Back in the day, it seemed like very few people were their own bosses. Today, I can’t doomscroll without seeing approximately 26 videos on how to earn six figures while being self-employed. Freelancers now represent up to 45 percent of the total U.S. workforce, and LinkedIn’s Grad’s Guide 2026 reports that more than half of Gen Z job seekers globally have shifted their focus from landing full-time roles to freelance or contract work. Clearly, we’ve exited the era of the traditional career path, and this mass exodus has given rise to the “portfolio career.”
It seems like everyone I network with is opting for this type of career path now, but what is a portfolio career anyway? I did some digging and tapped two experts for answers. Ahead, everything to know about portfolio careers, including what they are and why they are growing so popular, and what a portfolio career really looks like, including its benefits and challenges. Plus, we’re sharing how to build a portfolio career, step-by-step, and how to determine if it’s right for you.
Shari Leid is a TEDx speaker, national keynote leader, and founder of the Flip the Box® Method, the first human-centered leadership system designed for a disconnected world. Through her keynotes, retreats, and workshops, she helps individuals and organizations break free from outdated boxes, whether in identity, career, or community.
Jeri Doris is the Chief People Officer at HR technology company Justworks and a certified Executive Coach. She’s navigated leadership in the tech and HR space while bringing a uniquely sustainable approach to high-growth startup environments both in the US and Europe. She has previously held positions at Rakuten, Groupon, Deloitte, GE, and more.
What is a portfolio career?
A “portfolio career” is a career that’s built around multiple streams of income rather than a single full-time role. While it can blend several types of roles, TEDx Speaker and Founder of the Flip the Box® Method Shari Leid, says it’s not about doing more. Having a portfolio career is about “leveraging your expertise in multiple ways that align with who you are and the impact you want to make,” she explained.
Unlike a side hustle, a portfolio career isn’t supplementary—it’s strategic. “It’s the intentional decision to build a career from multiple complementary roles, skills, and revenue streams rather than relying on a single title or employer,” Leid said. After all, layoffs, economic shifts, and evolving workplace models and business needs have practically erased job security in all sectors. Consequently, many professionals are no longer comfortable relying on one employer or income stream.
Not to mention, individuals are rethinking what success actually looks like. These days, earning a promotion isn’t the goal. According to Justworks’ Chief People Officer Jeri Doris, flexibility, sustainability, and purpose are the new hallmarks of success. “At its core, a portfolio career is about moving away from the idea that career success has to mean one title, one employer, or one linear path,” Doris explained.
What does a portfolio career look like?
What makes portfolio careers particularly unique is that there is no one-size-fits-all model to work off of. “The specific combination looks different for everyone,” Leid emphasized. A portfolio career might look like a freelancer with several clients, or a digital creator who combines content creation with coaching and speaking. Similarly, this also includes “a fractional executive supporting multiple companies, or a full-time employee who also teaches, writes, or consults in a way that complements their primary role,” according to Doris.
“A portfolio career is about moving away from the idea that career success has to mean one title, one employer, or one linear path.”
That said, despite this variety, Leid says all portfolio careers are built around one core area of expertise. For example, a marketing professional who specializes in PR might teach a course on media relations, work with brands on a contract or freelance basis to ideate and create brand positioning and messaging strategy, or coach executives on thought leadership and prepare them for media interviews. Whatever the case may be, Doris says the strongest portfolio careers have a mix of work that “uses your strengths and makes sense to the people who might hire, refer, or collaborate with you.”
Benefits of a portfolio career
It should come as no surprise that portfolio careers give you more freedom with work. On top of flexible scheduling, this work model gives you autonomy in all areas of your career. You not only have the freedom to scale your workload up and down based on your capacity, but Doris says you can also structure your work around your strengths and interests. Plus, you can pursue different interests in various capacities because you’re not boxed into a single role.
Additionally, having a portfolio career means you’re not entirely dependent on “a single employer, client, or source of income,” according to Leid. Having multiple income streams is a huge safety net in an era where layoffs are ongoing and budget cuts are never-ending. It softens financial risk by essentially giving you a built-in buffer, meaning that if you do lose one stream of revenue, your income won’t be wiped out entirely. And according to Doris, this makes you more resilient as a professional.
Lastly, Leid says a portfolio career provides opportunities for continuous learning and growth. Being tasked with different types of work not only forces you to use different parts of your skill set (different projects require different things, after all) but it also encourages constant skill expansion; you have to adapt and stretch your skills far faster than you would in a traditional role. Plus, having a portfolio career means being your own boss and establishing relationships with other industry professionals, which requires honing crucial meta skills like adaptability, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving—all of which are vital in an ever-changing workforce.
Challenges of a portfolio career
Unfortunately, a portfolio career does have its pitfalls. For starters, Doris says it “requires a high degree of self-management.” While this isn’t problematic in and of itself, it can be incredibly challenging—not to mention, draining—over time. After all, you’re responsible not only for managing your schedule and workload, but also for setting boundaries between projects. When you’re working within a model that doesn’t offer steady, reliable income, you naturally want to say “yes” to every opportunity that comes your way, and this can lead to burnout and performance decline. And without structure, Doris says the flexibility of a portfolio career can quickly devolve into chaos.
Another drawback is that you’re responsible for literally everything. “You are not just doing the work—you are also finding the work, pricing it, managing relationships, tracking income, handling contracts, and protecting your time,” Doris explained. Plus, you’re the one handling all administrative work, like invoicing clients, paying for benefits, and handling taxes. Also, you have to navigate living with an inconsistent income. “Some months may be strong, and others may be slower,” Doris said. “That can be stressful without a budget, savings cushion, and realistic plan.”
Finally, you don’t really get any days off when you’re your own boss. Sure, you can decide when you work and how much you take on, but being self-employed means you don’t get sick time, vacation time, or PTO. So if you’re not working, you’re not making money. Beyond that, your ability to earn a living comes from building a diverse portfolio with multiple income streams. While this can be very rewarding in the end, getting to this point can be demanding and exhausting.
How to determine if a portfolio career is right for you
Opting for a portfolio career can be a strategic choice, but it isn’t for everyone. In fact, both Leid and Doris agree that certain personality traits are more suited to this type of work than others. “The people who thrive in portfolio careers tend to be adaptable, self-directed, and comfortable creating opportunities rather than waiting for them,” Leid said. To put it in layman’s terms, someone who’s unafraid to pitch ideas, reach out to people, shift gears on a whim, and keep things moving independently will do well here. Likewise, Doris also says that being comfortable with ambiguity and energized by variety is important. “It works best for people who enjoy building relationships, managing their own time, and creating structure without waiting for someone else to do it for them,” she added.
Additionally, it’s important to be honest about how much risk and variability you can tolerate with your finances. How much money you make, especially in the beginning, will undoubtedly fluctuate. The last thing you want is to worry about whether you can pay your bills or buy groceries, which is why Doris emphasizes understanding how much your fixed bills are and how you’ll pay for benefits like health insurance on your own. It can also be helpful to map out your projected income and compare it against what you have in savings; this will show you how long your savings can realistically tide you over during slow months.
“Having a portfolio career is about leveraging your expertise in multiple ways that align with who you are and the impact you want to make.”
Furthermore, Leid suggests engaging in honest self-reflection by asking whether you enjoy variety, can handle uncertainty and stay motivated, and are willing and able to market yourself and continually build professional relationships. Similarly, spend some time thinking about your lifestyle needs. If you’re at a place where flexibility and autonomy are a must, a portfolio career might be the move for you. If you’re at a place where earning a steady, reliable income matters more, this might not be the right avenue.
How to build a portfolio career
Portfolio careers aren’t for everyone, which is why it’s crucial to fully evaluate whether this work is the right fit for your circumstances, goals, and lifestyle needs. So if you’ve taken the time to do this and have decided that this is the career path you want to go down, here’s how to get started and build a portfolio career for yourself:
1. Identify your skills and interests
Leid stresses starting with your core expertise. “Ask yourself what people consistently seek you out for, what problems you solve, and where you create the most value.” From here, she suggests examining the various ways that expertise could be shared, whether it’s through teaching, writing, speaking, coaching, consulting, and so forth.
For example, an HR professional who thrives on helping other professionals grow in their roles could add career coaching and teaching leadership workshops to their list of skills and interests. Identifying where you shine and where your experience lies, along with what you enjoy doing, is vital. This will help you create the throughline for your portfolio career and point you in the right direction.
2. Start with one additional income stream
“The biggest mistake I see people make is trying to build too many things at once,” Leid shared. Instead of going from 0-100, she suggests building one strong revenue stream before fully diving into this career path. Doris seconds this, stressing that testing opportunities before making a major leap—like leaving stable work—is paramount. “Take on one consulting project, workshop, advisory role, or freelance client,” she said. Portfolio careers can be incredibly stressful in the beginning, which is why Doris emphasizes learning “what works [for you], what people value, and what you actually enjoy.” After you’ve tested the waters and found your rhythm, Leid says you can “thoughtfully expand from there.”
3. Build a personal brand and professional network
You’re in charge of your professional image with a portfolio career, so building a personal brand and professional network is crucial. “Even if you do several things, people should understand what you are known for,” Doris said. Establishing an online presence is one of the easiest ways to build and strengthen your personal brand, and you can do this by utilizing social media, professional networking sites, and creating a personal website. The latter will allow you to showcase your work, share testimonials, and so forth, which will affirm your capabilities to prospective clients.
In addition to networking on sites like LinkedIn, establishing professional contacts in your industry is non-negotiable. Taking every networking opportunity that comes your way is by far the easiest and most effective way to do this. So, attend industry events and lectures, hop on calls, and regularly reach out to contacts in your network. This will keep you on your network’s radar and, in turn, make it easier for clients, collaborators, and opportunities to find you.
4. Create systems for managing multiple roles
With a portfolio career, you’re the project manager, creative visionary, business developer, communications specialist, and marketing director, and you’re in charge of admin, finances, and bookkeeping. That’s a lot of hats for anyone to wear, and keeping everything straight can be tricky. So, create systems that allow you to manage multiple roles seamlessly. This might mean using a calendar to block your time, a project tracker to map deadlines and balance tasks, and a routine for invoicing and communicating with networks, prospective clients, and collaborators. Implementing these systems early on will make it easier to stay organized and expand your portfolio with ease over time. “A portfolio career gives you flexibility, but it also asks you to operate with discipline,” Doris said.
5. Review and adjust as needed
Like everything in life, your portfolio career will evolve, meaning it’s a good idea to review and adjust your career mix as needed. Evaluate your work—and how you feel about what you’re working on—on a cadence that works for you, whether it’s bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly. To do this, take stock of what’s working for you, areas for improvement, and where you’re seeing the most demand and growth. Additionally, consider which projects are draining you versus energizing you.
Taking the time to do this will allow you to zoom out and adjust your career mix accordingly. In some cases, this might mean scaling back or expanding, letting go of an opportunity that’s no longer serving you, or focusing your attention on a new revenue stream. Regardless of what happens here, being honest during this self-reflection and knowing when to shift your priorities and adapt will keep you competitive and relevant in today’s job market.
Are portfolio careers replacing traditional career models?
At the end of the day, there are multiple avenues to success. While a portfolio career is one avenue, this will not be the correct career path for everyone—and that’s A-OK. Ultimately, the right route is subjective and boils down to who you are and what your needs are personally and professionally. Regardless of which path you choose, Doris emphasizes remembering that a portfolio career isn’t “better or worse than a traditional career.” Rather, it’s merely a different model. If you can find a path that lets you thrive, supports your long-term goals, and allows you to contribute meaningfully, success and career happiness will inevitably follow.
Arianna Reardon, Contributing Writer
Arianna is a freelance writer and journalist, and the self-proclaimed hot and dirty martini queen. At The Everygirl, Arianna uses her authenticity and relatability to empower, inspire, and motivate women everywhere. Whether she’s writing about sex and relationships, career and finance, beauty and fashion, wellness, or home and living, Arianna’s passion shines through in all her work.
