Portfolio careers and how you can have one

Posted on 21 February 2025 • Career planning, Jobs, internships and work experience

A ‘portfolio career’ or “squiggly career” (Tupper, 2024) is a version of self- or partial employment where you have several part-time jobs at the same time, rather than taking the traditional career ‘path’ of one full-time job. It offers a more flexible way of working, tailored to your unique set of skills, needs and priorities and can include different roles across various sectors. Portfolio careers have become more common since the Pandemic and offer an alternative way to navigate your career journey.

“It gives you more space — and frankly, more wisdom – to test out different  things  – and find your way.” April Rinne, Harvard Business Review (2021)

If you’re thinking a portfolio career could work for you, here’s how Careers and Employability Services can help you to prepare:

Assess where you are with your career

Use the 3-minute careers check-in to review your personal and career goals. You can return to this as many times as you like during your student journey, as your goals develop, clarify or change. Then, work out your next steps using the Navigate Your Future tool.

Develop your resilience and career confidence

Thinking about change can sometimes sound challenging but it can be an exciting, energising process if you’re prepared. Take steps to develop career resilience and approach change with confidence. Work through our career confidence activities to develop the self-assurance to try new things, go for what you want and be ready for anything that comes your way.

Recognise and develop your skills

OU students have a wealth of qualities and transferable skills that employers value – and that means you too. Take stock, recognise the skills and qualities you have to offer. Then map them out, with examples of where you can demonstrate them in different areas of your life, in a visual “portfolio narrative” for employers to see. Your ‘portfolio narrative’ is:

“The story you tell to make connections between the skills people are hiring for and the skills you have developed through the breadth of your experience.” April Rinne, Harvard Business Review (2021)

Honing your decision-making skills can also help you to feel more confident about the career choices you make. Book one of our skills workshops and employer panel events to help you to develop the skills you need to find or progress your portfolio career direction.

Explore flexible work experience opportunities

Volunteering and work experience can be great ways to learn new skills and to gain an insight into different sectors and job roles. Exploring a wide range of opportunities, including the latest job vacancies, volunteering opportunities, internships, and work placements, can provide you with invaluable insights and experience to take forward.

Explore your self-employment options

Finally, you can find various self-employment options on our Help pages. Explore these to take ownership of your portfolio, progress with developing your portfolio career and making it a success.

References

Rinne, A. (2021) Why You Should Build a “Career Portfolio” (“Not a Career Path”) Available at: https://hbr.org/2021/10/why-you-should-build-a-career-portfolio-not-a-career-path (Accessed: 20 December 2024)

Tupper, H. (2024) in Portfolio careers: the new normal? Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zktbn9q (Accessed: 20 December 2024)

 

Annabel Bennett is a Development Coordinator in the OU’s Careers and Employability Services. She supports careers-related activity both within the service and across the University, helping students to achieve their ambitions and fulfil their potential. Explore the rest of our blog for more articles from your careers team.