People Are Rewriting Their Careers, Not Just Their CVs
Why 2026 is the year for strategic career experimentation
Editor’s Note: This is sponsored content from Marianne Schofield, a career coach working with professionals navigating career transitions. While The Media Stack typically focuses on media effectiveness and publishing strategy, we’re featuring this piece on career experimentation as many of our readers consider their professional direction for 2026.
January brings a surge of career advice and motivation. But many professionals now go beyond updating CVs—they question the purpose behind their work. For 2026, the biggest career question is not just how we work, but why we work at all.
This movement is a response to economic shifts, technology, and changing expectations. Professionals are treating their careers as experiments, seeking paths aligned with personal values and ambitions—not just titles or salaries.
The Rise of Career Experimenters
We’re seeing a new wave of career experimenters. These are people who don’t just change jobs; instead, they rethink their entire professional identity. Some take on entrepreneurial ventures alongside traditional employment. Others explore entirely new industries or cross-functional roles within their organisations. This isn’t reckless job-hopping—it’s strategic exploration of what really works, balancing financial goals with mental well-being, personal growth, and a sense of purpose.
The trend of “portfolio careers”—where professionals combine multiple streams of income, freelance work, side projects, board seats, or part-time roles—is growing fast. According to Forbes on portfolio careers, these careers offer both flexibility and security, enabling people to diversify their income while pursuing meaningful work.
In a recent FlexJobs survey, 69% of respondents reported changing or seriously considering a career change in the past year. The main drivers? Desire for work-life balance, flexibility, and fulfilment. A Careershifters report shows that dissatisfaction with roles, misalignment with personal values, and a desire to pursue passion projects are driving more people to experiment with their professional identities.
People now see work as something to design, not just endure.
Why January Is a Natural Time to Experiment
There’s cultural pressure in January to “hit the ground running.” But the best career decisions aren’t made in a rush of New Year optimism—they’re made from clarity. Many successful professionals naturally slow down in January after a hectic Q4 or holiday season. This period of professional hibernation isn’t failure; it’s strategic.
Professional hibernation is intentional downtime for reflection, learning, and self-assessment. During this time, you can:
Consider what truly energises you at work
Assess which skills you want to develop in 2026
Explore potential pivots without committing prematurely
Rather than forcing a drastic change or chasing the “new year, new you” narrative, taking time to reflect allows for more deliberate, informed choices. Career experimentation is most effective when it’s thoughtful, not reactionary.
Micro-Pivots: Small Moves, Big Insights
One of the smartest ways to experiment with your career identity is through micro-pivots—small, manageable shifts that allow you to test a new direction without burning bridges.
Examples include volunteering for cross-functional projects or stretch assignments in your current organisation, taking on freelance work in a field you’re curious about, launching a passion project to test if a new role energises you, or attending workshops and short-term certifications in a different skill area.
The goal of micro-pivots is data, not perfection. Each experiment teaches you something about your strengths, interests, and boundaries. Over time, these small pivots compound into a clearer picture of what career moves are worth pursuing.
Career researchers note that incremental experimentation is safer and more effective than dramatic leaps. According to Harvard Business Review, career changers who tested new roles or projects before fully committing were more likely to succeed and report higher satisfaction than those who jumped without experimenting.
Why Coaching Amplifies Career Experiments
Navigating a period of career experimentation can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. That’s where coaching comes in. A career coach can serve as your sounding board, strategist, and reality check, helping you design safe, actionable experiments aligned with your long-term goals.
With coaching, you can clarify what fulfilment, growth, and impact genuinely mean for you, map out micro-pivots that balance ambition with risk management, reflect effectively on lessons learned from each experiment, and gain confidence in your choices, reducing anxiety and decision fatigue.
Marianne Schofield works with clients who often start January feeling stuck, frustrated, or unsure about their next steps. By exploring small, intentional experiments, clients turn uncertainty into actionable insight and build careers that feel genuinely their own.
Putting It Into Practice This January
A practical framework to start experimenting safely:
Pick one small experiment – a side project, stretch task, volunteer gig, or short course that feels interesting but not overwhelming.
Time-box it – three months is enough to learn without overcommitting.
Track your reflections – keep a journal or log: what excites you, what drains you, what aligns with your values?
Iterate – adjust, drop what doesn’t work, lean into what does.
By the end of the quarter, you’ll have real data, not just aspirations, about what kind of work truly suits you. These insights form a foundation for bolder career moves later, whether that’s a full pivot, promotion, or side business.
Why This Matters Now
The economic, technological, and cultural shifts of recent years have made rigid career paths obsolete. Today’s careers are more fluid than ever. Remote work allows exploration of global opportunities. AI and automation change the skills most in demand. Professional values and purpose increasingly guide decisions.
In this environment, actively testing and designing your career is essential. Those who regularly experiment, learn, and adapt will thrive.
Next Steps
There’s no one “right” career path anymore. Whether you focus on one role, explore multiple streams of income, or mix paid work with passion projects, the goal is the same: build a career that reflects you.
If you want support experimenting with your career or clarifying your strengths, book a free discovery call with Marianne. Together, you’ll turn January’s energy into clear, measurable progress for 2026—making your career feel intentional and fulfilling.
Book a coaching discovery call with Marianne Schofield
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