Break the career decision deadlock

Posted on 3 December 2025 • Career planning, Labour Market Information

Whether you’re choosing your first role, planning a career change, or deciding between two exciting opportunities, making the “right” choice can feel overwhelming. The good news is there are practical tools to help you move forwards with confidence. Instead of getting stuck in a loop, try these career decision making strategies to bring clarity and structure to your decision-making.

Why career decisions can feel so hard

• Too many options: The modern job market offers endless possibilities.
• Fear of regret: What if you choose the wrong path?
• Conflicting priorities: Salary vs. passion, stability vs. flexibility.

Clarify what matters most

Before comparing job titles or salaries, start with your values. What matters most to you—flexibility, security, creativity, societal impact? Explore Your Career Planning Guide for exercises that help you explore who you are, and what you want from work.

Explore your options

Understanding the reality behind each option can make decisions easier. Research labour market information (LMI) to help you spot trends and skills that employers want. Talking with people who work in a field that interests you can also provide valuable insight. Build your network to learn more about different employers and industries.

Use decision-making tools

Sometimes, you need structure to break the deadlock. Here are three approaches:

• Pros and cons list: simple but effective for quick comparisons.
• SWOT analysis: weigh strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for each option.
• Six thinking hats (page 7 of Decision making models guide) is a creative tool that helps you look at decisions holistically, with each colour hat representing a different perspective. Explore this and more in the Decision making models guide.

Share the load

Sometimes clarity comes from conversation. Sharing your thoughts with someone neutral can help you see patterns you’ve missed. Book a careers consultation with one of our friendly team of qualified careers professionals to talk things through.