We Function In A True ZigZag World (thoughts on today’s career paths)
So I was at a nice size conference table, with a group of smart people, and as we went around the circle, the stories of where they now work and where they did work – some changing companies, some changing careers, some many times over the last couple of decades… – made me realize that yes, it is true, it is a zigzag career path world.
Here’s the quote that came to mind:
Lifetime corporate employment is dead; we’re all free agents now, managing our own careers across multiple careers across multiple jobs and companies. And because today’s primary currency is information, a wide-reaching network is one of the surest ways to become and remain thought leaders of our respective fields.
Keith Ferrazzi, Never Eat Alone
And I remember so much from the books over the last few years, like: you are your own brand; you have to market yourself, continually; and you get your next job not from your friends, but from acquaintances, not from those strong ties, but from the vast network you have created — Never Eat Alone!).
And then I thought about all the ways we have to keep learning, and then reinventing ourselves, because our next job may require almost a completely different knowledge and skill set.
So, never stop learning. It is a volatile world out there, and whatever your path will be, it will be partly unpredictable… It will likely be a zigzag path.
