I’m not a fan of labels to describe what I do for a living; professional labels are limiting, designed to reduce our life experiences to a noun.
So, I usually describe myself as an Expert Generalist because the skills that define my career to date, can’t be neatly transposed into a short, snappy sentence.
Mine is a hugely non-linear career trajectory but it all makes complete sense in the context of my story. I don’t conform to industry norms; I’ve had many different roles as a contractor; worn many hats. On paper, I’m probably a wild card. I know hiring managers look for consistency, longevity, something relatable (read: Affinity Bias). I provide none of that. And nor do I make any apologies for it.
I came across a description of “portfolio career” recently and realised I’d found a noun that perfectly describes what I do:
“comprises a variety of roles rather than one job at a single organisation”
And while this all sounds rather spiffy (or is that just me?!) it’s still relatively unusual. Misunderstood. And frankly, lonely 👇
I recently contributed to a LinkedIn post about my experience with ATS (applicant tracking systems); how I’d received rejections mere minutes after applying for some roles (computer says no. Emphatically). I’d assumed this was due to an absence of keywords but the responses to my comment offered other theories, amongst which were age (where DOB is provided) and formatting. But one particular LinkedIn user felt compelled to offer me his opinion: that “15 experiences” (over a 25 year career) implied I wouldn’t stay at a job, so he’d skip straight past my application (wait till you’re offered first, Ron).
I was about to aggressively defend my position when I realised (a) his opinion doesn’t matter and (b) this is what I chose. Each contract, whatever the duration, was a choice. And it may not sit comfortably with people who work more traditionally, and that’s ok.
But, clearly, this slightly maverick route does come with a hefty side serving of isolation though and it would be remiss of me to advocate contracting without that caveat.
I’ve traversed three different disciplines (note the absence of nouns!) in the last eight years - intranet management, which led neatly to digital workplace consulting (with a specialism in knowledge management); change management (after years of user adoption practices) and, finally, coaching (because I’m great with people and have been unofficially coaching and mentoring colleagues for decades).
I think that’s pretty impressive, despite what the Ron’s of LinkedIn say. But oh, how I crave a like-minded tribe, where this tedious justification simply isn’t necessary.
Which is partly why I’ve signed on for The Portfolio Collective. If you’re considering freelancing, you’ll find plenty of free resources (albeit the hi-falutin content requires a modest membership fee) and you might like to join a community that is the embodiment of “the art of the possible, with no f**s given.
I’ll keep you posted on how it all goes 🙌 See you there?
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