Forget Career Paths—Start Building Career Cairns

Instead of rigid paths, let’s help our teams focus on career cairns—milestones marked by growth in experience, capability, and contribution. These may not always lead upward in a straight line, but they point forward.

Over the last couple weeks, I’ve heard from multiple business owners and executives all wrestling with the same frustration:

“Our younger teammates are asking about career paths, and we don’t know what to tell them.”

Let’s call it what it is: the traditional idea of a career path is broken.

Is it a ladder? A playground? A labyrinth?

We’ve long treated careers like ladders — step-by-step, rung-by-rung progressions. But ladders are rigid, vertical, and unforgiving. That’s not how work—or life—functions anymore.

Maybe a better metaphor is a playground: dynamic, nonlinear, full of experimentation, learning, and movement. Or maybe we need something even more radical: career cairns.

Cairns (pronounced "kern") are small, stacked stone structures used by hikers to mark trails, especially in areas where the path is hard to see. They’re not fixed steps; rather, they guide travelers along their journey, helping them stay on track when the road ahead isn’t clear. Think of career cairns as those key moments—experiences or growth opportunities—that help guide professionals, especially in a world that often feels uncertain and unpredictable.

A path implies a trail already blazed. But in today’s volatile, uncertain world, very few organizations can offer a clear and predictable path. Most are just trying to make it to next quarter. And yet, Gen Z—soon to be the largest generation on earth—grew up with personalization, transparency, and constant feedback loops. They're not afraid to ask:

“Where is this going? And how do I grow?”

And frankly, to stay competitive in business, leaders need to have an answer.

Let’s learn from the military.

The last time I saw true career pathing work well? The United States Marine Corps. There was a clear cycle: serve in an operational unit, rotate into a non-deployable one, attend a training school, then return to operations at a higher level. Rinse and repeat—each rotation building skills, context, credibility, and new connections.

In contrast, public and private companies often lack this rhythm. Development is reactive, siloed, or seen as a perk for some reserved few—not a strategic priority. So, how do we fix this?

Career Cairns > Career Paths

Instead of rigid paths, let’s help our teams focus on career cairns—milestones marked by growth in experience, capability, and contribution. These may not always lead upward in a straight line, but they point forward.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Define core experiences needed for promotion (think: lead a project, influence cross-functionally, handle a budget).

• Emphasize and demonstrate soft skills like emotional intelligence, collaboration, and adaptability—traits that will matter more than ever in an AI-influenced world.

• Build cultures of mentorship, coaching, and continuous learning—not just once-a-year training events.

• Provide feedback loops, not just performance reviews. Recognition and reinforcement are as vital as critique.

• Create visibility through cross-functional projects and exposure opportunities.

• Explain to Gen Z why this career cairns approach makes sense! They may only be hearing from their friends and influencers that the path is the only real approach—challenge that thinking and teach them why career cairns work!

Gen Z doesn’t want a career path—they want a roadmap they can co-create.

According to Korn Ferry, 76% of Gen Z employees cite learning & development as essential to their engagement. This isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s table stakes. But here’s the kicker: the career belongs to the employee, not the company.

Think of it like a 401(k). The organization provides the menu—the guidance, the resources, the options—but the individual owns the execution. The best companies will act as career

co-pilots, not career dictators.

Bottom Line

Stop promising paths you can’t fully predict. Instead, offer career cairns—those key milestones that help guide your people as they forge their own journey. This approach is how we attract, engage, and retain the next generation of leaders.

The future of work isn’t about rigid structures; it’s about empowering individuals to navigate their careers with clarity, flexibility, and ownership. Let’s help them build a roadmap, one cairn at a time.