Rethinking Career Change in the Age of Longevity

THE MANY LIVES OF WORK:

We are living longer than any generation before us, yet our ideas about careers remain rooted in a different era—one built around linear progress, stable identities and a single professional path. As working lives extend, more people find themselves questioning careers that once fit, searching for work that feels more aligned with who they have become.

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  • “Through the mist we all experience in life, Gayla and Gamze have created a guiding rail that will lead us to greater light and clarity through an important part of life’s journey. In an era defined by turbulence and unpredictability, this book offers an antidote to the turmoil we may be experiencing during a key stage of our lives. The practical elements of their work will inform our search for greater meaning, clarity, and direction.”

    — Tom Delong, Professor of Management at Harvard Business School

  • “The Many Lives of Work is a must-read for anyone thinking about their career in a deeper, more intentional way. Thoughtfully written, carefully researched, and filled with compelling real-life stories, this book offers a powerful guide to navigating career transitions and making meaningful choices. I could not put this book down, and by the end, I found myself with a deeper understanding of who I am and what I want. ”

    — Boris Groysberg, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School

  • “The Many Lives of Work resonates deeply because it captures a reality many of us are already experiencing but rarely articulate: careers are no longer linear, they evolve in cycles. The idea of a ‘perennial career’ is both simple and powerful—it reflects how longevity is reshaping our relationship with work, identity, and purpose. A highly relevant and inspiring read for anyone thinking about the next chapter of their professional life.”

    — Beatrice Guillaume Grabisch, BCG Senior Advisor and Former Nestlé Executive Board Member for HR and Business Services

  • “There are plenty of books about career change. This is the first one that treats it like what it really is: a cycle, not a leap. Built on real stories from people who lost everything they knew and found something better, it talks about reinvention without the usual nonsense. Honest, practical, and deeply human with no shortcuts or fairytales. A must read.“

    — Walter Susini, Professor of Practice at SDA Bocconi School of Management, author of Green Don’t Sell and Bullsh*t.inc

The Many Lives of Work offers a new way of understanding career change as a natural cycle of growth, reinvention and renewal rather than a one-time leap or final destination.

Drawing on psychology, longevity research and deeply human stories of professional transition, Gamze Dinçkök Yücaoğlu and Galya Frayman Molinas challenge the assumption that successful careers must move forward, mostly in one direction. Instead, they offer a more expansive model for working life, one that creates space not only for progress, but also for experimentation, reflection, pauses, evolving ambitions and multiple meaningful chapters of contribution over time.

Through practical exercises and real-world stories, the book helps readers reconnect with their transferable skills, reassess what gives their work meaning and navigate uncertainty without feeling they must start from scratch.

This is not a book about quitting your job or finding a perfect answer. It is about learning how to build a working life that can evolve with you.

For professionals navigating career change in the age of longevity, The Many Lives of Work offers language, perspective and a powerful new way forward.

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