Michelle: That old career advice, “climb the ladder to success”? It’s not just outdated, it’s a trap. Mark: Oh, I know that one. Get on the first rung, don't look down, and hope you don't get knocked off by the person above you. Michelle: Exactly. But here's the thing: the ladder is gone. It's been dismantled. And the people who are actually thriving today aren't climbing at all—they're scribbling. They're on a 'squiggly' path, and it's making them more successful. Mark: Scribbling? That sounds chaotic, but also… deeply familiar. It feels like my last five years. Is this an official term or did you just invent that? Michelle: It's the core idea from the book The Squiggly Career by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis. And what's fascinating is that these two aren't just theorists; they're award-winning career coaches who co-founded a company, Amazing If, that works with giants like Microsoft and Visa. Their whole philosophy was born from their own real-world frustrations with the traditional career path. The book was a massive hit, a Sunday Times bestseller, because it gave a name to a feeling millions of us have. Mark: Okay, so this whole idea started from their own experience? I love that. Tell me about that. What's the origin story of the 'squiggle'?

Michelle: It’s a great story, actually. It happened in a coffee shop in 2013. Helen and Sarah, who knew each other from university, were having one of their regular catch-ups. Both had started their careers with that classic ambition: climb the corporate ladder. Mark: Of course. That's what we were all told to do. Michelle: Right. But as they were talking, they realized their work lives looked nothing like a ladder. They were messy, unpredictable, and full of sideways moves and unexpected turns. Sarah joked that she’d already had more jobs than her dad had in his entire life. And it hit them. Mark: The lightbulb moment. Michelle: The lightbulb moment. Sarah grabbed a napkin and sketched two diagrams. One was a straight, predictable line, labeled 'Career Ladder.' The other was a chaotic, looping, backtracking line. A squiggle. And she said, "This is what careers look like now." They realized the ladder was gone, and in its place was the squiggly career. Mark: That napkin sketch is everything! It gives a name to that feeling of being on a path with no clear next step, that low-grade anxiety that you’re somehow ‘doing it wrong’ because your resume doesn’t read like a perfect, linear story. Michelle: Precisely. It validates that feeling. The book argues this isn't a personal failure; it's a systemic shift. Jobs for life are a relic of the past. A YouGov survey they cite found that only 6% of people now work a traditional nine-to-five. We have five generations in the workforce for the first time in history, all with different expectations. Technology and automation are constantly changing the 'what' of our jobs. Mark: And the 'why' has changed, too. People want more than a paycheck. They want fulfillment, purpose, a reason to get out of bed that isn't just about paying the bills. Michelle: Exactly. The authors say there's this huge gap between the promise of modern work—creativity, freedom, impact—and the reality for many people, which is confusion and feeling overwhelmed. The squiggle is the new reality, and the old tools, the old rules, simply don't work anymore. Mark: So if the ladder is gone, and we're all on this squiggle, we can't just wait for our boss to tell us what the next rung is. We need a new map. Or maybe a compass? Michelle: That’s the perfect analogy. You need a compass. And that’s what the rest of the book is about. It’s about building your own internal toolkit to navigate the squiggle, so you’re not just surviving it, but actually thriving in it.

Mark: Okay, an internal toolkit. I'm picturing a little Swiss Army knife for my career. What's the first tool? Michelle: The first and most important tool is understanding your 'Super Strengths.' And this is a really liberating idea. The book makes a crucial distinction: strengths are things you're good at. Super Strengths are things you are brilliant at, and that give you energy. Mark: Things that give you energy. That’s an interesting addition. I’m good at filling out expense reports, but it drains my soul. So that’s not a Super Strength. Michelle: Definitely not. The authors argue we've been conditioned to focus on our weaknesses. Think about every performance review you've ever had. It's always about your 'areas for development.' Mark: Oh, absolutely. It's corporate code for 'the stuff you're bad at that we need you to fix.' I've spent years trying to become 'more detail-oriented.' It's exhausting. Michelle: Well, the book says to stop. They propose an 80/20 rule: spend 80% of your time making your strengths even stronger, and only 20% of your time mitigating the weaknesses that are actively holding you back. The data on this is staggering. They cite Gallup research showing that employees who use their strengths are six times more engaged in their roles. And teams that focus on strengths are 12.5% more productive. Mark: Six times more engaged! That's not a small number. It’s a complete reframe. Instead of trying to be a mediocre all-rounder, you should be doubling down on what makes you exceptional. Michelle: Exactly. And the stories they share make this so clear. Helen, one of the authors, tells a personal story about this. For years, she thought her high energy was a problem. She tried to tone it down, to be more 'corporate.' Mark: I can see how that would happen. High energy can be read as 'not serious' in some stuffy environments. Michelle: Right. But then she did an exercise from the book. She asked a few trusted people to describe her in three words. Her oldest friend said she had 'more energy than a kangaroo.' A former colleague said she was 'like Tigger,' entering a room with boundless positivity. And she realized this energy wasn't a flaw to be managed; it was her Super Strength. It's what made her great at motivating teams and starting new things. Mark: So her 'Tigger energy' was the secret sauce. Michelle: It was! And owning that gave her the confidence to leave her corporate job and run their company, Amazing If, full-time. She channeled that energy into building the business. Mark: Okay, 'Tigger energy' sounds fun, but how do you find your own Super Strengths without just sounding arrogant in a job interview? "My super strength is that I'm awesome." Michelle: (laughs) Right. The book gives a really practical four-step process. It involves reflecting on your 'first bursts'—what you were naturally good at as a kid—and getting feedback. The most powerful question they suggest asking a colleague or friend is incredibly simple: "Can you tell me when you think I’m at my best?" Mark: Ooh, I like that. It’s not asking "what am I good at?" It's asking for a specific moment, a story. It's asking for evidence. Michelle: And that question, combined with understanding your core values—the second tool in the inner toolkit—forms your compass. Your values are your 'why.' They're what motivate you. The book argues that when your work aligns with your strengths and your values, you find fulfillment. It's not about finding the perfect job title; it's about finding a role where you can be you, at your best, most of the time. Mark: So the inner toolkit is about self-awareness. Knowing what you're brilliant at and what drives you. That makes sense. You can't navigate a squiggle without knowing your own true north. But you're still in a world with other people. How do you translate that inner knowledge into outer success?

Michelle: That brings us to the outer toolkit. And the first piece is confidence. The book debunks so many myths here—that it's innate, that it's the same as being an extrovert, that it's arrogance. They define it as a skill: the belief in yourself and the resilience to bounce back. Mark: Resilience feels key in a squiggly career. You're going to have more bumps, more rejections, more moments of 'what am I even doing?' Michelle: Absolutely. And a big part of building that resilience is learning to cage what they call your 'confidence gremlins.' These are the negative inner voices that hold you back. Mark: My gremlin tells me I'm going to be 'found out' as an imposter any minute now. He's very persuasive. Michelle: Sarah, the other author, shares her story about her gremlin, which was a fear of conflict. She would avoid difficult conversations and withdraw. But she started to tame it by first, just naming it. Then she shared it with trusted colleagues. And she reframed it. She realized her gremlin wasn't 'conflict' in general. It was unexpected disagreement, especially from people with a very direct, emotional style. Mark: That's so specific. And so much more manageable. It's not 'I'm bad with conflict,' it's 'I need to prepare for unexpected debates with direct communicators.' Michelle: Exactly! It gives you a strategy. And that confidence allows you to use the next tool, which is your network. Mark: Ugh, networking. The word itself makes me want to hide. It feels so transactional and fake. "Let me buy you a coffee so you can eventually give me a job." Michelle: Thank you! I feel the same way, and the authors completely dismantle that idea. Their definition of networking is simply: 'people helping people.' That's it. It’s not about collecting contacts on LinkedIn; it’s about building real relationships. It's about creating what they call 'career karma.' Mark: Career karma. I can get behind that. It's about giving, not just taking. Michelle: Precisely. And they tell another of Helen's stories that perfectly illustrates this. Early in her career, she was rejected for a promotion. A senior director gave her some blunt advice: "You need to put yourself in a position where the jobs come to you." Mark: That sounds like impossible advice. How do you even do that? Michelle: At first, she was dismissive. But then she started to act on it. She stopped focusing only on her own job and became genuinely curious about what other people were working on. She started mentoring junior colleagues. She kept in touch with people who had helped her. She focused on giving, on helping others. Years later, a headhunter called her for a great role at BP. Why? Because someone in her network, someone she had helped, had recommended her. Her network brought the job to her. Mark: Wow. So it wasn't about schmoozing at events. It was about consistently showing up and being helpful over a long period of time. The karma came back around. Michelle: That's the whole philosophy. And it works for introverts, too. It's not about being the loudest person in the room. It's about being discerning, deliberate, and diverse in who you connect with. It's about quality over quantity. Mark: That is a much more human, and frankly, more appealing way to think about it. So you have your inner compass, and you have this network of allies. What's the last piece? How do you look to the future without a five-year plan? Michelle: You stop trying to have a five-year plan. The final part of the toolkit is about exploring 'Future Possibilities.' Instead of a rigid destination, you brainstorm possibilities—obvious ones, ambitious ones, even dream ones. And you invest in three future-proofing skills: curiosity, feedback, and grit. Mark: Curiosity, feedback, and grit. That sounds like the holy trinity of a squiggly career. Michelle: It really is. They reference Satya Nadella's transformation of Microsoft, moving from a 'know-it-all' culture to a 'learn-it-all' culture. That's the mindset. You stay curious. You constantly seek feedback—they call it the 'breakfast of champions.' And you have grit, which Angela Duckworth defines as 'living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.' It’s that passion and perseverance for long-term goals.

Michelle: So when you put it all together, it's a powerful shift. It's not about finding the 'right' path anymore, because there isn't one. The real career security comes from building this portfolio of skills—knowing your Super Strengths, living by your values, building real confidence that isn't arrogance, and creating a genuine network of allies. Mark: You're not climbing a ladder; you're equipping yourself for an expedition. You're packing your bag with a compass, a map of your own strengths, and the tools to build bridges and climb when you need to. Michelle: That's a perfect way to put it. You own your development. You design a career that actually works for you, not one that fits a pre-approved corporate template from the 1980s. Mark: This is a lot to take in, but it feels incredibly empowering. If someone listening wants to start today, what's the one small, concrete thing they can do to begin their squiggle journey? Michelle: Just one thing. Send a message to one person you trust—a friend, a former boss, a colleague—and ask them this simple question: "Can you tell me when you think I’m at my best?" Don't overthink it. Just ask. The answer might surprise you, and it could be the first step to discovering a Super Strength you never knew you had. Mark: I love that. It's simple, it's actionable, and it's about connection. And if you try it, we'd love to hear how it goes. Join the conversation and share your experiences with the Aibrary community. It feels like the first step in building that 'people helping people' network. Michelle: This is Aibrary, signing off.