Often when people talk about how careers unfold, they discuss career progression over time. Typically, the word progress suggests forward and/or upward movement. While many careers move in an upward direction, not all do. And, even those that move upward do not always do so linearly. Patterns of career mobility can be broadly categorized into traditional and nontraditional patterns.

The two traditional career patterns are the “ladder” and the “fork.” The “ladder” is the most basic pattern, and those who pursue it start at the bottom rung or position within an organization. These individuals then get promoted, moving up the “ladder” within that company throughout their career. The “fork” follows the same basic pattern, but with a key decision point of divergence. Careers that follow the “fork” pattern are often scientific or technical in nature.

A key difference between the traditional and nontraditional career patterns involves predictability. The hallmark of the career “ladder” is its predictability. As for the “fork,” while you might not know which direction a person will choose, once that decision is made, the pattern becomes much clearer. Employers are in a good position to provide career guidance and development to their workers, and in turn, their employees rely on such support from the organization.

Nontraditional patterns are inherently less predictable and more dependent on the choices made by individuals, so organizations are not in the same position to provide useful career guidance and support. This shifts responsibility for career development to the individual.