The idea of climbing the corporate ladder has been embedded in the conscious minds of most people for generations. You start a career in a specific profession and begin the ascent, one step at a time. It’s an upward, linear path with some folks climbing all the way to the top and most others stopping at less lofty heights.

As executive leadership coaches, we’d like to encourage people to embrace the idea of a non-linear career path as normal and positive (rather than viewing it negatively as job hopping). The idea of a corporate ladder as the only career path is outmoded for a few reasons.

Career expectations have changed.

Very few folks will spend an entire career with one organization. Even before the lessons we learned about work during the pandemic changed values and goals for many people, the concept of lifetime employment with one employer became as archaic as the rotary phone thanks in part to things like recessions, layoffs and changes in technology and other sectors. Employees (especially younger workers) don’t feel they owe an employer loyalty. 

Retirement isn’t necessarily at age 65 any longer.

Now that the average life expectancy is much longer than just a few decades ago, a 40-year career span isn’t the norm. More and more people are working 60 years or longer – and trying different career paths out of necessity at times and other times out of interest. For example, someone might work many years in one industry and then pursue a second career that aligns more with their interests or hobbies.

Workplaces evolve and change.

Who would have thought in the 1980s that the daily newspaper industry would be dying? No one back then anticipated job opportunities related to the internet and apps. New and emerging jobs and roles will continue to develop in the years ahead – and other industries will have downturns. Additionally, as the Boomer generation leaves the workplace, there are more opportunities available to Gen Xers, Millennials and subsequent generations. What that looks like during tough economic times versus when the economy is strong will also have an effect on the job market but it’s likely that people will have more flexibility as long as they have skills that are in demand.

Changing priorities, values and expectations 

What we know as executive leadership coaches is that the pandemic definitely prompted a shift in the way people think about their work. It gave folks time to spend on personal pursuits, encouraging many people to re-evaluate how and where they spend their time. 

• For some, that means they don’t want to be tied to a bricks and mortar office. They want (and expect) a hybrid or flexible remote work situation. There are many who want to live and travel where they choose instead of being tethered to an area conveniently situated near a geographic workplace. 

• Many people realized that they want better work-life balance or synergy and they won’t accept less (one of the oft-cited factors behind the Great Resignation).
  
• Employers should take note that in survey after survey, workers indicate that where they work is determined by more than just the amount they’ll get on their paycheque. (Here’s what it takes to recruit and retain people now.)

Given these shifts in priorities and expectations, non-linear career paths are becoming more and more common. There are times a lateral career move makes sense or taking your skills to an entirely new industry has advantages.

Benefits of a non-linear career path

Intentionally exploring different career paths and taking skills from one industry or sector to another has many benefits, including:

Enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

What it means to be qualified for a role has more to do with skills now (which transfer) and less about years of experience within one industry. Nontraditional backgrounds can be an asset, bringing new ideas and fresh perspectives. 

Feeling motivated by using transferable skills to try something new and different.

Being excited and inspired by a new or different challenge does a lot more for personal satisfaction than feeling bored. Forward-thinking organizations want employees who adapt and change to different situations. 

Finding innovative and inspiring roles.

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg told the Stanford School of Business that viewing your career as a jungle gym is much better than mapping out your career in a linear way. She says a linear approach means, “you’re going to miss all the good stuff – all the good stuff hasn’t been invented yet!” Taking unconventional jobs with new organizations that aligned with her values (Google and Facebook) gave her tremendous opportunities she wouldn’t have had if she took a more traditional path. 

Allowing flexibility for different times in life.

There may be periods when you need different things from your career. For example, if you have an illness or if you have had a bereavement, you might need project-based work with flexible deadlines or you might want work that keeps you busy but isn’t too intellectually draining. If you have to care for loved ones or have a baby, your priority might be working remotely. A non-linear career path lets you explore options that work for you.

Giving yourself permission to define your own success.

When we let go of the belief that we have to always climb the corporate ladder to be successful or to be happy, it can be very empowering. Choosing a non-linear career path that brings balance to your life or stepping off the treadmill to do something else for work that you are passionate about allows you to feel renewed, re-engaged and refreshed.

Considering a non-linear career move

An article in the Harvard Business Review (HBR) advocates for building a career portfolio instead of forging a career path. Shifting from the idea that you doggedly pursue one role to showcasing how you use your skills in various ways is a valuable process when you want to think about your next career move. 

Consider your skills and experiences – including traditional paid work, volunteer roles and other talents you have developed. What can you transfer or leverage in different ways? What makes you unique? What are some potential areas for growth? 

(Pro tip: If you’re looking for something different because you’re no longer happy in your current role, try these strategies to rediscover your passion and purpose.)

Creative skill set connections for career advancement.

Understanding how to creatively connect your skill set to the required skills for jobs in various sectors is very helpful when it comes to putting yourself forward as a candidate for a new opportunity – or to create a new opportunity for yourself. 

We often find ourselves following what is obvious and available as our next career move but what shows up in front of us is often more of the same at a higher level. What might become available if we consciously shift what we’re looking for? 

It helps to figure out (or at least contemplate) what you really enjoy and what you want more of so that you can consciously pursue that instead of just aiming for the next tier on the org chart. 

That might be work that involves X because I really find I enjoy that (time goes by quickly when I’m working on X, or I get really geeked out when I get to dive into X, etcetera). 

Perhaps what you really want more of might be camaraderie, alone time, yoga or travel. Or, maybe it’s learning new things, exploring diverse skills or taking a hobby and making it your next career path. Who knows? 

The key is to figure it out (and what you want more of NOW might be different LATER – and that’s okay, too). As executive leadership coaches, we ask clients curious questions to help them find their own answers. What are some of the creative ways you might get more of what you want right now? What are you willing to forego for it?

If your driver is money, that’s okay, too. But then ask yourself why money is your priority, to go a bit deeper. For example, money to do what? There might be other ways to get “X” without a lot more money. 

Coach’s Questions:

How do your passions align with your current role? How have your thoughts about a non-linear career path for yourself changed? How will you view someone else’s non-traditional work path now? What are your goals?