[Shin Sujeong's Work Dignity] The Era of Career Portfolios

I came across last year's HBR article titled "Why You Should Build a 'Career Portfolio' (Not a 'Career Path')." Through it, I learned about the intriguing concept of a career portfolio.

A career path is usually a single route. It resembles climbing a ladder step by step toward greater responsibility and promotion. In contrast, a career portfolio means developing and displaying various skills and experiences horizontally, allowing flexible combinations when different careers are needed. It involves leveraging diverse portfolios to adapt flexibly to changing situations and job requirements.

Building and utilizing a career portfolio seems similar to what Steve Jobs referred to as connecting the dots. His seemingly unrelated experiences?typography design, traveling in India, Mac development, Pixar?connected to bring innovation at Apple. Does a portfolio necessarily include only work experience? Not at all. It encompasses various formal and informal activities and hobbies. For example, being a YouTuber, traveler, dancer, writer, or having part-time job experiences can also be included.

In the past, people typically worked at one or two companies until retirement or moved between companies within the same industry. Hence, the career path was important. A career path at one or two companies essentially meant a single route of promotion. Most education and skill development focused on each promotion stage.

However, human lifespan is increasing, moving toward a 100-year life era. Corporate survival cycles are getting shorter. Unlike before, younger generations do not want to stay at one company for life. They will not only change jobs within the same industry a few times but also take on entirely new career challenges. Even working employees create content on platforms like YouTube or engage in investment activities using their secondary personas during nights or weekends.

Companies are also redefining talent management to respond to rapid and unpredictable environmental changes and opportunities and threats from digital transformation. What kind of talent is needed in this era? Future talents are more likely to be those who can think beyond boxes or silos and possess diverse experiences and flexibility rather than those confined to a specific business or skill.

Therefore, it is argued that career portfolios will become more important going forward. People who strive to build career portfolios do not remain in their current jobs. They explore various experiences with curiosity. They acquire diverse skills. They are also skilled at creatively connecting the various skills they have acquired with those needed for their roles. As a result, they will be better prepared to promote and even create themselves for new opportunities.

If you are an employee, take out a blank sheet and mark your career portfolio with circles one by one. What have I experienced so far? What am I good at? Second, try connecting these. What new possibilities can be created by linking them? Finally, add what portfolios you want to include. Build an adaptable and flexible career portfolio. This is the effective way to respond to an unpredictable future.

Shin Sujeong, Head of KT Enterprise Division