Why more female lawyers are choosing portfolio careers (and what it could mean for you)

“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”

— Dolly Parton

Today we’re delighted to welcome a guest blog from Rachel Brushfield, career and talent strategist and coach, author and founder of EnergiseLegal. Rachel has spent over 25 years helping lawyers think differently about their careers, and in this guest blog for FLC, she explores the rise of portfolio careers and what they could mean for you.

What is a portfolio career and why are they growing?

A portfolio career is a future-proof career and a growing trend.

There are different definitions of a portfolio career. In a nutshell, it means that you do more than one thing – you have different strands to your career which can be employed, self-employed, pro-bono or other, e.g. education and travel.

Not only does a portfolio career enable you to enjoy variety, constant learning, and to fulfil career dreams, a way to scratch that ‘creative itch’ – to fulfil that creative part of you that may have laid dormant for years, it gives you peace of mind as you can adjust your portfolio mix, as you change and the market changes. In an uncertain world, it is never a good idea ‘to put all your career eggs in one basket.’

In the ongoing V.U.C.A. (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world we all live in – the new ‘normal’ - it is wise to have a portfolio career. Choosing a portfolio career is like having ‘career insurance.’

A portfolio career needs managing, marketing and editing. It is vital to have a compelling personal brand and clear career capital goals to ensure that you are positioning yourself in the way that you want to be perceived.

Monitoring external trends is vital, your competitors, making time to review your portfolio career ‘mix’ etc.

Facts about portfolio careers

• The OECD (Organisation of Economic Co-operation) has forecast that by 2030, around half of all professionals globally will have portfolio careers, indicating that the UK is on a path toward this model becoming mainstream rather than niche.

• Department for Education research (England) found that 52% of adults would consider developing a portfolio career, and 45% would do so if they had more confidence.

What are the components of a portfolio career?

These include:

• Consultant lawyer

• Non-Executive Director

• Trustee

• Founder of a network

• Part time deputy district judge

• Fractional role(s)

• Contract

• Company secretary

• Keynote speaker

• Author

• Other

Who has a portfolio career?

Some examples of female lawyer portfolio careerists:

Christina Blacklaws, former president of the Law Society – NED, consultancy, chair, key note speaker, strategic consultant DEI and Tech law

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinablacklaws/

Funke Abimbola – fractional in-house lawyer, key note speaker, NED

https://www.linkedin.com/in/funkeabimbola/

Mena Ruparel – a portfolio career centred around family law: complaints assessor, trainer, author, conference speaker

https://www.linkedin.com/in/menaruparel/

Who do you know who has a portfolio career?

A ‘slope’ not ‘cliff’ mid-career

If you are approaching retirement age, a portfolio career also enables you to have a ‘gentle slope’ to retirement, rather than a ‘steep cliff’. A portfolio career means that you can incorporate travel and study, also growing trends due to delayed retirement and longer life expectancy.

• Portfolio careers are also useful for parents and carers needing flexible hours and location.

• They are ideal for ambitious talented women wanting to design their careers on their own terms and reduce burnout risk.

• GenZ and younger professionals seeking better mental health, more variety and alignment with their personal values, and less tolerance for traditional ‘ladder’ careers also find a portfolio career appealing.

Pros of a portfolio career

• A career tailored to your strengths, needs and passions

• Variety and stimulating challenges

• A future-proof career for uncertain times

• Freedom

• Autonomy

• More fulfilment

• Flexibility

• Choice and control

• ‘Safety net’ to spread career risk

• Work life balance

• Build skills and marketability

• Follow multiple passions

• Evolve and edit to suit

• Time to study and travel

• Politics and hierarchy free

• Self-discovery, learning and growth

• Safely explore self-employment

Cons of a portfolio career

• Financial uncertainty

• Disciplined self-management needed

• Unpredictable work

• More things to juggle

• Must monitor fast changing trends and be career agile

• Need to market yourself

• Regular networking essential

• Fund own holidays

• Fund own benefits e.g. pension

• Fast learning curve

• Personal change can have an impact being all of who you are

• Can be hard to switch off

• Reduced employment rights

• Responsibility for your own decisions

7 tips to start thinking about a portfolio career

1. Create a motivating ‘project name.’’

2. Use AI to understand current perceptions of your brand. Ask a prompt: ‘What does [your name] specialise in?’

3. Request the Energise self-completion questionnaire (see below) to have a portfolio career.

4. Find lawyers with portfolio careers that you aspire to have to inspire yourself.

5. Diarise time to review trends to inform your future portfolio career.

6. Invest in clearly defining your personal brand, for sustainable success.

7. Get support – an experienced career coach or mentor with relevant expertise, not a ‘generic’ coach/mentor.

Self-reflective questions

• What appeals to me about a portfolio career?

• What is my ideal portfolio career ‘mix’?

• What is my personal brand in 3 words?

• What are my career capital goals to develop a sustainable portfolio career?

• When, where, how and with whom will I make time to think about my future career strategy?

• What is the question I most need to ask myself about whether a portfolio career is right for me?

What next?

Email Rachel Brushfield, ‘The Talent Liberator’ ™ at rachel@energiselegal.com to receive free resources:

1. A self-completion questionnaire about your suitability to thrive with a portfolio career.

2. The EnergiseLegal white paper ‘The New Polymaths’ about career agility, including insights from Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of LawCare, I.Stephanie Boyce, Mitch Kowalski, Coral Hill and many others.

About the author

Rachel Brushfield is a career and talent strategist and coach, and published author in multiple topics, and the founder of EnergiseLegal, est. 1996. She has over 25 years’ experience helping lawyers design, market and manage portfolio careers. Her work focuses on helping professionals build careers that are sustainable, fulfilling and aligned with their strengths.

Contact

Email: rachel@energiselegal.com
Website: www.energiselegal.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/energiseliberateyourtalent/

Rachel will also be delivering a masterclass for Female Lawyers’ Club later this year on marketing yourself with confidence. You can attend by joining here.