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It’s a financial rule to have a diversified investment portfolio. That’s how we should also view our lives—let’s call it a “Portfolio of Life.”
Diverse experiences can be beneficial to our lives, careers and the companies we work for (or start). When we think about career trajectory in past decades, most people did one job for years and then retired. That was the old way of work, but with the evolution of technology, opportunity at an all-time high and the Great Resignation wave, people are finding ways to pivot towards more meaningful work.
We are living in a time where the talent pool is becoming more dynamic—especially from untapped historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and smaller colleges. This allows for more creative, diverse perspectives in the workplace. Knowing how to articulate your unique perspective and skills from your Portfolio of Life is key for future aspirations.
Life isn’t linear, find your opportunity
In life, there is never a straight line from point A to point B. The journey in between is what builds character and defines the person you are meant to become.
This year will mark 10 years since my graduating from college and my American Idol experience. Since then, I’ve gone from acting and singing in shows and movies to multiple roles at Intel and Roku, to now leading b-to-b social media for Cadence Design Systems.
When I decided to pivot from entertainment to tech, I was told many times that big tech companies don’t hire from small schools. Knowing that I wasn’t going to get hired at a big tech firm because of the school I graduated from, I sought another opportunity and took a contract job at Intel. Sometimes you just need a foot in the door and that can change everything.
Learn how to articulate your transferable skills
Finding a career path where current skills are transferable is imperative—for me, coming from an entertainment background and looking to break into tech, it was marketing skills with an emphasis on social media.
Once I landed at Intel as a contractor, the objective was to meet as many people as I could. After being there for a few months, I realized that was the wrong strategy.
So I worked on my elevator pitch and started seeking out like-minded folks and allies in the tech industry. At this time, diversity & inclusion was becoming a hot topic, so I took an interest in that field.
About nine months after starting my contract job, I met a colleague who changed the course of my life. They introduced me to a newly appointed vp at Intel. After talking for about five minutes, we both knew I’d be joining the team as a social media strategist, focusing on diversity and inclusion initiatives. It was the perfect next step for me.
A huge component of finding this job was my ability to network, explain my competitive advantage, show how it could be used in my social media role and clearly articulate my transferable skills conversationally, in story form.
Your story is your personal brand—use it
Tell your story, all of it. We are all unique but similar in so many ways—you never know who your story might help.
I often talk to people who want to pivot to tech and encourage them to do so. Life isn’t linear, and your timeline will be different from others’, but there are ways to make the transition, find or create your opportunity and learn how to articulate your transferable skills. Telling your story is powerful and, in most cases, the deciding factor for opening that door.
I was a late bloomer with my first tech job coming in my late 20s, but the experiences before that prepared me for where I am today. When I think about where I am now and the life choices I’ve made, I’ve accomplished every goal I had as a young kid: I was a professional singer and actor. I was an American Idol finalist. I got my college degree and played collegiate basketball. I’ve worked at one of the biggest tech companies in the world, and now I’m building a career where tech, entertainment and culture intersect.
With diverse experiences, companies and businesses now reap the benefits of hiring talent who also have their own personal brands. But knowing how to articulate transferable skills will prove to be most important.
What’s in your Portfolio of Life?
