Not all individuals approach decision-making in the same manner, there are numerous different styles of decision-making. One author (Dinklage, 1969) suggested that there are "Inner-Reliant" decision-makers, who take responsibility for their decisions and there are "Other-Reliant" decision-makers, who try and transfer the responsibility for their decisions to other people.

While you should certainly be seeking the advice of others, it is important that you adopt an "Inner-Reliant" decision-making strategy with regard to your own career decisions - it is your life, no one else can live it except you. Since you have to live by the consequences of various decisions, whether made by yourself or by others, you must make decisions that you can be confident will help you achieve what it is that you want.

The following list identifies a number of decision-making styles. As each of these styles is described, think to yourself whether that style is "Inner-Reliant" or "Other-Reliant." Review your own decision-making style or styles in important decisions that you have made in the past.

• Impulsive Decider – where we take the first alternative that is presented, with little thought or examination: "Decide now; think later".
• Fatalistic Decider - where we leave the resolution of the decision to the environment, or to fate: "What ever will be, will be".
• Compliant Decider - where we go along with someone else's plan, rather than making our own decision, even when it doesn't agree with our own beliefs: "If that's OK with you, then it's OK with me".
• Delaying Decider - where we delay thought and action on a problem: "I'll cross that bridge later".
• Agonizing Decider - where we spend much time and thought in gathering data and analysing alternatives, only to get lost amidst all the data we have accumulated: "I can't make up my mind".
• Planning Decider - where our strategy is based on a rational approach, with some balance between the cognitive and emotional: "I'm weighing the facts".
• Intuitive Decider - where we decide based on what we feel, but what cannot be verbalized: "It just feels right".
• Paralytic Decider - where we accept responsibility for a decision but are unable to approach it: "I know I should do so, but I just can't face up to it".
• Escapist Decider - where we avoid responsibility for a decision or make up a socially acceptable answer to deflect an inquiry. For example, if undecided about a career path but considering teaching, when asked by a relative what we will study we might respond: "I'm thinking about a commerce degree".
• Play-it-Safe Decider - where we pick the option with the perceived lowest level of risk: "I love anthropology, but I'm bound to get a job in law".
• Deviant Decider - Asking the advice of others, then doing the opposite of what they suggest: "I did it my way".

If you are currently satisfied with your decision-making style or styles, congratulations!

If you feel a need to make some changes, now is the time to begin, while considering the myriad of decisions that you are currently faced with. For example, if you are an Escapist Decider, the next time you are asked, "What would you like to do?" try offering your opinion rather than avoiding committing yourself. Ultimately, making decisions and taking a stand are ways of forming and establishing your identity. Whenever you make statements about yourself e.g. "I prefer science to computing" or "It's important to be happy in life", you define yourself to you and to others.

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