Navigating The “Closing Door” Career Moments

Many of us come to our work lives with the expectation that it will be a straight climb up. We work hard, learn Corporate America culture and align our expectations with the team around us. Good work leads to a promotion, and this begins an ascent up the verbial “corporate” ladder. 

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From the perspective of a newcomer, the way up may seem straight and clear - open the door and go forward. But as I’ve found, taking new opportunities means letting go of other ones. At each crossroads, we’re making a decision - walking through one door often closes another. 

So how does one navigate those “closing door” career moments?

First, I’ve found that it helps to be thoughtful about what this means, and not regretful that every opportunity is limitless. In one of my closing door moments, I had accepted a role on a team and was beginning to learn the material when a new position opened up. This new role was more in line with what interested me - it was an opportunity I wanted to explore, but it would mean leaving a team that I had only recently joined. I’d be closing that door to open a new one. 

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In this case, I moved ahead with the new option. I closed the door to a team I had just met and a role I had thought I wanted in favor of a different one. I don’t regret the decision, but I understood the pause that comes with a door closing. It’s hard to work toward something and then let it go, even as we understand we cannot take every door open to us without closing some along the way. 

Second, do not frame closing doors as a rejection. It’s counterproductive to feel that any opportunity not taken reflects poorly on you or your choices. The reality is that there is selection involved to move forward in life, and in doing so, we can feel like any missed opportunity is a rejection of that path. 

In another one of my own experiences, I opted to move from my company headquarters and set up a new office in another state. This was seven years ago, and at the time the cross-country move came without a promotion. I’d be trying something new, opening new doors and making new contacts, but closing the door on a promotion at HQ.

It took some deep thinking and coming to terms with my understanding that opening this door meant closing another one. After only a short time, a promotion option did open up in my new location. The closed door was only temporarily off limits - not for good. 

We may not expect these moves when they happen, but as we advance in our careers, they are inevitable. Effectively weathering the changes and turns will set any employee up for success. 

As always, thank you for reading and I appreciate your feedback. 

DeWayne Griffin is Vice President and Chief Data Officer of State Farm.

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