Career Journeys In The 20s, 30s, and Beyond

When was the last time someone made you question your career choices and achievements?

I get it alot. And frankly, they were verging on rude and intrusive. Sometimes it made me question my sense of self-worth but fortunately for me, I snap out of it within minutes if not seconds. Rude questions came mainly from those who have remained steadfast with their employer, or industry.

Our career journeys are our own, shaped by our circumstances, value system, priorities which will vary over time. In many ways, I've picked my next career stop like how I've been picking my next holiday stopover. I know it sounds like I am a job hopper. Park your judgment and read on.

Career In The Early 20's - The Guided Tour

Fresh out of school, I didn't know what to expect. I went for career fairs and listened to what companies had to say about how great they were. They had everything planned for anyone who would sign up with them. If you joined, you will be here on this day X experiencing this...then move on this day to your next stop.

It's like that glossy travel brochure advertising an award-winning guided tour. I had no prior work experience, so I was sold by a guaranteed escorted tour with a predictable schedule. There's no way you could get lost ... but there was also no way you could linger at the stops you fancied ... and no way to refuse a trip to a commissioned stopover.

Guided tours were great for taking photos at the must-see locations though. Some travellers would only go on guided tours but not me.

Career In The Mid 20's - The First Self-Drive Tour

I didn't want a commercialised experience for my mid-twenties. With an entry on my CV to my name, I was prepared to get through my bucket list without a guide. Much like my early 20's, I was in a hurry to get from Point A to Point B. I was in such a hurry, I missed bringing my camera (and phones didn't come with cameras back then).

Tick. Tick. Tick. Multiple ticks off my bucket list. Many marveled at the experiences I had collected. Looking back that was only possible because my parents were healthy and I was engaged, not married.

My must-see's and must-do's were all mapped out on a spreadsheet with the nearest train stations and bus stops, so I didn't waste any time.

I could run with a cabin luggage.

Mid-to-late-20's was exhilarating. It's that period in your career where crazy (or some say courageous) spontaneous career moves are acceptable. So, I embraced the craziness before life weighed me down slowly but surely.

Career In The Early 30's - The Award-winning Guides

Career in the early 30's really wasn't as complicated as others had imagined. Married but childless, I moved around with a mid-sized luggage.

There was something strangely alluring about companies going through a rough patch. They didn't bother with heavily edited LinkedIn posts. If you chose to join or stay longer, it was either your irrational choice or the incredible bonds you'd never form elsewhere.

Fortunately for me, I had former clients and ex-colleagues' spouses say, "Hey I know a great boss who could use you on their team. Are you interested?"

It's like that historic town off the beaten path - full of character, pride and charm, and personal stories.

There's a rough itinerary but also lots of freedom and flexibility to check out the quirky parts and ask questions about the forgotten or shadier parts commercialised 'award-winning' tours shun.

Some trips are only special with award-winning guides. So when the company bade farewell to my guide abruptly, I decided it was time to head home to focus on my child.

Career In The Mid 30's - The Curious Solo Traveller

I had a child ... yes, me, a child...

I found myself staying longer at each stop. Some viewed this change in behaviour as settling for less. But never mind what they think.

Solo travel over group tours for my mid-30's. Since figuring out what made me smile, what made me run the extra mile, what made me cringe with disgust, I fancied venturing into new places alone guided by my curiosity.

I found myself exploring new industries, in roles I felt aligned with my value system and areas I wished to deliver impact. I had a rough sense of where I wanted to be. Then every so often, I'd pick the alley over the main path when it reminded me of something I had wanted to explore in my mid-20's (like joining a startup) except now I was in my mid-30's.

Stay, keep walking straight, take the next sharp exit or go a little further till the next station and choose from a variety of connecting trains?

What's Next?

I stayed when everything smelt and felt right in my gut. I kept walking straight when I looked up (at leaders) and around (at everyone else) and felt peace and amazed by the little things. I took a sharp turn when I felt a deep sense of disgust. I paused and waited for a connecting train when the residents proclaimed, 'There's nothing to see here.'

Lost or found, you decide.

I'm just grateful to realise I prefer to:

• Do my own research and plan my own itinerary.
• Choose the award-winning guide over the award-winning tour.
• Take a break than live in disgust.
• Go on that side trip guided by my curiosity and gut.

Some love adventure-filled trips. Others swear by guided tours. Some just pick a destination and figure out where they'd visit when they get there. There's no right way or wrong way to go about our careers.

Where do we see ourselves in 3 to 5 years? Who knows? I'm just a curious solo traveller who hasn't met an award-winning guide in a while, so come what may.

So, what's your career journey?