The idea of a career ladder is great in theory—a steady progression from intern to CEO—but that’s not how most people’s jobs work. You might change industries, departments, or even be fired.
That’s why Google chief marketing officer Lorraine Twohill wants young people to “enjoy the journey” rather than trying to orchestrate their entire careers, she says Tell LinkedIn’s “This Is Work” podcast, in an episode that aired earlier this month.
“Learn as much as you can. I feel like life and a company like Google are more like a climbing frame than a career ladder,” said Toohill, who manages a team of more than 4,000 employees. “Try different roles, try different things to get comfortable with the scale. Work on different teams, different areas, pick up as many skills as you can. And understand the situation.”
Originally from Ireland, Toohill spent her early career working in marketing for European travel companies. She never planned to work for a startup, let alone a tech startup on another continent. During one of those jobs, she was working at Google, and the company invited her to a meeting.
After that visit, Toohill was questioned while chatting on a bean bag chair and in line for a barbecue, she said. “I thought I was going as a VIP customer,” she said. “But it turns out that after 22 interviews I was being interviewed for their first position in Europe.”
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In 2003, Twohill became one of the company’s first non-U.S. marketers, and six years later moved to the U.S. — another unplanned development, she said — to become Google’s head of global marketing.
Recently, her career took a different turn: In 2016, she was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of bile duct cancer. Unsustainable.
Now, she no longer works late into the night or tries to answer every email, and has found “peace” in not always striving for perfection, Toohill said. She added that to her surprise, her career didn’t collapse and she has become happier and healthier since then.
Her advice echoes comments from best-selling authors millionaire entrepreneur Seth Godin, he said follow the predetermined path will not lead you to success and the happiness of your career.
Godin’s achievement makes him feel accomplished, especially since he has never followed a career plan, he told LinkedIn’s “path” 2023 Newsletter.
His advice: “Use a compass not a map.” Your compass is your big picture goal, the person you aspire to be outside of your position. Following it means pursuing decisions that make you happier and more content in the short term, Godin says, rather than following a series of pre-planned steps that, if you’re very lucky, might ultimately lead to your “dream job.”
Godin says your short-term decisions won’t always succeed, but you’ll learn enough from each failure to ultimately succeed. You’ll have “more fun” along the way, he points out.
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