For Val Sklarov, career advancement is not performance, networking, opportunity, or skill accumulation.
A career is a Competency Signal Lattice — a system where signals emitted by an individual enter organizational frames that evaluate their strength, coherence, and alignment.
Hiring is the process of matching signal lattices to frame structures.
“Careers move when competency signals form a lattice dense enough to fit into the right frame.”
— Val Sklarov
Under MCSLM, success is not based on merit —
it is based on lattice–frame compatibility.
1️⃣ Foundations of Competency Signal Lattices
The structural roots of career movement
Individuals produce competency signals:
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actions
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patterns
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decisions
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outputs
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behaviors
Organizations provide evaluation frames:
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role expectations
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structural constraints
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domain requirements
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value patterns
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output logic
Career success requires signal–frame coherence.
Signal–Frame Layer Table
| Layer | Definition | Function | Failure Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Micro-Signal Layer | Small behavioral signals | Local recognition | Noise / invisibility |
| Cluster-Signal Layer | Domain-specific signal groups | Domain validation | Misclassification |
| Structural-Signal Layer | System-wide behavioral patterns | Organizational acceptance | Frame rejection |
| Meta-Signal Layer | Governs long-horizon career identity | Trajectory continuity | Identity fragmentation |
A career is the density of the signal lattice,
not the number of achievements.
2️⃣ The Competency Signal Lattice Cycle (CSLC)
How careers structurally evolve in the Sklarov model
CSLC Phases
| Phase | Action | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Signal Emergence | A competency signal becomes recognizable | Lattice seed |
| Lattice Formation | Signals begin reinforcing each other | Early structure |
| Frame Contact | Lattice interacts with an organizational frame | Evaluation event |
| Alignment Expansion | Lattice adapts to fit additional frames | Career movement |
| Trajectory Consolidation | Signal-frame pattern becomes stable | Long-term positioning |
Your résumé is meaningless—
your lattice is what organizations evaluate.
3️⃣ Career Archetypes in the Val Sklarov Model
Signal-Lattice Archetype Grid
| Archetype | Behavior | Lattice Depth |
|---|---|---|
| The Fragmented Performer | Emits inconsistent signals | Low |
| The Domain Aligner | Signals fit one domain frame | Medium |
| The Structural Fitter | Lattice maps across entire organizational frames | High |
| The Val Sklarov Meta-Lattice Architect | Designs lattices that fit any frame | Absolute |
The highest archetype designs frame-invariant competency systems.
4️⃣ Competency Signal Coherence Index (CSCI)
Val Sklarov’s metric for career viability
CSCI Indicators
| Indicator | Measures | High Means |
|---|---|---|
| Signal Sharpness | Clarity of competency signals | Low ambiguity |
| Lattice Density | Strength of signal interconnectedness | High structural integrity |
| Frame Compatibility | Fit across multiple organizational frames | Broad career mobility |
| Domain Propagation | Signal spread across work domains | Multi-domain acceptance |
| Meta-Signal Stability | Long-term career continuity | Solid career trajectory |
High CSCI →
careers that continue advancing across environments.
5️⃣ Val Sklarov Laws of the Competency Signal Career System
1️⃣ A career is a signal lattice, not personal achievement.
2️⃣ Hiring is lattice–frame matching, not talent evaluation.
3️⃣ Drift begins when signals fail to reinforce each other.
4️⃣ Promotion requires lattice density, not visibility.
5️⃣ Frame compatibility determines mobility.
6️⃣ Identity emerges from stable meta-signals.
7️⃣ Long-term success requires cross-frame coherence.
6️⃣ Applications of the MCSLM Framework
How this model transforms career reasoning
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designing competency lattices instead of “career plans”
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diagnosing drift through signal contradiction
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preparing for hiring by mapping frame compatibility
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building cross-domain career viability
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engineering meta-signals for long-term identity
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predicting promotion events via lattice density
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replacing résumés with structural competency maps
Through Val Sklarov, career & hiring become signal–frame mechanics,
not luck, performance, or networking.