Optimising your career Archives

How to build a values-driven career

There’s no hard fast rule that says you shouldn’t love what you do for a living, yet so many people fall into work that doesn’t

When (and how) to say no to a client

Most people are drawn to the portfolio lifestyle because of the freedom it offers. You’re in control of your career, making you the ultimate decision

Meet the team: Raghav Viswakumar

You don’t always know what you want to do with your life when you first start university. In fact, many of us don’t quite figure

A Portfolio Professional’s Guide to SEO

Diving head-first into the world of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) isn’t always easy. There’s lots of confusing advice out there, it can seem a bit

Letting Go of Perfection: Thought Leadership Tips | The Portfolio Collective

Letting go of perfection: the first step to becoming a thought leader

When I told my sister I was writing an article on perfectionism, she laughed. In her words, I was “the perfect person to do it!”

Welcome to the side hustle economy

The pandemic turned the world on its head in more ways than one. The way we communicate, the way we socialise, the way we work

Everything starts with you: Linh’s story

Making the move from a competitive corporate finance career to one where mindfulness is present in every part of your life may seem like a

Why Catapult is an investment in your future

To have a successful portfolio career, you really need to look deep into yourself and discover who you are and how you will add value

Meet the team: Fiona Chorlton-Voong

Female entrepreneurship is on the rise – a fact that we here at The Portfolio Collective celebrate each and every day. Currently, 36% of all

Everything you need to know about the UK’s Making Tax Digital scheme

Part of the joy of building a portfolio career is the flexibility to have multiple income streams and be your own boss, but when it

How to utilise the power of your network

A network is more than just a rolodex of business contacts. It’s a support net; a tribe of like minded people inspired by each other’s

Side hustles: when to start paying tax

Officially 1.1 million people in the UK currently report having a side hustle, though the real number is estimated at 14 million (25% of the

Meet the team: Afonso Pereira

Creativity is a powerful driving force. It inspires you to keep learning; to keep innovating. When you tap into that part of your brain, you

the Great Resignation - portfolio career

Is it time for you to join the Great Resignation?

The pandemic forced a massive paradigm shift in the way we think about work. Before COVID, working from home was considered a perk, and having

Always striving for adventure: Heather’s story

How often do you follow your passions? Are they embedded in your everyday life or do you tuck them aside for those out-of-office moments between

Creative ways to charge startups for portfolio work

It’s no secret that startups need to access and retain the best talent to win. In a world where money is tight and time is

The Portfolio Collective is one year old

The Portfolio Collective is officially one year old!

Wow, what a year’s it’s been! Since launching The Portfolio Collective in July of 2020, we’ve had over 50,000 visitors join us to soak up

6 myths about freelancing busted

Freelancing can be an empowering choice. The opportunity to take charge of your time, do the work you love, and be “your own boss” (we

Finding career happiness supporting multiple startups: Frederick’s story

Some realisations build slowly over time, growing more intense in the pit of your stomach as you rise up the rungs of the professional ladder.

How setting boundaries can help portfolio professionals avoid burnout

For portfolio professionals, the risk of burnout is very real. You’re in charge of your own workload and professional development – there’s no one else

How will AI affect independent professionals?

We’re only just starting to discover the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Over the last decade, it’s become such an integrated part of our

How to create a stronger Portfolio Collective profile

Being part of the The Portfolio Collective community is about more than just building a network – it’s about learning, growing, and collaborating. More importantly, it’s about

Why do so many Xooglers have portfolio careers?

It’s hard to think about where your career can go after working for a tech pioneer like Google. The work is stimulating, the people are

Three easy ways to stand out and land work

We all have different styles of working, and by extension, unique ways of landing clients. Some love the thrill of the chase, hunting down harder-to-land

Meet the team: Jane O’Sullivan

No matter how much energy you spend plotting out your life, things never go exactly to plan. Most of the time, that’s a good thing.

How to move through career indecision and inertia

When it comes to careers, too many people allow themselves to get into a rut. You start to believe that you don’t have to enjoy

Fighting for a better world: Grace’s story

Sometimes passion can lead us in exciting and unexpected directions. For Grace Olson-Davidson, a love for musical theatre and performance drove her to build connections

Everything you need to know about NED board roles

Years ago, the idea of becoming a non-executive director (NED) of a company may have felt like an exclusive club only available to corporate big

Live locally, work globally

With businesses slowly opening back up across cities and time zones, there’s been a lot of speculation as to what a post-COVID world could look

4 Ways to create a more eco-friendly home office

With the traditional office fast becoming a relic of the past, more people are embracing work from home options, especially those with portfolio lifestyles. Not

Things that may be limiting your sales pipeline

Nobody ever said looking after your sales pipeline was going to be easy, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Once you get the initial

Embracing the weird and wonderful: Alex’s story

Ever since Alex Pitt joined our Catapult course back in November 2020, she’s been a huge pillar of The Portfolio Collective community. That’s because the

Meet the team: Lexi Radcliffe-Hart

There are moments in all of our lives that provide a profound sense of clarity. For some, it hits us hard like an epiphany. For

Five work from home habits for better mental health

For portfolio professionals, remote working has always been a major part of our lives. Whether that’s in a home office, a coffee shop, or a

Why authenticity has never been more important for your personal brand

We encounter branding everyday – from the sponsored posts that pop up in our Facebook feed to the billboards and bus ads we pass as

In search of passion and purpose: Matt’s story

Who ever said a career had to be one-dimensional? If portfolio professionals have taught us anything, it’s that the one-job-for-life model is fast becoming a

How to keep on top of taxes as a portfolio professional

Tax: it’s a word that sends chills down the spine of both veterans and newcomers in the world of self-employment. But what if we told

Buyer personas: how to know your customers inside-and-out

A portfolio career is like a business. As a self-employed individual, you’re in charge of planning your own growth and building your client list. Part

How to win portfolio work with startups

If you think about it, portfolio professionals and startups are a bit of a match made in heaven. Both involve people declaring their independence, working

Meet the team: Claire Moss

Choosing a career path is never easy. We think we know what we want when we enter the working world, but you can’t really be

How to determine your true value

We’re taught to measure our self-worth by how successful we are and how much money we make. In reality, it’s about so much more than

A constant journey of self-discovery: Saira’s story

Life is unpredictable, but that’s what makes it so exciting. We learn, we fall, we adapt, we grow – it’s the process of discovery that

How Volunteering Helps Your Portfolio Career

Why volunteering is good for your portfolio career

One of the most exciting aspects of a portfolio career is its breadth of possibility. Not only is there more potential for you to take

10 great productivity tools for portfolio professionals

Procrastination—it’s that monster constantly lingering over your shoulder, tempting you everytime you hear the ping of a WhatsApp message or the buzz of a push

The Future Of Careers

Professionals are realising in increasing numbers that a portfolio career is not only possible, it is preferable.

How to get the most out of Upwork

The world of freelancing has evolved quite substantially over the past few decades, and much of that is due to the rise of virtual and

Five things you should know when starting a portfolio career

Retrospect is a powerful tool in an online community. We learn together, we grow together, and often we teach one another through personal experiences. It’s

Eager to stand out from the pack? We explore how remote learning can benefit your portfolio career and which platforms are worth using.

How to stay ahead of the pack with remote learning

We’ve entered a new and exciting remote working age, one that’s ideally situated for independent professionals. Since the onset of the pandemic, the global gig

From unexpected aha moments to the power of accountability, find out all the things we discovered by supporting 100s of portfolio professions.

What we’ve learned from supporting hundreds of portfolio professionals

January is, and always has been, a time of reflection. It’s that point in the year where you stop and evaluate what you’ve accomplished and

How to balance happiness and financial success

We all reach that point in our lives when we start to wonder whether or not our jobs make us happy. Considering how much of

Why strategy and support are so fundamental in a portfolio career

Following a career path is not unlike moving through a game board. It’s a journey of chance and challenges, where you use insight and cunning

How to make rejection a learning experience

What’s the best way to deal with rejection? Use it as a motivator – and remember to give yourself a break!

Finding purpose in community: Bernice’s story

So much of our ambition is shaped by our life story. The places we live in, the people we meet, the things we’re passionate about—they

How telling your story builds a more authentic brand

People connect more with brands that are emotive. Let’s figure out what makes your story unique.

©Jane O'Sullivan / The Portfolio Collective 2020

How much should you charge for portfolio work?

Expertise is valuable. So is a fresh perspective. So is flexibility. I could go on. As a focused portfolio professional you bring all of that

Portfolio Journey Series: Ed Goodchild

At his heart, Edward Goodchild is an enthusiastic innovator and perennial entrepreneur. On top of building the Zendht Venture Studio, he is an independent adviser,

The best UK banks for independent professionals

Money is one of the leading causes of stress in most people’s lives. In fact, it’s often ranked in the top five biggest stressors, along

Finding your tribe—connection and community in a remote world

The life of a portfolio professional can be a bit lonely at times. Many of us have shifted away from the bustle of a busy

How to keep a clear focus and stay motivated

When you work on your own – whether freelancing, contracting or starting a new business – it can be hard to find the right rhythm.

Portfolio Journey Series: Anthony Main

Having started his work with a portfolio career, before it was even known as a portfolio career, Anthony Main has gone on to create The

How to choose the right website platform for portfolio professionals

If you want to land work, you need to have a digital presence. It’s as simple as that. Just think about how hard it would

What is a portfolio professional?

Many of us have spent our lives chasing the misconception that careers are meant to be linear. You get a job, move your way up,

Earn more and scale faster by ‘productising’ your service

The life of a portfolio professional is inherently varied. Much of your time is spent juggling clients, picking up projects and building connections, all as

It’s time to ride the post-COVID outsourcing boom

“Outsourcing” is one of those words that has attracted a bit of a bad reputation in public opinion. For many, the concept brings to mind

Launch your startup via a portfolio career

There are some ambitions that just aren’t taught. They form over time, growing hot in the pit of our stomachs until we can’t ignore the

Why personal branding is an integral part of your portfolio career

Did you know that 3.8 billion people currently use social media? According to Hootsuite, there are up to 675 million users on LinkedIn each month,

How to master remote networking

There is no doubt that networking is a vital tool in creating your ideal portfolio career. Professionals who spend 6.3 hours a week networking agree

Portfolio Journey Series: Cara de Lange

With career foundations in business administration for global organisations, including Google, Cara has taken her mental health advocacy to the next level, continuing her portfolio

Portfolio Journey Series: Leila Rastegar Zegna

Leila’s career has been formed with hardworking roots whilst reaching innovative and entrepreneurial heights. Whilst balancing the management of venture funds worth millions, she is

Why we’re investing in your portfolio career

This week we made the decision to open up our membership to all, for free. It was not a decision we made lightly, and yet

Portfolio Journey Series: Steve Chambers

Steve is an advocate for charities of all sizes involved in the built environment and sustainable transport sectors. Whilst leading policy and campaigning roles, his

Give your home office the makeover it deserves

The move to working from home was a shock for many professionals at the start of the year, but for portfolio career professionals our place

28 best platforms for finding portfolio work

Top portfolio career boosting platforms

No matter where you are on your journey: making your living as a portfolio career professional, looking for a side hustle in addition to our day job, or a recent…

The Alternative MBA Career Choice – A Portfolio Career

Portfolio careers: the alternative MBA choice

According to research, MBA students can expect to see a 35–45% increase in their salary after graduation. This figure then jumps to a 55–65% pay

Portfolio Journey Series: Tina Orlando

Having co-founded a strategic business communications firm in New York, and worked at some of the best-known global companies, Tina has built a portfolio career

How to build your portfolio sales pipeline

Having a robust sales pipeline is important for any growing business. Take a look at our top tips.

Portfolio Journey Series: Hannah D’Souza

We caught up with Hannah D’Souza to discuss how her portfolio journey has developed – take a look!

The wonderful variety of portfolio careers

Portfolio careers come in all shapes and sizes. Let’s dive into the careers of a few of our founding members.

How to land a non-executive director role

New companies are being created every day – find out how portfolio professionals can shape their futures.

Portfolio professional interview: Ben Legg

Meet Ben Legg, CEO and co-founder of TPC. We dive into how (and why) he launched a portfolio career.

How to optimise your LinkedIn profile

Ready to stand out from the crowd? Follow our step-by-step guide for a stronger LinkedIn profile.

Can You Turn Your Side Hustle Into A Career?

Side hustles allow you to make money doing what you love. Here’s how you can turn them into full-blown careers.

New careers for a new world - it's time to consider a portfolio career

New career for a new world? Consider a portfolio career

The world of work is changing. Find out how a portfolio career can help you achieve new levels of success.

How much does portfolio work pay?

Check out our pay benchmarks and discover your true earning potential. It may be more than you think!

The post-COVID switch to portfolio careers

Since the pandemic, portfolio careers have been booming. Find out what the future looks like for portfolio work.

How to start a portfolio career

Launching a portfolio career is easier than you think. Follow these 8 simple steps and start landing paid work.

What is a portfolio career?

With a portfolio career, you can monetise your skills in a thousand different ways. Find out how.

Optimising your career

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