White Mage or Scholar?

Trying to decide between CNJ/WHM or ARC/SCH.

For WHM, I like that CNJ is a healer so you don't have to get to 30 to be one. The Lily Gauge both looks really nice and seems like a decent mechanic with the Bloody Lily spell seeming really fun to use. Also I've heard they are a bit more GCD healing reliant which is what I am used to.

For SCH, the tie in with SMN is nice if I ever wanted to use it. I love the look of using a book to cast (though I think WHM's actual spell animations are better outside of the casting animation) and I've heard that it's got one of the better job stories as well. The whole pet healing thing seems interesting though I've never seen anything like it so idk how it would actually feel. Also I've heard they are more shield focused than WHM and preventing damage outright is always nice.

For a start, don't base your decision on the earliest levels. 30 levels will fly by soon enough. Make your decision based on if you like the sound of it at max level - in the end, that's where you'll spend most of your time.

With all that said, it sounds like you're more interested in SCH. I'd give that a go. Worst case if you don't like it - FF14 lets you switch to one of the others freely.

Heartily recommend unlocking both to see if the look, feel and upcoming spells look interesting enough for you to stick with the one of them or both.

Only got SCH at max level so can try to paint a picture: Healing and keeping people alive revolves around three things: Your fairy companion, Galvanize and Catalyze shields and Aetherflow.

The healing fairy you need to summon and will automatically and constantly try to heal anyone under max hp. You can command the fairy to cast a heal-over-time, instant healing and a buff with healing up/magic damage resistance buff to everyone nearby. Get spells that heal for a bit and apply a shield for the amount of healing done, one powerful single-target and a weaker party-wide. Later one of these shield effects can be spread from one target to another, or transform the amount of shielding done to healing. At 80 you can summon a third fairy that casts her own shields on party members.

Lastely there's Aetherflow, currently unlocked at level 45. This ability gives you some mana back and three stacks of Aetherflow on a 1 minute cooldown. These stacks can be used for powerful healing: single target, aoe, a damage reduction field. If you don't need it for healing you can use it on Energy Drain, instant ability that deals damage, heals for a bit and restores mp. Using stacks also fills up your Fairy Gauge unlocked at 70 using fairy abilities that either tethers her to target and constantly heals them or a aoe heal.

For when dealing damage you will get four spells: A single-target casted spell, instant single-target spell, one dot and one aoe.

There's a more things to the job, but hopefully this gave you an impression.