Choosing your career might seem like a piece of cake for some people – you follow what you are good at, study it or practice, and then you have your career path sorted. Well, for most of us it’s not that simple. How many times have you asked yourself whether you are on the right path or questioned your career choices? How many times have you wished you didn’t have to sacrifice your hobbies and interests in order to work at a job that doesn’t excite you half as much?
Digitalization Works in Your Favor
The good news is that we are definitely in a better position than 20, or even 10, years ago. With the rise of the Internet and social media, there are more new job positions than one can count. Being exposed to all these new and exciting opportunities is definitely a good thing – however, it can also be quite daunting. Then comes the good old question: which one should I choose? Well, that’s the beauty of it – you don’t have to.
Emma Gannon – the Master of All
Emma Gannon, a social media sensation, whose job is…well, it’s probably easier to say what she doesn’t do. She started her career in 2010 with her blog, talking a little bit about everything: fashion, lifestyle, feminism, literature, and politics. She then decided that blogging wasn’t enough and took her writing career to the next level, writing the book Ctrl, Alt; Delete: How I Grew Up Online. And so she became an author. In 2016, she started her podcast “Ctrl Alt Delete”, where she touches upon various topics with fascinating guests such as actors, writers, artists, activists, and more. It turned out to be a huge success and Emma managed to gather an over 5-million-strong audience who listen to her interviews.
She also started her own class on the popular SkillShare website, which offers multiple online courses. She additionally writes for the business column of The Sunday Times. Recently, she wrote her first fictional novel, which will be published in 2020. Whether it’s writing, marketing, PR, podcasting, teaching, interviewing, or being a photographer – there is basically nothing that Emma doesn’t do and she encourages others to do the same.
She is a great example that you don’t need a specific focus and can combine the things you love and are good at and make them work together – or separately.
The Multi-Hyphen Living
How did Emma manage to do all that? And what exactly is her career, or job title? A lot of people have asked these questions; Emma decided to reply with a book. In 2018, she published Multi-Hyphen Method, explaining how to turn your hobbies into your career and your “side hustles into a startup”. The revolutionary entrepreneur has proven that we no longer have to define ourselves with what we do professionally. Do you want to be an artist, activist, and author? Fine. A model, blogger, and host a podcast? Also fine. Emma reassures us that anything is possible.
Design Your Own Career
Is it that simple though? Not quite. There are, of course, still multiple careers that require our entire focus, specific education, or training and are less flexible. However, with the rise of digitalization, our options are not at all limited. Feeling like you don’t fit or simply having too much interest is no longer a bad thing. Nowadays, with a smartphone and a laptop you can design your own career. It gives us the opportunity to work remotely, you can be anywhere and, as long as you have Wi-Fi, you’re good to go. It is a bit scary and definitely requires to get out of the comfort zone, but it’s time to break the barriers and stigmatization of having to define oneself by a job title.
Don’t Compromise
By allowing ourselves to open up to the possibilities, by working remotely, we can live happier and fuller lives, not compromising our work and what we love to do. There are so many outlets available nowadays that we no longer have to follow anyone else’s definition of success.
Incorporating the ‘Multi-Hyphen’ method into your life will not only turn your passion into your craft but will also allow you to have a more flexible and healthier attitude towards your job. It is, of course, not as easy as it sounds – you need to get “out there” and get ready to come up against societal expectations and prejudice, which still unfortunately exist.
A Job Title Doesn’t Define You
Gannon encourages us to drop the “jack of all trades, master of none” kind of mind-set. We live in a time when, despite the still-existing judgement, it’s possible to lead the change and take matters into our own hands. We don’t have to feel guilty about not having a specific idea. The answer to the question, “Who do you want to be in the future?” is, “Anyone and everyone.” And that’s not a bad thing.
If you need a push to get things started, now is the time. The world of freelancing awaits!
If you want to find out more about ‘Multi-Hyphen’ living, you can get Emma’s book here.
