Last week, I attended an event with Pamela Mitchell, the CEO and founder of
The Reinvention Institute and the author of the new book
The 10 Laws of Career Reinvention. The session was spectacular, and had numerous inspiring piece of advice. But on thing she said made my brain swell and made me think in a way very little has recently.
There is no such thing as the career ladder anymore. It’s a lattice!
Think about that. I’ve grown up believing there was one straight path to the top. Our parents’ generation often started with one company and retired with that same company, climbing the ladder as high as they could. But for our generation, things are different. There are many pathways to the top of the lattice, many industries, many jobs, many steps. But you don’t just have to climb upwards. You might get to a place you’re comfortable, but get bored and be ready to try something new. Maybe that’s when you move sideways on the lattice. Or maybe there’s a time when in order to get ahead, you need to take a step down on the lattice. But stepping to the side or back a bit doesn’t take you off the track or out of the race, and instead, it might give you time and perspective and energy to climb harder toward your goal.
I hope this notion is as revolutionary to you all as it was to me. It changed the way I think about the path of my career.
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book “You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works.” At Career Girl Network, Marcy provides women with information, resources, and networking to empower them in their careers and to advance the work of women in business as a whole. Prior to launching Career Girl Network, Marcy worked in numerous nonprofit organizations and as a consultant in the field of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and community relations. Marcy is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a native of rural North Dakota. She is the Vice Chair of the Chicago Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network in Chicago and a member of the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run Twin Cities, and is dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that move the needle for women and girls worldwide.
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