Same as it never was
There was a time when employment meant a clear, structured career path within a single organisation. Japan and South Korea come to mind. Labour protective France and Germany have traces of this model. And of course there is the public sector.
When I began my career, the notion of a single lifelong career remained, but moving between organisations was becoming more accepted. However, frequent job changes were still frowned upon. Being seen as ‘flighty’ could limit opportunities.
Today, growing global uncertainty has put the very concept of a "career" under scrutiny. Who today would embrace a career centred on:
Lamp lighting
Typing
Fast food
Journalism
Accountancy
Surgery.
The technology scythe is working its way through this list. Today we need to deliver value that is beyond the capability of AI / robotics.
My experience
I stepped off the career treadmill just three years in. As a software engineer, I initially saw career progression as managing an ever-growing team. Fortunately, my employer had the foresight to temper that ambition.
I did eventually take on leadership roles but felt discomfort in reducing people to mere resources on a Gantt chart.
My next employer offered a kind of internal freelancer model, whereby I could enjoy a variety of opportunities across a diverse range of sectors. I simply followed the commercial energy so to speak. I did eventually take on leadership roles but felt discomfort in reducing people to mere resources on a Gantt chart. So, I untethered myself from conventional employment. For the past thirty years, I have navigated the shifting tides of the market.
I share this because it reflects what many permanently employed individuals are unknowingly heading toward. As workforce needs become harder to predict, employers will increasingly turn to freelancers.
You plc
So if you have not already, brace yourself for a post-career world where your next decade, year and week will be precarious. This shift is often framed as the gig economy, traditionally linked to low-skilled work. In reality, even CEOs and government ministers operate within a gig-based framework. This challenges the assumption that the gig economy is limited to low-skilled roles.
In reality, even CEOs and government ministers operate within a gig-based framework.
These gigs can range from years to hours. And perhaps most significantly these professional engagements can run in parallel. It is entirely possible that you will juggle multiple gigs in a single day (as I do).
Death of permanent roles?
Permanent roles will not vanish entirely. Those that can reskill quickly and effectively will be perceived as a preferred alternative to freelancers. Long-term employees will remain valuable for the culture and cohesion they foster.
Next actions
So how can you prepare?
Be aware that careers are crumbling.
Ensure your skills are not leading you to economic obsolescence.
Unless you know that the demand for your dying skill will sustain you for your remaining working life.
Consider what a portfolio career might look like for you.
Podcaster before breakfast, gardener by day, dubstep-dinner jazz deejay par nuit.
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