Job Seekers (and Supporters!) November Resource Deep Dive: Patchwork Careers

What if your next career move isn't another job—but a different way of working? Many of us have been taught to think about our careers in a pretty linear way: find a full-time role, work for one employer, move up, repeat. But that's far from the only option. More professionals are creating careers on their own terms—blending consulting, freelance work, part-time or fractional roles, entrepreneurial ventures, and other opportunities into work that better fits their skills, values, and lives. Join us for a conversation with Erin Chmelik, an entrepreneur who has spent nearly a decade building her own path through her design business Hello Rising Tide. Erin will share how she thinks about work without a “company tether,” what opportunities exist outside the traditional career path, and how to start exploring possibilities you may not have considered. This isn't necessarily about quitting your job and starting a business. It's about widening your definition of what a career can look like—and giving yourself permission to build something that works for you. Come ready to question some of the assumptions we've inherited about work, explore what's possible, and leave with fresh ideas for what your next chapter could look like. The Alliance Center's Job Seekers Meet Up is a space for people navigating career transitions, searching for meaningful work, or exploring what’s next — together. So much of job hunting is built on scarcity: limited roles, guarded leads, quiet competition.