Career Ladder or: Looks Good on your CV!

Being the polar opposite of a planner I never planned my career strategically by any means. Up until my mid thirties, I was actually rather worried that I was destined (you might say "doomed") to remain in my first job at Coma HQ like some of my colleagues who are only a few years older than I am, actually have. It took me another decade to realise that my non-linear CV is my biggest asset along with the fact that I worked for the Firm for 10 years. A company that EVERYone knows, that is known to be extremely hard to get into and that is still at the top of the dream job list for many. Having that name on my CV was probably the biggest career boost and when I started at Household Name in the summer of 2017 I got asked by many new colleagues why in Earth I had decided to leave the Firm. Well, long story short, I loved the company culture and its perks, but there were limited opportunities to develop in the area I loved and was interested in, so I decided to leave. At Household Name, people assumed I could to things that I had never done before...and so I simply did. Proof that people placing trust in your abilities is really empowering. 

I also did not decide to do an MBA to climb up on the career ladder. I am happy in my expert role as an individual contributor and do not see becoming a people manager as the ultimate goal. If you work in a big corporate like my employer, it comes with a lot of administrative and operational stuff that does not excite me and also with a hefty dose of office politics, so thanks, but no thanks.