Finding a career path

It would be interesting to hear if anyone else struggles or struggled deciding upon a career path? I'm 23 and currently work some welcoming assistant job at my local National Trust. It's just as you'd expect really, very quiet and a little bit dull. Although it's 'perfect' in the sense of lovely people and not much stress.

All my other jobs have either been fast paced and intense sales jobs, working with horrid trades people and not so nice 'co-workers'. Or a path down carpentry which also stressed me out. Both of which haven't been the best for me and ultimately ended in me having burnout and or a mental breakdown in the past, hence the transition to NT, not important.

I've always struggled finding what path I want in a career and have inklings of what I'd like to do, which most of the time seems impossible to achieve. I'd really love to get into wildlife or woodland conservation / volunteer management, don't ask me how I intend to do this.

Does anyone else feel a bit lost at times and just overthink themselves into a panic? How does one get around this? Anyone I seem to ask (Such as career advisors) just act as if I'm odd and brush me off, it's quite frustrating.

Thank you Slight smile

Parents
  • I used to struggle with same issue. I was thrown into the cruel environment of sales jobs and call center, also McDonald’s. It was really tough. I couldn’t cope and I had no idea why, I was bullied by co-workers for being quiet sensitive and unable to lie and cheat, just sticking to the rules and doing the right thing. I was depressed because I thought I don’t fit in this world and I’m a failure because of that. Accidentally I chose logistics. Although my family laughed me off and said I’m too stupid to graduate in a college, I did it, with good results and helped few other people. And of course no one guarantees that a degree will give you a good job in the learned profession, but it always opens chances. I struggled anyway because I’m not self confident and not a master of good impression but I finally found a boss who is not interested in wide smile long legs and eye lashes, rather with conscientiousness and will to work. So I got a job in logistics, in a warehouse of a hardware store, I do office job, I also do the physical job and I’m trained on a forklift. This is my world. The studies gave me a lot of fun, only afterwards I realised that many of the projects resembled my favorite activities from my childhood such as tram routes planning etc. I enjoy working with objects and data and I love the fact that pallets and delivery notes don’t talk to me. My job is kinda therapeutic for me, although I don’t earn good money, it’s enough for a normal life. 

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  • I used to struggle with same issue. I was thrown into the cruel environment of sales jobs and call center, also McDonald’s. It was really tough. I couldn’t cope and I had no idea why, I was bullied by co-workers for being quiet sensitive and unable to lie and cheat, just sticking to the rules and doing the right thing. I was depressed because I thought I don’t fit in this world and I’m a failure because of that. Accidentally I chose logistics. Although my family laughed me off and said I’m too stupid to graduate in a college, I did it, with good results and helped few other people. And of course no one guarantees that a degree will give you a good job in the learned profession, but it always opens chances. I struggled anyway because I’m not self confident and not a master of good impression but I finally found a boss who is not interested in wide smile long legs and eye lashes, rather with conscientiousness and will to work. So I got a job in logistics, in a warehouse of a hardware store, I do office job, I also do the physical job and I’m trained on a forklift. This is my world. The studies gave me a lot of fun, only afterwards I realised that many of the projects resembled my favorite activities from my childhood such as tram routes planning etc. I enjoy working with objects and data and I love the fact that pallets and delivery notes don’t talk to me. My job is kinda therapeutic for me, although I don’t earn good money, it’s enough for a normal life. 

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