Which career to go for?

Hello guys
I'm caught between a rock and a hard place and was wondering if any of you could shed some insight on which path I should take.

I am starting a Degree in Accounting and Finance next week. I have always loved Accounting and decided to pursue it now. On the side, I had enrolled into Nebosh General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety to sit for exams in Dec. Anyone been in the same situation or know which one I should put my all into, especially with the current job climate?

Thank you...

Hi there,

Hoping I can offer some support here.

My first question would be have you tried work experience in both of these career sectors to help you gain first hand insight into what the career involves and which one you may be best suited to?

Regarding job climate - There is a strong demand for financial skills as well as health and safety due to the increase in demand in construction and engineering sectors. In a nutshell both sectors are looking strong which is great however I understand not helpful for your current situation!

When you feel torn between two career paths it can be a good idea to look at your career values and what are the most important things for you when it comes to your long term career. Factors people think about are (not inclusive to):

- Job stability/security
- Job satisfaction
- Money
- Progression opportunities
- Skills and interests

The thing to remember when it comes to your career which is probably the next 40-50 years of your working life is that it's always possible to change career in the future with most people changing their job roles 7 times on average in the UK.

The best advice I can give you is to make sure you make a well informed decision that is right for you. To do this you can make sure you have done all of your research on the two careers so you can weigh up the pros and cons. You can do this research on our websites job profiles - https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/job-profiles/home

You can chat more in-depth to a careers adviser over the phone or online about your options and we can hopefully help you feel more confident about your decision.

More than happy to help on TSR if you have any follow up questions.

Thanks - Sophie.

Thank you Sophie, let me do my research. I had contacted National Careers Service and you have given me a better insight than what I got.

I am sorry to hear that.

A lot of the information you are going to need is here

-https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/job-profiles/health-and-safety-adviser

- https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/job-profiles/private-practice-accountant

Unfortunately, no-one can tell you what you should and shouldn't do that decision ultimately has to come from you. If the future job market is one of your deciding factors you may find the website LMI for All useful - http://www.lmiforall.org.uk/widget/

I used the career tool on there for LMI in the two industries and there isn't a huge difference between the two in terms of pay, sector growth etc but accountancy came out on top!

Good luck with everything!

Sophie.