A career change is difficult. What if there was a way to make the decision making process easier? It’s a blend of using your head and your heart!

You’ve probably faced some difficult choices in your life. And for every difficult decision you’ve made, how did you feel once it was over? Relieved?
The process you used to make other decisions may or may not work when making a job change or career change.
This decision scares people a lot! It’s a pretty big deal.
Personally, I struggled with making a job change. I needed a framework to help me clearly differentiate my emotions from my logical thinking. I also found listening to other people’s views was extremely beneficial to my reaching a decision.
There is not such thing as a bad choice!
Any choice you make is better than not making one or feeling one was forced on you. No matter what you decide, you can make the most of any situation.
So the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed making a choice, decision, or taking a stand…consider using a decision-making matrix. It might look something like this:
Decision Making Matrix for Job Options
How It Works?
Just in case it isn’t obvious.
Step One: List the criteria that is important to you when making a choice.
Step Two: Across the top list the different options you are faced with or considering
Step Three: Rate each option against the criteria (Use 1-5 where a 1 is a poor match and 5 is great match)
Step Four: Tally the numbers
Step Five: The highest number seems to best meet your criteria
I think decisions come from the head and the heart, perhaps even the gut.
At the end of the day, you just want to feel good about the conclusion you reached. So why not put a little of your head and your heart into it.

Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.