Across our community, a quiet recalibration is happening. Many of today’s Black college students and recent graduates watched their parents build careers in places that were once called stable. Public agencies. Long standing corporations. The federal government. They saw the commitment, the long hours, and the belief that loyalty would be repaid. Then they watched year-over-year  layoffs and hiring freezes arrive anyway. People who did everything right were left exposed. Benefits shrank. Progress stalled. Promises shifted. This generation watched and took notes.

What did they learn? Do not put your entire life in the hands of one employer. Diversify your options. Build skills that travel. Make room for paid projects that match your values. Stability, for them, is not a single paycheck. It is a portfolio of ways to create value and earn.

There is another lesson they absorbed at home. Many of their parents worked nonstop. Overtime. Second and third shifts. Commuting before sunrise and returning after dinner. Self-care was a luxury, or it was postponed to a future that kept moving. This generation wants better. They are setting boundaries. They are choosing therapy and rest. They are saying yes to hobbies and health. They’re rejecting cultures that demand sacrifice without reciprocity. Putting themselves first is not selfish in their eyes. They are the priority.

They are also multi- hyphen by design. More than one interest. More than one skill. Coding and community organizing. Policy research and product design. Storytelling and spreadsheets. They want work that lets them use the full range of their abilities, not a job description that trims them down. This happens through side ventures, fellowships, and contracts. All of it reflects a refusal to be defined by a single title.

There are real advantages to this approach. Multiple income streams can cushion shocks. A broader skill set creates leverage in negotiations. Cross-domain experience sparks creativity and resilience. Networks widen. Confidence grows. The odds of being trapped by one manager, one budget cycle, or one reorg go down.

There are tradeoffs too. Juggling roles can be tiring. Benefits tied to one employer could be reduced, if working part time, or nonexistent. Financial planning gets more complex. Also, not every workplace understands or respects non-linear paths. Building a portfolio life requires intention, boundaries, and consistent care.