Squiggly Careers Podcast Summary

Episode: Part 2: 6 Squiggly Careers Trends in 2026 – Redundancy, Accountability & Why Learning Matters More Than Promotions
Hosts: Helen Tupper & Sarah Ellis
Release Date: December 30, 2025

Episode Overview

In this year-end episode, Helen and Sarah continue exploring the key trends they predict will shape Squiggly Careers in 2026. Building on the first part (which covered AI agents, connection/disconnection, and employee influencers), this second part drills into three additional themes: the rise of redundancies and restructures, a new tension between autonomy and accountability, and why learning is fast becoming more pivotal than promotions. Throughout, they offer practical advice, personal anecdotes, and actionable tools to help listeners take control of their own career development as the world of work evolves.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Restructures and Redundancies: Facing the New Reality

[04:22–12:04]

• Main Insight: Redundancy and workplace restructures are now a common and growing part of most careers, accelerated by technology and organizational change.
• Not Just About You: The hosts emphasize that “no job, industry, or organization is so stable and secure that you are immune” to restructure or redundancy. It’s a systemic issue, not an individual failure ([04:58] Sarah).
• Practical Actions to Take Now:
  • Keep your LinkedIn profile current (“97% of people look at it if they are going to recruit you,” notes Sarah [07:45]).
  • Update your CV regularly—aim for 10 minutes/month.
  • Build and nurture key professional relationships before you need them.
  • Scan the job market periodically and audit your skill and experience gaps.
• Mindset Matters: Don't let redundancy feel overly personal, permanent, or pervasive—that only adds emotional weight to an already tough time ([09:10] Helen referencing Martin Seligman’s pessimism traps).
• Toolkit: The hosts remind listeners of their free Redundancy Reset Toolkit: "It's completely free…there’s a video series, tools, loads of links…it's just there for when people need it." ([11:40] Sarah)

Notable Quote:
"Everybody will experience [restructure or redundancy] more than once and next year all the stats are showing this is happening more, more frequently, partly because of AI."
— Helen [04:43]

2. Autonomy x Accountability: The New Workplace Equation

[12:04–20:47]

• Key Tension: Individuals now want greater freedom over how, when, and where they work. At the same time, organizations are demanding clearer accountability for outcomes.
• Autonomy vs. Accountability: Achieving both is challenging but possible. Organizations must clarify the “what” (outcomes and priorities); individuals can then own the “how” ([13:22] Sarah referencing Tammy Erickson/London Business School).
• The Power of Clarity Creators:
  • The hosts describe their internal tool, the “Clarity Creator,” a one-page template that outlines each role’s purpose, priorities (“now vs. not for now”), and associated behaviors ([14:55] Sarah).
  • This tool helps teams increase accountability without sacrificing autonomy.
  • Individuals draft their own version, managers provide feedback, and follow-up clarity conversations cement shared understanding ([16:50] Sarah).
• Framing Matters: “Clarity” is a lot more motivating and approachable than “accountability” ([19:28] Helen).
• Sharing the Tool: The hosts promise to put a blank Clarity Creator template in their show notes and LinkedIn ([19:16] Helen).

Notable Quotes:
“An organization’s job is actually to be very clear on the what…If you do that really well, then you can give loads of autonomy on the how.”
— Sarah [13:22]

“I think the word clarity is more appealing to an individual than accountability…If I had the ‘accountability audit,’ it doesn’t sound appealing.”
— Helen [19:28]

3. Learning Over Promotions: Rethinking What We Celebrate at Work

[20:47–27:32]

• Old World vs. New World:
  • Traditionally, career advancement was recognized by promotions, often celebrated publicly (e.g., “I literally, when I used to work in Capital One…people got put on billboards because they’d got promoted” ([21:10] Helen)).
  • In the Squiggly Careers world, ongoing learning is more valuable than ladders or levels.
• Recognizing Continuous Learners:
  • At Amazing If, those who take multiple learning “sprints” get special “super sprinter” badges and recognition ([22:46] Helen).
  • The goal is to “celebrate and reward and recognize learners,” making learning itself a status symbol.
• Dreaming Bigger: The hosts envision a future in which learning achievements are as public as promotions—think “learning coins,” or a section on every CV listing what you learned that year ([23:26], [27:16]).
• Leaders Who Learn Loudly: Role modeling matters—a call for more leaders/managers to share their learning journeys openly, both internally and on public platforms. This significantly impacts company culture ([24:41] Sarah).
• Specific Aspirations:
  • “You’d want the word [learning] to be used a lot on LinkedIn…in annual reports…anywhere people talk about work.” ([26:45] Sarah)
  • “Imagine if every CV had a learning section: ‘what I’ve learned this year’ or ‘what I want to learn more of’.” ([27:16] Helen)

Notable Quotes:
“In a squiggly career, learning is much more important than the level…It has much more dividends in the long term.”
— Helen [21:10]

“I like the idea of leaders that learn loudly…their behaviors have a really big ripple effect.”
— Sarah [24:41]

Memorable Moments & Quotes with Timestamps

• “What would you do now that your future self will really thank you for?”
  — Sarah [07:45]
• “I want learners to be on the pedestal…We need to make learning cool.”
  — Helen [23:32]
• “If you want people to engage in a behavior…getting the language right is useful, and Clarity Creator seems to be working well.”
  — Helen [19:29]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------|------------| | Opening & theme intro | 00:00–04:22| | Redundancy & restructure trends | 04:22–12:04| | Autonomy vs. Accountability | 12:04–20:47| | Clarity Creator practicals | 14:55–19:16| | Learning over promotions | 20:47–27:32| | Leaders “learning loudly” | 24:37–26:45| | Wrap-up & closing notes | 27:32–end |

Tone & Language

The episode is warm, candid, and conversational, with Helen and Sarah sharing both personal reflections and practical ideas in a supportive and uplifting tone. Occasional humor and self-deprecation keep even heavy topics accessible.

Action Steps & Further Resources

• Redundancy Reset Toolkit: Free resource for anyone experiencing restructure or redundancy (amazingif.com).
• Clarity Creator Template: Will be linked in the show notes and posted to Amazing If’s LinkedIn.
• Community Learning Sprints: Open to join at squigglysprint.com.

For listeners, this episode delivers a roadmap for thriving in squiggly, unpredictable work lives—offering both nuanced advice and concrete resources for meeting the future with confidence and clarity.