How do you choose between two careers that you're considering?

Think about what matters to you, not just from professional but also personal point of view. Create a pros and cons list for both career paths.

To help you decide, how would you answer these questions?

1. What makes me happy? What motivates me to do my best?
2. How do I want to spend most of my day?
3. What do I enjoy doing? Am I a creative person, or more analytical? Do I like meeting new people every day?
4. How do I handle stress?
5. Do I like a routine job or want to do a variety of activities with wide range of tasks?
6. Where do I want to be in 5 years?
7. What does success mean to me? Can I be successful in both career paths?
8. Which career path allows me to utilize more of my knowledge and skill set?

Before you start a certain career, consider finding a person who works in that field already and ask questions. Alternatively, consider taking an internship or short term (1yr) assignment that would allow you to better understand the career specifics and day-to-day challenges.

Good luck.

Jan

Hi Kandice!

Preeti has given you some excellent advice. My only additional thought to consider is to gain insight into your true strengths and how that may influence your career path. My favorite assessment is StrengthsFinder. The resulting report will provide insights into your natural strengths and provides some options for you to consider. This may help you to determine which option or additional opportunities are best for you. Best of luck with your journey.

If you're having trouble deciding between two career options, the best way to figure out which one you want to pursue is to experience what both have to offer. Here's a couple ways you can do that:

• Internship/Summer jobs in the fields.
• Volunteer
• Connecting on social media with people in the fields you're thinking about.

You won't know which one to pursue unless you try them out.

Figure out what really matters , consider where you could negotiate , make a side-by-side comparison and try talking to people who are in the fields you are considering before making your choice ..