What you two main career paths put before noble boys in rome?

The two main career path in public service for the noble young men were politics and public office or a service in the cavalry or as an officer in the army.

The Roman executive officers of state were also politicians because they were elected annually (apart from the censors who were elected every 18 months). The Romans had a set career path along the ladder of public office which was called cursus honorum. This was a mixture of administrative posts in the military and political posts. it set out a progression from lower to higher posts, a minimum ages for his each post and, later, minimum intervals between holding successive offices, and restrictions of holding the same office again.

It started a 10-year service in the cavalry or as an administrative office in the staff of military commanders. Well connected men sometimes served for less then 10 years. At the age of 30 you were allowed to stand for being elected as a quaestor. The minimum age for being an aedile was 39. To become a praetor you had to be 39, to become a consul you had to be 40 (42 for a commoner) and censor you had to have held the consulship first.

It has to be noted that the offices of state were open to the commoners as well. Many nobles were keen on a career in politics and public office. A number of older noblemen also sat in the (unelected) senate.