Workplace

Sean Aiken’s résumé is twice as long as most people’s, said Maura Judkis in U.S. News & World Report. The 26-year-old hasn’t held down a job for more than a week. “After graduating as valedictorian of his class from British Columbia’s Capilano College, Aiken decided to travel across North America to try 52 careers in 52 weeks.” Aiken has had fulfilling jobs (raising money for cancer) and bad jobs (picking cattails in a swamp). And he’s a little closer to knowing what he wants to do. “I want changing tasks, something with flexibility, something that doesn’t require me to be in an office all day.” He’s been chronicling his experiences on his Web site, Oneweekjob.com.

A growing number of professionals really are opting out of the traditional one-job track, said Toddi Gutner in The Wall Street Journal. As more companies roll out flexible work arrangements and hire specialists, it’s getting easier to be a “portfolio careerist.” Over the past couple of years, the number of people on dual career paths has doubled, according to John A. Challenger, president of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. This “isn’t just about cobbling together a patchwork of freelance gigs.” It’s about nurturing distinct careers, whether they be doctor and marketing expert or “litigation consultant and cartoonist.” The idea is to keep your corporate gig and still have time to pursue your passion.