CAREER SPOTLIGHT


insurance, being your own IT technician and buying your own equipment (get a good printer!), as well as planning in time to do your admin. Remember, too, that there are no paid holidays, no


sick pay, and no-one other than yourself is there to organise your professional development. Looking back, I also recognise that I have done a lot of work for no remuneration and in other cases I wouldn’t want to work out how low my hourly rate actually was! If a piece of work takes longer than you expect, then tough. So do take time to plan out and cost the work involved, as accurately as you can, to


make sure you aren’t left out of pocket. However, taking on a particular piece of work is about more than the remuneration. It might give you some experience or it might allow you to work with someone from whom you can learn.


So why do I do it? It has given me flexibility. This was a boon when my children


were at home, but it did mean that I often worked into the early hours to hit deadlines. I do think that freelancing/portfolio working suits certain types of characters. On the one hand, there is an element of risk with which you must be comfortable while, on the other, there is more freedom – but it is only freedom if you are getting the work. What’s been more important for me is that I have been in control. It is also important to consider that you might


feel isolated. No more opportunities for those quick catch-ups by the water dispenser. If this is important to you, you’ll need to find alternatives, even if it’s making time to have a cup of coffee with colleagues and contacts rather than always resorting to email. I would like to be able to say that you need a plan, but I didn’t have one in terms of where I thought my career would go. But you do need to plan your finances, for sure.


What I do think has helped is that I am inquisitive and hugely interested in the sector – perhaps just nosy. There hasn’t been one year when I haven’t done courses and many of them have led to qualifications or other forms of recognition. Colleagues in the FE sector are a generous lot and


are willing to share. You also need to be generous and share. And always, always attribute other people’s work and materials if you are going to use them. If you choose to go freelance and become a


portfolio worker, don’t expect to be better off financially, but it might just allow you to contribute to the sector in a different way than being a payroll employee.


Donna Lucas


is group vice-principal, HR and professional development, at the Shrewsbury Colleges Group and chairs the Association of Colleges’ West Midlands HR Network. She is a Member of SET and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.


InTUITION ISSUE 36 • SUMMER 2019 31 inUITION ISSUE 35 • SPRING 2019


DEVELOP YOUR CAREER BY DIVERSIFYING By Donna Lucas


Some of the happiest colleagues I’ve worked with in this sector have developed their careers in many different directions, often away from their initial area of expertise. A growth mindset, when applied to how colleagues engage with their work, has presented opportunities that have kept their career interesting and diverse over time. Teachers are increasingly involved in the new delivery models for apprenticeships, for example. Often they are engaged on matters concerning the management of the institutions they work in or, as their career develops, they are invited to teach in areas such as professional development or teacher education. I’d observe that such teachers remain highly engaged and that the diversity of their day-to-day activities often provides a stimulation that I’m told may be lacking when delivering a single topic or subject area.


Inspired by Gail Lydon’s article opposite on portfolio


careers, I believe it’s possible for some to engineer a portfolio role in their own organisation. It may sound counter-intuitive since, perhaps, we


may think of larger colleges and training providers as organisations that like to fit employees into specific roles that leave little room for diversification. But in truth the FE sector has always needed to be adaptable, and this means that teachers and trainers have often had the chance to take on a range of different roles and responsibilities. Several people have done this at my own institution. With a ‘can do’ attitude it’s simply a case of making senior managers aware you welcome a diverse role. Make proposals when you spot an opportunity and share your ideas.


Building a range of experiences and a positive reputation can only be career enhancing, and before you know where you are you’ll be one of those indispensable individuals on which the foundations of any good organisation are built. Just make sure you don’t overload yourself.


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