Ready for a portfolio career? Here’s how to make it work.

By Careers Service team

1. Identify skills and interests

Clarify the combination of skills and interests you can and want to monetise – this is crucial – you may not be able to monetise them all.

2. Speak to others on this path

Read, watch online videos, do your research, and be careful not to become overwhelmed. At this point you may wish to identify a mentor/accountability partner to support and journey alongside you.

3. Network

Most people start out using the LinkedIn platform to market their products and services to their existing contacts. Expand your network by joining professional organisations and online communities; target webinars, seminars and conferences to raise your profile and market yourself.

4. Market yourself and look for work opportunities

Target and attend skills/interest specific events that will introduce you to possible clients and enable you to further expand your network with the right contacts.

Use your social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter) – and be clear about who you’d like to engage with, and about what.

Create a website - Use consistent, distinct branding that ties your offerings together in one place and supports your social media presence. If this is not your thing, there are several people like you who are starting out and who may be willing to barter for goods and services in exchange for developing your website.

5. Manage your finances

This is possibly the one area that portfolio professionals dread. When speaking to experienced portfolio professionals, get ideas on how to develop an effective discipline around this process. Consider using an accountant for finance management. Several free online software packages will help create simple and easy ways to invoice, bank, costing expenses, pay bills and file tax.

6. Structure your day

Block out time to reflect paid work– this helps with creating timesheets and ensuring you’ve created sufficient income generating hours. Be clear upfront about your rates and set your boundaries early.

7. Build goodwill in the professional portfolio community

Should you find yourself in the fortunate position of having too many gigs and too few hours, refer the work onto trusted and credible portfolios in your network.

8. Manage your time

Make time for yourself and the significant others in your life. Ensure you achieve a balance between all your activities. Ask for help from family and friends when becoming overwhelmed with work.

Although some employers might embrace employees with diverse skill sets, others would be wary of hiring somebody with more than one job responsibility. It is therefore important to demonstrate that you have good time management skills and that your extra source of income will not interfere with your other job(s).