Career decisions are complex decisions. They involve many components: self-awareness, awareness of the current job market or consumer trends, and consideration of a large number of options. You then need to be able to combine all of this information and compare possible outcomes to find the best fit.
It is no wonder so many people are left feeling confused, overwhelmed and anxious when making career decisions. But there are several forms of help that can make career decisions a lot easier (and more fun!). Read on for a quick summary of 3 of these:
Set Your Priorities
Part of the psychological process for making better career decisions is to set your priorities. These are the career-related aspects that are most important to you. Examples of these are flexible working, working indoors or outdoors, and salary range. Receive a FREE set of 56 career priority sort cards when you enter your email address here. You can use these priorities to dismiss or further research opportunities based on how well they fit with your most important priorities.
Narrow Your Choices Quickly
Psychologists recommend that you make better career decisions when you consider a large number of options. Then quickly reduce your list to a manageable amount. This way you feel that you have not missed any options, but do not get overwhelmed. A manageable amount is 7 or less options. You can then consider and compare these in detail. For the full psychological process of making better career decisions see the Career Choice Course.
Get support
Many career professionals can support you through the process of making career decisions. If you are looking for advice on specific roles or choices relevant to your current career stage, you can talk to a careers adviser, business adviser or specialist in the field that you are interested in. If you want guidance through the process, but do not want your decisions swayed by the input of another person, you can talk to a career coach. Book a free consultation to see if career coaching is right for you.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by career decisions? What have you done to deal with the complexity of choice? Did it work? Let us know in the comments 🙂
