Your Career Path Doesn't Have to Be a Straight Line — Zigzags Are Valid

The idea that a good career moves steadily upward in one field is a myth that causes a lot of unnecessary shame. Lateral moves, industry switches, sabbaticals, and unexpected detours often build the most interesting skill sets and the broadest perspective. What looks like wandering from the outside often makes perfect sense from the inside. The marketer who spent two years teaching, the developer who ran a bakery, the lawyer who became a designer -- these stories are not failures. They are compound experience, and they give you an edge that a straight-line resume never could.