This is a two part guest blog by Alex Wade about his portfolio career. This is part two.
Alex is a writer and his principal interests are law, sport (especially football, surfing and boxing), poker and travel, as well as general features, football match reports and book reviews. Many years ago, when he was a media lawyer, Alex worked for leading libel firm Carter-Ruck before becoming now-Express Group proprietor Richard Desmond’s first Head of Legal Affairs. Subsequently Alex’s unreconstructed tendencies got the better of him. His life went off the rails but boxing played a large part in his rehabilitation. This story is chronicled in Wrecking Machine, a Sunday Times sports book of the week. Alex has travelled extensively and written about New York, Albania and Kazakhstan; Barbados, Ireland and Andalucía; Captain Cook country, Mexico and Francis Ford Coppola’s retreats in Belize and Guatemala. He lives in west Cornwall with his partner Caroline their two sons.
The rest of this blog is in Alex’s own words.
Here is a link to part 1 in case you missed it:
https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/alex-wades-portfolio-career-guest-blog-part-1/
What do you most love about having a portfolio career?
The freedom. I was never any good at having a boss.
What are the challenges of having a portfolio career?
You’ve got to hold your nerve. Work comes and goes. In lean spells you’ve got to trust and believe that things will come round. One way to counter the anxiety inherent in this lifestyle is to have fingers in many pies.
Who or what helps you to manage your portfolio career?
My partner, Caroline Davidson, is brilliant. Together we run an editorial services business. She’s the organised one. I’m not.
How do you approach marketing your portfolio career?
Don’t be afraid – get out there and pitch. People can only say no.
What if any, is the personal brand used for your portfolio career?
For my own work I guess it’s brand Alex Wade. But I’m aware of how pretentious that might sound so let’s say there’s some irony in that answer…
What skills/experience/qualities does someone need to have a portfolio career?
The main thing is being… nice. Obviously you’ve got to know what you’re doing, whatever your field, but the portfolio career isn’t a place for corporate back-stabbing and pompous fools. It’s where you need to get on with people – to like them, being with them, working with them, in the knowledge that you’re not dependent on them so can always walk if they turn out to be obnoxious.
What advice would you give to someone considering a portfolio career?
Seize the day, especially when it comes to writing. Traditional jobs are changing overnight and old-school journalism isn’t a safe bet anymore. So think laterally about other people who might want your words, and go and find them.
What benefits do portfolio careers bring specifically to women and mothers, rather than to men?
I don’t want to presume to answer this one!
What are your top 5 tips to successfully manage a portfolio career?
- Be disciplined – accept that you rarely have a day off
- Work at it
- Be generous to people – help others and they might help you
- Hold your nerve
- Think laterally – I once sold a travel story to one place six times over
More about Alex Wade
Personal web site:
Alex Wade’s first novel, Flack’s Last Shift, is published by Blue Mark Books (£14.99).
Alex’s Editorial Services business:
LinkedIn profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-wade-5322724
Follow Alex Wade on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/surfnation1
More about portfolio careers:
Download our free report Discover Portfolio Careers
https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/who-has-portfolio-careers/
Webinar about portfolio careers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF29AGuRIVw&app=desktop
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