One of the small complications of being a portfolio careerist is figuring out how to present your overlapping permanent positions and short-term projects on your resume, and then talking them through in an interview situation.
Chances are if you are applying for a position at an established, large organization, your recruiter is likely to start asking questions to the effect of “Are you going to use your time on the clock for us and our resources to pursue outside unrelated projects?” Which is why you need to head off that line of questioning at the pass by incorporating your portfolio career as part of the pitch for why you’re the right hire for the position.
Having been through this conversation a number of times over the course of my career, I’ve found the key factors for navigating this topic successfully are:
- being transparent about your overlapping projects
- reinforcing what you learned from the projects
- clarifying what overlapping projects, if any, you have at the moment
- ensuring you gain understanding from the recruiter and the hiring manager on the organization’s policies about concurrent projects
Continue reading “How to Use a Portfolio Career as an Asset When Applying for Jobs”