How to Build a Portfolio Career After Leaving Full-Time Employment?

From Full-Time Executive to Independent Adviser: How to Build a Portfolio Career

“They flew me there in first class. Come to think of it, the flight took longer than the work.”

Jeffrey was telling me about his latest assignment as a senior adviser to a government in the Middle East. The country was moving away from its decade of dependency on the energy trade and been building its foundations to be leading global trade & supply chain hub & accelerated with the recent conflict in the Middle East. They needed someone who understood global trade, ports, shipping, logistics, supply chain, digital trade and the complicated web of people and systems connecting them, and tapped on him to be their advisors.

This was the first time I had seen Jeffrey in two years. The last time we met, he was preparing to leave salaried employment after spending most of his career working for large organisations. He knew he was ready to build something of his own, but he was less certain about what that would look like.

His first attempt was a Sino-Singapore joint venture. It did not work out.

Two years later, he is a different man. He now advises governments and companies, trains teams in the Middle East and China, and helps businesses enter markets where he has spent years building relationships.

On some assignments, a day of his time is now worth more than a month of his former salary.

Make your expertise visible so clients can find you

Jeffrey began posting regularly on LinkedIn after leaving his job. He shared his certifications, speaking engagements, awards and professional appointments.

This was not simply self-promotion. His view is that these posts demonstrates what you know, and every visible piece of evidence makes the next opportunity a little easier to earn.

Within weeks, he secured his first training engagement. The session went so well that participants began recommending him to other organisations. More invitations followed, including assignments in the Middle East and China, where his ability to work in both English and Mandarin gave him an added advantage.

Within six months, companies were approaching him.

“The client is usually already convinced by the time they ask to speak to me,” he said.

His LinkedIn profile may be where people find him, but the trust behind it was built over decades. Jeffrey has contributed to the Singapore Computer Society for about 16 years and has spent much of that time leading its Supply Chain Management Chapter. He is now its President.

He advises people to join trade associations, but not merely to collect names or attend the occasional dinner, but to build up a reputation as a subject matter expert, long before you need it.

Use retainers to create a stable income base

Leaving a steady job was unnerving, particularly as the father of two children. A portfolio of promising projects did not initially feel as secure as a salary arriving on the same date every month.

Jeffrey therefore built several related sources of income. To supplement his steady training revenue, Jeffrey began placing some clients on retainers. The retainer does not simply buy a fixed number of hours. It ensures that he continues thinking about the client between assignments, making introductions and watching for opportunities that may help them enter new markets. Training and retainers give him a stable base, while consulting gave him the larger upside.

Each stream reinforced the others. A training engagement could lead to an advisory conversation. An introduction could uncover a larger project. A speaking engagement could bring him to the attention of a government or company that needed precisely his combination of experience.

Jeffrey has built a fractional career long before it was fashionable.

Bring in trusted specialists when the work grows

Jeffrey once told a former boss that a project could not be done because there was not enough money. His boss replied,

“Don’t tell me you can’t do it because of money. Tell me how much you need, and I’ll find the money, even if it means taking on debt.”

Jeffrey remembers the conversation because it changed how he thought about resources. The question was no longer whether he could personally do everything. It was what people, funding and partnerships would be required to produce the result.

Today, when an assignment requires more than one person can deliver, Jeffrey assembles a team of experienced specialists from the network he has built over many years. He selects them according to the skills required, remains accountable for the overall strategy and brings their work together into one solution. This allows him to take on larger projects without sinking money into building a permanent team.

Build a reputation before you leave your job

It would be easy to look at Jeffrey’s life today and conclude that he got lucky.

But he worked hard for it. He had been laying the groundwork for years across PSA, IMDA, YCH Group, A.P. Moller – Maersk and other organisations. He made the effort to deepen his ties whenever he entered a new market, contributed to a professional association, spoke at an industry event or helped someone without expecting an immediate return.

By the time he left full-time employment, he was not starting from zero. He was turning two decades of experience, relationships and credibility into a different way of working.

For leaders considering a similar move, Jeffrey’s story is a reminder to build your reputation that is independent of your employer through visible, quality work.

As told to Eileen Soh by Jeffrey Tan.

Subscribe to EileenSoh.com for more stories on how to build a reputation that open doors.

Jeffrey Tan is a supply chain and digital transformation leader with more than two decades of international experience across trade, ports, maritime, logistics and technology. He is President of the Singapore Computer Society’s Supply Chain Management Chapter and advises governments and businesses on digital trade, smart ports, supply chain & digital transformation and international expansion. He welcomes conversations with governments and companies exploring work in these areas. Check out his LinkedIn.