Young adults feel lost despite academic achievements and experience
Multiple individuals, despite having degrees and internships, express feeling directionless and unsure of their career path. They struggle to find work that aligns with their interests and skills.
SOURCES (60)
“im 18 years old and recently graduated highschool, I decided not to go to college. I’m currently in the union on a wait list to start a trade but it’s not something I see myself doing for life. I’ve wanted to step foot into sales…”
“Helllooo!! As the title says idk what to do next with my life. I’m graduating with an associates in science in December. This is after doing 2 years of an environmental science bachelors and then dropping out due to mental health reasons. After dropping out I just went to my local community college to finish up an associates since I had enough credits. Right now I’m a barista and I do love working with people but genuinely hate working a job that feels like it’s not doing anything for the world.”
“23 year old here that’s feeling pretty lost in life right now. I got my bachelors degree in biology in 2024 from a 4 year university because I liked the subject. At the time, I was planning on using my degree to hopefully get some patient care experience in clinical research and try to transition into a career as a doctor. Since graduating, though, I have struggled to find a relevant job and it’s truly affecting my mental health. It’s been hard on me seeing people I went to school with move on t”
“Hey all, For context i’m 25 (M) living in london, never knew what i wanted to do with my life like most people and i ended up studying biochemistry at uni and doing a masters in a related field, now ive worked in the pharma field for 2.5 years but i hate it. I have 0 interest in the subject matter tbh and the only reason i pushed through during uni was because i didn’t feel like i deserved to be happy and didn’t have great financial support from parents so thought id be letting them down. Anyway”
“Hey all, For context i’m 25 (M) living in london, never knew what i wanted to do with my life like most people and i ended up studying biochemistry at uni and doing a masters in a related field, now ive worked in the pharma field for 2.5 years but i hate it. I have 0 interest in the subject matter tbh and the only reason i pushed through during uni was because i didn’t feel like i deserved to be happy and didn’t have great financial support from parents so thought id be letting them down. Anyway”
“Hey all, For context i’m 25 (M) living in london, never knew what i wanted to do with my life like most people and i ended up studying biochemistry at uni and doing a masters in a related field, now ive worked in the pharma field for 2.5 years but i hate it. I have 0 interest in the subject matter tbh and the only reason i pushed through during uni was because i didn’t feel like i deserved to be happy and didn’t have great financial support from parents so thought id be letting them down. Anyway”
“I’m 24 and honestly feeling pretty lost about my career right now. I’m posting anonymously because I’m looking for genuine advice from people who have been through something similar. I started working toward a Computer Science degree and completed around 40 to 50 credits, but I never transferred or finished the degree. Right now, I don’t feel like I have any specific talent or strong professional skill. I know I need to build skills and finish my education, but I’m struggling to figure out which”
“I separate in 2027. I joined at 18 and currently work a desk job handling paperwork. I’ve been in for 4 years. I'm not sure what route I should go in next. I don't have a degree and I don't really care for my current job or being enlisted. I have about 4k saved and plan to move to a new city. I'm thinking about skill-bridging and using my g.i bill but I don't know what route I should go in from here as the job market isn't in the best place. I'd like to get out and ha”
“Hey everyone, looking for some grounded advice from people who've navigated career pivots, working abroad, or transitioning out of mandatory service. My head is spinning trying to map out my next move. I'm 25, currently doing my mandatory military service in Egypt, wrapping up around June 2027. My career is completely on pause right now. I'm trying to use this downtime to plan ahead so that the moment I'm discharged, I hit the ground running—focusing on personal independence and”
“Hey everyone, looking for some grounded advice from people who've navigated career pivots, working abroad, or transitioning out of mandatory service. My head is spinning trying to map out my next move. I'm 25, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business Technology , and currently doing my mandatory military service in Egypt, wrapping up around June 2027. My career is completely on pause right now. I'm trying to use this downtime to plan ahead so that the moment I'm discharged, I hit”
“Growing up, I wanted to be an engineer. Toward the end of high school, I decided to go to a cheaper college that didn't have an engineering program and got a biochemistry degree (I graduated last year). The plan was to apply to med school, but I can't get clinical hours because everywhere wants a certification or licensure with 2-3 years of experience. I recently got a job but had to quit because it was 1.5 hours away, and frankly, I would not have enjoyed it. It made me realize I specif”
“Young man. Have had a breadth of experience with life and experience. Played some college ball. Got a degree. Im stuck because there’s so many things I’m curious about and have the opportunity to do that it has me in sort of a bind. I want something that allows me to be curious. When i think of this i think of medical school, aviation, neuroscience. Things of that nature. I have solid stats, research, volunteering and with a little work I truly think any career is attainable in the most humble w”
“I’m at a point in my life where I’m really confused about my career and what I should pursue long-term. There are so many options that I don’t know where to start. For those who have been through something similar, how did you figure out what career was right for you? What mistakes should I avoid, and what would you recommend someone do before committing to a career path? submitted by /u/Short-Composer-1632 [link] [comments]”
“I know Im not the only one but man I just feel stuck. Im a 31 year old dude. I have my high-school diploma. All of my experience from the beginning is car mechanic related. I had an issue where I just started having panic attacks out of nowhere and things just kept escalating until it basically ruined my life. It was like a 30 year old midlife crisis. I just dont want to live like that anymore and I think my brain knew it first. I now work at Amazon to pay my bills and am just trying to figure o”
“I know Im not the only one but man I just feel stuck. Im a 31 year old dude. I have my high-school diploma. All of my experience from the beginning is car mechanic related. I had an issue where I just started having panic attacks out of nowhere and things just kept escalating until it basically ruined my life. It was like a 30 year old midlife crisis. I just dont want to live like that anymore and I think my brain knew it first. I now work at Amazon to pay my bills and am just trying to figure o”
“I am 21M. in Europe. I am currently in a training programme that teaches computing/IT, i.e. general programming, and linux, network and OS basics, with further later specialisation in AI/algorithms, devops, sysadmin, cybersec, etc. this is not something I am interested in, it's just the thing I started doing after gymnasium because in that freefall my nervous system made me pick up a C textbook and I had fun with it. (I had zero experience nor interest before hand.) I am about a year and bit”
“Hi I'm a 19M, currently doing a degree apprenticeship in engineering. I've always like and found interest in maths, science and engineering but I've found myself getting tired of study. Did my a levels last year 2025 started the apprenticeship thats September. And now find myself wishing id taken a break/gap year, taken a simple job and tried out different things. I'm passionate about a lot of other stuff I have creative projects that I want to pursue etc. but my whole life I'”
“TL;DR: Am I delusional for seeing engineering as a career “saving point”? Am I just in analysis paralysis? I’m 24 with an Air Traffic Control degree and finishing an internship at a major European aviation organisation focused on drone integration. I may have opportunities to work on EU/government drone projects, mainly involving airspace, regulation, strategy and stakeholders not engineering the systems themselves. This year, I spent too much time obsessing over what I should become instead of”
“I did my major in English and also did 6 semester in CS hoping thats what I would do in my life as English was not giving much scope except becoming a professor. I gave entrances for masters in CS in hopes that I would clear them but I didn’t my parents did not want me to waste my time so they enrolled me in economics masters in a private university which is really draining. I really dont know what I want to do in my life. I have a million interests at this point I was thinking in clg to go for”
“I’m 20 years old have been working blue collar for 2 years and never wanted to go to college. Now 2 years later I realized I messed up and should’ve just went instead of this work and not sure what I want to major in. I don’t really have a passion for anything but was really interested in Computer Science since I like computers and interested in coding and what not. But I heard that’s a very bad major to get into nowadays so there goes that. I wasn’t very smart in high school and graduated with”
“Hey all, I just graduated with a bachelor’s in May (biotechnology). I was interning as a QC at a production lab while going to school and they offered me a full time position as a Junior Automation Engineer after graduation. My initial plan was to go into PA school but after looking deeper into requirements and admissions it seems so far from me. I have to retake a lot of international courses since US schools don’t accept it. I also wasn’t aware how much crazy hours of PCE you need to even get”
“Graduated in Comp Sci around 2022, First Class Honours. Heavily driven to get highest grades, do my best etc. Created a massive dissertation paper with a full high level level Final Year Software project. Alongside other projects in various languages. Job market at the time was messy, 1 1/2 years of applications since Sept 2022 and got two offers in Jan 2024. Neither for Software Dev, only Tech Business Analyst/Cyber. Took the Cyber job. Due to market circumstances I also applied to some jobs in”
“I'm 25M, no degree, 2 years of retail experience and 4mo of photo tech at a DMV. I have no idea what I wanna do with my life, and it's hard to look for things because I genuinely just don't know what's out there. I want to stay out of labor and food service, that's for sure. I know this is really just a broad question, but what are some options I could consider? submitted by /u/VoicerMMI [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone! I’m currently a high school senior, and I’m having a lot of trouble deciding what to do with my future. A little info about me, I do track, XC, tennis, theatre, and sailing. I love hiking and the outdoors. And I’m never afraid to try anything new. I teach sailing in the summer, and have competed all over the US. I take an all IB class load. (Sorry if that sounded self absorbed) I’m currently in the stage of senior year where everyone is asking “where are u going?” “What’s ur major”
“Im going to college for an associates degree, majoring in their cybersecurity/networking courses. The problem im having currently is that im 16, i graduated highschool early and because my birthday is at the end of the year I'll have about 5 or 6 months after graduation before I turn 18. This is important information in regards to my question. Are there any entry-level jobs that *would* have a possibility of accepting a minor to work for them? Or am I just going to have to take half a gap ye”
“i am in my mid 20's, graduated with an exercise science degree 3 years ago, and feeling lost right now. i have worked in gyms, done some coaching, worked at random seasonal jobs for money in between jobs, and nothing has really stuck. i am not making much money right now, and dont know what to do.. it sucks seeing your parents so successful, and not thinking you'll ever get close to that. submitted by /u/First_Driver_5134 [link] [comments]”
“For context: Living in the UK, M22. Previously got a GCSE equivalent in IT, and a Level 3 in Cybersecurity and Networking from a 8-week course. just completed an apprenticeship as an IT Support Technician at an MSP. Passed with a Distinction, the top grade, at the end of June. Forgive me if this is common knowledge but in the UK an apprenticeship is basically a entry level job where you get paid below the minimum wage, but training is offered to compensate and you finish with a qualification. Mi”
“I’m 32 and recently finished a PhD in chemical engineering (mostly pen and paper applied mathematics). I am now doing a postdoc at a major Bay Area university. On paper, my career is going well, but I have gradually realized that I do not enjoy coding, advanced math, engineering, or scientific research enough to build my life around them. I do really enjoy researching and learning, but probably in a broad, generalist way rather than through the narrow specialization and intense, almost obsessive”
“I’m 32 and recently finished a PhD in chemical engineering (mostly pen and paper applied mathematics). I am now doing a postdoc at a major Bay Area university. On paper, my career is going well, but I have gradually realized that I do not enjoy coding, advanced math, engineering, or scientific research enough to build my life around them. I do really enjoy researching and learning, but probably in a broad, generalist way rather than through the narrow specialization and intense, almost obsessive”
“So, for context I'm 26 years old, turning 27 in a few months, still single, living in Chicago in a studio for $1250 a month, and I got out of the Air Force a little over a month ago. I'm just starting my undergraduate degree right now and I'm getting my gen ed stuff done first (I got an English, Biology, Chemistry, and remedial Algebra course this semester). My declared major currently is Computer Science, but I picked that for reasons that probably aren't typical and I'm not”
“i’m currently a college senior in math/stats and it honestly just feels likes i’ve done nothing related to my career path through college. i know i want to go into data science/analysis, but not exactly why, and i basically suck at coding although i enjoy how challenging it could be. what sucks is that everyone around me seems to be doing internships related to their careers, having a bunch of research and already knowing what exactly they want post-grad. i just picked up whatever job i can find”
“I graduated in Aircraft Maintenance Technology and originally wanted to build a career in aviation. But after applying to many companies and struggling to find opportunities, I’m starting to consider a different career path. The pay in aviation here in my country is also quite low, which makes the decision even harder. I tried working in a call center because I needed the money at the time, but eventually resigned because I felt I needed to choose a career path and focus on building my skills an”
“I've been working for the past five years and I feel like I've just been bored and unmotivated in every job I've done. I absolutely loved school/uni, I got great grades and felt much more enthused about my day to day. I think the nicely planned out schedule with different topics for an hour at a time and breaks in between was perfect for me haha. I love learning, I'm good at tests, I like being told what to do and having a clear idea of what's happening, working towards a spe”
“I am currently on my third year in college pursuing an aviation degree (wanted to be a pilot, but not a pilot degree), used to take computer science as my course yet switched courses and now I am here. I have a business thing (clothing brand) I have on the side, and most of my time is taken by college, I currently reside in a school that doesn't necessarily give students any leisure time unlike modern colleges. Most of my days I'm in class, and handling my business on the side is a tedio”
“I need help. I’m 24 (F) I feel so behind and don’t know what career I ought to pursue. I got my humanities undergrad from a really good uni and then studied a masters in journalism (NCTJ accredited). Shortly after I finished that, I got a job at a local paper and at first it was a good first gig. However, over time I’m realising there is just no job progression here - whatsoever. It’s a very small company with no scope for career development. I also earn barely anything. I feel like I have so mu”
“Starting off I will say I am a little all over the place and can't really make a final decision of whar I should do going forward. I am seeking an answer to help ground me and grow into my career path. Thank you for any and all comments/support! :) Right after high school I started going to a community college in my area that everyone I talked to loved with the intentions of getting a digital animations associate degree to design video games. I was heavily influenced by my parents and others”
“Before starting this post I want to make clear that I am looking for a career change. Nothing I have done related to my major has gotten me much of anywhere in the time since I graduated college. My degree was in photography (I know) with a marketing minor. I have a lot of photo related experience and have time spent on commercial sets but the little work I was getting for that has dried up. I also worked doing social media in the arts for a bit. I can't do the trades and would be bad in the”
“So I've been struggling with my career ever since I graduated. I got a B.S in bioengineering I had initially thought about going into biotech but my career plans were, to be honest poorly planned as I didn't have good understanding of the field at the time. ( This is something I vastly regret) I failed to move up to a higher skill set position and earlier this year I lost my job due to "poor performance". I was lucky enough to find a part time job but it's not related to my”
“I’m in my early 30s in Seattle and feel like I’ve spent my entire adult life trying to figure out what I’m actually supposed to do career-wise. I was kind of a fuck-up as a teenager. College was never really talked about or presented to me as something I was supposed to do, so I went to cosmetology school after high school while working restaurant/serving jobs here and there. I became an esthetician, did well, and moved up pretty quickly in the spa world, but eventually left because I felt like”
“Im a 25yo male who is "stuck" in my career and dont know what to do. I got let go of my longest held job content/marketing at a hazardous waste transportation business due to the company almost going under making $30 per hour (small company and owner had money) fast forward and im at my current job ive had for over a year photographing new and used car inventory and some social media when i have any free time which isnt often making $24. The only catch is my financial situation, im the”
“I’m a 26F woman living in Europe. My career path hasn’t been aligned with what most people my age typically do. I started university but dropped out during my second year. I was studying International Business at a well-known school, but I decided to leave because I wanted to move to Paris. Looking back, I’m glad I did because that decision allowed me to get into tech sales. Over the past four years, I’ve worked in Inside Sales, Business Development, and Account Executive roles. Now, I’ve decide”
“Currently a Undergraduate in computer sci and also working as Application packager but still i feel like this field is not for me and i was like i felt behind than others I even don’t know the basic things of IT like API , Github And creating a vm and linux and more more like cloud some basic but unfortunately I’m final year with help of LLM What I can do as of now I can’t leave IT…🥲 submitted by /u/_raptorrr [link] [comments]”
“I’m 21. This year, in July, I received a diploma confirming I graduated from a technical college with a major in Information Systems and Programming. But to be honest, practically nothing I studied stuck in my head. I’m a terrible programmer who can’t really write anything properly. More or less, I know how to create website designs, and that’s all I have in terms of professional skills. I feel really bad about these thoughts; I feel like I’m talentless… My mom seems to be hinting that I should”
“21F, studying engineering at a good UK university. I realised pretty early on that I didn’t want to go into engineering, so I spent the last two years building finance experience through spring weeks, societies, etc. I like keeping up with the markets + macro, and I figured a lot of my skills from STEM were pretty transferable. This summer I landed an investment research internship at a very good bank and went in motivated to get a return offer. Instead, two months of long hours (70 hours averag”
“[Just to give you a background, if you're too lazy to read, skip this 1st paragraph] I graduated over 2 years ago with a degree in communication. Over the years of studying in this course, I fell in love with graphic design, video editing, PR, and marketing. But these specific fields were never taught to us in technical depth. Our curriculum focused on storytelling, literacy, analysis, history, and the liberal arts side of things. So every technical thing I know about it is self-taught. When”
“To give a sort of breakdown of where im at in life: I got a divorce earlier this year from being a stay at home wife, i got a job working front desk at a hotel. Im 26 years old and for awhile I entertained the idea of going into accounting, or computer science or even nursing. The issue with accounting is that i was worried i wouldnt make a lot because I dont want to be in tax(im more open to it now though, i was just scared of all the laws as a teen), i also worried about the work life balance.”
“I’m 19 and from a small rural town, and I’m trying to figure out what career path actually makes sense for me. I feel like I’ve already changed directions several times and don’t want to keep making expensive mistakes. My work history is pretty limited. I worked at Subway briefly at 16, then started at Kwik Trip, where I’ve been for about 2.6 years. I’ve mostly worked in the kitchen, currently making around $15–$16.80/hr. The job is fine, but I don’t really want to move into management, and I do”
“I’m 24 and graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, and honestly, I’m struggling with figuring out what direction to go in. I’ve been applying for jobs, but it seems like so many of the positions that come up for a business management degree are sales, commission-based, or “management trainee” positions that are basically sales. That’s really not the career path I want. I’m currently working a job that has become extremely draining, and I’m really ready to find somethi”
“I’m 29 living in Berlin and I feel a bit lost. I’ve spent most of my twenties looking for myself and navigating the music world. Along the way, I’ve become competent at a lot of things, but I’ve rarely felt that any of them was truly the right path for me. Working in the music industry has also made me much more disillusioned about it. Passion is still what drives me, but the more I’ve worked inside the industry, the more I’ve seen how complex, performative, and sometimes fake it can be. I still”
“I’m 29 living in Berlin and I feel a bit lost. I’ve spent most of my twenties looking for myself and navigating the music world. Along the way, I’ve become competent at a lot of things, but I’ve rarely felt that any of them was truly the right path for me. Working in the music industry has also made me much more disillusioned about it. Passion is still what drives me, but the more I’ve worked inside the industry, the more I’ve seen how complex, performative, and sometimes fake it can be. I still”
“Hi everyone. I’m 18 years old and have recently become passionate about the business world, entrepreneurship, and generating income. However, I feel quite discouraged right now because I don’t know what to focus on or which business model would suit me best. I realize that any venture requires effort, patience, and a lot of hard work. My problem is that I keep jumping from one idea to another. I’ve tried affiliate marketing, YouTube channels, cryptocurrency, paid surveys, and many other things,”
“I fell in love with science and biology early on in college and changed my major from sustainability studies to bio. Since then, thru an internship program at my school, I've stumbled into the field of medicine. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but I don't know if I love it. I'm just tired. I'm only 22 and I dread making decisions about my future. The premeds I work with (in research rn) are SO passionate and driven. They just work and work and work. To me, it's just a job.”
“I’m going to try to avoid rambling too much here, but I’m a bit lost in my life. I’m 26M with about 59 credit hours to my name. I was pursuing a career in education before life/covid happened and I was basically jobless and not working towards anything for about 2 1/2 years before enlisting. I currently have about 2 years left of my contract and I don’t plan on reenlisting or extending. I’ve always loved the academic setting. Listening to inspiring teachers, tutoring others, etc. However, I’m no”
“-Recently graduated summa cum laude with a degree in EET, but realized I absolutely hate engineering and don’t see myself working in the field. -Job searching has been draining; I don’t have my drivers license yet which reduces the amount of jobs i’m eligible for (working on getting that) and don’t feel confident in what I actually learned due to lack of experience -Considering dental hygiene or radiology, but I’m worried I’m too late to apply and may have to wait until 2028 if I can’t this seme”
“I’ve finally completed my engineering after almost 7 years, but I have zero work experience and honestly feel pretty lost and unmotivated about what to do next. I’m not even sure what career path makes sense for me at this point. If you were in my position, what would you do? Any practical career advice, especially from people who had a similar situation, would really help. submitted by /u/ContributionThin263 [link] [comments]”
“I’ve finally completed my engineering after almost 7 years, but I have zero work experience and honestly feel pretty lost and unmotivated about what to do next. I’m not even sure what career path makes sense for me at this point. If you were in my position, what would you do? Any practical career advice, especially from people who had a similar situation, would really help. submitted by /u/ContributionThin263 [link] [comments]”