The Career Ladder Myth (and Why You Should Pursue a Career Adventure Instead)

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the many career changes I’ve made over the last two decades, from public policy to academia to entrepreneurship. I currently lead my own small social enterprise, which was once a side project, and I’m learning how to grow the organization.

This is not at all where I expected to be at this point in my career, but I'm really glad this is where I've ended up.

Many of my friends and peers are now achieving career goals that I once coveted myself. I have friends who have recently been promoted to VP or Executive Director, made partner at their law firm, or have just earned tenure.

Yet, when we have intimate conversations about work, more often than not, I learn people are not passionate about the work they are doing. Many have worked hard to get where they are, but are now burnt-out, disillusioned or just unsure what their next career step should be. Some feel they are at a place where they can’t take big risks anymore, like taking a salary cut to work in a new industry. And almost no one at this age wants to start from square one. These realizations are creating a sense of panic and urgency among my peers.

This is nothing new. The term "mid-life crisis" is as relevant now as it ever was. The problem is, we're still teaching children the outdated notion that your career should be on a trajectory that only moves upwards.

The career ladder myth

The term “career ladder” implies that after a series of continuous promotions in title and salary in a specific industry, you’ll reach some sort of career pinnacle that will give you an immense feeling of satisfaction and achievement, and possibly prestige and a high salary. However, many people in their late 30’s reach their career pinnacles or close to it, but are far from satisfied with many aspects of their work.

For example, I know people who love operations and problem solving but are unhappily spending their working hours managing people, because a promotion in their industry means taking on a senior management role.

I know people who love advocacy and community building who are now fundraising with wealthy donors, because a promotion in their organization means they are now responsible for their organization’s fiscal health.

I know people who love research and writing who are now stuck grading papers and sitting on committees, because a promotion in their field means they must prioritize their time according to their employer’s needs.

When we climb career ladders, we often end up far from the work we actually love doing.?

Why adventure is more valuable than money

Throughout my career, I pursued jobs that were adventurous. Adventure was my #1 job requirement. It was more important to me than the job title or salary. As I chased new challenges, I changed my job on average every 2 years, and I moved often, living first in New York City, then Berlin, London, Washington, DC, Wellington (New Zealand), and now San Francisco.

You might think this job hopping would make for a sloppy and confusing resume, but in fact, I was able to become a subject matter expert in the field of public health preparedness, get paid to pursue several self-designed projects abroad, complete a master’s and PhD?with limited debt, and found a sustainable social enterprise in my mid-30’s. Throughout these years, I focused on cultivating a large professional network.

My secret to paid adventuring was applying to and winning several short-term professional fellowships. Between these yearlong fellowships, I also had “real” jobs that I pursued because the nature of the work was exciting and they offered opportunities to gain new skills.

This path was not without risk. I did not know what the long-term outcome would be as I pursued adventure rather than a career ladder. I was often asked if it was financially risky to pursue short-term fellowships. People wondered aloud why I wouldn't settle into a government career with guaranteed pay raises and good benefits. And no one could understand why would I work on a PhD if I had no real intention of becoming a professor. Like a fire stoked by other people's opinions, fear could have ended my career adventure.?

What happened instead? The fun outweighed the fear.

I had fun globetrotting and challenging myself to do new things (including living on the cheap), and it paid off! Because I pursued so many different types of jobs and experiences, I developed a broad skill set and large professional network in my 20’s. Now in my 30’s, I can effectively start a new business, be an independent consultant or leverage my professional network to pitch a position at an established organization.

Now, I look forward to continuing my career adventure with much more confidence and financial security than I had when I was starting out.

Choosing a career adventure

Our cultural definition of “success” is still deeply rooted in the career ladder myth. Big titles and high salaries are prized possessions we pursue despite the fact that our happiness, health and personal life may suffer in that pursuit.

But think about this – if we cared less about traditional career ladders and more about having a career adventure, we might focus our 20’s gaining the wide variety of skills, experiences, networks and resources needed to create our own jobs in our 30’s. One that fits our desired lifestyle, such as a job that allows for adequate quality time with your partner and children. Or a job that can be done remotely, anywhere in the world. Or a job that you truly enjoy because you’ve figured out what type of work you love doing and you've learned how to generate an adequate income from your passion.

Becoming an entrepreneur was an unexpected career change for me. My organization ProFellow was a hobby long before it became a venture. I would not have figured out how to generate an income through my passion project, or have a career as a social entrepreneur, if I spent my 20’s trying to climb a career ladder. By chasing adventure, I was able to develop the skills I needed to create my own social impact job.

Now, I’m going to encourage my kids to do the same.