A squiggly' career!
What is it and how to get the best out of it?
Moving frequently and fluidly between roles, industries, locations, and even careers, is becoming the new normal, say Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis in their book Squiggly Careers.
But, What a squiggly career is, and what are the 5 skills we all need to invest in?
“A squiggly career is full of change and challenge, where the future is fluid not fixed, and where we can develop in many different directions” cit.
Today, the linear concept of the ladder we have used for a century is out of sync with our reality.
The ladder concept assumes that we’re all motivated by the same thing:
becoming more senior, that we all work in places where endless promotions are possible and that any direction but ‘up’.
This outdated concept leads to comparison, unhealthy competition, and people losing confidence.
On the opposite, squiggly careers promote success to being individual as we are.
People need to be supported to develop the skills so that they can take ownership of their development.
Helen Tupper believes there are 5 skills that are fundamental for everyone:
𝟭. 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 – Values are the things that motivate and drive you.
Understand your values and you’ll find what is fulfilling for you and you will be able to make better decisions about your development.
𝟮. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀 – These are the things you want to be known for.
When you know, show and grow your strengths you are more engaged in the work you do and you increase your impact.
𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 – the belief you have in your work and your worth.
If you build your self-belief the braver the conversations you have about your career, the more open you are to learn and the better equipped you are to design your own development.
𝟰. 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸– This is about the community you create around your career.
If you build a network based on the principle of people helping people, it transforms the quality of the relationships and what people can give and gain from them.
𝟱. 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 –These are the different directions you can develop in.
If you are proactively curious about your career, you unlock more opportunities and increase your career resilience.
It is important to notice and understand the change around us. We cannot avoid it, but we must embrace it slowly while staying in line with the developments we face day by day.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲.
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