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Sarah Broad’s guest blog about her portfolio career part 2

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This is part 2 of a 2-part blog for Energise.

Read part 1 of Sarah Broad’s guest blog:https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/sarah-broads-guest-blog-about-her-portfolio-career-part/

Mini biog

My career has allowed me to develop a distinct set of skills and experience in HR and Recruitment within the legal and professional services sector. I set up Attune Flexible Jobs 2 years ago, to help clients advertise their business support roles and showcase their flexible / agile working with stories, case studies, and thought leadership. We also provide consultancy and bespoke flexible working solutions. For candidates, we provide a one stop shop for professional roles on a flexible working basis, connecting candidates to employers, so the hard work is done and there is no need to worry about when to have the flexible working conversation. Also, advice, training and coaching programmes. As a qualified coach and MCIPD professional I have coached many individuals, managers and teams to ensure flexible working is beneficial for everyone. I also write and provide guidance, advice and updates on flexible and agile working and have been interviewed for many different publications. I have been on radio and podcasts in the UK too. 

What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?

Keeping on top of everything can be a challenge and giving everything equal attention. Switching off and compartmentalising isn’t always easy but has got easier with practice.

Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?

I have a good support network, for example friends to help if my children are ill.  I also have the benefit of the infrastructure with my client e.g. an IT person, their network, a web person and recently a Digital Mum to help me.

How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?

Networking and I get new work from word of mouth recommendation.

What if any, is the personal brand used for your portfolio career?

I don’t have a personal brand.

What advice would you give to someone considering a portfolio career?

Keep up your networks, keep in touch with people, not just when you need something. Be clear about what you want and ask. My first freelance job was after I was chatting to someone at a friends party. I said I was looking for a new role working from home 3 days a week – happy to do evenings. 3 weeks later I got a phone call with exactly that.  It was only suppose to last 2 months but lasted over a year and then led on to a headhunting project.

What benefits do portfolio careers bring specifically to women and mothers, rather than to men?

Portfolio careers provide flexibility but it also hones into your specific skillset. Portfolio careers are not rigid so you must be the type of person that can work with fluidity and adapt accordingly, particularly at the beginning. Working mothers are more likely to need flexibility but the benefits are not exclusive to women. If you can’t find a flexible job, a portfolio career is work you can design and deliver on your own terms. Just keep an open mind about how this might work. 

What tips can you share for people considering a portfolio career?

  1. Work out your finances – what you need to live on.
  2. Keep up with your network.
  3. Be open-minded and flexible.
  4. Work out what you want and don’t want.
  5. Be clear about your philosophy for life – know yourself and make sure your work fits with your life.
  6. Be ready for a steep learning curve and be prepared to learn new skills and push out your comfort zone.
  7. Have a good support network.
  8. Feel the fear and do it anyway – just have a go!

More

View Sarah Broad’s LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-broad/

Look at the Attune Jobs web site:

https://www.attunejobs.com/

Follow Attune Jobs on Twitter:

Interested in a portfolio career for yourself? Get in touch to arrange your 20 minute free telephone consultation:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/

Want to work flexibly?

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Today’s the day – 30 June 2014. From today, any employee who has been working for 6 months can request flexible working in the UK, whether they are a parent or carer or not. 20 million people have the right to ask. What impact will this have do you think?

Status re flexible working

Employees want flexible working but presenteism in the office still pervades the work culture in many businesses and an old fashioned 9-5 model of work (often 8-6 in reality!) still exists that creates commuting bottle necks that could be avoided. Companies have become more open to flexible working, but because it jobs to adopt & accommodate flexible working. How to balance clients’ needs and employee demands is the key.

Impact of failure to embrace flexible working

Employee needs and wants are rarely the driver for employers embracing flexible working, when this would enhance motivation, reduce stress and enable firms to operate more 24/7. It is hardly surprising there is a huge drain of talented women from many companies as a refusal to adopt flexible working often gives working mothers no other option but to exit.

Growing demand for flexible working

The younger generation’s desire for flexibility, enabling technology and a growing employee voice helped by social media will be catalysts for change, as will be lost productivity with peak commuting bottlenecks. Flexible working has become associated with women, but men want it too and wanting a good work life balance is a common and growing desire. In many professions, a request for flexible working is like career suicide.

Transport & commuting challenges

The core problem is that too many people travel to work at the same time on transport infrastructures that are feeling the strain. Data on transport utilization and population growth, especially in London and the South East, indicates that the problem will get worse not better.

What types of flexible working are there?

There are a number of types of flexible working – which one appeals to you?

Self-employment – the ultimate in flexibility – choose your own hours

Part time working – less than full time hours

Flexi time – freedom to choose to work within agreed set hours

Staggered hours – employees have different start and end times enabling employees to avoid commuting and businesses to open longer

Compressed working hours – cover standard hours in fewer days

Job sharing – two workers agree hours and split a full time job between them

Term time working – take paid or unpaid leave during the holidays

Home working/teleworking – spend some/all hours working away from the office

V time working – reduce hours for an agreed period with guarantee of full time work when this period ends

Zero hour contracts – work only hours the employer needs

Sabbatical/career break – employees are allowed to take time off for an agreed time, either paid or unpaid.

5 tips about flexible working

If you are looking to negotiate flexible working with your current or future employer, here are 5 tips:

• Create a business case for your employer to work more flexibly with data about increased productivity working from home.
• Look ahead to tomorrow as well as today. Will you be a carer or parent in future and if so, how can you start the ball rolling today to work more flexibly?
• Get up to speed with your legal rights.
• Find out your employer’s policy on flexible working.
• Think about possible objections and barriers to you working flexibly and brainstorm ideas and responses to overcome them.

Self-reflective question

“If I could design my working life to suit my needs, what would I choose?”

Inspiring quote

“We all have two choices. We can make a living or we can design a life” Jim Rohn.

For more useful insights and tips, follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/talentliberator

PS I have just written a chapter for a new book being published by Globe Law & Business in the Autumn – ‘the impact of coaching on work life balance’. I am self-employed so I can and do work flexibly. I am naturally an early bird, so my flexible working is waking at 4am ish and having a nap at about 2-3pm! Coaching at 6am is a good time for me 🙂