The Art of Simultaneous Professions
‘œNothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.’ ‘“ James Matthew Barrie
According to a guest post by A.J. Jacobs on Brazen Careerist, he predicts that the double-job trend is making a comeback! Who wants to be pigeonholed into just one profession during the paycheck collecting phase of life? Pity the doctor, the lawyer, the accountant. Hooray for the mortgage broker who does stand-up or the sales rep who peddles landscaping talents on weekends.
Jacobs writes, ‘œAll the great figures of the eighteenth and nineteenth century had at least two simultaneous jobs, maybe more.’ Modern work is starting to learn from history.
Penelope Trunk introduced the concept a year ago when she wrote, ‘œMost people have skills that cross into more than one profession. And if you take any one of the popular personality tests offered by web sites and career counselors you will find that peoples’ personalities do not fit neatly into one type of profession either. So the idea of having to choose one single profession is frequently unappealing.’
Marci Alboher, the author of the book called One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model For Work/Life Success, believes that, ‘œWhen the disparate threads of one’s life are woven together in this way, the whole of you comes out.’ She calls this the ‘œslash’ phenomenon ‘“ when you add a slash or two to your job description. As in:
- Pharmacist / jewelry maker / eBay seller
- Mgr of human resources / caterer / art collector
- Systems engineer / Champaign importer & connoisseur
Here’s a real life example: Fritz Klein, a bisexual psychiatrist and inventor of the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid also dabbled as an actor and felt that the two careers were very complementary. See the picture of duality?
Jane M. Von Bergen interviewed Alboher in The phenomenon of slash / careers. She writes, ‘œAlboher used to be slash-less, just a plain old lawyer in New York. But once she got interested in people with multiple careers, she noticed them everywhere – just the way pregnant women suddenly notice that everyone at the mall has either a belly or a buggy.’
So what’s on either side of your slash? How are you making money in more than one profession? Share your thoughts and slashes below.
I suppose that’s comforting. Administrative Assistant by day, quilter/blogger by night!
I am a registered respiratory therapist working in a hospital and have a supplement business on the side. Have gotten so into nutrition I am completing a Masters in Holistic Nutrition. I greatly enjoy helping folks support their wellness with supplements and good nutrition.
Yup, I’m an assistant director at a child development center/copyeditor/curriculum writer, and my husband is a stage manager/actor/fight choreographer/tutor. Everyone we know has more than one job, just to make ends meet, afford their kids’ tuition, etc.
Contract tech by day… quilter by night… and I’m about to start creating knitting patterns for sale as well!
I own a business selling medical uniforms via a storefront as well as online. Soon my slash career will be selling health and life insurance.
Teacher/student/scientist/investor
Chief Financial Officer/ Software Development Project Manager/ Children’s Book Author are my three current simultaneous jobs.
Thanks for the great comments. I should have mentioned mine:
software sales / world business traveler / real estate investor / landlord / writer / blogger / tired
Chemist / Artist on Etsy / MBA Student
I intend that middle one to stick around no matter what I turn the first one into after completing my degree.