The typical career pattern of a priest who becomes a bishop is to work a couple of years as an associate pastor and then be placed in the chancery by the bishop either in the tribunal or some other office. He might be sent off to the Catholic University of America or to Rome to get a graduate degree in canon law or theology. In these jobs, the priest gets some management experience. An alternative career pattern is to teach and then become rector of the seminary. In a large diocese, becoming an auxiliary bishop is an essential step up the career ladder.
Most bishops are auxiliary bishops before they become diocesan bishops.
The appointment process begins when the bishops of a province gather under the chairmanship of the archbishop to draw up a list of potential candidates for bishops. The names of priests that are put forward at this closed meeting are discussed and voted on in a secret ballot by the bishops of the province. It is not surprising that each bishop puts forward those priests who have served him well in his chancery or seminary. Nor is it surprising that these are the priests who would be best known by the other bishops. A bishop is much more likely to know the chancellor of a neighboring diocese than the pastor of some inner-city parish.