Traditional path vs portfolio career path

The career narrative that our parents told us to follow:

• Get a college degree.

• Work in corporate.

• Climb the ranks.

• Stop working at retirement age.

The new narrative:

• Get meaningful education and experiences.

• Build skills in corporate.

• Explore new ways to earn from your skills.

• Enjoy life while you work.

The traditional path made a lot of sense back then.

And perhaps, it’s the only choice we have because that’s all that former generations ever tried.

Except my parents.

They have a slightly different path. None of my parents got a college degree and worked in corporate. I was the first.

But, my parents and their generations believed that corporate work and working in the same company until you retire was the only way to success.

These days, I’m trying to prove them wrong.

Or even better, prove to myself that I can be successful in other ways.

That I can become even happier because of the choices I've made.

I found some of my happiness from building a portfolio career.

A portfolio career was not my plan nor part of some grand design.

Only later, I realize that it's what I've been building all this time, a portfolio of experiences and skillset while having multiple sources of income.

Later, I found the term for this career path--a portfolio career.

What led to this realization?

Sometimes, I become so jaded and cynical that I think all we need from a job is money, not meaning.

(I wrote some of my reflections in this essay.)

But our career paths should not be limited to earning money for its own sake.

We should also aim for happy money, money that's gained and spent on activities that bring joy and energy.

I already called BS to the climbing ranks narrative.

The traditional path no longer held the same appeal if climbing the ranks meant sacrificing your values and personal happiness.

I find building a portfolio of skills and experiences a more balanced approach to career development, especially in the age of AI and too much uncertainty.

But, a portfolio career does not come without challenges, especially if you don’t know how to start.

Or what’s your “why” for saying that a portfolio career is better than the traditional path?

You might only end up following the herd.

In my upcoming webinar, I’ll share my 3P strategy for building a portfolio career through a lateral move.

A lateral move is the safest because you don’t need to leave your current company.

You only have to switch roles or departments. In some cases, a change of location might also be needed.

I’ll share my lateral move story and how it allowed me to build a portfolio of skills. It’s a webinar you wouldn’t want to miss out.

You can join by 12 PM Central European time or 7 PM Manila/Singapore time.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81418592914?pwd=yJ7wg0FCqXZnhxgBbHF09LjtYiPsPe.1

Meeting ID: 814 1859 2914
Passcode: 502262

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Tin here! Welcome to Busy Season Journals, a newsletter made especially for you by a fellow accountant/auditor, adventurer, and coach-guide. I write about my adventures as an accountant and auditor and everything in between. You get deeper insights and personal stories on how to shape a happy, meaningful journey.

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