Steps to take into consideration when making career decisions that won’t lead to regrets

Throughout your life, you will probably face many times when you need to make changes to the career path you are on. However, when making career decisions, it’s easy to make mistakes due to the many options you have available and the other factors that go into your decision. This blog will help you learn some of the steps you can take when making those decisions that will help you avoid any regrets down the road.

Here’s a look at what we will be covering in this article.

• Types of career decisions

• 5 factors to consider when making career decisions

• How to stop being indecisive about your career

• Ways to make a career decision and stick with it

Types of career decisions

Before you can learn how to make the best decisions for your career, it’s best to learn what types of decisions you’ll be navigating. Throughout your entire career, you will likely face any number of decisions. Being prepared for what you’ll encounter can help make the decision process that much easier.

One of the most common career decisions is whether or not to accept a new job offer or promotion within your current company. You may also need to make career decisions relevant to professional development, deciding whether you want to pursue additional training and choosing which skills you want to learn.

If the company you work for relocates, you may find yourself needing to decide whether you want to relocate as well or if you should look for a new position in your current location. As you age, you will find yourself making decisions related to retirement or branching out on your own and starting your own business.

5 Factors to consider when making career decisions

Whether you are selecting a career path for the first time or are interested in changing careers or industries, making career decisions isn’t easy. You want to avoid mistakes, but you also don’t want to miss out on opportunities because you didn’t act soon enough. This is why making smart career decisions efficiently is so important.

When you find yourself in the situation of needing to make a career decision, here are five factors you will want to take into consideration:

1. Interests

One of the most important factors you should take into consideration when making career decisions is your interests. Choosing a career path that naturally caters to those interests can help you enjoy your work more and be more successful at the projects you take on.

2. Goals

You probably already have a few goals in mind for your personal and professional life. These goals can be important to consider when making career decisions because your career can affect your financial capabilities, your time off, and more.

3. Education

The areas you have already become educated or trained in can also be factors to consider when making career decisions. When you choose careers that you are already skilled in, you can become more successful in them.

4. Intuition

Another important factor to consider when you are making career decisions is your intuition about the opportunities you are facing. Consider how you feel about the company you may be working for or even the job itself. What types of feelings do you have about the industry as a whole or your future in that market?

5. Personal life

It may seem counterintuitive to think about your personal life when you are making career decisions, but it is a critical factor. When choosing a career or new job, consider how flexible you need it to be regarding travel and the hours you work to accommodate your family and home life. 

How to stop being indecisive about your career

One thing that can hold you back from making decisions about your career is indecisiveness. It’s also something that can affect your overall career success since so much of our time on the job involves making decisions. If you are indecisive, you may even find that you miss out on opportunities because you took too long to make a decision.

If you are struggling with making decisions, here are some of the ways you can overcome those issues: 

• Create deadlines for yourself that will spur you to make decisions by a certain date.

• When making decisions, consider what the outcomes of each option will be and write things down so you can review them later.

• Make a pros and cons list of each decision outcome so you know exactly what you will be gaining and losing.

• Eliminate some options early based on important factors, such as your goals, personal needs, and financial requirements.

• Don’t be afraid to ask someone you trust for guidance and advice when making decisions.

Ways to make a career decision and stick with it

Once you make a career decision, it’s important to stick with it at least until you can determine if the outcome of that decision is what you wanted it to be. To ensure you are making a decision you can stick with, be sure to keep these important items in mind:

• What are your reasons for making a change? Knowing why you want to make a career change, whether it’s for more growth opportunities, better financial stability, a shorter commute, or even a different work environment, can help ensure you are considering the most important things when making a career decision.

• What are your priorities? Your priorities in a career could be anything from a good paycheck to a team you can grow with and confide in. Whatever your wants are in a career, prioritize them and determine which are most important when choosing a career.

• What does the research say? You can learn a lot by researching a particular position or industry. Spend some time learning about the top companies in an industry and what the positions look like so you can ensure you are getting the full picture of what your day-to-day life will look like if you choose to work in that industry.

• What types of things are you good at? If you are starting from scratch with your career, you should think about the types of things you are good at and what you most enjoy doing daily. Career assessment tests can help with this if you are struggling to narrow down your options.

Our goal is to help make the career decision process easier. If you have been struggling with this task, be sure to stop by our website and check out our Career Path Tool for further assistance.

Key takeaways

1. Your interests, goals, education, intuition, and personal life are all factors you should be considering when making career decisions.

2. Some ways to make indecisiveness disappear are by creating personal deadlines and asking a trusted mentor for guidance.

3. When trying to make decisions you can stick with, consider why you want to make changes to your career, your priorities & skills, and what research tells you about an industry.