The 21st Century Career Journey

Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn offers his perspective on our current crisis of meaning in the job market today. He argues that in order to succeed in today’s climate there is no escalator or “single path,” one must constantly change, evolve, and adapt to new areas and/or scopes of work. He says:

There’s no single metaphor that universally describes the 21st century career journey. For those who lack globally competitive skills (and yet who are simultaneously overqualified for low-skill labor), the current environment feels like slogging through a tar pit. For people with the relevant skills, the journey is like a vast ocean voyage: unpredictable waves, multiple routes to arrive at a destination, the need to keep investing in your vessel lest it capsize, the allies who form an armada around you to cross perilous straits.

What’s replaced the career escalator? Hoffman explains it clearly right here, and offers a bit of advice on how to navigate the waters.

Is your resume a “working” document that you update regularly?

[Image: UK National Archives on Flickr]