Career Changes Support Group
This community is dedicated to the difficult challenges of transitioning from one career or job to a new one. Especially as we grow older, it can be very difficult to acquire the skills and relationships and take the financial risk to make the switch.
I am 24 years old and I will be graduating college in December. I am a cocktail waitress at a few night clubs, which is great. I make really good money, however, I need a real job. I can't do that forever. The problem is that I have no idea what I want to do; I feel so uninterested in everything. I don't have any hobbies that I enjoy doing... im just lost. I recently started doing event coordinating/marketing for a new sports bar that my bosses just opened and I thought I would enjoy that. But, it's not what I thought it would be. I don't seem to be good at the marketing aspect of it and my bosses are unorganized. So, now I feel like I am back to square one. It is depressing because all of my friends are creative and have hobbies that they can potentially start a business doing, and I am just sitting back and watching them become successful.
I figured I would know what I want by now, but I am still as clueless as the day I started college. I am really afraid of being a failure and being a cocktail waitress forever. But at the same time I feel so unmotivated to figure it out at this point. Or at least try new things because nothing inspires me anymore.
Any advice for me??
I figured I would know what I want by now, but I am still as clueless as the day I started college. I am really afraid of being a failure and being a cocktail waitress forever. But at the same time I feel so unmotivated to figure it out at this point. Or at least try new things because nothing inspires me anymore.
Any advice for me??
People discover hobbies by trying different things out and it can take some time and energy. There is a book that is written for people who are nearing retirement but it may be good for you to check out. It's called Portfolio Life by Corbett and in it he helps people explore hobbies they may want to try out.
Another helpful idea is to journal. Just write. Doesn't matter what you write. Often we have instincts about what would be fun to try but before they even surface we're saying, "I can't because..." Journaling allows us to explore those ideas before the "I can't" knows what's happening!
Allow yourself to try things when the inkling hits. It's not too much trouble and you may find some lifelong hobbies. Try the guitar or knitting or ice skating or whatever else. You don't have to stick with it forever - just taste different hobbies to see if they're for you. If not, drop it and if so explore it a bit more.
Also, with the job situation, don't let a bad experience sour your enthusiasm. If you feel you'd really like event planning but the people you worked with were a mess, you might volunteer with a different group that is well organized.