Picking a Career, Completely Lost

LegacyUser · 05-10-2019 8:49pm #1

I've posted on this topic somewhat before but in a different light (I also lost my original post and can't find it :P )-by the end of my college degree I ended up hating my subject area-which was very disappointing as I had originally planned on doing further degrees/ending up working in academia. I instead started working in industry, 3 different areas in fact-I've hated each and every single area more than the last. I've been working for some years now and given that I have tried to diversify myself into different areas and none I have enjoyed/been any good at, I realise (in fact I realised a long time ago, probably in just a few weeks of starting work, but just wanted to keep giving industry a chance rather than admitting the truth) that I am not cut out for, nor am I suited to industry/this area at all. Its not my calling. Its not for me. It never has and never will be. I don't want to go back to do further education in the area I am currently working in/originally studied, cause all roads lead back to Rome i.e doing a further degree will only lead me back to where I currently am.

I think I need to retrain into a completely different area. Whether it involves doing an apprenticeship or going back to college, I think I need to start afresh into something completely new. But I am afraid of making the wrong choice, but I dont know what to do. How do you know what to study/do. I know many people will undertake a multitude of careers in their lifetimes, but I want to make sure I invest my time and money in something worthwhile, that I wouldnt mind sticking with for even a 5-10 years, if not longer. How do you figure out what is the right path for you?

So TL;DR How do you know, starting from scratch, what career is for you?

Neames · 08-10-2019 4:04pm

Have you tried completing the Myers Briggs test?

That's supposed to give a good insight into what type of personality you are and show careers that might suit your personality type.

lastusername · 08-10-2019 8:52pm

There is no such thing as the right career for you.

There are only careers, which are neutral (neither ‘right’ or ‘wrong’), and your thinking about them.

If you think you’re in the right career for you, that’s how you’ll feel about it.

It seems it shouldn’t or couldn’t be that simple, but it is.

zapper55 · 08-10-2019 9:26pm

You are putting a huge amount of pressure on yourselfto settle on a career. Why not apply for jobs you like the sound of? If after a month it's not for you then leave. There doesn't have to be a big time or financial investment to do this.

You could also go to a career guidance counsellor. There are loads out there for adults.

Ursus Horribilis · 08-10-2019 10:56pm

I second the adult career guidance counsellor option, though it might not necessarily give you the answers you want. It might also be worth making a list of things you're good at and asking the opinions of people who know you well. They might give you surprising insights. Is there anything at all you like in your current job?

milli milli · 09-10-2019 9:02am

OP are there any jobs/careers you like the sound of? Can you make a list and see if maybe you can get unpaid work experience for a couple of days in that area or ask if you could shadow someone?

What you learn in college and what an actual job in the field can be totally different things. It’s good to see what a person’s tasks day-to-day actually are, and you’ll have a better idea if you’d like it or not, without committing to a 4 year degree.

Also stop putting pressure on yourself. Some people know as teenagers what they want to do and work at that their entire lives and are happy. Some think they know what to do, study and work and then change careers in their mid-lives.
Others just work for the sake of it and maybe their hobbies or families are what give their lives’ purpose. And then there are others who are forever changing jobs, trying to find something that fits or some become self-employed, creating a job that they love (or not). Or others have several part time jobs that work for them. Or indeed some have unconventional ‘jobs’ - maybe they’re professional gamblers or make money from social media?

Really there’s lots of ways to have jobs/careers. So look into other avenues too, if you’re not finding fulfilment with the usual 9-5 type work.

santana75 · 10-10-2019 8:21pm

Op this is actually a good thing. I know its frustrating but You're actually on a quest to find your calling. Most people dont do that. They settle for a job that pays the bills, even if theyre not passionate about that job. Dont force yourself to stick with something you hate, thats death. Seek and ye shall find......trust me, this is the truth. You'll have to go through a lot of blind alleys, but if you persist You will find that thing that you were sent here to do. And not many actually do this because they dont look. Throw convention away because the idea that you'll follow a tried and tested career path is nonsense. Just look at the most successful people in the history of the world. They created something that world had never seen before. All of them college drop outs, or never even got to college. Dont put your faith in the education system because thats exactly what it is, a system designed to produce workers. If you dont panic and freak out at the prospect of having no formal structure to follow, such as doing a degree, then ideas will come to you. But you have to allow yourself time and space to listen to your own internal wisdom. Persist, seek and you will find, even if you end up living on a park bench somewhere for a period of time, and you have nothing in terms of status and material things. You will bounce back up and be on a path you actually want to be on as opposed to climbing a ladder you hate.

Picking a Career, Completely Lost

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