As the development sector weathers funding cuts, hiring freezes, and deep organizational shifts, some professionals are rethinking what a meaningful and sustainable career might look like moving forward.
“What better time to start diversifying our career path than now if we haven't done so already,” Kelsi Kriitmaa, a leadership and executive coach who has worked across humanitarian, United Nations, and philanthropic sectors, said during a recent Devex digital careers event on how to navigate a portfolio career path.
“A portfolio career is essentially multiple income streams and identities,” she said. These may include consulting, fractional or short-term work, advisory positions, and board roles across a range of areas, such as teaching, facilitation, or content creation, for example.