Its Becoming Painfully Clear To Me...

[gryphon]

I am about to Graduate university with no clue what to do with my life.
I'm scared.

[matrix82]

I've graduated from my master's, I'm working in my field, and I am having this fear as I look at possibly changing jobs. It's scary.

Maybe you could try some career counselling? I found it helped me quite a bit. I found just a job to work at that paid the bills until I found out what I really wanted to do.

You aren't alone, it is a huge decision, what do you want to do? Depending on how long you've been out of school, it is also frightening not to be a student any longer, to be away from that safety net of just being a student, now you have to be an adult so to speak, it's scary.

[abbasgirl]

Don't worry! Lots of people have no idea what they are doing with their life. Fortunately life comes in increments of one day at a time. Just do what you know to do right now and you'll figure out what to to with the rest of your life as you go.

[Patty Smyth]

I am about to Graduate university with no clue what to do with my life.
I'm scared.

You and most everyone else. You never know where your studies will take you. I ended up doing something 180 degrees from what I studied.

[matrix82]

Patty is right. Some people work in a job for 30 years before they realize they really want to do something completely different. I'm not sure that many have it all figured out.

[Darth Penguin]

And others have always known what they want to do and spend their whole working life doing it.

Next April, one of my freinds celebrates her 30th anniverary of passing her RGN( registered general Nurse Uk) and she's worked all that time apart from 2 x 6 months of maternity as a nurse.

She's even vaccationed on on medical ships helping operations and basic medical care in Africa and Latin America.

For myself, I had a retail job*, an office job** and the went to be a R&D scientist*** before becoming a water analyst+ , all in 8 years.

* liked the job, learnt how to do various other jobs in the shop, most importantly learnt to get along with people customers and staff...even when I could happily rip them apart and beat them to death with the wet ends of thier arms. But when I was asked to work in different depts, I jumped at the chance. No knowledge is ever wasted.

** discovered I wasn't cut out be be an office person, routine paperwork bored me.

*** hey.. something I liked and could do. My natural courisoty meant I'd push the boundries of each experiment which was encouraged by a series of bosses.

+ The job I spent the longest time at. I got it when we moved south. At first it was a temp post. But it became permanent when I "suggested" I was moving to another compnay.
I spent a year working at a sewage works, a couple of months on a water treatment works before we were amalmated into central labs. Again I looked to help in other sections because I was looking to improve my skill-set. For me as well as for the company.

[gryphon]

Its been affecting my sleeping. Ive been having dreams about school.

[Jasminenicole]

I am having the same problems... so is my boyfriend. We are both graduating this year.

We both have an idea of where we would like to go in life (myself an HR manager/specialist and him a police officer/MP-military police) but your constant worry is how to we get there? what if we don't?

It's a hard thing to deal with, but I agree talk to a counselor/advisor (career, or personal). I have my first appointment with a career counselor next week. Even talk to others who have graduated from your program, professors and peers.

[Natalka]

I am about to Graduate university with no clue what to do with my life.
I'm scared.

As you already read from others, this is more common than one would think, especially if one is in a general degree program.

I'm sure you have had ideas kicking around in your head about what your dream profession would be - and it's good to have goals, but sometimes that's not one's first employment; sometimes it comes after years.

Have you done any vocational testing at all, such as in high school? I'm talking about the type which evaluates your skills sets and sees what type of category, then specific professions, to whichyou may be most suited. If it's good testing, then it's amazing how accurate it can be. I know mine sure was!

When I started university, my first year was in Education, to become a secondary high school teacher. However, 70% of us left that program after the first year (they had just revamped it and it was awful). I switched to a BA program, and got my degree in English and Sociology - hm, not exactly marketable as it was. Couldn't afford to go on to Masters then, I had to go out and work.
So I got a job as a receptionist/secretary at a regional college, and did that for a year and a half. I actually ended up doing a lot of university course counselling because I had the background.
One of my dreams had been to be a journalist, a writer, so I left that job to go work on a newspaper. I loved doing the writing, the money was crap (I took a huge pay cut), the hours were crazy - it was a lifestyle I really didn't want.
My dad helped me out of that one, talked to me because he realized I wasn't happy, but knew I wasn't a quitter - however, this was one time I just had to stop, and move on. I got a student loan, and went back to university into the Bachelor of Education after degree program for elementary teaching. That was where I belonged!
Now, if I had just thought back to when I was in Grade Seven, in an accelerated program, and I got to do tutoring of Grade One students in reading, etc. - and how much I loved that - it's amazing how many times what we end up doing for a living comes from a passion we had in our childhood.

I just didn't stay being an elementary teacher, I did a lot of exploring and worked in a huge variety of circumstances - I've taught from K-12, tutored at the university level and for those in the trades doing upgrading; worked in the correctional system teaching young offenders, provincial inmates, and federally sentenced psychiatric inmates, and other things as well.

[ame555]

I'm 34 and still have no idea what I want to do!!

When I finished university I had no idea what I wanted to do -- just knew I needed to earn some money! I got a job at a non-profit doing some basic admin stuff -- It was a 4 month contract, I thought that was perfect do this for a bit and move on!

Well 10 years later I'm still there! It opened up a whole world to me I didn't even know exisited, moved my way up the ladder, took night courses and even met my husband!

You'll figure it out! One thing, not to sound negative, but not everyone walks into a dream job knowing exactly what they want to do -- it's a learning process for many of us.

[glowworm2k]

I'm in the same camp as you. I got my BA a few years ago and got a temp job with the government. That ran its course, so I went back to school. When my program was finishing, it was 2008 and the economy was tanking something fierce. I couldn't get a full-time job no matter how hard I tried. So I went back to school - I had scholarships for the second two programs that included employment (teaching assistant work), so there was less financial pressure. Now, I'm almost done for the third time, and still don't know what I want for sure. I know what I *don't* want, which is important, but not sure about what I do want.

My goals are to get a job that allows me to work days instead of evenings, nights or weekends. I also want something that brings a smile to my face when I think about going to work. It doesn't need to follow my education or bring me great wealth - I live simply and can make do without a lot of cash. I find that having simple goals like these helps me to not stress about the future. I know that I can make it even on a $12/hr job even though I would like to earn more (who wouldn't, right?).

I would recommend applying to entry-level jobs in fields that you're interested in, or just curious about. If it doesn't work out, at least you're learning along the way, building your experience, and teaching you about what you do and don't want for yourself. As a few of the previous commenters have pointed out, you never know how you'll get from point A to point B!

It's sometimes not easy to get started in a "career path" - whatever that means, lol - but you just have to be ready to jump in with both feet and see what's out there. There are no easy answers, but trying different things, seeing a career counsellor and just examining the opportunities available will definitely help. You'll start to feel better as you address your fears and do something productive to help yourself - even if it's just starting your job search!

good luck and sleep well!

[aemi]

you are not alone! :D

[saradouce]

I always tought I will be doing the same job as my father: aero-mechanic.
I've done all my Highschool in this optic.
I've gone thru 2 years of it.
Did an internship. Didn't like it. At all!
I decided to finish it anyway, couldn't be bad!
Big questionning.
Didn't what to move out to Québec city for EA engineer.
Didn't have the money to afford studies in Ottawa (Environment studies)(other province, big money)
As you can see big difference between Aeronautic and Environment.
and now, plan C.
Finance.
As my college path is not design for it, it's a little troublemaker.
I don't know if I will succeed.
I hope.
Don't know what to do else!

[nicolthepickle]

Whatever you find to do. Do it will all your might.
That's the best advice I can give, even if it means working at McD's. Be the best and it will be noticed.

[gryphon]

Ive talked to the career counsellors at York but they are all very unhelpful.