I recently came to a crossroads in my career path. I had two choices:
A. is basically the same job as I had been doing, but in a different environment. Mixture of team and individual work. Creative, interesting, challenging, but sometimes slow and frustrating. Hiring and redundancies ebb and flow with the state of the economy. No real idea of future earning potential. Many jobs outside London.
B. uses my skills and experience, but requires further training and exams. Corporate-type job, and mostly individual desk-based work requiring analytical skills. At first this was a backup/alternative in case A didn't work out, but the more I read about it, the more interested I became. That said, I think it's hard to know whether you'll really like it until you do it. Difficult to get a training position, but once you have it you are set for life - expanding sector so there will always be jobs. Decent hours and great remuneration once fully qualified. London based.
I was advised that it would be very competitive to get a job in sector A, so I applied to B as well. Had two interviews for B and was offered second interviews for both. But meanwhile, had an interview for A and was offered the job. Job sounded really interesting, and I liked the people I would be working with. However, it is only a 12 month maternity cover contract. I took it anyway as it seemed great otherwise, and I wasn't sure I would get any more opportunities in sector A. And the 12 months of experience would help me get a permanent job in A (if any are available). Plus, had no idea whether I would be successful with interviews for B.
I start work for A in a month. But now I'm second guessing myself. Should I have held out for B and taken the plunge? I could still go into B later (whereas I couldn't go back to A if I took time out from that sector as things move too quickly), but I feel like I've shot myself in the foot as the two firms that interviewed me for B will now see me as fickle and uncommitted. Plus, it would mean uprooting DH again (we are already relocating for A), which seems unfair (he works at home, but still...)
So AIBU to have chosen this fairly uncertain career path, when I had a good chance of going into a safe, solid career with great remuneration in sector B?