Stories

Tue, 14 Jul 2026

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 I changed jobs 10 times in 10 years to get the career I wanted

The lily-padding trend sees young people repeatedly move jobs to try to advance in the workplace.
Adam Smiley Poswolsky, a public speaker and author, has had multiple careers in various fields, including government, non-profit, creative, and corporate work. He says he was looking for "meaning and purpose" in his work and life, and moved between jobs to develop skills that helped him get to where he is now. Industry professionals have identified the emergence of a new work trend among Gen Z employees, with Nicola Grant, chief people officer at Hiscox, saying that individuals want to build a breadth of experience faster rather than follow a single, linear path. Lucy Kemp, an employee experience specialist, agrees, stating that lily padding is the future of work and that younger people want to shape their own careers based on skills they value. The trend of lily padding has been linked to a desire for growth, with employees wanting to learn something new and have a purpose in their jobs. Harris-Nelson says she sees her career as an ongoing journey rather than a destination, always learning and growing.