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The Paradox of Major/Career Choice - Wandering in the Era of 100 Majors

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"There are 100 majors at the university, but I don't know what to choose." "I've decided on a major, but there are hundreds of career paths... Where should I go?" While options have increased 100-fold compared to the past, paradoxically, certainty has decreased 100-fold. This is the Paradox of Choice cruelly working in young people's career dilemmas.

Related article: What is the Paradox of Choice?

The Explosion of Career Choices​

Past vs Present​

1990s

  • University Majors: 20-30
  • Career Options: Around 50
  • "Doctor, Lawyer, Civil Servant" safe paths
  • Concept of lifelong employment

2020s

  • University Majors: 100+
  • Convergence Majors: Dozens (AI Convergence, Cultural Contents, Biotech...)
  • Career Options: Infinite
  • YouTuber, Influencer, Developer, Data Analyst...
  • Disappearance of lifelong employment
  • Increase in multi-jobbers, freelancers

Result

  • ↑ Options → ↑ Confusion
  • Disappearance of answers → ↑ Anxiety

Why Is It So Difficult?​

1. Information Overload​

Yesteryear: Parents' advice + Teacher recommendations

Now

  • Naver "Major Recommendation" search: 100,000 articles
  • YouTube "Career Dilemma": 1,000 videos
  • Community: 100 different opinions
  • AI Recommendations: 50 careers

Result

  • Lots of information, no answers
  • Extreme decision fatigue
  • "If only there were fewer options..."

2. Fear of Opportunity Cost​

When Choosing One

  • Giving up 99 others
  • "Computer Science or Business?" (Can't do both)
  • "Medical school or AI?" (Irreversible)

Psychology

  • FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
  • "Would that path have been better?"
  • Afraid of lifelong regret, unable to decide

3. Unpredictable Future​

Past

  • Doctor → Lifelong stability
  • Civil Servant → Lifelong guarantee
  • Large Company → Lifelong job

Present

  • 50% of jobs disappearing in 10 years?
  • Jobs AI might replace?
  • Popular jobs now - what about in 10 years?

Result

  • "Anxious no matter what I choose"
  • Perfect choice impossible
  • Decision paralysis

4. Comparing with Others​

Social Media Era

Friend A: Medical School Admission (Envy)
Friend B: YouTuber earning 10M won/month (Envy)
Friend C: Developer at Large Company (Envy)
Friend D: Startup Founder (Envy)

Me: What am I doing...? (Depressed)

Problems

  • Only see others' success
  • Can't see my path
  • Maximizer trap

Real-Life Examples​

Case 1: University Major Selection​

19-year-old High School Senior

Deliberation Process

January: "Medical school? Engineering? Business?"
February: 100 hours of internet searching
March: 50 career videos watched
April: 10 counseling sessions (all different advice)
May: Created comparison chart of 100 majors
June: Still can't decide
July: "Should I just go where my scores match?"

Result

  • 6 months of deliberation
  • Uncertain choice
  • Anxiety about "Did I choose wrong?" after admission

Case 2: Graduate School vs Employment​

25-year-old College Graduate

Comparison Items

Graduate School:
- Pros: Expertise, Research, Potential to become professor
- Cons: 2-5 years time, tuition, uncertain employment

Employment:
- Pros: Immediate income, career, stability
- Cons: Lack of expertise, academic limitations

Entrepreneurship:
- Pros: Freedom, potential for high earnings
- Cons: Risk, high failure probability

Result

  • Deliberating for 1 year
  • Doing nothing
  • "I'll think about it while working part-time"

Case 3: Job Change vs Staying​

30-year-old Professional, 3rd Year

Dilemma

  • Current Job: Stable, but slow growth
  • Startup: Fast growth, but unstable
  • Freelance: Freedom, but income uncertainty
  • Graduate School: Expertise, but opportunity cost

Status

  • Same dilemma for 2 years
  • Unsatisfactory present
  • Undecided future

Research Results​

Career Choice and Happiness (2015)​

Research

  • Tracked 1,000 college students (10 years)
  • Choice process vs life satisfaction

Group A: Maximizer (Pursuing Perfection)

  • 1-2 years of deliberation
  • Compare all options
  • Result: Objectively better choice (10% higher salary)
  • But low satisfaction ("Could there have been something better?")

Group B: Satisficer (OK if Good Enough)

  • 3-6 months of deliberation
  • Choose if meeting criteria
  • Result: Objectively slightly lower choice
  • But high satisfaction ("My chosen path")

Conclusion

  • Perfect choice < Quick choice + Best effort

Escaping Career Choice Paralysis​

1. Use Elimination Method​

Remove, Not Add

Bad Method

Which is the best among 100 majors?
→ Never know

Good Method

Step 1: Remove what you'll absolutely never do (50 removed)
Step 2: Remove fields you're not interested in (30 removed)
Step 3: Remove what doesn't match your aptitude (15 removed)
→ 5 remain → Choose!

2. Only 3 Criteria​

Do NOT Do

Salary, stability, growth potential, work-life balance, social contribution,
reputation, interest, aptitude, prospects, creativity...
→ 10 criteria = Unable to decide

Do This

Only 3 essential things:
1. Still valid in 5 years?
2. Can I enjoy it?
3. Can I make a living?

→ Choose if satisfied!

3. Reversibility Test​

Can it be undone?

Type 1 (Irreversible)

  • Medical school admission (6 years + specialist)
  • Music school admission (difficult major transfer)
  • → Be careful

Type 2 (Changeable)

  • General majors (possible transfer, double major)
  • First job (can change jobs)
  • Starting as a freelancer (can go back)
  • → Decide and try quickly

Strategy

  • Type 1: Spend time deliberating
  • Type 2: Decide and start within 3 months

Learn more: How to Make Important Decisions

4. Pilot Test​

Small test before big decision

Examples

  • Major dilemma → Try related activities for 3 months
  • Entrepreneurship dilemma → Start with side project
  • Graduate school dilemma → Intern/research assistant experience
  • Job change dilemma → First test as freelancer

Effects

  • Decide after actual experience
  • Increased confidence
  • Low failure cost

5. 80-Year-Old Test​

Jeff Bezos' Method

Question

  • "At 80, which choice would have the least regret?"

Example

  • "Stable civil service vs challenging startup"
  • At 80: "Will regret not trying"
  • → Choose startup

Application

  • Short-term anxiety < Long-term regret
  • Failure of challenge < Regret of not challenging

6. Set a Deadline​

Parkinson's Law

  • Work expands to fill given time
  • Without deadline, deliberate forever

Practice

"Decide by end of this month"
→ Set timer
→ Gather information for 2 weeks
→ Contemplate 1 week
→ Decide 1 week
→ Force execution

7. Abandon Perfection​

Accept

  • No perfect career path
  • Trade-offs in every choice
  • Effort after choice more important than choice

Mindset Shift

Before: "Which major is the best?"
After: "How can I make this major the best?"

Advice for Parents/Teachers​

What NOT to Do​

1. Present Infinite Options

  • "What are good majors these days?" (List 100)
  • → Increases confusion

2. Induce Pursuit of Perfection

  • "Think carefully" (deliberating for 2 years)
  • → Decision paralysis

3. Encourage Comparison

  • "Your friend went to medical school, what about you?"
  • → Increase anxiety

What TO Do​

1. Reduce Options

  • "These 3 suit your personality"
  • → Enables decision

2. Encourage Quick Attempts

  • "Try it, change if it doesn't work"
  • → Increases execution power

3. Create an Atmosphere of Failure Acceptance

  • "Even a wrong choice is a learning experience"
  • → Reduce burden

Learn More​

Conclusion​

The explosion of career choices is the cruelest form of the Paradox of Choice. 100 options don't bring happiness, they bring paralysis.

Core Insights

  1. No perfect career path - Trade-offs in every choice
  2. Execution matters more than choice - Effort after choice creates results
  3. Quick attempts > Long deliberation - Experience provides answers
  4. Reversibility - Most career paths can be changed

Practical Strategies

  1. Elimination Method - Reduce 100 to 5
  2. Only 3 Criteria - Validity, interest, survival potential
  3. Reversibility Test - Decide quickly if changeable
  4. Pilot Test - Try small first
  5. Set Deadline - Decide within 3 months
  6. Abandon Perfection - Become a Satisficer

Remember

  • Career path deliberated for 2 years vs. 3 months
  • Results come from effort, not choice
  • Quick choice + Best effort = Success

Resolving the Paradox

  • Reduce options
  • Start quickly
  • Learn in the process
  • Change if needed

"Don't spend 10 years searching for the perfect career path. Choose a sufficiently good path and give your best for 10 years."

Paths are made, not found! 🚀