Branching Out: Alternative Workplaces and Portfolio Careers--Generation X Goes Its Own Way

By: Tamara Erickson

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Synopsis: More than any other contemporary generation, Generation X'ers are attracted to work that offers alternative arrangements and a portfolio of options. Working independently, founding entrepreneurial ventures, joining small firms, and juggling multiple jobs simultaneously are hallmarks of Generation X. Many of you feel crowded in corporate careers, concerned about a Boomer ceiling that will forever cap your upside potential. If you are drawn to being independent, entrepreneurial, or part of a small company, this chapter is for you. It focuses on three new possibilities for Gen X - the alternative workplace of both small and independent companies, the entrepreneurial route and key lessons to minimize its risk, and portfolio lives that blend careers, spreading risk and laying the groundwork for future opportunities. Author Tamara Erickson will help you consider whether branching out-moving out of the large corporate environment or diversifying beyond one organization-is for you. This chapter was originally published as Chapter 7 of What's Next, Gen X?: Keeping Up, Moving Ahead, and Getting the Career You Want.