Marci Alboher’s fabulous book, One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success, is filled with stories of “slashes,” people who have created multiple careers in their lives, such as a lawyer/filmmaker, a hip-hop artist/investment banker, a minister/lawyer, a rabbi/comic, even a nonprofit director/accountant. Marci shares practical tips for people who want to add another career to their repertoire to fulfill a passion, make more money, or both. It’s really an empowering look at how you can “custom blend” your careers instead of being stuck with one label or getting pigeonholed into one role. The successful stories of the slashes in the book show that you can have more than one interest and try on different hats, and in the process become more fulfilled and financially stable. Some look at their “slash” as a part-time job, some build an entire second career.

Marci’s book provides insight for those who work in the nonprofit sector who gripe (with reason) that they don’t make nearly enough money. Newsflash: the rate of pay is not going to change anytime soon, so assuming you can’t change the system, adding a slash career could help pay the bills. Moreover, many young nonprofit professionals burnout after just a few years of working in a nonprofit because they view their day job as their only option of living out their values while at the same time providing a stable financial future for themselves. Marci’s book assures us that this not necessarily the case. You can slash your life and become more self-sufficient and fulfilled as a nonprofit employee. Let me tell you about a few nonprofit slashes I know:

• Kevin, a development director/yoga instructor
• Ben, a communications director/aerobics teacher
• Elisa, a program coordinator/adult toy party consultant
• Rebecca, a program manager/property manager
• Eric, a program manager/artist/graphic designer
• Carol, a program director/financial planning consultant

All of these people are living out their values and earning a better living while working in the nonprofit sector. They also seem more satisfied with their lives because they get to be well-rounded. They get to work in all of the areas they love and increase their income at the same time. Their day jobs provide the stability, health insurance, and connection to an organization, while their other endeavors allow them to be more creative and bring every aspect of themselves into their work. If you’ve been stuck in a nonprofit career rut or are thinking about switching jobs just to earn $5,000 more a year, I’d encourage you to think about cultivating a slash career, especially if you want to do the following.

Earn Supplemental Income

Working part-time at anything can add more benjamins to your bank account. Just because you’re a nonprofit employee doesn’t mean you can’t have another job on the side to make ends meet or pay for that dream vacation. Why don’t you stop working so many late nights and weekends and devote some of that time to another paid position? Or, consider starting your own small business based on your other talents or interests.

Explore Your Other Passions

Adding a slash to your life can open up exciting doors beyond your nonprofit role. I’ve met so many people that talk about things that they used to love in college like playing music, doing art, or writing poetry. If you’ve always had an interest, this might just be the time to pursue it as an additional career. My mom got an MBA, landed a plum job in the corporate consulting world, but realized her heart wasn’t in it. After developing a personal mission statement, she discovered that what she really wanted to do was get back into being a fitness trainer. She studied the certification materials for three months, passed the required tests, and set herself up to train clients as a slash career. My mom is just one example. The sky is the limit for you. For every interest, there is a slash career just waiting to be found.

Develop Leadership Skills to Use in Your Nonprofit Job

Being the boss in your slash career can help you build the confidence to practice leadership in your nonprofit role. People who have their own business can be more decisive in their day jobs because they’ve obtained leadership experience in another setting. No matter what slash you choose, you are in charge of it, and that attitude can carry over into your regular working life and allow you to think more like a leader.

If you’re thinking about cultivating a slash career, you may want to check out other resources from Marci at www.heymarci.com.