Feeling Lost

LegacyUser

Bit of a background on this first -

I'm 26 and have recently completed 4 years of a college course, which ended in May. Since then I have been on the Dole. At the beginning it was great; I was working on aspects of my life that I had been ignoring during my college and my working life - social anxiety, anxiety in general, my fitness and the like. I have now reached a point where I really want to do something with my life, but something worthwhile. I don't just want a job where I am working for just money and won't actually accomplish anything. This petrifies me and have looked into volunteering, but the harsh fact is that I have to get a job because I need to pay off a loan, which I took out to complete my final year of college. I just feel like I'm not ready for a career yet - doing something for the rest of my life, day in and day out, coming back exhausted and stressed -- it is a terrifying prospect! But I know I can't go on the dole for the rest of my life.

Every single time I go home and/or talk to my parents, my mother keeps forcing the issue on me and it is wrecking my head. It is so important for me to do these things by myself, because otherwise I won't feel like a proper adult.

In my head I'm not 26, I'm really just 18. Sad fact is that I'm nearly 30 and my life is going nowhere.

What my parents don't know, and I only recently told my sister whilst very drunk, is that I have been taking anti-anxiety tablets for the past few months and I don't know what to do.

This loan is killing me - my rent and weekly repayments leave me with maybe €10 a week to live on and this goes towards my living expenses.

I just don't know what to do.

tenchi-fan

Hi Op.

You're miles away from 30.. although in some ways, it does creep up on you.

Priority number one is to get a job. Anything really, you can't afford to be fussy. Volunteer work, while rewarding, just isn't profitable. Yes, some people continue to do very well as employees of the not-for-profit sector but since the government cut funding that industry really isn't open to new employees.

Soul destroying work is often valued down the line. For example, callcentre work can improve your communication skills, complaint resolution, meeting targets, and even handling difficult people (more often than not, your supervisor!) etc... once you don't fall into a rut.

Anyway, don't give up. If it comes to it, try a Fas internship. You can start an internship without having any intention of finishing it, it would be good for experience and can lead to a real job.

Firetrap

This leapt out at me

I don't just want a job where I am working for just money and won't actually accomplish anything. This petrifies me and have looked into volunteering, but the harsh fact is that I have to get a job because I need to pay off a loan, which I took out to complete my final year of college. I just feel like I'm not ready for a career yet - doing something for the rest of my life, day in and day out, coming back exhausted and stressed -- it is a terrifying prospect! But I know I can't go on the dole for the rest of my life.

Bluntly, now isn't the time to be thinking like this. I know things aren't good out there on the jobs front but even if you get something that you feel is beneath you, isn't it better than being on the dole? You don't have to stay in any job forever but it does clock up as valuable work experience. Just as important as any qualifications you have are signs that you are capable of holding down a job, working in a team etc. You can always do volunteering in your spare time if something like that means that much to you. You're still quite young yet - you still have plenty of time to do the things you want. Just be pragmatic for now.

Have you thought about moving abroad? If you got a job there, surely you could transfer money into your bank account and continue repaying your loan?