I wrote about my non-linear career journey—from government department head to senior engineer to startup IC—and what I learned from stepping "sideways" twice. Read the full story on my Substack →
We're taught careers should be ladders. Always climbing up. More responsibility, bigger titles, higher salaries.
But what happens when the most exciting opportunity asks you to step sideways? Or even down?
I've made that choice twice. Both times, people questioned it. The heck, I questioned it. Both times, it was the best decision I could have made.
The Moves That Looked Crazy
Move #1: Left my Head of Department role in government to become a senior software engineer at a SaaS company. In a different country. Starting over completely.
Move #2: Climbed back up to Lead Integration Engineer, had a clear path to management... then joined a startup as an individual contributor during COVID.
What I Learned
Those "lateral" moves made me multidimensional. Government taught me structured thinking. Enterprise integrations taught me to solve complex customer challenges. Startup SaaS taught me to think on my feet and prioritize ruthlessly.
My hot take? Legacy code is often the money-making part of the machinery. People complain about "ugly code," but they're often hired with money earned by that same code. Sometimes the best architecture is the one that works and makes money, even if it's not elegant.
The Real Definition of Career Growth
Career growth isn't about always moving up. It's about moving toward what makes you better, more fulfilled, and more capable of doing work that matters.
My career isn't linear. It's a spiral—sometimes more technical work, sometimes more management, but the average is always going up.
If you're considering a non-traditional move, ask yourself: Will this let me learn what I'm hungry to learn? Will it give me ownership over work I care about?
If yes, then it's not a lateral move. It's strategic positioning for the career you actually want.
Want the full story with all the awkward moments, doubts, and specific lessons? Read it on my Substack →
Have you made a non-traditional career move? Drop your story in the comments 👇
Top comments (0)