While there aren’t any statistics available on the percentage of the population that identifies as being multi-passionate, there are some trends that indicate an increase in following multiple career passions.
- Rise of Gig Economy – Individuals working in the gig economy have more flexibility to pursue multiple career interests simultaneously.
- Internet Connectivity – People can easily access information and connect with others who share their interests. They can start their own businesses and engage in global business.
- Work Life Integration – As people look for fulfillment and meaning in their lives, they are beginning to prioritize passions and interests outside of their primary “day job” work.
As these trends increase and individuals look to create a portfolio career, opportunities are emerging for both the individual and companies.
My Perspective
For the individual, here are a few opportunities I believe would be interesting to explore:
- Spend Time Planning – Multi-passionate people can sometimes have so many interests that it’s difficult to focus and come up with a plan. Spending quiet time mapping out all the possibilities and then narrowing them down to just a few areas of focus will help in job searches, marketing yourself, and ensuring you don’t overcommit to more than you can handle.
- Rethink the Resume – Consider finding a structure that documents the actual jobs you had, but also highlights ways your multiple passions weaved through the experiences over the years.
- Develop a Portfolio – Portfolios are something that artists, photographers, and other creatives bring to a job interview. Case studies are something that businesses use when presenting capabilities. Multi-passionates could consider developing a personal portfolio to highlight the unique aspects of their background and breadth of interests.
For companies, the list below contains just a few of the opportunity areas to consider to support the multi-passionate candidates in the job market and more employees looking to explore passions.
- Consider “Jobs” Differently – Do all roles need to be full time? Consider part-time and project-based work for all disciplines in the company. This approach enables a business to bring in expertise when needed and not have the overhead of a full-time employee.
- Leverage Multi-Passionates for Creativity – Because of their breadth of interests, these individuals could be a great addition to a brainstorming session to add fresh ideas.
- Embrace Passions Beyond the Job – Find ways to let employees explore other passions. Creativity in other areas of interest will bring fresh ideas to their mainstream role.
Your Turn
What do you think of the ideas to embrace the growth of the multi-passionate workstyle?
Do you think there are benefits to the flexibility of exploring multiple interests?
How could you explore multiple interests to enhance your creativity?