Larry D. Lauer

Requests to help plan careers, or evaluate job offers, always give me pause. These situations all have both rational and emotional elements, and often produce periods of total confusion.  A feeling of panic can set in, along with fears of either making a mistake, or missing a great opportunity.

I am reminded of advice I received years ago when trying to decide what I wanted to do with my life:  “Determine where you want to be in five years, young man, and lay out clear steps on how to get there. If you don’t know where you are going, you are not likely to get there.”  I must say now, this approach never worked for me!

My best opportunities were the ones for which I never planned. My advice now is to start down a path that compels your curiosity, and brings you immediate joy and personal satisfaction. Make sure it utilizes and maximizes your inherent best talents.  Work as hard at it as you can, and keep watching for unplanned opportunities. Everything good that happened to me came completely unplanned!

I learned over the years that the only way to make a good job decision is to “play out” the entire process, and resist any strong inclination to make a quick decision. Walk carefully through all the interviews, experience the setting and people you might be joining, take plenty of time to formulate questions, and get thorough answers.

Is your primary motivation to get away from a bad situation, or to find a great opportunity?  Even the best opportunities are never perfect, and so you must carefully identify the new problems you may inherit. Examine the “organizational culture.”  Will you be comfortable applying your talents here? Can you count on having the resources and staff you will need?  What about current morale?   Can you see a clear institutional vision?  How secure is top leadership?  Opportunities for further advancement? Or, is this a stepping stone?  And is this a location where your family will thrive?

I have participated in several search processes where I thought initially I would be accepting an offer.  Then, after meeting people, experiencing the setting, and resisting early commitment, I woke up at home one morning knowing I would not move. I would just be trading problems, and so why do that?

My experience, therefore, suggests that it’s best to choose a career path based on getting to use personal talents, and on what brings happiness on a daily basis. Along the way, look for exciting and unplanned opportunities to crop up.  Play out the search process each time, resisting making early decisions. Be patient, and what to do will gradually become clear.