DOCUMENT RESUME CE 082 814 ED A61 043 AUTHOR Stevens, Paul Portfolio Careerism: Are You Ready? TITLE Centre for Worklife Counselling, Sydney (Australia). INSTITUTION PUB DATE 2001-00-00 NOTE 6p. AVAILABLE FROM For full text: http://www.worklife.com.au/resource/portcar.html. Opinion Papers (120) PUB TYPE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE Adult Education; Career'Change; *Career Development; Career DESCRIPTORS Planning; Developed Nations; *Employment Potential; Entrepreneurship; Foreign Countries; *Lifelong Learning; Marketing; Occupational Mobility; Portfolio Assessment; *Portfolios (Background Materials); Self Employment; Self Evaluation (Individuals); *Self Management; Temporary Employment; *Vocational Adjustment; Work Attitudes Australia IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT A career is a discontinuous a series of work roles using different personal attributes, skills, knowledge, interests, and wants. Individuals must examine their portfolio, select and rearrange it, and then sell themselves to the manager where they work or prospective clients/employers in the marketplace. Individuals should view career capabilities as a mosaic of great diversity and, as inclination, personal circumstances, and market demand indicate, rearrange employability offerings in packages of differing portfolio content. Career security comes from being continually alert to enhancing employability, skilled at career transition, and prepared to oscillate between worklife as a salaried employee and a fee-charging free agent. A free agent defines worklife fulfillment in terms of freedom to exercise personal integrity and undertake assignments compatible with personal values. Employees applying principles of portfolio career management enhance the security of their employability by regularly evaluating, then selecting from 10 career action step options. They seek out opportunities where they work to use their preferred skills, acquire desired new learning, and prepare a Career Action Step Proposal to those who can approve and facilitate the transition to it. The portfolio careerist--free agent or employee--must acquire and apply self-marketing skills; detective and networking skills to identify job moves; interpersonal skills in conflict resolution; and self-discipline to review worklife objectives and integrate them with lifestyle needs. (YLB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Portfolio Careerism: Are You Ready? Paul Stevens U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDJCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. CI Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 AVAILABLE COPY BEST 2 Portfolio Careerism: Are You Ready? by Paul Stevens, Founder I Director, The Centre for Worklife Counselling ment path is a series of succes- Changes in the work-world cate, rearrange their employabili- and new definitions of sive contracts where our relation- ty offerings many times in pack- ship with each employer is what a career is are chal- ages of differing portfolio con- a lenging us to make sense of our tent. It's a more fluid working transactional arrangement. This careers and reassess their mean- negotiated for arrangement is world where we make new deci- ing in our lives. Employers are only as long as there is a justifia- sions, frequently knowing many distracted restructuring, may be short term. This is the by ble business-based need for spe- eCommerce, mergers, acquisi- cific work to be done. Employers way to manage one's career as a managing tions, outsourced no longer keep us on their payroll portfolio careerist. work, global marketing and during slack periods. much more, to the extent that the Long-term expectations of em- I think of careers in terms of message to their staff is clear. As one employer ployment with Legos. You might have a space employees, we are now expected have been replaced by an enter- station, but a kid takes a space to manage our own careers, de- prise or entrepreneurial culture. A termine our next career action vehicle and uses it at the zoo career is now mostly discontinu- and then it becomes an steps, be skilled at formulating ous, where people are stringing ambulance that takes people to proposals for career moves and together a series of work roles us- the hospital. The pieces are then making the transitions. Of- ing different personal attributes, reconfigured, but their essential ten when an employee seeks ca- skills, knowledge, interests and properties have not mutated. reer advice from the Human Re- wants. To meet this requirement, source function to clarify their Barbara Moses we have to examine our portfolio, career confusion, they are direct- author of Career Intelligence select and rearrange it, and then ed to a career coaching provider we have to 'sell' ourselves either external to the organisation. to our manager where we work or We can either view this evolv- Traditional job definitions are to prospective clients or employ- ing situation with apprehen- vaporising. Multi-functional ers in the general marketplace. sioneven fearor embrace it roles are in vogue. Work teams What we can do a much wider facilitating as with changing members are re- range of career action choice People should view their career placing work systems based on than our parents experienced. It capabilities as a mosaic of con- organisational charts. It's an era becomes essential to know how siderable diversity and, as incli- of restructured employer-worker regular out carry to self- personal circumstances nation, relationships. Now we work with assessment so that we can rear- and labour market demand indi- the new concept that our employ- range our career portfolio appro- priately. Worklife has been providing career and life planning coaching and career Our career security comes program design since 1979. from being continually alert to Our services are described on our web site: http:11www.worklife.com.au enhancing our employability, be- Details of our personal career coach eLearning and eBook system may be found at: http:11www.careermastery.com @ Worklife Pty Ltd, Sydney 2001 1 3 ing skilled at career transition career situations. To date, little affects them. In recent years we making, being prepared to oscil- thorough research exists into how have experienced a considerable late between worklife as an em- people are viewing their transi- increase in the number of people ployee on month-by-month salary tions as free agents or what con- wanting to explore free agency and as a free agent charging fees. stitute prerequisite characteris- options but unsure of their suita- tics. bility for such a change or how to Joanna Grigg writes in Portfo- make it. lio Working (Kogan-Page) this Our research findings enhanced employability can be What we have observed at At The Centre for Worklife one or more of the following: Worklife is that there is no one Counselling in Sydney we have type of person who is more likely a cluster of jobs or clients for been assisting clients make the to be successful than another. whom we work; transition from full-time employ- ment since 1979 and have accu- The issue is much more than a hybrid career, a new variety mulated substantial anecdotal ev- defining a particular 'behavioural of work and living; idence of how being a free agent type' as being likely to succeed. a flexible way of approaching work; Figure 1 Ten Career Action Options a work survival technique for Option the 21st century; Involves the extension of this work Remain in Current Role 1. Recognition that your current role planning into every aspect of No content change provides you with your desired level of our lives. 144 challenge and development at the moment Free agents Enrichment 2. Considering what job tasks you wish to The Australian Bureau of Statis- Develop current job do more and negotiating with others to tics reported recently that of the take over those which no longer motivate country's workforce of 9.1 mil- you lion 37% are 'casualised', mean- Vertical 3. Considering what would be the real gain ing either in a part-time or sub- Seek promotion for you in seeking increased contractor relationship with responsibilities organisations. In other words, a Exploration 4. Seeking project work or deputising in large part of our working popula- Test out options another job function to test out how you tion is moving enthusiastically or like it reluctantly into a working life as Lateral 5. Moving to a similar level of job task a free agent. G<C* Sideways move difficulty but with different job content A free agent is further defined Realignment 6. Downshifting to less responsibility for a as earning income as a freelancer, Moving down short- or long-term period subcontractor, commission agent, casual or as owner of their own Relocation 7. riDeciding that work of a nature different business. People hired for a spe- Change business unit from your current business unit is more cific duration are also free agents. appropriate for your career future A free agent may work as a 'sat- Redirection 8. ellite' worker from or near home, ILIChanging the career stream or field of Change career field work with your current employer on-line through their computers and modems, in client organisa- tions or in a different country Proposal 9. Submitting a proposal for creating a new Create new job job which would meet the needs of your from where they are deriving in- employer and you come. External 10. Deciding that work of a nature different The growth of free agents is a Change employer from your current employer is more relatively recent characteristic of appropriate for your career future 2 0 Worklife Pty Ltd, Sydney 2001 4 Rather it is a complex compendi- preferred skills and acquire de- for helping individuals to analyse um of personal circumstances, clearly and objectively, to plan sired new learning. feelings, life journey timing, etc. and review their worklife situa- Their next action is to prepare within the individual. What we tion, to feel secure in their unique a proposal to those who can ap- have learned is that those who in- and authentic self, to learn portfo- prove and facilitate the transition dex their career success as a line- lio career management tech- to it. Figure 2 shows the headings ar trajectory with progressive niques, to evaluate free agency recommended for structuring a hierarchical-oriented job moves options. Frequently termed 'ca- proposal. For a resource to guide and where status of position and reer coaches' or 'career counsel- this process, see My Career, My use of job role authority are high- lors' these advisers are located all Myself Life, by Stevens ly valued, find it difficult to enjoy over Australia. See the web site www.worklife.com.an. Supple- and thrive as free agents. of the Australian Association of mentary workbooks written by Career Counsellors (AACC) at Stevens and published by The www.aacc.org.an Centre for Worklife Counselling There's no such thing as a The 10 Option Employee are Job Seeking Where You career path any moreit's crazy Work and Planning For Me! paving and you lay it yourself Those who elect to continue their Sorting Out Conflicting Priori- careers as an employee and apply ties. the principles of portfolio career A free agent is more likely to management enhance the security Freeing yourself from an un- define their worklife fulfilment in of their employability by regular- healthy and outdated dependence terms of freedom to exercise their ly evaluating, then selecting from on your employer for your `satis- personal integrity and undertake fiers' and feeling, thinking and ten career action step options (see assignments compatible with Figure 1). They have ceased wait- acting as a portfolio careerist in- their personal values. In other ing for an internal job vacancy creases your employability value words, they are able to remove but rather seek out opportunities to your employer and, in turn, themselves from work engage- where they work to utilise their your options. ments where conflict arises with integrity and values. To their Figure 2 Career Action Step Proposal make such a transition based My Career Action Step Proposal solely on escape from too much unfulfilling work as an employee What? is an inadequate basis although Where? this factor could constitute one of the reasons. A free agent is likely When? to: My Contribution to Performance Improvement: prize allegiance to their pro- fession or craft over corporate List your proposed actions and support needs allegiance; My Professional Development Plan: be committed to and gain from the intrinsic motivation What you believe you should undertake new learning in of a mission or task rather priority sequence than to a company; and My Self-Development Plan: define themselves by what they do and why they do it, Your personal actions relating to supporting your career not for whom they do it. action step In addition to the career assis- My Current Position Enrichment Plan: tance provided by our Centre, there are many skilled helpers How your current job role may be enhanced to increase available to provide a framework your satisfaction and readiness to make your proposed 0 Worklife Pty Ltd, Sydney 2001 3 The book Free Agents by is changing againand dra- much useful content about man- It Weiner Levin and aging one's own career. A portfo- Gould, matically. A workforce dominat- lio careerist in Australia would wwwjosseybass.com contains ed by those who are employees is benefit from accessing the sites excellent advice for employees on on the wane. these aspects and also informa- that follow: Portfolio careerism is not new. tion for their managers on the many-msmalcisamau It was how people earned a living changes systemic needed to prior to the Industrial Revolution w ww. seek.com. au create environments where port- in the early 19th century. www.employment.com.au folio careerists will want to con- tinue to work. www.Mycareer.com.au Yesterday's history, Tomorrow's Self-marketing www.resumesonline.com.au a mystery, Today is a gift. That's www.CareerOne.com.au Whether a free agent or employ- why we call it the PRESENT! ee, the portfolio careerist needs to www.futurestep.com.au acquire and apply: www. careermosaic. com. au Today we have far more skills of self-marketing; www.hotjobs.com.au choice than a decade ago. We detective and networking need to educate ourselves in how www. an zwers .com. au/jobs/ skills to identify opportunities to use it for our own benefit. As a www,jobsplus.com.au for job role or work assign- consequence, those we care for Guard against cynicism ment moves; will also benefit as they are af- fected by our level of worklife When managing one's own ca- interpersonal skills in conflict contentment. At the same time reer, it is dangerous to view the resolution so that relation- we need to preserve respect for current radical change in work- ships with work colleagues or our employers who provide us place cultures as temporary, to clients are not disruptive; with their changing portfolio of mourn the end of predictability, self-discipline to review opportunities to earn income, to take no action and await the re- worklife objectives and inte- whether as a free agent or an em- turn to expectations of lifelong grate them with lifestyle ployee. Portfolio careerism suits employment that were prevalent needs at least twice each year. employers' new attitudes to their in the 1960s-1980s. This would human resources. They also need to update their be an error. In reality, the world résuméboth print and electron- - of work has never been constant. ic versionseach month as it is becoming as important to the _ 77, ,-- portfolio careerist as a passport is to a traveller. The Centre for Worklife Counselling When asked what we do, we Paul Stevens, Founder/Director no longer have to respond with a Tel: (02) 9968 1588 Fax: (02) 9968 1655 monosyllabic reply. The ques- Web Site: http://www.worklife.com.au Email: [email protected] tioners can now hear willingly or PO Box 407, Spit Junction NSW 2088, Australia otherwise about your portfolio ca- College for Career Practitioners reerism and the variety and stimu- lation of the four or six concur- rent job role activities you have Developed by The Centre for Worklife Counselling, the College is selected. an on-line learning program in Career Counselling delivered by a The number of Internet web combination of distance education, email coaching, dedicated web sites where employers advertise site, 13 module study guides, textbook and selected instruments. for employees and free agents is Three Study Stream Options escalating. In addition to publicis- eLearning Facility ing vacancies, the developers and Global Student I Tutor Community managers of these sites provide 4 Worklife Pty Ltd, Sydney 2001 6 z U.S. Department of Education ERIC Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) National Library of Education (NLE) Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) NOTICE Reproduction Basis This document is covered by a signed "Reproduction Release (Blanket)" form (on file within the ERIC system), encompassing all or classes of documents from its source organization and, therefore, does not require a "Specific Document" Release form. This document is Federally-funded, or carries its own permission to reproduce, or is otherwise in the public domain and, therefore, may be reproduced by ERIC without a signed Reproduction Release form (either "Specific Document" or "Blanket"). EFF-089 (3/2000)