Sarah E. Spencer, OnPoint Global Strategies & Coaching
May 7, 2025
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase climbing the career ladder? For many in the field of international education, especially after the turbulence of recent years, it might trigger one of the following thoughts:
- I’m exhausted from climbing and ready for a pause.
- I’m eager to make a leap, but unsure where I’ll land.
- I’m trying to move forward but am feeling stuck and overlooked.
- Why does it feel like the only option is “up” the career ladder—and at what cost?
In higher education, and especially in international education, we often talk about career growth in linear terms: advancing from advisor to director, from director to SIO. Career ladders imply a fixed path—with job titles, responsibilities, and salaries neatly arranged from lowest to highest. Institutions often reinforce this structure, rewarding traditional markers of advancement one step at a time—years of service, educational credentials, tenure, titles, etc.
But here’s the reality: career ladders are often unstable, narrow, and rigid. Ladders lean. They wobble. There is but one way up and one way down. Even extension ladders—unstable as they may be—can only take you so high. And once you’ve reached the top rung, what’s left?
Reframing the Climb: Career Scaffolding
What if we replaced the career ladder metaphor with something more flexible, more sustainable—something that reflects how careers in international education might actually unfold?
Consider Career Scaffolding. Not to be confused with scaffolding as an educational method, here I’m talking about construction scaffolding: a dynamic, modular platform used to support growth, maintenance, and transitions. A scaffold adapts to what is being built. It’s expandable. It offers access from multiple directions. And—it’s stable.
Many international educators have been taught to see their careers as a ladder. In some way, the career ladder may be helpful when initially establishing one’s career. Over time, however, it can begin to feel limiting, especially when considering evolving personal priorities, burnout and mental health, emerging interests and untapped skills, and the desire to pivot to other sectors.
Scaffolding your career opens up new ways to move, grow, and thrive—without needing to chase the next rung.
Three Ways to Scaffold Your Career in International Education
As a professional coach working with international education professionals —from emerging leaders to seasoned SIOs— I often see clients wrestling with outdated assumptions about what career success should look like. The traditional climb can often feel narrow, slow, or misaligned with one’s evolving goals and life circumstances.
That’s why I encourage many to reframe their career journey not as a single ladder to ascend, but as a scaffold—a flexible framework that allows for growth in multiple directions. This mindset can open up new possibilities and help one navigate change with greater confidence and creativity. Here are three ways to begin scaffolding your career in international education:
- Move Laterally
Rebrand your knowledge, skills and competencies to new contexts, roles or sectors. Lateral moves can reignite passion and expand your professional identity. - Access a New Level—From a Different Entry Point
Sometimes stepping out is the best way to move up. Maybe a role at a smaller institution gives you broader responsibility. Maybe working abroad opens new perspectives. Scaffolding supports moves that align with life, not just job titles. - Add New Levels as You Go
Scaffolds aren’t static—they grow with you. Build by layering in certifications, cross-sector collaborations, speaking engagements, consulting projects, or writing. These additions may not come with a title change, but they enrich your profile and open other possibilities.
Ready to Build? Let’s Talk.
Whether you’re feeling stuck, burned out, or simply curious about what’s next, you don’t have to figure it out alone. I offer a complimentary 30-minute discovery session to help you begin reimagining your path—and scaffolding a career that works for you. Contact me to learn more.
