Career growth has long been thought of as a ladder, with successful professionals working their way up and up, one step at a time. But the steep, nearly vertical incline most of us think of when we think of ladders may not be the most realistic path anymore. Horizontal growth is the new black.
Ryan Wallerstein – founder of Kodiak Search, a digital media recruiting platform, and contributor to Recruiter.com – recently penned an article about the topic, asserting that the key to long-term growth lies in embracing and adapting to change to remain relevant as the ground shifts beneath our feet.
Whereas linear progression can turn out to be quite limiting (improve on a certain set of skills, earn promotions to more senior roles handling the same sort of work, take on additional responsibilities in the same discipline), horizontal career growth is meant to diversify workers’ strengths and skills. There is certainly still a market for specialists, but becoming expert in a very specific area can narrow job seekers’ options should they find themselves unexpectedly booted, bankers box in hand.
Companies are increasingly seeking out well-rounded employees, professionals whose versatility and diverse capabilities allow them to adjust quickly to changing demands and continue producing at high levels. Having multiple compatible, yet somewhat divergent, areas of expertise (marketing and social media, sales and process engineering) will make workers and their employers more resilient!
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
