In the past, people mapped out their careers in a highly linear fashion. You planned to study architecture, went to university, secured a job at a prominent firm, and, over several years, worked your way up to partner.
Yet things do not always go as planned. Perhaps you graduated with an architecture degree but could not secure the salary you envisioned. Or perhaps you join a major firm only to be laid off after a year or two due to declining profits and rising overhead. You might even become an architect, only to realize a few years later that it is not your passion. What then? This is where non-linear careers come into play.
A non-linear career path is distinct from job-hopping. Job-hopping implies that you are moving from role to role indiscriminately.
