We’ve been taught to think of careers as ladders.
You start at the bottom.
You climb step by step.
You reach the top.
Simple. Predictable. Linear.
But that model no longer reflects reality—if it ever truly did.
The truth is this: your career is not a straight line. It’s a portfolio of experiences.
And the sooner you embrace that, the sooner you unlock your true potential.
From Ladder to Portfolio Thinking
In the world of Me Incorporated, you are not an employee moving up a rigid structure.
You are a dynamic enterprise—constantly evolving, investing, and adapting.
Every role you take on…
Every project you try…
Every risk, success, and even failure…
They are all assets in your portfolio.
Some will yield immediate returns.
Others will take years to pay off.
And some will teach you what not to do—which may be the most valuable return of all.
My Story: From Senior Clerk to Associate Dean
Early in my career at UC San Diego, I started as a senior clerk in Student Services.
It wasn’t glamorous.
It wasn’t strategic.
And at the time, it certainly didn’t feel like the beginning of a path to leadership.
But what I didn’t realize then was that I was learning some of the most important lessons of my career:
- How to serve students directly
- How systems actually work on the front lines
- How to listen, solve problems, and adapt in real time
From there, my path didn’t follow a straight line—it expanded.
I took on new opportunities.
I stepped into roles I wasn’t fully prepared for.
I said yes to challenges that stretched me.
Along the way, I experienced setbacks.
Moments of uncertainty.
Times when the next step wasn’t clear.
But each experience added something to my portfolio:
- Leadership skills
- Strategic thinking
- The ability to bring people together and build something bigger than myself
Eventually, that journey led me to serve as Staff Advisor to the Regents—a role that gave me a systemwide perspective—and later to my current role as Associate Dean.
Looking back, none of it was linear.
But all of it was connected.
The Myth of “Wasted Time”
One of the biggest misconceptions people carry is the fear of wasting time.
They worry:
- “What if this job isn’t the right one?”
- “What if I pivot too late?”
- “What if I fail?”
But in reality, there is no wasted time—only unrecognized value.
That role that felt like a detour?
It taught you resilience.
That project that didn’t succeed?
It sharpened your judgment.
That unexpected opportunity?
It revealed a new direction.
Each experience adds skills, perspective, and clarity—the three ingredients of meaningful work.
Connecting the Dots (Looking Backward, Not Forward)
Careers rarely make sense when you look ahead.
They make sense when you look back.
What feels like a series of disconnected steps today will later reveal a clear pattern:
- A skill you developed early becomes your competitive edge later
- A relationship you built unexpectedly opens a critical door
- A risk you took becomes the foundation of your identity
The key is to keep moving, learning, and refining—not waiting for a perfect plan.
Finding Your Work Passion
Passion is not something you discover all at once.
It is something you build over time through:
- Exposure to different environments
- Repetition and mastery of skills
- Reflection on what energizes you
Your passion sits at the intersection of:
- What you are good at
- What you enjoy
- What creates value for others
And you don’t arrive there in a straight line—you arrive there through iteration.
The Power of Trying, Testing, and Failing
In a non-linear career, experimentation is not optional—it’s essential.
You have to:
- Try things before you feel ready
- Test ideas before they are perfect
- Fail without letting it define you
Each attempt refines your direction.
Each failure sharpens your focus.
Each success builds momentum.
This is how you move from simply having ideas… to bringing out the best in others.
Building Your Personal Stock Value
If you think of yourself as a company—Me Incorporated—then every experience affects your value.
Ask yourself regularly:
- What skills am I investing in?
- What experiences am I adding to my portfolio?
- What environments bring out my best performance?
Your goal is not just to move forward—it is to increase your long-term value.
That means being intentional about growth, not just titles.
Final Thought: Embrace the Journey
Your career will twist.
It will pivot.
It will surprise you.
That’s not a flaw in the system—that is the system.
My journey—from senior clerk to Associate Dean—was not planned in a straight line.
It was built through persistence, curiosity, and a willingness to keep going even when the path wasn’t clear.
The most successful people are not those who follow a perfect path.
They are the ones who:
- Stayed curious
- Took chances
- Learned continuously
- And kept going
So don’t worry if your path doesn’t look straight.
It’s not supposed to.
Because in the end, it’s not about climbing a ladder— it’s about building something far more powerful:
A life of purpose, growth, and impact.