We know slashers are everywhere and in fact have been around for centuries. But admittedly, prior to the 20th century, these multi-faceted personalities are few and far between. But that’s no longer true. In fact, a portfolio career could very well be the future of work. Not convinced? These trends will at the very least make you pause and consider. But I personally believe that while not every single individual will be a slasher, it will certainly be something more mainstream.
Information age
We’ve been living in the Information Age since the mid-twentieth century when US researchers noticed the number of white collar jobs has exceeded those of blue collar jobs. It was the end of centuries-old Industrial Age, which began in the late eighteenth century. And prior to that, it has been the Agricultural Age for centuries. Information has become the currency of the global economy. Thus, we have seen the rise of the knowledge worker – managers, engineers, programmers, scientists, teachers, and analysts – people who process information and create new knowledge. The Information Age has freed us from the farm and the factory. While for most white-collar workers, the office cubicle has become the symbol of being stuck at one place, an increasing number of employees are enjoying flex-time and telecommuting privileges, proving that a lot of knowledge work can be anytime, anywhere. And that also has contributed to the growth of portfolio careerists – since it’s now a lot easier to be a consultant, writer, lecturer, and trainer on top of whatever it is you’re doing. It has indeed given rise to the Era of Experts. If you are to stand out in your career, you need to establish your personal brand as an expert.
Creative economy
Whereas the second half of the twentieth century was dominated by the Information Age, which is all about left-brain logic and knowledge, the Creative Economy (some call it the Conceptual Age) is the next wave of the twenty-first century, where right-brain creativity and empathy rule. While management in the Information Age was about quality, decentralization, reengineering, etc., today, everyone talks about design, innovation, storytelling, and the like. So careers that will dominate this new wave are those in advertising, architecture, arts, design, fashion, entertainment, publishing, media, software, etc. Economist, professor, and best-selling author Richard Florida, who coined the term “creative class” that includes all knowledge-based work such as lawyers, healthcare professionals, engineers, teachers, etc. In any case, this kind of creative work requires even more freedom from time and place than strictly knowledge work. Creative professionals are even more likely to strike out on their own. And since creative work has many applications, there’s greater tendency to pursue multiple careers.
Technology
The greatest enabler of portfolio careers has got to be technology. Computers, mobile phones, and the Internet have ushered in the tyranny of time and space. Technology has allowed us to work anywhere we want. Work that doesn’t require one’s physical presence can benefit from technology – that means most knowledge and creative work. Even service-oriented jobs like customer service, legal services, and some areas of healthcare can be done remotely. Since technology helps increase productivity, cut wasteful commuting and waiting, transfer information, and facilitate communication, you can do more with your time and pursue more and diverse work.
Outsourcing
Companies have been outsourcing for decades, starting with manufacturing. Of course, these days, the hottest sectors are outsourcing business processes, knowledge work, and creative services. And it’s not just the big third-party outsourcing companies that are benefiting. Even individuals are in the act as freelance writers, designers, programmers, analysts, researchers, lawyers, engineers, transcriptionists, telemarketers, and virtual assistants. That means more opportunities for slashers.
Globalization
We live in a global village where there’s increasing the free flow of information, ideas, capital, and culture. For slashers, that means a world market for their goods and services, whether it’s exporting furniture, selling collectibles on eBay, or providing online content. Globalization not only enables offshore outsourcing but has created a wider market for selling of original work unrestricted by geography.
Death of the company man
There was a time when corporations played a patriarchal role in the lives of their employees. Company lifers, i.e. those who work in the same company their entire lives, were the norm then. But that all changed in the eighties and nineties, which saw mass layoffs, downsizing, re-engineering, and cost-cutting. Company loyalty was no more. Nowadays, people work an average of five jobs at different companies in their entire careers. It’s more acceptable to job hop. Moreover, people are looking for alternatives, like launching a solo or portfolio career or starting a new business, believing that full-time employment is no longer as stable and risk-free as it once was.
Search for meaning
Whatever generation – boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y – there has been a growing need among workers to find meaning and fulfillment in their work. It’s no longer about the money. Some believe it’s because of prosperity that people are looking beyond just a job and looking for greater meaning (you know, it’s Maslow’s hierarchy of needs at work – once we meet our basic needs, we start looking for higher fulfillment). Others say the younger generation has seen the ill effects of seeing their parents working for one company their entire lives and having nothing to show up for it or seeing both parents burnt out by working full-time at work and not having a balanced life. Whatever the reason, it’s just a fact of life that we want more out of work. Hence, the perfect ingredient for a portfolio career.
Photo by Matt Wildbore on Unsplash
