A permanent or contract role? That isn’t the real career question

It is about what skills employers value and how best to gain them.

Today’s workers are increasingly focused on building a portfolio of skills rather than finding a “job for life”.

Published Sep 14, 2026, 09:00 AM

Updated Sep 14, 2026, 05:24 PM

When I joined my first company 40 years ago, I was handed my employment ID and told: “We have planned your career for life and, if you quit, you can never come back.”

It was a sentiment that reflected how many organisations and workers viewed careers at the time. Long-term employment with a single company was often seen as both the norm and the goal. Career paths were typically linear, with employees progressing through well-defined stages within the same organisation.

它关注的是雇主重视哪些技能以及如何才能最好地获得这些技能。

如今的劳动者越来越注重构建技能组合，而不是寻找一份“终身职业”。

发布于 2026 年 9 月 14 日上午 9:00

更新于2026年9月14日下午5:24

40年前我加入第一家公司时，我拿到了员工证，并被告知：“我们已经为你的人生规划好了，如果你辞职，就永远不能回来了。”

这种观点反映了当时许多组织和员工对职业生涯的看法。长期在同一家公司工作通常被视为常态和目标。职业发展路径通常是线性的，员工在同一组织内按既定阶段晋升。