From an early teen in secondary school we are told that we need to think about what we want to do with our lives, I’m literally 14??? How on earth they expect us to know what we want to do or are even interested in as a job at that age I will never know. Some people are lucky enough to know what they want to do so answering this question or choosing their GCSE subjects will be a breeze. Unfortunately, not everyone is like that and I know I wasn’t FOR SURE.
Help… please?
I honestly found this overarching question so triggering in school because I literally had 0 idea. My parents didn’t have glamorous jobs or anything that they would want me to be involved in really so I had no pathways to follow so I could have at least one option. I was so confused at this time and took the most random GCSE subjects because of it.. Drama, French, Child Development and History… I mean I liked these subjects but have no interest in pursuing a career in them. I did ok in my exams because I enjoyed most of the subjects (apart from science) so I went the right way in my decisions at this time but what followed really showed the uncertainty I had about where I was going in life.
When it came time to choose what I wanted to do in college or sixth form in preparation for university, I was absolutely baffled. University was obviously going to be the option for me (*eye roll*) as that’s all that is shoved down your throats at school. I mean I liked the idea of going to uni for the social side but what subject should I do?? I ended up taking French, English and Sociology in sixth form as it was again what I enjoyed (can you see a pattern forming here??) but I hated it. English was boring, French was solid and a HUGE step up from GCSE and Sociology was actually something I enjoyed, however, I ended up losing interest completely and not attending towards the end of the year and I don’t think I even did my exams if I remember correctly…
After this I think I must have worked for a while. I had worked since I was 14 and I really enjoyed it and worked hard so it wasn’t that I was ever shy of doing work but rather that I had no direction. The next year I decided to try college again, here I took Sociology and Psychology. I think I sat one exam which was absolutely pointless as I failed it spectacularly. I then went through this cycle another once and attended yet another college where I did similar subjects with the same outcome.
Ok so I’ve realised now that college isn’t going to work for me. So what now?
Mastering the job hop
It’s hard not to feel failure after a few failed attempts at something but I really don’t remember feeling super down or depressed at the time. I think I really did not care enough to give a shit if I’m honest so it didn’t take long before I was back in employment. I really enjoyed working and earning my own money so I would try anything. I had numerous jobs in the years that followed including bar and restaurant work, office work, working in a cafe and community care to name a few. I job hopped like a motherfucker for years, enjoying one job for a bit then getting fed up and moving to another and I was genuinely happy doing this but knew I wanted more.
This really was a positive time in my life though as I gained a lot of skills from having a variety of jobs which I think set me up a lot more than any university course could ever do. I am so grateful that I was allowed to do what I wanted rather being put in a box and forced to follow the ‘normal’ way of doing things. A lot of the time I think people are pressured by society and family to follow the norm when this is not right for everyone. As long as you are doing something then what is the problem? It is YOUR life at the end of the day so do what you fucking want.
Settling down?!
After a couple of years, an opportunity arose that I will be forever grateful for. A family friend helped me into an industry that I wasn’t even aware of. They coached me through the interview which is nothing like I had ever done before so the help was needed but I am SO glad that they took that chance as I have absolutely thrived. This job is like gold dust to me after working the long hours and travelling for miles for work. This was literally down the road and provided benefits beyond my belief.
I started here and felt like I FINALLY found something that I could stick at. This organisation was huge and the number of opportunities felt infinite to me. I have now been there almost six years and have moved areas 4 times which is perfect for me as I still have that streak that gets bored and strives for more. Overall though, I love it. It challenges me and has provided me with skills to climb the ladder through qualifications funded by the organisation and most importantly, it works for me.
I never ever thought that I would be in a position where I would stay with a company for more than a year but here I am. It has been a god send to me over the years and still is, allowing me to still pursue my other interests like travel (on a smaller scale) due to the benefits provided.
As I now feel settled, I have been able to take on more outside of work so have finally decided to complete a degree. I do it from home and in my own time which is, again, what works for me. I now have a high interest in the subject that I am completing the degree in which means that I actually want to complete it and do well in it.
The takeaway
The moral of this story is don’t worry. Everything is going to work out. No matter what your peers are doing, know that as long as you are trying and working at something then you are on the right path. It doesn’t matter how many steps you need to take or changes you need to make to get to where you want to be, as long as you are happy and satisfied along the way then who the hell cares?! You will get there one day, I promise. Be curious about things and try your hand at anything you want to try, you never know where that will take you.
If you would like any further advice or to chat about anything I’ve mentioned in this post, please email me at [email protected].
Happy navigating!
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