Today, I listened to a panel discussion organized by Finance Finland (Finanssiala ry) on the topic of multi-peak careers. The discussion brought up fresh perspectives on how a career doesn’t always need to follow a continuous upward trajectory until retirement. Embracing this idea may require a mental shift, as we often assume that the peak of a career comes just before retirement.
Room to breathe – and grow
The panelists pointed out that it’s perfectly okay to step back from a leadership role and move into a specialist position toward the end of your career. You might even give yourself some breathing room by switching to a shorter workweek. The hours freed up can then offer a student the opportunity to grow into the role gradually as a new expert.
Multi-peak careers can take many forms: job rotation, flexible working hours, mentoring, and more. The discussion also highlighted how important it is to reflect on your skills at different stages of your career—and how shaping your expertise in advance can support a more sustainable path.
Multi-peak careers are the future of work
From the employer's perspective, a multi-peak career can help extend working lives, especially if people can continue working longer with the help of more flexible schedules. This is already a critical issue—and one that will grow more urgent as many sectors face labor shortages in the near future.
In my view, in addition to talking about non-linear careers, we could also talk about career design—just as we talk about service design. Career design means shaping a career in a way that allows it to last longer than the traditional model, where responsibilities and workload only increase toward the end.
The conversation about multi-peak careers continues at the UusioUra event this September. Come and explore whether a multi-peak career or career design could be the right path for you. See you in September!