Create your marketing materials

- When you're a portfolio careerist, figuring out how to market yourself can be the trickiest part of this whole equation. I mean, if you're an engineering manager, an opera singer, and a piano teacher, how on earth do you position your personal brand so that it's both cohesive and powerful? Well, there's not one single answer to this question because every portfolio is unique. Here are three tips to ensure your marketing materials come together in a way that positions you for success across every income stream. First, if you can identify a common thread that runs through all of your jobs or projects, run with that. This might be easiest if you follow an expert model and your income streams all tie together. For instance, I can market myself as someone who helps people navigate job search, advance their careers, and make career pivots. No matter the variety of my assignments, this is at the heart of what I do and a central theme in how I position myself. But you might also be able to find a common thread if you're that engineering manager/opera singer/piano teacher, for example. Maybe you're a master at combining art and science to make products, lessons, and experiences that truly resonate with those you serve. Next, think about the value you deliver to others and lead with that. People care a whole lot more about the problems that you can solve for them than the actual products or services you offer. So even if you've got a ton of diversity in your work, you might realize that everything that you do professionally helps people simplify their lives, communicate better with others, or improve their health and wellbeing. Third, realize that you will likely need to utilize multiple platforms and vary your messaging on these platforms if your portfolio is quite diverse. For instance, if you're marketing a product or service to teens or young adults, TikTok is probably a great place to be. But if you're a management consultant in a super conservative field, your core marketing platform is more likely to be your resume, a pitch letter, or your LinkedIn profile. Figure out where you need to be and how you can best and most cohesively share your story. Yes, it may require a bit more work than someone with a single job or career path, but if you're feeling strongly that a portfolio career is for you, the benefits of reaching the right people with the right messages will be many.