The 6 Pillars to Career Choice

True or not that we are living in more uncertain times – it seems that every generation perceives its own era as uniquely uncertain – people are worried about their careers, especially those at the age of choosing one for the first time. According to the OECD, in all member countries – 38 nations representing five continents – the level of career uncertainty among teenagers (mostly ages 15–16) grew by 14 percentage points between 2018 and 2022. 40% are uncertain about what career to pursue. These statistics do not account for the impact of GenAI on people’s attitudes. And how about kids from non-OECD countries? Are they facing the same situation? That would not come as a surprise.

There are hundreds of books about career choice. Some will encourage you to follow your passion, while others will argue that this is completely misguided advice. Some will urge you to take a test, be classified into one of a few predefined personality quadrants, and choose a career accordingly.

This is not an attempt to dismiss any of these approaches! Rather, it is an invitation for you to broaden your perspective. Instead of dictating what you should or not do, this aims to throw out some ideas in a brainstorming fashion. As our world grows more complex, we need a more comprehensive approach to career choice. Without a more holistic perspective, it’s easy to get stuck, for instance, just trying to figure yourself out.

The following is not necessarily in sequential order:

1. The Self-Discovery

There are a variety of tools you can use for self-discovery. You might even decide to take a personality or psychometric test, though I would advise you to interpret the results with caution and an open mind.

Personally, I believe more in tools that help you ask the right questions, rather than those that dictate who you are and what you should pursue in a deterministic way.

I would expect this phase to help you answer questions such as:

• What do you stand for in this world?
• What are you good at, and what are your deepest interests?
• What is your stance on work-life balance?
• What is your level of tolerance for stress?
• How do you approach financial stability and earnings?
• ……Or any self-discovery questions you might have, such as your stand on our economy and the environment, etc.

2. The Balance Between You and the Market

A perfect world is one where there’s a convergence between your deepest interests, what you are good at, and the (labor) market needs. But we know that not everyone is that lucky. There is a continuum between these factors, and people settle at some point along it.

You really love history and can’t imagine yourself doing anything unrelated to it. What are the chances of securing a job if you major in history? If needed, how much of your passion for history would you be willing to sacrifice to “fit into” the market?

Or maybe there are ways around this, and it’s not just an A vs. B dilemma. Think of those who create their own market.

Or maybe you can still fit into the market—and perhaps even perfectly—regardless of your history major, if you focus on fostering key foundational skills?

3. From Many to a Few: Refining Your Options

First Act

Large universities typically offer more than 100 majors, while there are over a thousand occupations—around 700 of which are most commonly considered. One of those majors will lead you to one or more of those occupations, or perhaps even to a new occupation that has yet to emerge.

Since we tend to think within familiar boundaries, at the very least, you might want to skim through all available options—who knows, something unexpected and unconventional might catch your attention.

Now, it’s time to narrow your choices down to 15–20 potential candidates (arbitrary number).

Second Act

Let’s face it—who has the time to explore all 15–20 potential majors or occupations in detail?

Besides, there’s the Paradox of Choice—having more options isn’t always beneficial. Too many choices can lead to decision paralysis or poor decisions, as Barry Schwartz argues.

So, how do you narrow it down further?

There are plenty of approaches: mind mapping, decision trees, linear value models—you name it.

Whichever method works for you, by this stage, you’ve likely refined your list to 5–10 strong candidates. Again, this is an arbitrary number, but I hope you get the point —you’re now ready for deeper exploration.

4. The Power of Early Exposure to Careers

Some people realize quite early in life what they will be doing for the rest of their lives—we see many of them becoming world-class in their fields, from Messi to Terence Tao. But for most of us, that early “awakening” never happens or happens much later.

Some argue that there’s no need to rush career decisions, as many people aren’t ready to make such choices even in their late teens or early twenties. The question of how early we should start thinking about careers is open for debate. However, a preliminary OECD study found that better employment outcomes at age 25 are positively correlated with activities like workplace visits, job shadowing, and volunteering at age 15.

Few would disagree with the value of a young person interacting with professionals from various fields. Such experiences can offer invaluable insights that no book or online resource can fully capture. No wonder that many of us end up choosing the same or a similar career as our closest relatives.

Even better than interaction is hands-on experience. A few hours or a single day may not be enough to fully grasp a profession, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

5. A Data-Driven Approach to Career Decisions

This isn’t about becoming a data analyst or data scientist (though that wouldn’t be a bad outcome if it leads you there). Instead, it’s about adding more rationality to support your big career decisions. Psychologists generally agree that most of our decisions are irrational.

First and foremost, good decision-making requires comprehensive information.

What are the knowns and unknowns of career choice?

• Unknowns:
  • How is AI affecting and how will it continue to affect employment?
  • Personal uncertainties—such as what if scenarios (What if my chosen career turns out to be a poor fit in the future?).
• Knowns (publicly available, though not necessarily known to you yet): Often, the data is already out there, waiting to be explored.

What kind of information is essential or useful? You’re likely more tech- and data-savvy than any previous generation and may already know where to find quality information. But if I had to point you to key sources, I’d highlight the following:

• Occupational databases – O*NET provides detailed insights into skills, tasks, and future outlooks for various occupations.
• Work engagement patterns – Gallup has researched what makes employees engaged or disengaged for decades.
• Salary information – Available from sources such as global recruiting firms (e.g., Manpower), international organizations, government labor ministries, and local research institutions.
• Skills demand – Lightcast (formerly Burning Glass Technologies & Emsi) tracks labor market trends and in-demand skills.
• Nascent and growing industries – World Economic Forum, McKinsey, BCG, and others regularly analyze emerging job markets.

The list can continue, but remember that the idea is to trigger the proper questions more than to find the “final” answers.

What do you think is truly relevant to know?
Is it enough to watch a YouTube video summarizing the 5–10 highest-paying jobs? Or maybe a video listing the 10–20 careers that will survive AI?

In short, a data-driven and critical approach is essential in your career exploration. And having access to quality information is a crucial part of that process.

6. Dispelling Misconceptions and Finding Mental Anchors

Dispelling Misconceptions

– As economists like to say, there is no free lunch. Most high-salary jobs don’t come without trade-offs. Generally, there is a correlation between high-paying jobs and longer working hours. In my line of work, I have spoken to professionals who confirm this. Of course, there are also low-paying jobs with long working hours, but that’s a different issue (black companies, irresponsible managers, etc.). Additionally, new or emerging occupations often come with a salary premium due to the initial scarcity of professionals in the field. This is simply the law of supply and demand—an important topic I’ll cover in the future: the advantage of being an early bird.

– Some argue that in the age of GenAI, abundant information, and easier access to knowledge expertise is losing its value. However, the reality is that employers still highly value expertise, which is a combination of deep knowledge (e.g., industry-specific understanding), hands-on experience, and critical thinking, among other factors.

Finding Mental Anchors

What’s the worst that could happen if you choose the wrong major or career?
For starters:

• You might struggle to find a job or take longer to land your first role—all while still dealing with tuition fees or student loans.
• You might end up in a job you dislike.

We could create a risk analysis-style list of possible scenarios. Would that help you choose the perfect career? I’m not sure. In fact, I don’t think anyone knows. As Benjamin Franklin put it, “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.”

Still, a decision has to be made. While you can’t eliminate risks or prevent things from going wrong (nobody can), you can minimize them by adopting a holistic, strategic, and data-driven approach.

You can also rely on what I call mental anchors—perspectives that help ease the anxiety of making a career decision:

• Choosing a major is not the same as choosing a career. While they are highly related, they are not the same. Even if you pick the “wrong” major, you can still build a successful career by leveraging transferable skills, foundational knowledge, and (future) industry expertise.
• Your original major or career path might give you a unique edge—a multidisciplinary background can provide a broader perspective.
• Experience is often the only true test. As suggested in Pillar 4, talking to professionals in your potential field helps, but it doesn’t replace actual and longer exposure.
• Choosing your major (and later your career) is important, but it’s not the final stop in your journey.