Hi everyone, and welcome back to The Business Book Club—where we break down the world’s most thought-provoking leadership and career books into clear, practical insights you can apply right away.

Today’s book is The Squiggly Career by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis—a refreshing, practical guide that challenges everything we’ve been told about how careers should look.

Let me start with this: If you’ve ever felt like your career path didn’t quite fit the neat, linear journey you imagined—or the one you were told to follow—you’re not alone. And you’re not doing it wrong. In fact, you might be doing it exactly right.
 

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In The Squiggly Career, Tupper and Ellis offer an empowering message: careers today are no longer ladders. They’re squiggly. Twisting, evolving, full of experimentation—and that’s not a flaw, it’s a feature.

Rather than chasing the next rung on a predictable path, the authors invite us to embrace agility, curiosity, and authenticity in shaping a career that’s as unique as we are.

But this isn’t just a motivational pep talk. It’s packed with structure—five powerful tools to help us navigate our squiggly journeys with clarity and confidence.

Let’s break them down.

Tool One: Super Strengths. Forget generic skills like “good communicator” or “team player.” What Tupper and Ellis want you to uncover are your super strengths—the things you do exceptionally well that energize and fulfil you. These are often hiding in plain sight, and once you identify them, you can start aligning your work around them—unlocking both performance and passion.

Tool Two: Values.Your values are your internal compass. When they’re honored, you feel motivated. When they’re compromised, you feel frustrated—even if everything looks fine on paper. This part of the book offers reflective exercises to pinpoint your values and use them as a filter for making better career choices.

Tool Three: Confidence.This is about silencing the inner critic and shifting your self-talk. But it’s not just “believe in yourself.” The authors focus on building confidence through action—micro-moments of bravery, reframing failure, and surrounding yourself with the right support network.

Tool Four: Networking. Now, don’t roll your eyes. This isn’t the cringe-worthy, transactional kind of networking. It’s about building genuine connections with people who uplift you, challenge you, and help you grow. They call it “relationship-led networking,” and it feels far more natural and human.

Tool Five: Future Possibilities. This is perhaps the most liberating part of the book. Instead of forcing a rigid five-year plan, Tupper and Ellis encourage you to think in terms of experiments—test out roles, side projects, learning opportunities. Curiosity becomes your career compass, not certainty.

And what ties all of this together is the authors’ warmth, wisdom, and relatability. They’re not preaching from the top of the mountain. They’ve lived these squiggles. They get it.

The beauty of The Squiggly Career is that it doesn’t promise easy answers—but it does give you the tools to ask better questions about who you are, what matters to you, and how you want to shape your work life in a world that’s changing faster than ever.

So—if you’re feeling stuck, if you’re navigating a career pivot, or if you simply want to feel more aligned and energised by your work—this book is like having a career coach, therapist, and cheerleader all rolled into one.

Here’s the big takeaway: Success is no longer about climbing a straight ladder. It’s about finding meaning in the squiggles. Embracing the detours. And building a career that truly fits you—not the version of you someone else imagined.

Closing

That’s it for today’s Business Book Club episode. If this resonated, give The Squiggly Career a read—or a re-read—and let those five tools guide your next steps, wherever they may lead.

Thank you for joining me, and I’ll see you again soon for another inspiring business book breakdown.