Work Dual Careers: How to Be a Slasher

Gulati, Richa. “Their Double Life: Some take the plunge, while others learn to slash.” Little India. Feb. 2008: 31.
Richa Gulati’s web site (click on “Articles” to read other articles)

While waiting to meet a friend for lunch at my favorite restaurant, Bombay Cafe in Fairfax, Virginia, I found myself intrigued by this article in Little India magazine.

What in the world is a “slasher?” It’s someone who has dual careers. Richa Gulati writes about many interesting people “leading a double life” as, for example, lawyer/writer, doctor/journalist, businessman/actor. The term “slasher” comes from the slash in each career description.

Probably Marci Alboher first coined this term in her book One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success (Business Plus: 23 Feb. 2007). She says that “slashers are a personality type” who participate in diverse activities throughout their lives (Gulati, “Their Double Life”).

Richa Gulati writes about how Indian Americans have to deal with family pressure to pursue conventional education and careers. To enter better schools, they are also introduced to the arts and other more expressive pursuits at a young age. So they get a taste of “the other side” early on.

This well-written article works through the many issues we all deal with nowadays as we have to invest so much in our careers. Yet quite a few of us, once we’re “there,” still feel unfulfilled after investing so much time and effort.

Richa Gulati discusses some practical tips as to how you can implement your own dual career track by consulting and identifying blocks of free time when you could, say, write or take a course in acting.

She also points out that if you decide to pursue dual careers, you may have to give up the competitive “fast track.” However, some likely payoffs are a broader perspective and avoiding career burnout.

This is an enjoyable article well worth reading. Read Richa Gulati’s full article.