Career Pathing Options
What do career paths look like in the modern workforce?
Answer: Any shape you can imagine!
The straight line, or linear path, is gone. We need to celebrate all kinds of shapes, lines, and directions as the new reality of career pathing because that’s actually how careers change and grow throughout our lifetime.
The visualizations of career path diagrams (shown on the right) is a great start of what career paths can and do look like. These diagrams expand traditional thinking. However, they leave something to be desired because these are not the only options.
There are MANY career paths people can follow. By showing more examples, it gives us permission to take any path we can dream of.
The linear career path is dead
There is no “one” path anymore. Traditional careers with promotions and incremental growth and responsibility are becoming less common.
The "nonlinear career path" is actually the majority of workers, not the minority. Although many people still have a mindset fixed on a linear model, believing there’s only one way to grow is not the only way to succeed in a career.
New variations of career pathing
There are SO many models to celebrate and study. Career coaches, leaders, and managers need to know these to become better at advising people on career and professional development options.
It’s time we dispel old myths and rumors of what careers are “supposed” to look like. We need to negate old stereotypes and beliefs of what it means to build a certain type of career.
The only career path that works is the one that you design for you. It must fit your unique lifestyle needs and choices.
In addition to these diagrams, let’s add more career pathing examples. For instance:
The hybrid career path, which consists of a few paths flaring out in different directions before they come back together at a point of convergence. This is actually a new "emergent path" (like a strand of DNA) that interweaves the others together and didn't exist before, because YOU invented it!
The "fork in the road" career path (which way to go when faced with two options?)
The divergent pathways career path (multiple arrows branching from one stem going in many directions at once)
The "portfolio" career path where you invest in and compile expertise in multiple areas over your career
The multiple sine wave career path where two or more career pursuits are high or low at different times (like riding two or more rollercoasters at once)
Coexistent, parallel career paths where you have two careers you're pursuing simultaneously (like being a musician, songwriter, and performer)
Whew, so many to think about! What do you think? What other career paths would you add to this list?
