doing something that is interesting (but you might not be great at it) vs pursuing an opportunity that is offered to you (job offers, profit)

[semidevil]

Suppose you are someone in your mid 30's and have 2 potential positions to consider for a career, How would you go about thinking about the pro's and cons and which one to consider.

The 2 potential positions are in the same industry, however job1 is more analytical and technical, where job2 is more management and potential higher visibility.

Job1 is more attractive because it aligns with my interest, 'more fun' to me, and more fit for me in the sense that I don't have to work with people that much, and I'm kind of behind the scenes a lot. The downside is that I would say it is not my strength/forte. I like it, I can be good at it, and it does take me time to adjust and get in the groove before I feel comfortable. I can be good at it though. The job growth long term is could be unclear. At any moment, I can see myself working along side peers who are fresh graduates. while I have many years of experience, the tech skills and programming knowledge can be picked up by any one.

Job2 is a generalist job and more management and focuses on the profitability of the company. It has higher visibility, and more risk at the same time. The growth path could be more clear as you are a 'manager' and you could potential move to senior management if you want. The downside for me is that, because of the visibility, it's more risky and responsibility is a bit higher. While it's not a bad thing, I'm not quite comfortable with it. Also, has a lot of dealing with people, negotiating, managing different departments, etc etc.

In picking which path is good for me, there's a lot of things that goes through my head:

I'm currently in a 'job2' track. I came in with the intention of job1, but since I exceeded job expectations, they gave me responsibilities of job2. Ofcourse, not to reject any opportunity, I took job2 and gained some great experience. Im in the middle of a couple job offers right now and the question is whether I should go to a 'job1' role.

purely out of interest, job1 is appealing. while I'm not 'talented' in job1 role, It's interesting to me, and I like it. I don't see myself being 'the best' in the team in that role, but I can be good and can be a good contributor. The career path would either be a 'senior level job1', or maybe transition to job2 if I really wanted to.

Job2 is appealing because I was given the opportunity and have been making progress in that role. It's a great resume builder and if I take a job1, it looks like a bit of a 'demotion' because the job duties of job2 has much higher stakes than job1. Taking another role as a job2 is a natural path, and does not look like a 'career change'

My concerns with job2 is that I'm really not a people person. Im not good at managing, negotiating and rallying different departments. I'm okay and can do it if I have to, but itmakes me very nervous. I would rather struggle with job1 duties than job2 duties. I can do it, but it's a bit more effort and 'not as fun.'

I'm considering job2 because Im already in that track and have made good progress. if I continue on that track, I won't be 'entry level' forever. At my age of 35+. Technical skills are important, but being a generalist might be more and can help me switch jobs in the coming years as things happen.

I'm really trying to be practical and don't want to don't really buy the 'follow your passion' thing. In terms of evaluating both opportunities, what questions would you ask yourself in order to make the decision.