The UK’s “one career for life” model is fading fast. According to the Office for National Statistics, more than 1.2 million people now work multiple jobs, while separate research from IPSE suggests the number of portfolio careers has grown steadily over the past decade as professionals look to diversify income and reduce risk.
For most, that means a side hustle. For Joseph Dupré, it effectively means three careers. He is a practising GP, a contemporary sculptor, and the person responsible for turning that artistic practice into a viable business. Each role is demanding in its own right. Together, they form a model that reflects a broader shift in how modern careers are being built.
In today’s economy, doing the job is rarely the whole job. In the creative industries, that’s long been understood. Artists don’t just create art; they’re expected to act as marketers, salespeople, and brand builders.
Dupré’s experience is a clear example. Alongside his medical career, he has developed a sculptural practice spanning both figurative and object-based work. But producing the work is only part of the equation. The harder task is ensuring it is seen and sold.
“In many ways, making the work is the easy part,” he says. “The harder part is everything that comes after.”
That “everything” includes building relationships with galleries, engaging collectors, maintaining visibility, and navigating an art market. For business audiences, there is a familiar parallel here. Many founders will recognise the challenge of explaining and justifying something that requires context, positioning and a degree of interpretation before its worth is fully understood.
In Dupré’s case, that means operating in a space where success depends not just on the quality of the work, but on how effectively it is framed. That framing is, in effect, his third career. Like any business owner, he must think about audience, pricing, positioning and timing. There is no separation between creator and commercial lead. The same person produces the work and builds the market for it.
It’s a model that is increasingly common beyond the arts. From consultants building personal brands to founders balancing delivery with fundraising, the expectation that professionals can operate across multiple roles is becoming standard. They’re choosing to build ventures alongside other roles, rather than committing fully from day one.
But the trade-off is clear. Managing multiple careers requires more than time. It demands a shift in mindset, the ability to move between disciplines, to think both creatively and commercially, and to accept that success depends as much on visibility as it does on output.
For business leaders, the lesson is simple. The boundaries between roles are disappearing. The ability to deliver is no longer enough; the ability to position, communicate and sell has become equally important.
Dupré’s model may be unusual in its specifics, but it reflects a broader reality. In today’s economy, you are not just doing the job. You are building the business around it. And increasingly, that means doing more than one job at once.
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