Helen Tupper - The Squiggly Career: Ditch the ladder, discover opportunity, design your career: The five skills you need to succeed in work today

As we all juggle side-steps, hustles and pivots, The Squiggly Career is about navigating work in a way that suits you. Discovering how to make the most of your own strengths and identify what you want out of your career, its a timely and brilliant handbook for now

STYLIST

Logical, practical and based on tried and tested methods

FINANCIAL TIMES, BUSINESS BOOK OF THE MONTH

A brilliant guide. Read it and get the tools you need to thrive in your career now and in the future

MARIE FORLEO, NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF EVERYTHING IS FIGUREOUTABLE

Many of us never take a moment to think about how we can sculpt our careers to match our interests. I was swept away with how effortlessly The Squiggly Career turns some of the most daunting conundrums into simple and rewarding reflections

BRUCE DAISLEY, AUTHOR OF THE JOY OF WORK

A practical and excellent guide for anyone who wants to take charge of their career, play to their strengths and design a career on their own terms. Squiggly careers are the new normal indeed. Ill be reaching for this book time and time again and so wish it existed when I started out!

ELIZABETH UVIEBINEN, AUTHOR OF SLAY IN YOUR LANE

The greatest goal for any 21st-century professional is to have a squiggly career. The days of linear progression belong to history. The joys of trying new things, working it out and making it up are all of our working futures. Work is dead, long live the squiggly career!

SAM CONNIFF ALLENDE, AUTHOR OF BE MORE PIRATE

All the best careers are squiggly. That sounds fun and it can be fun but it also takes a lot of know-how and thinking, which is what this book provides. I wish Id had it when I squiggled my way through multiple careers and I already know dozens of people of all ages whom it will help

MARGARET HEFFERNAN, AUTHOR OF WILFUL BLINDNESS

The Squiggly Career is no ordinary business book. Practical, pithy and personal, it will revolutionize the way you think about work

CRYSTAL EISINGER, HEAD OF STRATEGY, GOOGLE ADS MARKETING

A fantastic book on how to maximize your chances of a happy and rewarding work life. It all starts with knowing yourself and your values with simple exercises that make you think deeply about who you are and what you want to spend all that time at work actually doing. Jump in and squiggle

MATT BRITTIN, PRESIDENT, EMEA BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS, GOOGLE

Any references to writing in this book refer to the original printed version. Readers should write on a separate piece of paper in these instances.

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The Freedom Pot is a training fund provided by the company Annaliese works for (MoneySupermarket Group), where employees can choose how to spend the money as long as it relates to their development. An amazing initiative!

PENGUIN BOOKS

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Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.

First published 2020

Copyright Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis, 2019

The moral right of the authors has been asserted

Text design and typesetting by Couper Street Type Co.

Follow us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/penguinbusiness

ISBN: 978-0-241-38585-2

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

For Gareth and Tom, whose unwavering support makes everything possible.

And for Henry, Madeleine and Max for making us laugh (and cry) along the way.

An introduction to squiggly careers; explaining why weve written this book and how to get the most from reading it.

Explore how the who, what, when, where and why of work is changing, and what it means for your career.

Discover your strengths and how to use them more. Learn what it takes to make sure your strengths show up and stand out in all that you do.

Understand what your values are and how they motivate and drive you. Identify ways to act on your values to increase your fulfilment and happiness at work.

Identify the confidence gremlins that get in your way at work and learn how to cage them. Develop your resilience by focusing on your successes and building a strong support system.

Assess your current network to identify what gaps you need to fill. Understand how to develop a diverse and active network by focusing on what you can give rather than gain.

Learn how to identify and explore future career possibilities and discover three extra skills curiosity, feedback and grit that will help you to futureproof your career.

Find out the answers to the most common career conundrums, including: when to change jobs, how to find a mentor and how to approach work/life balance.

100 inspiring people share their best piece of career advice exclusively for our readers.

Were going to start by asking you three questions about your career today:

Do you feel like youre climbing a ladder with each step of your career clearly mapped out ahead of you?

Can you imagine working in the same role for the next five years, and in the same company for the next ten?

Do you think youll be able to retire at the same age as your parents?

No, no and unlikely! are the typical responses that most people give to these questions.

The world of work has changed dramatically over the last few decades and for the most part its changed for the better. Today, careers are filled with endless opportunities, but those opportunities also come with more complications. Most of us are seeking jobs that excite and fulfil us, where we can use our strengths, find purpose, work flexibly and learn new skills. Weve come to expect a lot from our careers, and are constantly told to love your job, follow your dreams and live your best life. But this aspirational advice often feels far removed from our reality. Sometimes its hard to follow your dreams when you have rent or a mortgage to pay, a manager to keep happy and expectations from colleagues and friends that you should be available on email or WhatsApp 24/7.

Jobs for life are a thing of the past and our career expectations have changed.