Name: Why squiggly careers are the new career ladder
Uploaded: 2024-01-29T10:35:42.317Z
Duration: 410.66

MIMS Squiggly Careers + gfx V2.mp4

MIMS Squiggly Careers + gfx.vtt

English

{{00:00:00}}
My name is Petra Edwards and I am
the head of learning performance

{{00:00:03}}
and inclusion at Informa Connect.

{{00:00:05}}
So today I'm explaining squiggly careers.

{{00:00:27}}
Squiggly career is a term that describes
a trend in the market, which is a

{{00:00:32}}
move away from the traditional career
ladder to a non linear career path.

{{00:00:38}}
Over the last few years, a lot of people
have realised that the best career isn't

{{00:00:43}}
necessarily always a straight line.

{{00:00:46}}
And so kind of imagine a rock
climbing wall where you go a little

{{00:00:49}}
bit to the left, a little bit to the
right, maybe down a little up, and

{{00:00:52}}
really form the path that works for
you, and that's in line with your

{{00:00:57}}
need and your unique set of skills.

{{00:01:03}}
Squiggly careers aren't a new phenomenon.

{{00:01:07}}
It's actually a term that was coined by
two authors called Helen Tupper and Sarah

{{00:01:13}}
Ellis in their book, Squiggly Career,
or The Squiggly Career, I think it is.

{{00:01:18}}
It published early 2020, and it takes
note of the fact that careers aren't

{{00:01:25}}
as straight anymore, but you know
that the new normal is more changing

{{00:01:28}}
in function,  industries, careers
and, you know, kind of ways, across.

{{00:01:34}}
The pandemic really has
increased that phenomenon.

{{00:01:38}}
And nowadays you can almost say it's
not only accepted, but it's all, it's

{{00:01:42}}
almost like a trend of the future.

{{00:01:48}}
So the benefits for employees, it
creates an ocean of possibilities.

{{00:01:53}}
You can think about your own strengths.

{{00:01:54}}
You can think about your passions,
what you're good at, and incorporate

{{00:01:58}}
that all into your career.

{{00:02:00}}
You know, where is it I want to go?

{{00:02:02}}
ANd if you mix that up, then we're
thinking about, what are the skills

{{00:02:05}}
for the future, what are the business
priorities and how can I get involved,

{{00:02:09}}
it's  a really powerful cocktail.

{{00:02:11}}
It's then about, you know, creating the
narrative about it and understanding

{{00:02:15}}
of how you fit in and then pitching it.

{{00:02:18}}
And you'll have an abundance of
opportunities available, potentially even,

{{00:02:22}}
you know, a new job created against it.

{{00:02:30}}
I think challenges are it breeds to
a certain extent uncertainty, right?

{{00:02:35}}
So it's not the traditional one way again.

{{00:02:37}}
It requires you to think a little
bit, about yourself,  to spend the

{{00:02:43}}
time, upfront, and then to create.

{{00:02:47}}
making that connection between the
different skill set that you have.

{{00:02:51}}
it also, will require you to potentially
tread some untreaded pathways.

{{00:02:57}}
And again, you know, that's new,
and that can be maybe scary to a

{{00:03:01}}
certain extent, but an incredible
opportunity at the same time.

{{00:03:10}}
So on the business side, we are in
constant need of transforming and

{{00:03:15}}
adapting to an ever changing world.

{{00:03:17}}
There was a recent ManPowerGroup
report that showed that for jobs

{{00:03:22}}
in the UK, 50 percent will need
the acquiring of new skills by 2027

{{00:03:29}}
and make that 94 percent by 2030.

{{00:03:33}}
And, you know, it will be very similar
for the US and other countries.

{{00:03:35}}
So you can see.

{{00:03:37}}
that there's a huge need of
continuously learning and most of

{{00:03:41}}
this learning will happen on the job.

{{00:03:43}}
And so we really do require people who
put their hands up and you say, Hey,

{{00:03:47}}
I'm keen to acquire new, new skills.

{{00:03:49}}
And they are the ones, the willingness
and the curiosity and the appetite to,

{{00:03:54}}
to go out there and expand in breadth

{{00:04:03}}
.
The challenges for employers is that
most employees and managers still see

{{00:04:10}}
the career up as the only way of career.

{{00:04:12}}
So instead of having career conversations
where there isn't maybe a role

{{00:04:18}}
available, they prefer to avoid them.

{{00:04:20}}
So, so really it's for us as an
organisation to create that change in

{{00:04:25}}
mindset and to really promote career
journeys that are out, you know, off

{{00:04:29}}
the beaten track and that are outside
of the norm and really celebrate those.

{{00:04:39}}
There are four points.

{{00:04:39}}
So  one point is for the organisation
really to think about reframing this as

{{00:04:45}}
well and understand the career growth.

{{00:04:46}}
Currently, we look at career moves
often as lateral, but there's a

{{00:04:50}}
lot of growth and if it's exposure
to more complex situations.

{{00:04:54}}
So technology is another really
important factor that can help with

{{00:04:58}}
creating a platform where you can put
all your skills in into one place.

{{00:05:03}}
Most of the HR systems have career
sites nowadays where you can put

{{00:05:06}}
in the skills that you have as
well as, you know, inside, outside

{{00:05:10}}
of work, as well as strength,
career aspirations and everything.

{{00:05:13}}
And it has then the ability through an AI
functionality to match it with other jobs.

{{00:05:18}}
And you know, even when matching is
70%, you can understand, oh, this

{{00:05:21}}
is something I've never considered,
but, you know, this is what I'm

{{00:05:24}}
missing and really focus on that.

{{00:05:26}}
So the third one is to help managers
and colleagues to think outside of

{{00:05:30}}
the box and to create resources,
templates, workshops, but also cross

{{00:05:35}}
functional project opportunities.

{{00:05:36}}
Go away from the traditional career
ladder to, oh, you know, all the

{{00:05:39}}
different possibilities and opportunities
that are out there, but where people

{{00:05:43}}
don't necessarily make the connections
to, and so to really facilitate that

{{00:05:50}}
understanding and that thinking.

{{00:05:51}}
To help and facilitate all this again
is creating agile career frameworks,

{{00:05:57}}
so to have some sort of structure that
you can navigate in, but then also that

{{00:06:02}}
you can see that it's very flexible.

{{00:06:04}}
In summary, non linear careers
often start on the job by

{{00:06:09}}
expanding your skill sets there.

{{00:06:11}}
If we take my company as an example, we
are working as so many other organisations

{{00:06:16}}
to become a lot more data-centred.

{{00:06:19}}
And as part of this have data
analysis, opportunity, upskilling

{{00:06:23}}
opportunities, digital opportunities.

{{00:06:25}}
We find that those colleagues who
grab those openings and really

{{00:06:29}}
understand where it takes them, are
really well set up for this future.

{{00:06:34}}
They are now at the core for business.

{{00:06:36}}
They've moved into other roles,
bigger and better, and are highly

{{00:06:40}}
visible and really pivotal to
the organisation moving forward.

My name is Petra Edwards and I am
the head of learning performance

So today I'm explaining squiggly careers.

Squiggly career is a term that describes
a trend in the market, which is a

move away from the traditional career
ladder to a non linear career path.

Over the last few years, a lot of people
have realised that the best career isn't

And so kind of imagine a rock
climbing wall where you go a little

bit to the left, a little bit to the
right, maybe down a little up, and

really form the path that works for
you, and that's in line with your

Squiggly careers aren't a new phenomenon.

It's actually a term that was coined by
two authors called Helen Tupper and Sarah

Ellis in their book, Squiggly Career,
or The Squiggly Career, I think it is.

It published early 2020, and it takes
note of the fact that careers aren't

as straight anymore, but you know
that the new normal is more changing

in function,  industries, careers
and, you know, kind of ways, across.

The pandemic really has
increased that phenomenon.

And nowadays you can almost say it's
not only accepted, but it's all, it's

So the benefits for employees, it
creates an ocean of possibilities.

You can think about your passions,
what you're good at, and incorporate

ANd if you mix that up, then we're
thinking about, what are the skills

for the future, what are the business
priorities and how can I get involved,

It's then about, you know, creating the
narrative about it and understanding

And you'll have an abundance of
opportunities available, potentially even,

I think challenges are it breeds to
a certain extent uncertainty, right?

So it's not the traditional one way again.

It requires you to think a little
bit, about yourself,  to spend the

making that connection between the
different skill set that you have.

it also, will require you to potentially
tread some untreaded pathways.

And again, you know, that's new,
and that can be maybe scary to a

certain extent, but an incredible
opportunity at the same time.

So on the business side, we are in
constant need of transforming and

There was a recent ManPowerGroup
report that showed that for jobs

in the UK, 50 percent will need
the acquiring of new skills by 2027

And, you know, it will be very similar
for the US and other countries.

that there's a huge need of
continuously learning and most of

And so we really do require people who
put their hands up and you say, Hey,

And they are the ones, the willingness
and the curiosity and the appetite to,

.
The challenges for employers is that
most employees and managers still see

So instead of having career conversations
where there isn't maybe a role

So, so really it's for us as an
organisation to create that change in

mindset and to really promote career
journeys that are out, you know, off

the beaten track and that are outside
of the norm and really celebrate those.

So  one point is for the organisation
really to think about reframing this as

Currently, we look at career moves
often as lateral, but there's a

lot of growth and if it's exposure
to more complex situations.

So technology is another really
important factor that can help with

creating a platform where you can put
all your skills in into one place.

Most of the HR systems have career
sites nowadays where you can put

in the skills that you have as
well as, you know, inside, outside

of work, as well as strength,
career aspirations and everything.

And it has then the ability through an AI
functionality to match it with other jobs.

And you know, even when matching is
70%, you can understand, oh, this

is something I've never considered,
but, you know, this is what I'm

So the third one is to help managers
and colleagues to think outside of

the box and to create resources,
templates, workshops, but also cross

Go away from the traditional career
ladder to, oh, you know, all the

different possibilities and opportunities
that are out there, but where people

don't necessarily make the connections
to, and so to really facilitate that

To help and facilitate all this again
is creating agile career frameworks,

so to have some sort of structure that
you can navigate in, but then also that

In summary, non linear careers
often start on the job by

If we take my company as an example, we
are working as so many other organisations

And as part of this have data
analysis, opportunity, upskilling

We find that those colleagues who
grab those openings and really

understand where it takes them, are
really well set up for this future.

They've moved into other roles,
bigger and better, and are highly

visible and really pivotal to
the organisation moving forward.

Make it Make Sense

Explainer

The idea of a 'Squiggly Career' emerged in Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis' bestselling 2020 book of the same name, used to describe the move away from traditional linear career paths and towards ones that are more... 'squiggly'. 
In this episode of Make it Make Sense, Petra Edwards, Head of Learning, Performance and Inclusion at Informa Connect, untangles these non-linear career paths to better understand their growing popularity and what employees and employers can do to to make them work for everyone.

Talent Management

Future of Work

Talent Development

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Petra Edwards

Discover insights from other experts

Head of Learning, Performance & Inclusion

What is a squiggly career?

Find out why such paths have become more common in recent years.

Why are these career paths growing in popularity?

Edwards weighs up the pros of squiggly careers for employees.

The benefits of squiggly careers as an employee

Edwards addresses the challenges employees might face too.

And the challenges... 

Next, Edwards addresses the pros of squiggly careers for employers.

The benefits of squiggly careers as an employer

Edwards addresses the challenges employers might face as appetite for squiggly careers grows.

And the challenges...

Edwards discusses why HR should help facilitate squiggly careers and the benefits they can see as a result.