What Should I Do?
I was recently asked:
My answer was that, of course, I cannot answer your question. Only you have enough data and information to make this decision. But I can advise you about a method to make the decision. You need a 'decision matrix'.
I explain it extensively, here: The Tao of Talent: Job Choice Tool.
In short: You make a list of what matters to you. This could be 'income', 'location', 'family', 'free time', 'community', 'religion', etc.
Then, you make a list of the options you have (in your case, career choices). The tool I put online is about choosing a position at one company over another. I have used it in my own career, sometimes with surprising results. (For example, it has sometimes made explaining my decisions to other people much easier, rather than just helping me make a decision.) You can adjust this tool to help you choose one career over another, by modifying the focus a little.
Then, when using this modified tool, you decide how each choice would impact each of the items that matters to you. For example, if 'travel' is very important to you, then being an airline pilot would probably rate HIGH. On the other hand, if being with 'family' a lot is very important to you, then being an airline pilot might rate LOW.
This tool is not perfect. But it will help you think through your choices. The important thing is to make an informed choice, and stick with it long enough to see if it is right and will work. And remember, there is usually time to change things, later, if you have made a mistake. "Course correction" is a sign of maturity, not failure.
I explain it extensively, here: The Tao of Talent: Job Choice Tool.
In short: You make a list of what matters to you. This could be 'income', 'location', 'family', 'free time', 'community', 'religion', etc.
Then, you make a list of the options you have (in your case, career choices). The tool I put online is about choosing a position at one company over another. I have used it in my own career, sometimes with surprising results. (For example, it has sometimes made explaining my decisions to other people much easier, rather than just helping me make a decision.) You can adjust this tool to help you choose one career over another, by modifying the focus a little.
Then, when using this modified tool, you decide how each choice would impact each of the items that matters to you. For example, if 'travel' is very important to you, then being an airline pilot would probably rate HIGH. On the other hand, if being with 'family' a lot is very important to you, then being an airline pilot might rate LOW.
This tool is not perfect. But it will help you think through your choices. The important thing is to make an informed choice, and stick with it long enough to see if it is right and will work. And remember, there is usually time to change things, later, if you have made a mistake. "Course correction" is a sign of maturity, not failure.