Why Can’t I Decide On A Career Path? (2024)

In my nearly 15+ career of working with people and helping them in their career journey, there is one thing that consistently shows up – an uncertainty about what you are meant to do in your career.

I’ve heard everything from, “I have so many passions, I don’t know what to pick” or “I don’t know what I can do based upon my skills” even “I need to make money to support my family, but I don’t know what I can do to make that money”.

When I dig into this problem, it usually boils down to 4 main reasons you can’t decide on a career.

REASON ONE: YOU DON’T KNOW YOURSELF WELL ENOUGH

As a human being, you are made up of so many different facets. You have a personality, strengths, values, things that you love to do, and even a vision of how you want your life to look. You might be able to say that you are creative or empathetic or even a people person. But do you know why? Do you know yourself well enough to clearly articulate why you do what you do?

Getting to know yourself well is the first step in discovering the right career path for you. Start by exploring assessments such as the Enneagram, Myers Briggs, and Strength Finders. This will help you understand why you do what you do.

REASON TWO: THERE ARE TOO MANY OPTIONS

When I was in college, I was focused on a Kinesiology degree so I could be a Physical Therapist. When I couldn’t cut it (literally – a story for another day), I made the decision to pursue another career but had no client where to start. At the time, I pulled out a newspaper (yes, I’m that old), opened it to the job section, and was overwhelmed by the number of different jobs. So, I closed my eyes and put my finger down. It landed on Human Resources.

Now, I wouldn’t recommend this method today, but I get how looking at the job boards and seeing thousands of different job types can be overwhelming. Start by narrowing down what you are good at (go back to knowing yourself well). Are you good at dealing with people, do you love hunkering down by yourself and working on a project? Maybe you know that you don’t want a traditional 9-5 schedule. This can help narrow down these options as well.

REASON THREE: LACK OF (GOOD) INFORMATION

The first step that most take when they want to learn more about a type of job is to jump onto an online job board. But the problem here is that titles are fluid, meaning, a project manager might be very different from one company to the next. So, you need to take a step back and learn from multiple sources.

I recommend starting broad. Learn about the career path from a high level. Learn how it varies from industry to industry. Research the salary and requirements. This will help narrow it down some. Then you can hit the job boards and learn more about what you like/don’t like about the positions. Then, this is really important. Talk to SEVERAL people doing the job. I recommend three separate people. This will get you a good cross-section of what the job is like in the real world. The better information you have, the easier your decision will be.

REASON FOUR: UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Unrealistic expectations start when you are a kid. You dream of being a ballerina, an astronaut, or if you were a weird kid like me, a psychologist. You might dream of these because of the fame, the perceived fortune, or maybe it just sounds really cool but you don’t take into account the education, the time and energy put in, and lots of other factors. These dreams usually come crashing down hard.

These dreams carry into adulthood and impact our ability to make a decision about a career path. You might dream that you will land your perfect job, climb the corporate ladder at warp speed, or be the next billionaire. And usually what these dreams are met with is a reality check.

I recommend starting at the beginning. This doesn’t mean that you are lowering the bar and settling, you are setting the bar with clear expectations of what needs to happen to get to your goal. If you have a lofty goal of being an astronaut, what are the steps you need to take with a realistic timeline to get there? Then you can make a career plan that includes education, skill development, and career pathing that will (hopefully) someday land you on Mars, Venus, or whatever planet you wish.

The journey of finding the right career path is often marked by uncertainty but with a plan and some determination, you can find a career that is fulfilling and satisfying.