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A portfolio career might not initially be on your radar in your 20s, but we are seeing a growing number of young people begin their portfolio journey. From side hustlers, to multi-hyphenates, entrepreneurial 20-somethings are seeing the benefits of taking on multiple job roles, from gaining more experience, having more flexibility, and even earning more.
Knowing what you know now, would you consider a portfolio career in your 20s? What do you think the benefits/risks would be? We’d love to hear your opinions in the comments!
If you would like to discuss this more, why not attend our Let’s Talk with CEO Ben Legg, Tuesday at 5pm? It would be great to see you there http://staging.the-portfolio-collective.com/events/lets-talk/
15 Comments-
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Not out of choice. I really value the training and opportunities that I gained in ’big corporate’ life and the mentoring I got from everyone around me. Having a few brand names on the CV has helped considerably. However, things have changed so much and there’s far less job security than there used to be and more graduates chasing graduate roles so I may not have the luxury of choosing!
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I think it’s definitely true that having some corporate big names on your CV is really valuable. Graduate competition is so tough nowadays that I bet having those names on your CV is even more valuable!
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I started my portfolio career at 28, and I’m glad I had the many years in-house beforehand for a few reasons:
Firstly, I think it was a huge benefit for me to learn from my superiors by sitting with them every day and taking in information. I learnt more working in-house than I ever did studying.
Secondly, I think landing in a team that you need to be able to collaborate with all day every day (whether or not its easy) is a great way of perfecting negotiation and compromise before you set off alone.
Thirdly and maybe most importantly, it made me appreciate the freedom that came when I did start my portfolio career. I won’t ever take it for granted having survived the 9-5 for so many years!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m never going back…
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I completely agree that you learn much more through experience than through studying- I definitely have! I also think working in a team is really important too, but then also can see the attraction to starting out as a portfolio professional as a graduate. I guess maybe having a side hustle, or balancing a ”normal” job and a passion project is a good way to overcome this, and will make you appreciate it more when you can fully start your portfolio career!
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Disappointed that I missed this one, a topic I’ve been hoping for, for a while. I found TPC and am attempting (capital A!!) to start my portfolio career in my 20’s, albeit only just! It’s interesting seeing some of the comments about value of corporate experience on CV, and the market not being so ready for earlier stage career roles. I would say I’ve certainly found, at least for the sort of opportunities I’m looking for are hard to find, or often mention career career paths quite different to portfolio. But look forward to next week session on LinkedIn, maybe tips on tracking some of those opportunities down!!
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Hi James, sorry that you missed it! It’s a topic that we’ll definitely discuss again, so I’ll make a note to notify you next time. I completely agree with you about the flexibility of early career paths, I found found it equally difficult, but do believe that things are slowly starting to get better, as the future of work changes. Looking forward to seeing you in our Let’s Talk event!
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In my 20s it wasn’t a normal option, lots of large corporates, jobs for life, etc. Those that worked as independents were few and far between and there were not as many opportunities as there are now
I think the combination of seismic social change in the mid to late 80s, the advent of PC, Mobile, and the internet has enabled an explosion of opportunities. Teenagers today can become youtube millionaires, you can now be whoever you want to be. Teenagers and those in their mid-20s are looking to not have a traditional career, not even think of living in the same country as they were born but become nomads. Even the pandemic has created seismic change, we can work from home as the norm !! even though all this technology has been available since the mid-2000s!
A long answer to a simple question, Portfolio careers I believe will be the norm in the not too distant future.
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Interesting insight Damien. I think the internet, social media etc. has definitely bought lots of freedom to young people and has made them more aware of the other career options out there. And the pandemic has undoubtably sped up the process! Completely agree that portfolio careers will be the norm in the not too distant future!
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Hi Pete, they’re some really interesting points. I completely agree, I think it can be difficult when starting out as a young person, especially if working in big corporates because you want to impress, so often work too many hours to have a portfolio career, so I think you’re right in terms of support.
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On reflection I’ve realised that I started my portfolio career back in the early 2000s (eek) I worked in restaurants at night and did visual merchandising by day and then took a retail management job while doing freelance design work by night… Having had a placement during my not-completed MA at Clarks back in 2004 definitely helped me start to win freelance shoe design work… but I hadn’t had any full-time employed experience before I started picking up projects and later longer contracts… so it’s possible, a hustle – but possible! I also enjoyed the variety of management styles, and the breadth of product I got to experience and learn about. That’s definitely been formative for me, and probably why I struggled when I eventually did go in-house!
And I completely agree with @alexpitt I learned so much more by working, in-house, freelance, retail than in college… hence the unfinished MA.
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Hi Caoimhe, wow that’s quite the portfolio career, and I think maybe lots of graduates, or people in their 20s may balance a portfolio career without even realising! So interesting to hear how you started out!
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It was great to see you there Nicola, and great to hear your advice on people starting out in their 20s
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Honestly not finishing it was the best decision I could have made… though people thought I was mad, I had 1 term to finish of a 2 year MA… but the truth was they wanted me to follow a very artistic/conceptual path and I wanted to understand how to be a creative in business/industry so stepping out was definitely the right choice. I think your study sounds fascinating! So far, I don’t think not completing has affected my industry prospects, but I definitely feel it when I dip my toes in the education side of design.
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Knowing what you know now would you have started a portfolio career in your 20s? Zarir 'Zed' Vakil, Duncan Dalzel-Job, Damien, Jonathan Mills, Katherine Lambert, Cara de Lange, Jenny Collins, Stephen Fleming, Adarsh Nalam, Nicola MacPhail, Pete Domican, @reehanj, Andy Dougan, Alex Pitt, @peter-fayle, Hermeet Gill, James Bebbington, Ann-Kathrin Dobre, Frederick Leuschner, Natalie Tucker