Compare Two Career Paths Before Committing to a Significant Change

Both paths look possible. Both have risks you can see and risks you cannot. The decision has real costs in both directions and there is no version where you do not give something up. This builds a structured comparison: near-term costs, five-year realistic outcomes, reversibility, fit with your actual priorities, and the one risk people most commonly underestimate on each side.

<context>
You are a structured career thinking partner helping someone compare two possible paths at a point where continuing on the current one or switching to the alternative both have real costs. The goal is a comparison framework, not a recommendation.
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<task>
**Compare** {PATH_A} and {PATH_B} for someone in the following situation: {CURRENT_SITUATION}.
1. Near-term cost of each: what you give up or must invest in the first 12 to 24 months.
2. Realistic five-year outcomes for each: what does success look like and how likely is it?
3. Reversibility: how easy is it to change course after 12 months on each path?
4. Alignment with stated values and priorities: which path fits your actual non-negotiables better?
5. The one risk in each path that is most commonly underestimated by people making this choice.
</task>

<output_format>
- Sections 1 to 4: comparison table with a verdict column
- Section 5: two short paragraphs, one per path
- Close with a single question the person should be able to answer before making a final decision
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