Career decisions—like taking on or leaving a job or branching out into a new skill zone—are rarely straightforward. Instead, they are shaped by a variety of professional and personal factors. For many advancement professionals, career pathways are winding, marked with stops, detours, and surprises along the way. Ahead, find tips from veteran U.K. fundraiser and executive coach Dee Brecker on planning and navigating career routes, choices, and skills.

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Embrace the nonlinear path. Brecker spent two decades in development at universities and charities in the U.K. Over the years—first as an informal mentor and now, since January 2023, as a certified executive coach—she’s seen how varied the pathways into and through advancement often are. 

“When people’s career pathways look a little bit disjointed, what’s behind that is often a human story,” she says. ⇒