Engadget Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I'm 26, and am still to this day at a loss as to what I want to do with my life. I'm not alone in that for sure, but I also see people I went to school with who knew exactly what they wanted to do and went for it. I on the other hand work a job I'm not a fan of for less money than I made before I got laid off, and just don't even know what to look for. I guess I just don't understand why it seems to be so simple for some, and the total opposite for me. I feel like I'll be 40 and after switching careers a dozen times still not know what to do. Edit: "What to do" is against the guidelines for a title? WTF? Link to post Share on other sites
january2011 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Geographical location aside, I think it's very common to have a portfolio of careers. Some of those people you mention might end up getting out of their field after 10 years because they realise that their life's dream is not so dreamy after all and end up running a 'mom and pop' store selling organic veggies to the locals. Having said that, perhaps list what you don't like to do and take the opposites - turn each item into what you would like to do. Then look at getting the experience and qualifications to get you there. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Engadget Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 Geographical location aside, I think it's very common to have a portfolio of careers. Some of those people you mention might end up getting out of their field after 10 years because they realise that their life's dream is not so dreamy after all and end up running a 'mom and pop' store selling organic veggies to the locals. Having said that, perhaps list what you don't like to do and take the opposites - turn each item into what you would like to do. Then look at getting the experience and qualifications to get you there. Yeah, problem is I really, really, really do not want to return to college to get there. So you could say I'm shooting myself in the foot, but my degree is in Business and I picked it because I had no idea what I wanted to do. Link to post Share on other sites
january2011 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 What is it about returning to college that is off-putting? Exams? Coursework? A business degree will give you good generalist knowledge for a lot of careers. If you don't know what you do want to do, do you at least know what you don't want to do? In the roles that you've had, what aspects have made you happy and given you a sense of achievement and you wouldn't mind doing more of? What aspects have made you unhappy and you'd rather do less of them? Link to post Share on other sites
Imageiko Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I'm confused do you have a business degree or no? If not how close are you to finishing it? Link to post Share on other sites
Author Engadget Posted September 24, 2011 Author Share Posted September 24, 2011 What is it about returning to college that is off-putting? Exams? Coursework? A business degree will give you good generalist knowledge for a lot of careers. If you don't know what you do want to do, do you at least know what you don't want to do? In the roles that you've had, what aspects have made you happy and given you a sense of achievement and you wouldn't mind doing more of? What aspects have made you unhappy and you'd rather do less of them? Everything, I can't stand the way college is set up. It does nothing but stress me out and cause issues in my life. Studying 15 chapters and having to remember them all for a single test, etc. etc. Well I know there's some things I can't do, due to physical limitations. Things like law enforcement or the military that at one time I did want to get involved in, but with my body being shot there would be no way. I would like to do something with computers, like IT but that would require a return to school. I'm confused do you have a business degree or no? If not how close are you to finishing it? Yeah I have my degree. Link to post Share on other sites
january2011 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 I would like to do something with computers, like IT but that would require a return to school. Not necessarily. IT is a huge field. And a lot of new areas don't even have courses let alone courses with tests and exams. People in those fields can get away with having a portfolio of work rather than a list of qualifications. There are also so many IT communities and learning materials on the web, which you can go through at your own pace. If you find an area that you're interested in, insert yourself into a relevant community. Practise your skills and build up a portfolio of examples. Get to know the main people via the community. Ask around about getting into the field. There will also be websites where you can pitch for work and even complete it remotely from home. Link to post Share on other sites
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