Gap year, interruptions and holes in the CV: now even in Italy non-linear careers are valued

When I began my career in human resources twenty years ago, I had to deal with several times
US-branded candidates, and the thing that struck me most was the non-linearity of their careers: a change here, a change there, a sabbatical in Asia here, a long journey in search of self there.
Here, however, the linear, almost monolithic career still prevailed: did you want to be a Manager in Marketing? You then graduated with a specialization in Marketing, entered a company as an Assistant, then as a Product, then as a Senior, as a Marketing Manager, and so on, possibly with few changes in the company, as little as possible, also because these were seen by the recruiters as a sign of «instability», or as the mere search for continuous economic improvement.

Of sabbatical years, of interruptions, of holes in the CV it was better not to talk about them, they were often read as a sign of instability and restlessness. I’m generalising, obviously, but that was the concept. Today the reality of the world of work, and the expectations of the new generations, fortunately, are much more complex. Things can turn out differently than we thought: what we wanted to do at twenty, at forty no longer seems so interesting; or the company, even an important one, in which we work, reduces its staff and leaves us at home even if we are in a very bad situation; or, again, we simply want to do something else and acquire new skills, also to avoid falling into the monotony of always doing the same thing, even at higher levels, or always working in the same company.

We have worked in a multinational company and we decide instead that we want to compete with a start up? Sure, why not, change is possible and sometimes it can be a great idea, it gives us exposure to the diversity of different realities. One of the great news of the post pandemic is that non-linear careers have not only been cleared through customs, but are even valorized by the most attentive headhunters and recruiters. I would like to point out, for the avoidance of doubt, that it is one thing to change by having a good sense of where you want to go, listening to how we are made and our evolution, enhancing our distinctive skills, but it is another thing to go from branch to branch, doing jobs hopping. Job hopping is taking what you get, without carefully analyzing what we are doing, the position we have and where it can take us in the medium to long term, perhaps filling gaps in terms of skills. Having, however, a non-linear career means being protagonists of one’s present and above all of one’s future, using all the necessary flexibility, sometimes even taking calculated risks.

Today, as we know, we work longer than we used to, the retirement age has been slipping further and further forward, and we have also found, despite ourselves, that overly static careers struggle to ferry us effectively towards the future: we are obliged, whether we like it or not, to welcome the new challenges, to welcome the profound changes that the world of work offers us. Today, more and more companies are at the center of recruitment activity skills: we look less rigidly at the candidate’s path, what matters much more is what the candidate can do or can bring to the company. The problem increasingly arises of identifying people with the right skills, also in terms of soft skills, rather than the candidate with the flawless linear CV.

Above all, we have now established that the lWorking your whole life in a single company is something that is less and less part of our present and even less of our future. It is true that, especially in comparison with Anglo-Saxon countries, the Italian attitude towards non-linear careers is evolving and some rigidities remain. It doesn’t matter, what I have always said is fundamental, that a career is measured in the long term, not in the short term: it may also be that in the short term a non-linear career does not “pay”, but in the long run the wealth of acquired skills, flexibility mental and ability to work in different contexts are a truly important asset, also from an income point of view. Above all, listening to one’s passion and one’s “purpose”, which can certainly change and evolve significantly in a person’s life, is the most important point, the true key to professional success and our psychological well-being, which is so important today.

• Roberto D’Incau, Founder of Lang&Partners, one of the most prestigious Italian HR consultancy firms