The first year of 2024 is almost over; a frightening thought. But before we lapse into February and all those well-meaning resolutions fall by the wayside, we still have a solid week left to reevaluate our careers.
I jape, of course, as if you really want or need to make a career change and feel like waiting around until January is appropriate, you’re probably alright as you are. However, while career moves are still fresh in everyone’s minds, I thought I’d posit an idea; do you really need to “move up” the corporate ladder to advance your career?
Anastasia Beltyukova
A lateral move entails transitioning to a role of similar status and pay, often in a different role within the creative sphere. This path contrasts with the traditional trajectory of seeking promotions and higher responsibilities, focusing instead on diversifying skills and experiences. This could be a powerful strategy for creative professionals looking to reinvigorate their careers, take on new challenges and expand their portfolios in new directions.
Today, I’ll explore some of the more compelling reasons why this trend is taking shape and how it aligns with the ethos of our dense community of innovators and visionaries.
1. Expanding Your Creative Horizons
The creative sector thrives on diversity of thought and technique and lateral thinking and in that regard, lateral movement makes a lot of sense. A lateral move pushes you out of your comfort zone, allowing you to experiment with new ideas and approaches from a different angle and, perhaps, with a different set of tools and approaches. This not only broadens your skill set but could refresh your creative outlook, which is essential for remaining relevant and competitive.
Danielle Last
2. A Cross-Pollination of Ideas
Moving laterally exposes you to different teams, projects, and organisational cultures, all of which can take root in unique and exciting ways as streams cross and individual ideas become shared concepts. This cross-pollination of ideas can spark new inspirations and lead to innovative collaborations, enhancing not only your creative potential but your network of friends and colleagues.
3. Combatting Creative Stagnation
We all know how comforting it can be to relax into a routine but routine and familiarity can lead to stagnation as we end up spinning in circles and using the same experiences to generate work that feels uncomfortably familiar. A lateral move offers a change of pace and perspective, potentially rekindling your passion and without the added pressures that are often associated with vertical moves.
Andy Carolan
4. Gaining a Holistic Perspective
Experiencing various facets of the creative industry can provide valuable insights into its interconnected nature and help you understand it that much better. For anyone hoping to become a Creative Director or ECD one day, this is invaluable as those are roles that require an intimate knowledge of every facet of the industry. This holistic view can improve your strategic thinking, making you a more rounded and insightful creative professional that could eventually evolve into the master-of-all-trades you’ve always dreamt of being.
5. Demonstrating Adaptability
Finally, if COVID taught us anything, in a world where change is the only constant, adaptability is a key skill. A lateral move shows your willingness to embrace new challenges and adapt to a new (and perhaps initially uncomfortable) environment, which is a quality highly prized amongst creatives.
Louise Sloper
So, if you’ve only ever worked in design, why not think about moving into content creation? If you’ve already progressed to management, meanwhile, consider which other departments or areas you might want to have a crack at and consider both what skills you already possess that would work in that new role and the new skills the role could teach you. You won’t know unless you try and what better opportunity to test your boundaries than the start of a new year?
