The Squiggly Career

Name: The Squiggly Career
Author: Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis

Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis

Navigate a nonlinear career with confidence by building valuable skills, embracing opportunities, and shaping a path around your strengths.

22 min9 Chapters

Listen to the intro

1:41

Business & Career

Personal Growth & Self-Help

Outline

What's it about?

The Squiggly Career (2020) explains that careers today rarely follow a straight ladder and are more likely to take a winding, squiggly path. Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis show how people can succeed in this new world by understanding their strengths, building confidence, developing networks, and exploring future possibilities. The book offers practical tools for taking control of one’s own career development.

Key ideas

Careers today rarely follow a straight ladder; they are more likely to wind, loop and change direction along the way.
Understanding your own strengths is the starting point for shaping a career that fits you.
Confidence can be built deliberately, and it helps you take on new opportunities.
Developing your networks and exploring future possibilities keeps you ready for the next step.
Practical tools in the book help you take control of your own career development.

About the author

Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis are British career development experts and cofounders of Amazing If, a company that helps people and organisations navigate modern careers. They host the Squiggly Careers podcast, and their other books include You Coach You.

Questions people ask

What is The Squiggly Career about?

It argues that careers today rarely follow a straight ladder and more often take a winding path. Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis show how to succeed on that path by building strengths, confidence and networks.

Who is The Squiggly Career for?

It suits anyone whose working life is not a simple climb up one ladder, or who wants to take more control of their own career development. It is listed under business and career, personal growth and life transitions.

How long is the Durar summary of The Squiggly Career?

The Durar summary takes about 15 minutes to read or listen to. It covers the book's main ideas on strengths, confidence, networks and future possibilities.