When I graduated from university in 1996, my focus was on the material markers known as the 5Cs: Career, cash, condo, car, and credit card, all of which seemed attainable through climbing the corporate ladder and achieving job promotions. 

Job titles held a certain allure, signifying prestige, stability, and the promise of a comfortable lifestyle. 

But over the past 25 years, the markers for success have undergone a remarkable transformation. 

The last decade has also witnessed rapid disruptions in industries and job landscapes, as average life expectancy increased to 83 years. 

In observing these transformations, it becomes apparent that our traditional notions of success and upward mobility need to be re-evaluated. 

In a world characterised by volatility, uncertainty, chaos, and ambiguity (Vuca), where inflexion points punctuate our lifespan, the pursuit of a linear career path loses its relevance. 

And a linear trajectory may not be sustainable. 

Having mentored Gen Ys and Gen Zs in recent years, I noticed a consistent aspiration among them: The desire for rapid promotion and upward mobility. 

However, it is crucial to recognise that in today's rapidly changing world, adaptability, meta-skills, and the ability to navigate ambiguity hold greater value than a linear career progression. The pursuit of a traditional career pathway is no longer synonymous with success. 

It is important for Singaporeans, especially youth, to understand the shifting landscape of success in the face of longevity, disruptions and a new way of work.  

ADAPTING TO LONGEVITY

In today’s world, where Gen Z, Gen Y and Gen X are projected to live longer, the career lifespan will be 40 to 50 years. 

This raises important questions: Can one work endlessly for 50 years? What happens if you peak at 30 years and still have 10 to 20 years of your career ahead?   

Instead of retiring or stagnating, individuals are recognising the need to cultivate in-demand skills that allow them to contribute meaningfully and maintain sustainable income.

We go through different life phases in our career lifespans. To play the long game in our career lifespan, we must view each career move as a step closer to achieving our life goals and finding our purpose. 

Prioritising career sustainability means adapting to longevity by developing a diverse skill set capable of standing the test of time. 

Investing in transferable skills that hold value across industries and roles equips young professionals with the agility needed to navigate the ever-evolving job market. 

Continuous learning, adaptability, and seizing emerging opportunities become integral components of their career journey. 

Formerly considered the pinnacle of achievement, job titles no longer capture the breadth of skills and experiences required for a fulfilling and enduring career.

In a longer life span, transitioning from a corporate career need not be a precipitous drop. 

With in-demand skills, social connections, and career capital accumulated over time, individuals can confidently shape their next career trajectory and embark on fulfilling new endeavours beyond the confines of traditional job titles. 

By aligning their careers with their purpose, professionals can find greater fulfilment and meaning throughout their extended working lives, allowing them to make a lasting impact and create a legacy that goes beyond mere job titles. 

ADAPTING TO DISRUPTIONS

In a world characterised by rapid technological advancements and market disruptions, the shelf life of skills is becoming shorter. It is no longer possible or even desirable to learn one set of skills and work your way up the ladder. 

Hence it is essential for professionals to develop meta skills that enable them to continually learn, unlearn, and relearn in order to stay relevant in the ever-changing landscape of work. 

Meta skills are “higher-order” skills that enable one to better learn other skills and improve their existing ones. These include one’s ability to see things from different perspectives within various scenarios, identify pain points and connect the dots.

Building trans-disciplinary skills is important. Learning skills from different domains can widen your perspectives and beyond just doing a job, individuals will have toolkits that they can use to create different pathways at different points in their careers.   

Multi-disciplinary learning can also be acquired through internal mobility in the same organisation.

For example, along my career journey, I got myself certified as a leadership coach and developed human-centred design thinking skills. All these have helped me in my role as a marketer and business leader as I advance in my career. 

By focusing on skill development, today’s workforce will be less likely to associate their self-worth with job titles. This could be detrimental to a person’s well-being, especially in a world where disruptions and uncertainty are the new normal. 

Today, I no longer introduce myself by my job title, I introduce myself by sharing what problems I help to solve. 

ADAPTING TO THE FUTURE OF WORK

Organisations are also quickly evolving and reinventing their culture. A good example is Haier, a leading global appliance maker, founded in China. 

Haier entered the Internet Age with a bureaucratic, hierarchical company full of middle managers, hampering innovation and business agility. Its connectivity to external stakeholders, particularly customers, was less than optimal.

Many employees lacked the skills to innovate and adapt to an environment of continuous change. Hence they decided to create agile squads and self-organise into thousands of microenterprises that respond directly to user needs. 

The approach has nurtured the organisation’s innovative and entrepreneurial instincts while sweeping away hierarchy, bureaucracy, and more than 12,000 middle managers. 

Similarly, Haier’s human resource department has gone from 860 employees to just 11 through the adoption of an HR shared services platform. Today Haier remains a strong brand globally and continues its double-digit year-on-year growth.

In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, all employees will need to be value creators or think like an entrepreneur. 

Our compensation is no longer based solely on how hard we work or our tenure with a company, both of which used to be closely tied to job titles.

Instead, the value placed on skills has significantly increased, and we are now evaluated by how difficult it is to replace us. 

In conclusion, a longer career span and rapid disruptions necessitate embracing non-linear career pathways and prioritising the acquisition of diverse skills that are aligned with our lifelong purpose. 

These skills enable individuals to pursue multiple career avenues and adapt to the changing demands of the job market. 

Additionally, cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, being willing to take strategic risks, and possessing essential human skills such as empathy, inclusiveness, and active networking become key factors in determining career success. 

When one excels in their chosen field, promotions naturally follow, further enhancing their professional growth. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Adeline Tiah is a leadership and REINVENT coach, an adjunct lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and author of REINVENT 4.0 — Your Keys to Unlock Success and Thrive in Uncertainty.