Career quilts, not career ladders: a new way to think about growth
From Ladders to Quilts: Why Your "Non-Linear" Career is Your Greatest Strength
For decades, professional success was framed as a climb. You picked a field, found a rung, and moved up. The career ladder was the ultimate metaphor for ambition: a straight, narrow, and predictable path to the top.
But look around. Today’s most dynamic careers don’t look like ladders anymore. They look like quilts.
A career quilt isn’t a straight line; it’s a collection of experiences stitched together over time. Some squares are intentional choices; others are "scraps" born from pivots, layoffs, or unexpected life shifts. The goal isn't just to go up—it’s to create a pattern that shows who you are and where you create unique value.
Growth Doesn't Always Mean "Up"
The problem with ladders is that they only move in one direction. If you aren't climbing, you're "stuck."
Quilts embrace a different reality: Growth often happens sideways. Changing industries or taking a "lateral" role isn't a setback; it’s an expansion. Professionals who have navigated diverse environments develop "range"—a rare ability to communicate across functions and see solutions that those on a single-track path often miss.
The New Reality: In a volatile market, adaptability isn't a risk. It’s a competitive advantage.
Why the Quilt Matters Now
This shift is being driven by a workforce—particularly Gen Z—that has seen "stability" vanish overnight. Between global pandemics and AI-driven industry shifts, the idea of patiently waiting for the next rung on a single ladder feels outdated.
For leaders, this is a wake-up call:
Hiring: Stop looking for "traditional" resumes. A "patchwork" background often signals high learning agility.
Retention: If you don't offer your team the chance to add new, interesting squares to their quilt, they will find an organisation that does.
The Hidden Skill: Stitching Your Story
The biggest challenge of a quilted career is explaining it. If you describe your roles chronologically, you might sound scattered. To be a "career storyteller," you must connect the dots by focusing on skills rather than titles:
Sales experience becomes “fluency in influence and negotiation.”
A move to a new field becomes “evidence of high learning agility.”
Managing through a pivot becomes “pattern recognition in high-stress environments.”
The question isn’t whether your path looks familiar—it’s whether you can explain the unique value your specific pattern creates.
4 Questions to Guide Your Next "Square"
Before you stitch a new experience into your career, run it through these four filters (inspired by the Japanese concept of Ikigai):
Curiosity: Am I genuinely interested in this, or am I doing it out of obligation?
Competence: Am I good at this, or—more importantly—capable of becoming great at it?
Utility: Does the world actually need this problem solved?
Viability: Is there a market for this? (Value is personal, but sustainability is market-based.)
The Future Belongs to Flexible Builders
The "perfect" career path is a myth. The most effective leaders today are those who have moved across industries and functions, turning varied experiences into seasoned judgment.
The ladder was built for an era that no longer exists. The quilt is built for this one. It’s time to stop worrying about the climb and start focusing on the craft.