Squiggly Careers and the Martini Glass, a SPARK session with Francesca Dove

Careers are rarely linear. With rapid technology change, shifting business models, new roles emerging, old roles shifting, its important to build adaptability, cross functional fluency and transferrable skills.

Using the themes that Francesca highlights in her Spark session, here are actionable steps to prepare for the next couple of years:

• Map your career story: Know where you’ve been, where you want to go, and how your skills transfer. Think of the Martini glass, build your generalist capabilities, narrowing in the middle perhaps specialise in a couple of areas, before expanding in other leadership or cross functional capability areas
• Build cross-functional fluency: deepen insights into adjacent functions eg. finance, tech, data, ops, product, leadership that translate well in 2026 and beyond.
• Continuous learning & micro-experiences: Don’t rely on formal credentials alone. Take on side projects, short term projects, advisory gigs, volunteer, side-hustle. These give you agility.
• Network mindset + visibility: A squiggly path thrives on diverse connections and visibility of what you do. Publish, speak, collaborate.
• Future-oriented skills: Capabilities like digital literacy, data fluency, AI awareness, adaptability, storytelling matter
• Own your narrative and value proposition: Be able to say: “Here’s how my diverse background is my strength, and here’s how I help/lead/adapt/change”.
• Plan for the squiggly: Don’t view career as a single line; prepare for possibilities up, down and sideways.

Join us for a future event or get support navigating your next steps at Dear Thrive https://dearthrive.com/