🐋 Want to finally decide on a career?

Why keeping your options open isn't a good long-term plan

Jul 01, 2021

Ever heard of the Netflix Effect? ⬇️

Choice, paradoxically, produces paralysis, rather than liberation. With so many options to choose from, people find it difficult to choose at all.

Did you know the same principle applies to deciding a career path?

We’ll often delay committing to a career because—we’re overwhelmed by all our options and ultimately, afraid of making the wrong decision.

Hear us out—it is normal for students to be unsure of what career they want. It’s true that you don’t have to have it figured out.

But, we’d like to push you a little—because there are some serious benefits to making the choice. And we’re breaking them down for you this week.

1. It’ll keep you from clout chasing

When we don’t have a goal we made for ourselves, we often fall back onto what we think will impress others.

But the allure of prestige fades quickly. 🍃

If we fall into a career just for the clout we’ll end up in careers that frustrate and leave us unfulfilled.

There are positions that sound sexy and glamorous (cough cough—Product Manager) but when you break down the day-to-day tasks of it you might discover it isn’t a good fit for you.

So do some personal deep dives and pursue a career with quality of life in mind—not prestige.

2. You’ll dive deeper than ever before

Keeping your options open sounds like a smart strategy.

And it can be for some seasons of your life.

But when you habitually avoid commitment to retain your “options” you’ll end up with less career value.

You have a limited source of energy—and when you spread it over many things you’ll remain on a surface level.

But if you take the risk to commit to something—your energy gets targeted towards a single goal, leading you on a path of expertise that will generate greater value.

You coming to peace with your choice and letting the rest go

3. Don’t worry—there is no risk to deciding now

What if I change my mind in the future? What if I end up not liking my decision?

What if…

Stop—relax. You can totally still pivot to something else in the future.

Actually, it might just help you do so.

Because targeting your efforts towards something makes you more likely to generate high-quality skills and experiences than someone who isn’t.

For example: If you have long-time career in sales, but decide you want a job in HR - you're able to transfer the communication and empathy skills to a completely different role in human resources.