Yesterday we talked about “unicorns” at work introducing the concepts of I-, T-, and M-Shaped individuals. Today, I want to expand that conversation to another category.
These are the multi-passionate or sometimes referred to as hybrid professionals. They have deep interest and experience in several areas and work to understand the unique perspective that comes from the overlap of two passion areas. These interests can sometimes be very diverse and it’s at the intersection of these categories that magic can happen.
The resource I’ve found that really dives into this topic with both a book and workbook is “More Than My Title: The Power of Hybrid Professionals in a Workforce of Experts and Generalists”.
The book pushes you to think outside of the traditional definitions of work and explore how all your interests (work and outside) blend together to create your unique perspective.
My Perspective
Reading this book several years ago was the first time that I connected to a professional framework that expressed how I felt about my own experiences and knowledge.
Talking with others, I’ve discovered that there are many who feel the same.
Using a Venn diagram technique, you see both your primary and secondary experiences displayed in a visual map. This map can support you in defining strengths you bring that can be difficult to articulate.
I believe that this tool combined with the I-, T-, M- Framework from yesterday’s posts can be a great tool for career development. You can look at the maps to see where you’ve been, where you are, and plan where you want to go.
Recently, I’ve also discovered a podcast that focuses on careers that mix different passions called The Portfolio Career. This could be another good resource if this post speaks to you.
Your Turn
Did you resonate more with yesterday’s post or with this description of the hybrid professional?
When you think about your personal Venn Diagram, how many large circles are there? 2? 3? 4?
What falls in the overlaps between the large circles?