Skip to main contentA logo with &quat;the muse&quat; in dark blue text.
Advice / Career Paths / Exploring Careers

Your Career Isn't a Ladder—It's a Smartphone

The idea of our careers as a ladder is pretty dated—and doesn't really resonate with most people. After all, very few of us have one role that we're constantly "climbing" toward, with no exploration on the way or room to change our minds.

That's why career development expert Jenny Blake suggests a more 21st-century metaphor for our careers: a smartphone. Watch the video below for a more liberating way to think about your career development, and some sage advice for how to manage your career when you're no longer just trying to get to the top.