Frequent change of work (“Job Hopping”) ceases to be something suspicious and stigmatized. As Anna Karwowska, HR expert and founder of Crispy HR, notes, in the era of Gig Economy, mass layoffs and the growing popularity of B2B contracts, this is not the employee initiator of changes. – You can't negatively evaluate the “jumper”, since this is not his decision.
In the terms of the variable labor market, it is not so much stability as the ability to react. And this requires a completely different set of tools than it used to be. Mosaic career is a deliberate collecting of diverse competences and experiences that create a unique whole.
– We combine various, seemingly unrelated skills, so that this, as I call it, a backpack with competences to fill and, when you need to, take out the one that is needed – explains Karwowska.
– It is no longer a narrow specialization, but about building a package that will give us flexibility and competitive advantage. A psychologist learning UX design, a lawyer acquiring knowledge about new technologies or data analyst developing trainer competences – these are examples of building such a mosaic – he adds.
How to consciously build a new career path?
The most important thing is to change the approach. Let's think about competences, not only about positions. The key change that has taken place on the labor market is the shift of the center of gravity. Employers are increasingly understanding that specific tools can be learned, and unique abilities are key – explains Anna Karwowska.
Instead of asking “for what position?”, You have to think “what can I do and what context can I use it?” Only then does the question arise about the name of the function. The key are not roles, but resources – and these are worth getting to know well. Without this self -awareness, an effective strategy cannot be built.
The expert advises to start with a few basic steps:
At the beginning we should do an inventory of our resources. – These are hard and soft competences, professional experience, preferred work style. It is good to think about whether we prefer a design or repetitive work with or without procedures – he explains.
Once we have a bright picture of our strengths and needs, we can start creating our map of possibilities. We combine resources into harvest to discover potential paths. – If someone has experience in HR and at the same time they like to analyze data, they can work in HR Analytics. It is worth analyzing job ads, browsing the profiles of people from the industry on LinkedIn, and even use tools such as a career map or artificial intelligence to find inspiration – advises Karwowska.
Define what we can give the market. This is an important and often overlooked step. Instead of exchanging your skills, it is worth saying what we can do thanks to them. – “I know trends, I can talk to people, my horse is storytelling. In addition, I can use tools, thanks to which I can design this and this, I can explain to people trends in an understandable and empathic way, I can advise” – says the expert's example.
Let's look for support and other perspective. – It is worth looking for a mentor in your area, but sometimes just talk to friends. Even one conversation and a small tip from someone from the outside are enough to open your head to completely new possibilities.
Universal competences that are good to have
Not every skill must be specialist. On the contrary, the most universal are those that allow you to act independently of the industry. – Today everyone should learn some analytical program, everyone should know the basics of project management and the basics of critical thinking – advises Anna Karwowska. They allow you to go between contexts and find each other where they need.
Increasingly, these skills – and not a specific position – decide on employment. Companies, especially those struggling with staff shortages, shift the accent from the professional past to competences possible here and now.
Read also: Without wage and employment increases. What awaits the Polish labor market in the second half of the year?
Winding path and “level promotion”
Mosaic career requires a fundamental change in thinking. We must be open to the fact that the work we do today is only for some time. This is a stop on our path, which is used to achieve another goal.
Change does not always mean abandoning the current workplace. Sometimes it is enough to look at the internal possibilities in the organization or supplement the competences that will allow you to transform the current role.
Read also: Instead of throwing papers, they design their jobs themselves
In this work model, levels are ceased to be a failure. Going to another department or industry in a similar position is not a step back, but getting a new, valuable element to our puzzle. – This is a completely new tile, in our mosaic of professional life – says Karwowska. This is a conscious and positive “job hopping”, over which we have full control, building a career that gives us sense, flexibility and balance.
– Horizontal movement can bring more strategic opportunities than vertical promotion – especially in companies that know that in a few years you will have to change the competences of the teams. The employer already knows that within two or three years he will reduce employment in the department and needs someone to build new skills and change his position – he adds.
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The future is a design work?
A contemporary professional path is not only changes in positions. These are also breaks, returns, unobvious movements. Karwowska notes that more and more people are choosing the conscious “Gap Year” – not only to relax, but to gain new qualifications and redesign their professional life. Young people are increasingly gaining experience, and only then decide to study to have a real picture of the labor market and their needs.
Everything indicates that in the coming years this mosaic model will become the norm. – Nobody from the young generation will sit 20 years old. This is absolutely impossible – says Karwowska. – Work will more and more often take the form of projects, with a clear beginning, end and theme. And people who are able to match will find themselves in this reality faster.
In a world where you can't plan your career 10 years ahead, flexibility, self -awareness and readiness to add new “tiles” to the mosaic of competences may prove to be the most important professional advantages.
