The way we think about careers today is wrong

It’s wrong because it’s outdated. It’s based on an understanding of a working world that no longer exists in 2021.

The foundation, systems, and understood “rules” within those systems have been crumbling away across a century, if not for several centuries, depending on where we choose to place our starting point for what we call the modern career.

In its place, a new foundation with new systems and rules has been seeping into the cracks. Actually, as I type this, I wonder if it’s even more complex than this visual represents.

What if our understanding of careers was always destined to change? What if the “career” was always meant to undergo an evolution?

Rather than thinking about “old” versus “new,” modern careers were always meant to undergo a continuous, gradual development with no endpoint?

Why this matters

Look at the questions we ask ourselves:

Did I choose the right career? Did I make a mistake in pursuing this career path? Am I ruining my career?

We suffer tremendously when we ask these questions. And yet, the “career” we’re visualizing no longer exists. The form in our heads is what the previous generations experienced in the prime working years of their lives.

The main difference is the structure: a career is no longer a path with a destination in mind, where the person who works hard is rewarded for time, efficiency, and loyalty along an understood trajectory.

Today, a career has no destination. The person who is the most visible, brings the “right” expertise, and can answer the “What’s in it for me?” question asked by leadership is the one who is rewarded.

My invitation: Challenge me on this

I invite you to challenge me on anything that you’re reading here. Give me a reason to think that any part of this is wrong. What am I missing? What is fuzzy/gray?

I’m committed to understanding this topic as deeply and as thoroughly as possible.

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