An Important Decision Essay, Research Paper
Assignment: Describe a particular time in your life when you had
difficulty making an important decision.
During the course of our lifetimes we make many
significant and difficult choices that affect us. These
choices affect our personal and professional lives.
Therefore, we make these choices with much thought and
care. One of the most difficult and important decisions I
have made was changing careers.
Changing careers at this stage of my life, mid-life, was
very difficult. Preparation for my new career required me
to resign my job. The former position was providing a
major portion of my family’s income and most of the
medical benefits. Some means of earning a living while
preparing for a new career was foremost on my mind
during this stage. If I spent to much time and energy
pursuing a job to provide a means for supporting my family
while retraining, I might not do a sufficient job of
retraining for a new career. Another difficulty equally as
important as the the financial one was the possibility of
failing at a new endeavor or not being able to find a new
job. These possibilities made me feel uncomfortable and
insecure. If I failed or could not find a new position, what
would my family think of me? Failing at a new career
would also cause me to lose confidence in myself. These
concerns, failure and financial, and not finding a new job
made this decision very difficult.
The decision to choose a new career was an extremely
important one. The sole function of a career is not just to
provide a means to make a living; it should have a larger
purpose. The work I was doing did little for others, and
in fact, served only a small, special interest group. In
addition to pursuing a meaningful career, a career should
be satisfying, and make some significant contributions to
other people?s lives. Therefore, I choose to become a
teacher. It is important to have a career that is satisfying,
and that would allow for helping others achieve their goals.
Making the choice to change careers was important but
difficult. If through my new career, I could contribute
something positive to others; then I will have felt that I
made the right decision. Improvements can only come
through change.