Linear careers not only “an anachronism,” never existed for women in the first place – The Pivot

Speaking at The Pivot, the first of a series of events combining networking, workshops and fire-side chats, Rachael Twumasi-Corson and Natasha Bird examined changing attitudes to linear careers.

While non-linear careers – with breaks, periods of self-employment, side-steps and entire career moves – becoming more commonplace, the event also examined the idea that for women, this was already par for the course.

Bird said: “Linear careers are an anachronism now, but I’d argue that they never really existed for women anyway.”

In order to explore effective ways of making the most of all potential career paths, particularly in what Twumasi-Corson described as the current “time of fear, uncertainty and doubt,” the pair discussed their own experiences changing and shaping their careers, fielded questions from the audience, and led a planning exercised that encouraged attendees to map three drastically different life options.

Twumasi-Corson pointed out that the ability to adapt and find opportunities was integral considering the current period of socio-economic upheaval.

She said: “We’ve lived through these revolutions before, as a species, and a lot of the survival was about pivoting.”

Twumasi-Corson spoke of her own experience as an entrepreneur, having worked across various careers and made her way into opportunities that would otherwise have been closed to her.

She said: “Coming from a working class background, and being Black and a woman, doors don’t just open.”