Two Roads Diverged in a Wood: Career Decision-Making for Early Professionals

Trevor Coons is an Institute Administrator for Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and currently serves as a member of the HIMSS Professional Development Committee.

Starting at the Beginning

In my work with HIMSS and other professional and volunteer organizations, I am put into frequent contact with early careerists. I love the energy and excitement they bring to conversations and the insightful questions they ask. Their questions about career planning and decision-making have caused me to reflect on choices I have made and what I have learned along the way. These reflections have gained new dimensions and depth as I have recently moved to a new country and a new organization.

While driving a car in a new region of the world and visiting neighboring countries, I have found myself having to relearn the ‘rules of the road’. During this process, I have been meaningfully impressed by the numerous parallels between road travel and career decision-making. In this article, I’ll share some of these reflections that should be helpful not only for early careerists but for anyone contemplating important career decisions. I also believe great literature can help drive home some of these points and make them more memorable (you may have recognized the title was a nod to Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”) so I will be drawing upon a variety of literary prose to illustrate my points.

Plan Ahead

In Lewis Carroll’s classic novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice arrives at a crossroad with two options stretching on before her. While contemplating her choice of which way to go, she is startled by the grinning Cheshire Cat, of whom Alice asks, “Which path shall I follow?”

The cat profoundly replies, “That depends where you want to go… If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn’t much matter which path you take.”¹

In her book, Eat That Cookie² author Liz Jazwiec observed that the majority of people spend more time planning their summer vacation than they do planning their careers. She notes that most people seem willing to just let their work-lives happen to them, rather than proactively direct their careers with a plan. Liz also shares some advice she received from a former boss to regularly apply for a new job every year or two. This is empowering because it forces you to explore opportunities. Even if you don’t accept a new role, you get to make the choice to stay, and it reaffirms your commitment to your current role.

I grew up in the generation before the ubiquity of GPS-enabled devices. Whenever you wanted to go somewhere unfamiliar, you had to get directions from someone who already knew the way or consult a map. While not convenient, it did force you to be intentional about planning ahead, even for short trips across town. Our careers are not sprinted short trips but a long marathon of a journey, and as a result, they deserve time, attention, and planning. You may want to consult others who’ve gone before you and have been successful in their journey. As you plan ahead, I’d advise you to begin with the end in mind and consider your answer to the Cheshire Cat’s question, “Where do you want to go?” and I would add, “How will you ‘measure’ ³ your success?”

Pick a Lane

While Dr. Seuss may not make it into most people’s collection of “great” literature, as a father of four, I can tell you he’s been a hit with my family. In his poem, “Did I ever tell you...?⁴” he tells the story of a young indecisive “Zode” who makes many starts and stops at a crossroads. Refusing to decide on one destination, we learn of his fate as we read,

“Play safe!” cried the Zode. “I’ll play safe! I’m no dunce!
“I’ll simply start off for both places at once!”
And that’s how the Zode, who would not take a chance,
Got to No Place at All, with a split in his pants.

I recently had the opportunity to visit a new country that my family had never been to before. It was thrilling to see new sights and experience a new culture but everywhere we went the traffic felt stressful and chaotic. One fellow tourist joked that the cars seemed to run on honking rather than gasoline and electricity. My kids noticed that the painted lanes seemed to be more of a suggestion than actual limits on the traffic. Cars would weave and bob all over the place, frequently straddling the lines as if they didn’t exist. This experience reminded me that traffic lanes are super important, as they establish order and provide permeable boundaries that let other drivers know what to expect of you.

In your career, you need to pick a lane. Decide on one that moves you in a direction you are interested in. Find roles and assignments that are interesting to you and that align with your abilities. Get clarity on what others (your boss, peers, and customers) expect of you. By deciding on a course of action and getting alignment with stakeholders, you will be better positioned to manage expectations and advance on your journey.
Sometimes you may find that your lane of traffic isn’t moving fast enough (or at all), has a detour, or isn’t heading where you want to go. Honestly, it happens to most people. One nice thing about lanes is that you can change them. Harkening back to Dr. Seuss’ young Zode, imagine that the Zode had a friend or mentor. If they were wanting to help the Zode in all his deliberations, they would be unable to due to his indecision. It is difficult for the people who care about us to help us until we make up our own minds. The Zode would have been better off picking a destination, and then if circumstances changed or the location no longer suited him, the Zode could pick a new destination and signal a lane change. By signaling a lane change, we help others know our interests and intents (and when needed, they can get us to “Off-Ramps and On-Ramps”⁵.) In particular, if contemplating a material career change, I would highly recommend seeking out “Meaningful Mentorship”⁶.

Stay Alert

Your progression isn’t in a self-driving vehicle, but it will be easier than you might expect to get stuck in autopilot. When you are on your career journey be sure that you don’t fall asleep at the wheel. It puts me in mind of Bilbo’s council to Frodo from The Lord of the Rings,

“It’s a dangerous business… going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to ” ⁷

No matter your role, be it an individual contributor, first-time leader, or seasoned executive; common to all human behavior is the near-limitless ability to find an equilibrium. Most of the time this is a good thing but be wary of the fine line between familiarity and complacency. We all want to be comfortable and feel confident in the product of our labors, but you will need to stay alert and “keep your feet”.

Be intentional about seeking growth, remembering it can take many forms. At work, you can look for projects that will cultivate a new skill set. You can counsel with your boss or trusted leaders at your organization about opportunities for stretch assignments. Outside of work, you can find applicable professional organizations. These help you stay current with the latest trends and discoveries in your line of work and provide opportunities to volunteer and grow other skill sets. (Please note this shameless plug for HIMSS membership⁸ and its’ Chapters⁹ & Committees¹⁰.)

Use your GPS

Finally, you will want a GPS, and make sure it is calibrated correctly. Cultivate self-awareness around where you are on your journey and know your values. In the anonymous poem “The Man in the Glass¹¹” the reader finds an invitation to go to a mirror and thoughtfully reflect on past successes, then culminates with this important warning:

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of life
and get pats on the back as you pass
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
if you've cheated the man in the glass.

Life is messy and unpredictable (the understatement of the year, I know). But I make note of that fact because you need to have a strong sense of self, and what matters to you, to prevent you from getting “swept off to” somewhere you don’t want to be. Some people also refer to this as knowing your “why”. There are a number of books and articles on this topic, but you may want to read this Forbes article that asks you to consider four insightful questions that will help you discover your “why”¹². Even if you think you know your “why”, it is good to reflect on this regularly to recalibrate and update your personal GPS.

Adventure Awaits

So now you have planned ahead, you’ve picked a lane, you are staying alert to opportunities around you, and your personal GPS is guiding you. You are now equipped for the important decisions that lie ahead of you. Whether you plan to take the road “less traveled” or one that is more conventional, I hope that this article will help make “all the difference¹³” for you. Exciting adventures await you and the future holds opportunities for those who know how to look for them.

References

¹Adapted from Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1898), The Project Gutenberg eBook of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, chapter 6

²Eat THAT Cookie! by Liz Jazwiec - Audiobook - Audible.com, available in print but the audio book is worth it… trust me.

³ Clayton M. Christensen: How Will You Measure Your Life? (hbr.org)

⁴Dr. Seuss - Lost Poems (seussville.com) page 6

⁵ Great article and book on career planning, the authors’ audience is women, but many principles are generally applicable. Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success (hbr.org)

⁶Meaningful Mentorship: Proven Principles for Success Career Advice (himss.org)

⁷ J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter 3 “Three Is Company”

⁸Individual Membership for Health Professionals | HIMSS

⁹Chapters | HIMSS

¹⁰Membership Committees | HIMSS

¹¹The Man in the Glass by Anonymous Americas - Famous poems, famous poets. - All Poetry

¹²Do You Know Your "Why?" 4 Questions to Find Your Purpose (forbes.com)

¹³The Road Not Taken | The Poetry Foundation