A Successful Career Path Doesn’t Have to Be Linear
Your current career isn't a destination; it's simply the latest stop on an ongoing journey
By | Michelle Arieta | www.entrepreneur.com
The platonic ideal of a career used to look like this: Get a job after college, work your way up the company ladder for 40 years and retire in peace. But with each passing year, more and more Americans are flouting this tradition, pursuing alternative routes to success and fulfillment.
Right now, 65% of Americans are actively seeking new jobs. Some might be starting their career and questioning if they made the right choice. Others may be among the countless people motivated to change careers coming out of the pandemic. If you are one of this 65%, know that you are not alone. It is perfectly normal to re-assess your career and pivot as necessary — in fact, I recommend it.
Related: 5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was Starting My Career
Twist and turns
The majority of careers are no longer a straight-line progression from Point A to Point B. Most successful people I know continually explore their options throughout their careers. The average American worker will change jobs 12 times in their career, and that number is likely to increase in the future — a whopping 91% of millennials expect to change jobs every three years. And though some might balk at those numbers, I have seen throughout my career how a flexible and open mindset is actually a crucial element to success. Your current career isn’t a destination; it’s simply the latest stop on an ongoing journey.
