Slash Careers. A new model for work/life success.

I'm reading the book "One person/ multiple careers. A new model for work/life success."

I’m fascinated by the concept. It appeals to me personally and I'm convinced it can redefine how we leverage talent in the 21st century.

Many of the people working with our start up Talent Revolution Inc. have slash/careers and so far it’s been a success.

One example is Leigh Caraccioli. Leigh owns her own company fleur de leigh photography, she’s a brilliant up and coming photographer and a passionate talent agent for Talent Revolution. TR not only benefits from her talents as our exclusive photographer, we also capitalize from her personal skills and strengths in the work she does with talent acquisition. I can only see upside to encouraging and supporting LC on her destined path to becoming a world famous photog.

To be a slash friendly employer you have to be open minded to work arrangements like flexible work schedules including job share programs and in cases like ours virtual work office arrangements. It also means managing and compensating based on results vs. a time clock.

For an individual it means being able to leverage your strengths and talents, having a diverse work life and be engaged in the things you’re most passionate about.

Not all employers have this abundant mentality. In fact when I was on the “job market” I was talking with a pretty big restaurant concept, I communicated to the hiring manager that I wanted to continue speaking and doing volunteer work for a youth leadership training organization. The guy was turned off by that and told me it would be a conflict of interest. I politely declined any further discussions about the opportunity.

From the book:

"A single fixed identity is a liability today. It only makes people more vulnerable to sudden changes in economic conditions. The most successful and healthy among us now develop multiple identities, managed simultaneously, to be called upon as conditions change. Recent research suggest that developing multiple identities is one of the best buffers we can erect against mental and physical illness."
- Gail Sheehy, New Passages: Mapping your Life Across Time

Multiple careers seem like a great way to avoid burnout or to keep a safe job and venture into something more risky.

I’d love to hear your feedback and thoughts on multiple careers? Is your employer a slash-friendly employer?

amanda hite
talent revolution
a drastic change in thinking and behaving with talent

Tags: amanda, caraccioli, careers, hite, leigh, revolution, slash, talent

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Comment by Matt Urdan on January 11, 2009 at 9:59am: I think I might be the poster child for Slash/Careers...I started work in my grandfather's drugstore, worked in a public library shelving books in High School but expanded that into a career and grew in job depth as the library grew and expanded. Ended up staying with them for 17 years. During which time, I started coaching HS Debate, did that for fifteen years, taught religious school, worked in a restaurant as a server for three years before restaurant management for 7 more. And now working for a resort/rafting/outfitter company utilizing all the skills I've acquired in my work life as a project manager, and getting paid for my passion of being on the water as a raft guide.

Our company supports outside work--substitute teaching in the local schools, medical training, medical teaching and working as EMTs and Paramedics, mentoring local students at various levels, participation in the local theatre and other volunteer work, and keeping full time jobs in other disciplines while working with us as "weekend warriors", those who work in the city and come up here on the weekends to raft guide or conduct kayak instruction clinincs. One of our instructors has just started work with Disney or their Adventure Tourism Program....when she gets the call, she leads expeditions for Disney. At other times she'll work as a kayak instructor, raft guide, or in the off season in our outfitter store or restaurant.

Comment by Nancy Backas on December 23, 2008 at 8:03am: I've had a slash/career for 18 years. And there are a lot more of us out there. I always felt stifled by a 9-5 job (I was a foodservice magazine food editor) and knew I could pursue both of my passions, writing and cooking, if I was creative. Please, this is nothing new. I now have a successful catering company with my husband, and still write. How about the myriad of freelance servers, chefs and bartenders out there that pursue their other passions, too? People always ask us where we find our staff and I tell them it's an "underground network." Bartering, figuring out how to do everything you enjoy and make a living is more challenging, to be sure, but if there's a book on this now, it's just that someone has discovered what's already there. I am happy to see that the corporate world is catching up. It wasn't easy when I started.

Non-Operator Comment by Mel Kleiman on December 21, 2008 at 5:13pm: Whether it be what you call a Slash Career or just doing a job that you like that is the key. What it seem most people are doing as a slash career is something they don't like most of the time until they get to the place that they can make enough money doing the things that they do like.

If we all remember that people do things for their reasons not our reasons and we as managers help people get to where they want to go. They will help us to where we want to go.

The key to a great coach/manager is to find out where someone want to go and help them to get there.

Comment by Bill Baumgartner on December 18, 2008 at 5:05pm: Hi Amanda,

I have to say, as I read your post it sounded like you were writing directly to me. I am in the process of developing an internet-based business while working a fulltime restaurant management career. I have averaged 3 to 4 hours per evening, after my 50+ hour work-week with the restaurant working on this project.

My intention is to monitize it, and use it as a second stream of income.

In November of 2007, I began my adventure into this more entrepreneurial spirit. Having worked for someone else all of my life, I wanted to venture out and further express and define myself. I put together a website and started blogging about a second passion of mine, personal development and achievement.

It has always given me great pleasure helping others achieve their potential. Restaurant management has given me plenty of opportunity in this endeavor, but I still have an insatiable need to do more. I want to help as many people as possible to achieve their greatest selves.

I have amassed a sizeable following to my website and newsletter, and continue to receive favorable correspondence and appreciation for my insight and advice from my readers @ www.GatherGreatness.com/blog.

In 2009 I am on target to begin an online,
as well as offline coaching program.

Bill
bill@gathergreatness.com

Comment by Leigh Caraccioli on December 18, 2008 at 2:16pm: Thank you, Amanda, for making my slash career possible. You were my inspiration!!!!

Comment by Amanda Hite on December 17, 2008 at 4:33am: @ "Connie's rule"

I'm starting to think so too..

Comment by Connie on December 16, 2008 at 6:28pm: Connie it would truly depend on who you asked, lol. Some days I feel like a forward and then there are others when I feel like it's two back slashes.

Connies rule

Comment by Connie on December 16, 2008 at 6:26pm: Until recently, I only carried one, then I developed 2 one for Culinary Stuff and then one for general business. I do have multiple resumes and I will and can tailor them as needed.

I take a lot of notes now and keep everything, which I am now working on getting out from under keeping all the paper. I have just recently realized that everything I do is of value I just spent a month working with a company bringing them in to the culinary school I graduated from to get the students externships. It never dawned on me how they were watching me and what I did. The school consist of a lot of students starting second careers and I was doing career training and coaching and told them about how it was ok to tie all of their lives together to make a happy career little did I know it was the latest crazy. Here I just thought I was suffering from split personality, go figure, I just knew that I was happy with me being me.

Comment by Amanda Hite on December 16, 2008 at 6:17pm: Connie, i love it. What are your best practices for managing so many roles? Do you carry multiple business cards?

Non-Operator Comment by Connie, One Fat Frog on December 16, 2008 at 6:16pm: The real question is, Connie, are you a backslash or a forward slash?

hehehe ;) Nice to see another Connie out there.