Which career should I choose?

Question

Should I go into:

1. Marketing Research and Analysis (I would need an MBA or MS in Marketing with expertise in SAS and SPSS)?
2. Investment Research and Analysis (I would need an MS in Finance or an MBA, eventually needing a CFA)?
3. Statistical Modeling (I would need an MS in Applied Statistics probably)?

Answer 1

Where are you in your education right now? Can you start a program that will lead in all three directions and specialize a little later when you have had more of an opportunity to see what each path is like?

No one here can really tell you which one to choose. We can only advise you to consider your options, and your own interests and skills. And if you are just beginning your career, you can expect to have two or three careers in your lifetime, and that is not a bad thing. I am 53 years old, retired, and a grandma, and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

Answer 2

All of the career fields that you’ve listed will take strong analytical skills and extreme attention to detail, as I’m sure you are well aware. You’ll probably spend a lot of time working independently and doing problem solving, but you will also need to be adept with your people skills in order to interface on various parts of your job. If these are all things that really spark your interest then the fields you’ve mentioned may be a good fit for you and the job outlook in these positions looks to be strong going forward.

A bachelor’s degree in economics may be enough to get you in the door as an assistant in one of these arenas. But, as you stated, you will definitely want to continue with higher educational endeavors to advance in the field. However, beginning as an assistant can also give you the hands-on experience that can show you if you really enjoy the work.

A couple of things you can do to get closer to a career decision are:

1.Conduct some informational interviews with individuals who are actually in these jobs on a day-to-day basis. Not only is this an excellent way to find out what to expect once you are able to obtain one of these positions, it is also one of the best ways to make important contacts and build up your network within your career field. Honestly, informational interviewing is underutilized in the career search process and it can truly open so many doors for you. When you meet with the person be sure to ask questions such as:
a.What is the best path into this career?
b.What attracted you to this industry?
c.What are your primary responsibilities?
d.What is a typical day, or week like?
e.What skills do you feel are critical to success in this field?
f.What are the opportunities for advancement in this field?
g.What part of this job do you find most satisfying?

There are many other questions you can ask, but be sure to take only 20 – 30 minutes of time (unless the person wants you to stay longer).

2.If you’re unsure of what areas you enjoy the most, how your personality fits into teamwork and the type of job you believe you want then take an assessment. They are relatively inexpensive, fairly quick to take online and definitely worth it. Here are a couple of good ones:
a.www.assessment.com (take the MAPP)
b.www.disc.com (you can get both and individual profile DISC and a Team profile fairly inexpensively - $40 ish…. for both).


3.Don’t forget the career centers at the colleges. There are many helpful resources and people to guide you in the career discovery process. So, utilize them and gather all the information that you need to make a good decision.


And finally, congratulations to you for taking charge of your career, driving the process and not just letting your career “happen” to you like so many other people do. We all have the ability to make choices and choosing to know who you are, observe and take intelligent action will be the key to your career success! Don't stand still for an "autopilot" career. Good luck to you!

Answer 3

I recommend that you choose the job that will ultimately result in you getting the next job that you want. It is important to think through where you want to be in the long run and then select the job that will get you to that location. Think of it as optimizing for the long term, not the short term.

Answer 4

Which one do you have the most interest in and see yourself doing? I can't answer this one for you, only you can because you know yourself best. Good luck in whatever you do though:)

Answer 5

Ask yourself which of those 3 most interests you and wont cause you to ever say "Ugh, I don't want to go into work today!"

Answer 6

which one do u think u would be happier w. dont choose the one ur going to make more money in, just choose what makes u happy.

Answer 7

Choose the one that will actually hire you.

Answer 8

which one do you like the best or if you like them all which would be the quickest and easiest