It wouldn’t be dramatic to say that the nine-to-five is going through a reputational crisis. We’re a few years beyond the pandemic-prompted Great Resignation, where a critical mass of people around the world found themselves moving away from their current roles in order to pursue something more meaningful, more flexible or simply just different—and on the other side, many have rethought what work means to them.
Recently, a report by McKinsey found that 63% of Gen Z workers prioritise workplace flexibility as a key factor in their job satisfaction. Another study found that 73% of workers would leave or would consider leaving roles due to inflexibility. Many corporates and workplaces have heard the alarm bells ringing and have risen to the occasion, allowing employees to work remotely or in hybrid setups—but for many, flexibility isn’t just about time. It’s about a lifestyle: a way of working that allows a person to engage different parts of themselves, to tailor their work to their proclivities and passions, and to take on tasks that would be incompatible with each other in a typical role. Millennials learnt the hard way that job security was a fantasy best left in their parents’ generation; now Gen Z has embraced side-hustle culture with gusto—so is it any surprise that, more and more, workers are embracing the idea of building a whole career patchworked of different projects, roles and ambitions, done intentionally and with a sense of movement and freedom? Enter: the modern multi-hyphenates.
Related: 5 Low-Stress Jobs That Pay Well
Those who follow Gemma Dimond on social media will recognise her for her sunny disposition and on-point beauty recommendations. Gemma is an influencer, podcaster, host and editor of Glow Journal, an online destination for all things beauty. She got her start as a beauty and fashion editor, and built up a following big enough that she could monetise it. Soon after, she was speaking at and hosting events around the country. “I wear a lot of hats, but they’re all inextricably linked,“ she explains. She credits writing, her launch pad into the wider world of media, with everything that came after it. “I think my background in journalism has improved everything else that I do. Writing is very much the through line: it allows me to write better scripts when I’m emceeing, it enables me to really thoroughly research and formulate interview questions for the podcast and for panels … and it’s given me a greater understanding of how to storytell on social media.“
Sign up to spiciest newsletter on the internet & we'll slide into your inbox with more stories like this one.
Plus the latest celebrity news, style advice, beauty deals and the hottest sex tips.
By signing up, I agree to KK Press’s Terms & Conditions; my information will be used as described in its Privacy Policy.
While on the outside, Gemma’s career can seem like an enviable balance, for a lot of women who find themselves taking the portfolio career route, it’s more about fortuity—and a little bit of opportunism. “I’m big on making hay while the sun shines,“ laughs Gemma. “For me, it’s less that I ‘chose‘ this career path and more that I found myself in it. And I love it so much that I wouldn’t have it any other way.“
For Jo Taranto, a host, advocate, keynote speaker and co-founder of social enterprise Good for the Hood—which works with councils, schools and community groups to empower them to make change within their own spaces—being able to take on different roles has given her a career boost that would have otherwise taken much longer to achieve. “Having [many] roles has allowed me to move into an area of thought leadership, which would have taken many more years of study otherwise,“ she says. “I’m still a generalist across the areas I work, but I’ve built a reputation for giving new things a go.“
Within the social enterprise sector, forging a career path that allows room for multiplicity and flexibility into various roles is not unusual, Jo remarks. Her role as a founder naturally spawned other opportunities. “It’s [the] experience of any founder, entrepreneur and freelancer,“ she says. “If you create something successful or impactful, people naturally want you to do other things, like speak or write about it. The growing number of mediums we can now share also means the opportunities are immense.“
Jo’s one career regret? Not branching out into her version of a portfolio career sooner. “I wish I had realised I was well suited to working for myself, and backed myself earlier,“ she says. The signs were there: “I should have realised that leaving a job every few years was a sign that I was pretty unhappy and got bored quickly … so now I prioritise role diversity.“
"Often, one job is no longer enough to sustain an income, especially with the cost of living"
Gemma, who left her office job eight years ago, believes that her kind of career should come with a warning label. “When you wear multiple hats or balance multiple roles, it can be easy to buy into that ‘girl boss‘ hustle culture,“ she says. “I think it’s a bit of a trap. You can’t pour from an empty cup. If you work yourself into the ground, your work will suffer.“
Organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber, who works with people looking to make significant career shifts, has seen this in practice. It also speaks to a broader, practical force that has been amplifying the trend to take on multiple roles at once, especially among young people, she says. “Often, one job is no longer enough to sustain an income, especially with the cost of living.“ Economic pressures, combined with the rise of the gig economy, have made portfolio careers not only desirable – but a necessity. It means that there’s no cap on one’s earning potential, except for the work that they’re happy to put in—and because of that, it’s important not to glamorise this style of career to the point that its more toxic undersides—of overwork, financial instability, precarity—are overlooked.
Related: Go Ahead, Ignore Your Work Emails
Ultimately, Jo’s advice for those looking to switch from a traditional career into something more dynamic and multi-faceted is to build up into it, while not immediately leaving behind the job they’re in. “I think it can be easier, if you have at least one role where there is some security, [to stay], whether perhaps it’s reducing your hours to a part-time load rather than full time—while you build up other types of roles or streams of income.“
For those who have personality types suited to the kind of variation and self motivation required for a portfolio career, Dr Imber says that it can be a rewarding and fulfilling move. The most important thing is to understand yourself, and the way you work, before committing to it—because, like everything, it comes with its own downsides.
Cosmo's latest issue is out now!
Subscribe to have future issues delivered to your doorstep.
“I think if you’re someone that craves variety, and perhaps craves [it] so much that you’re willing to sacrifice job security, a portfolio style career is definitely worth it,“ Dr Imber says. For the women who decide to branch out and walk down an unusual and sometimes confusing, complicated and unknown path, the rewards—both financial and psychological—are less clear than what came before.
The future can feel murkier and the outcomes more sporadic, but the highs can be higher and brighter than ever. And the payoff for stepping out into a life that feels like your own? Priceless.
This article originally appeared in Issue 03 of Cosmopolitan Australia. Order your copy here.
