Jobs & Careers with Piers Linney - 264

3

OK, changing career is risky.
You may not succeed. You may
end up earning less and still
not be happy with your work. Maybe
you're better off just staying where you
are - after all you're lucky to have a job
in the first place... See what you're doing?
By letting your doubts or worries take
hold in your head, you're preventing
yourself from taking those first steps
of positive action. After all, how do you
know you can't do something if you've
never tried?
'The only way to truly overcome
limiting beliefs is to prove them wrong
- and you can only do that by taking
action: talking to people, and getting
connected with reality, rather than the

Portfolio careers: why have just one job?

Piers says...

A common mistake
❛used to make was not
I
walking away from
something when I
realised it wasn't going to work
out. Sometimes you need to take
a view, cut your losses and move
on. Though I'm a bit more logical
and less emotional these days, I
do still go by gut feeling. When I
haven't, I've regretted it .

❜

2 6 4 /// J O B S & C A R E E R S

negative voices in your head,' says
Natasha. 'We are our own worst enemies
when it comes to changing our lives, and
the main thing that holds us back is our
conviction that we don't feel "ready".
'When something matters deeply to
you, it's difficult to let go of the desire for
perfection,' says Natasha. 'When we say
"I'm not ready", we generally mean
something like: "There's still a degree of
risk involved"; "I'm not 100% certain", or
"I don't have everything figured out yet".
'But the truth is, you're never going to
achieve perfection. You're never going to
have all your ducks in a neat little row. And
you're not going to achieve anything even
close to perfection if you don't even get
started. In fact, the only way to sabotage
your dream entirely is to sit on it forever.'

You know that you're not
happy in your work, and that
you want to do something else.
But what? Chances are, your dream job
has been lurking away for years in your
subconscious and you've been ignoring
the signs as they seem too obvious.
'We miss the signals because we're
looking for the "big answer" exploding
from the horizon, when actually what
we need to be looking for is much closer
to the ends of our toes,' says Natasha.
The answer is simple: look at the
things you enjoy doing in your spare time
as these things could also provide you
with a fulfilling career. Are you always
reading house magazines? Interior
designer. Are you the one all your friends
ask to plan parties? Party and event
organiser. Love keeping fit? Personal
trainer. Every skill and passion you have
is a career option that should be explored.
So get out there and start doing more of
the things you love. Take classes, intern,
volunteer, just do something.
'Doing trumps thinking, every time,'
says Natasha. 'Don't let an idea pass you
by without picking it up for a test-drive.'

Many people are finding that
one line of work just doesn't
satisfy all of their desires and
values. After all, the routine
of doing the same thing day
in day out, year after year,
can get boring.
This is where portfolio
working comes into play. It
means that you have two or
more careers on the go
simultaneously, often on a
freelance basis. You can

choose to do entirely new
things, or reduce the risk of
completely changing career
by combining your current
job with other work. You
could ask your current
employer about going
part time, and about
opportunities for flexible/
home working. Then you
can use your time 'off' to
explore your new interests.
Juggling several different

careers can work for both
young and old, and it can
be a great idea in tough
economic climates, when
some fields may see a
decline, while others boom,
as you are not dependent
on one source of income.
So if you want a career
that gives you freedom and
flexibility, become a portfolio
worker. Check out Twitter
@freerangehumans.

Images: Getty Images, Shutterstock.

2

Believe in yourself

Look to the obvious
Jobs & Careers with Piers Linney

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