startthinking about portfolio career
(25:58):
options?
What would the first, I suppose, consideration be for those
people?
Speaker 2 (26:03):
I think it comes down again to thinking first of all
about think of it as anexperiment.
You're not trying to make adecision, you're just trying to
test out some ideas.
So I think the starting smallis really important.
I'm just going to see if thiscould potentially work.
So that often starts with justsomething as a side hustle,
(26:24):
something you do on a Saturday,looking for one client who'd
take you on to do their websiteas a freelancer, as opposed to
your normal kind of graphicdesign.
So, starting small, testing yourideas, I think as well,
realizing that it's not a setprocess.
I mean, the joy of theportfolio career is that it can
wax and wane.
(26:45):
So you don't necessarily haveto say, well, I'm definitely
going to do three days of thisand two days of that and then
think, oh, this isn't working.
Oh, dear, I've made a mistake.
Well, no, maybe you haven't.
Maybe actually you just need tokind of make a subtle
adjustment that this is aprocess.
I think as well that you keepevolving.
You can iterate time and timeagain.
Same with any career changePeople panic because they think
(27:08):
I'm making a decision, it mustbe the wrong one.
Therefore I will do nothing.
Well, make a start, see how itfeels, and if the kind of
balance that you've got of 50 50doesn't work, then you can
rework that.
So I think, holding it looselyto begin with even though of
course we've said, you know youdon't want to be so casual that
you don't know how you're goingto pay your mortgage and I think
(27:31):
finally yeah, maybe thinkingabout that point we made before
what do you want from each part,so that you don't get so in a
mess with with what am I doingthis for?
That you can.
This will give me X.
These are some of the outcomesI want, and for some people that
will be very measurable.
You know, I need this to giveme this much income, or I need
(27:53):
this in order to, you know, fundmy kids through uni or whatever
it is.
Sometimes it's much more about.
This will give me an outlet forwhat particular part of my
personality and I really want tohonor that.
This will meet my.
My values of adventure and fundon't get met when I'm, you know
, the head of HR or whatever.
It's no offense, I'm surethat's, you know.
(28:14):
It's sort of getting clear onwhat.
What's it all about?
What are the values and theunderlying desires that I want
to meet in these.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Yeah, perfect, thank you so much.
And as I mentioned at thebeginning, your book, the Career
Change Guide, has well has allthis sort of and more for those,
I suppose also not just againdrastic career change, but just
thinking process behind even alower level portfolio career
could all be found in there.
And where else can people findyou if they want to get that
info?
Speaker 2 (28:43):
People can find me on LinkedIn, rachel Schofield.
On my website iswwwrachelscofieldcouk, or I'm on
Instagram, although not verymuch at the moment, but I should
be more.
My Instagram handle is atrework your life, or one word
rework your life.
And you're right.
Sometimes these things feel bigand scary, but you know,
(29:06):
occasionally in fact quiteregularly even a small tweak,
even just connecting with whatdo I want from my career, can
lead to enough change to reallymake a big difference and move
the needle.
Whether that ends up being ahuge kind of complex I'm a this
slash, this slash this or justsome small tweaks that you think
, ah, I've got rid of that bitthat I don't like and I'm into
(29:27):
the stuff that brings me joy.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
Yeah, just some time to reflect, take stock, which we
don't do often enough, I wouldsuggest.
Thank you so much, rachel,thank you for your time today.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Absolute pleasure, always great talking to you.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
To work with me.
Find out more at ishamariecom.
Connect with me on LinkedIn orcheck out my free resources and
quizzes at ishamariecom.
Slash resources.
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