Which career should I choose? What to do when you’re stuck about a career choice

“Do I take the job with the great benefits and long hours, or the start-up role with more flexibility?” 

“Do I stay in my industry, or take this new opportunity externally?”

“Which is the right job to take?!”

I often hear from people who are agonizing about their career decisions, stuck in analysis paralysis and overwhelmed about what to do. They worry about making the right choice, which often leads to them making no choice. It’s a super overwhelming place to be.

As a result, I wanted to share some helpful advice for those of you stuck in the midst of a career choice.

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what you should do. I know that would be convenient, but I’m fresh out of crystal balls, so let’s just get that out of the way!

What I can tell you, though, is that it’s important to consider what’s important to you FIRST, and then clarify which of your potential decisions aligns most closely to that. So, for example, have you been feeling a need for more flexibility in your work schedule? Have you been having doubts about your industry as a whole, and wanting to try something new? Be sure to take that into account!

I think the best advice I can give you here is to clarify your needs first (both in terms of WHAT type of work you’re most engaged by, and HOW you work best logistically), and go from there. WHAT needs are about the type of work you’re engaged by, and how you’re showing up when you’re most engaged. Do you love coming up with creative solutions to problems, or mentoring the new hires? What’s the stuff that really lights you up? Whereas HOW needs are about your logistics needs at work ie. company culture, needs from a manager, team, etc.

It’s important to create your list of needs first and see which opportunity fits, instead of the alternative, because otherwise you run the risk of building your “must haves” list around what the company offers, instead of what you actually want. Think of it like those shape sorter toys for toddlers: we want to be sure that you’re looking at the shape you’re holding in your hand and then finding the right hole, instead of trying to jam the square toy into the star opening! 

Clarifying your needs in your career requires a lot of trust, and a lot of listening to yourself! Be sure to lean into that here. 

So if you’re trying to make a career decision, I’d encourage you to consider what it is that’s important to you in terms of what you’re most engaged by, and how you do your best work, and then make sure your choice aligns with that. And if you’re not quite sure what’s important to you, be sure to join my free workshop on uncovering your true career desires. It’s a great place to start!

Good luck.