[Justin12345]

Hello, just wanted to start off by saying I'm new to these forums. I'm 21, male, and I've been in school for a little over a year now. I've pretty much completed my schools basic and gen ed requirements. I came to school after taking a couple year break from high school in order to work. I was fortunate enough to have a decently well paying job, doing general construction. I never really thought I wanted to do construction for a living, and turned out I was right. I wasn't bad at it really, I just didn't have the passion, nor the drive to be able to put up with a lot of the BS that comes with the people you work for. I'm fairly intelligent (although I don't really feel that way most of the time), I scored a 123 on an IQ test, and I'm rated as an INTJ. I've been at those cross roads forever it seems. Even when I was in high school I was always worried about what I wanted to do with my life. Not a solid day went by when I didn't contemplate the future. The only class I really enjoyed in high school was an AP pscyhology course, so that's sort of what I had in mind going into college. Starting up in school again after several years of a break from high school wasn't too difficult, but I still remain pretty uninterested in most of my classes (not that this isn't too far off taking gen ed classes). Every now and again I get depressed from my inability to decide what I want to do. I feel as if I'm not really great at anything, but I probably would do just fine in many different careers. In our society, where driven to chase after what fascinates us, but I've never really found it. A good majority of the people here are probably going to say that I just need to relax and eventually a career will come to me, but honestly I just don't see it happening. I'm overall pretty friendly and fairly charasmatic. Some people around me have said they can see me in some sort of a counseling field. I just don't want to be that person that graduates school with a bachelors and than has no clue where to take the next step. I don't want a career that is going to leave me unsatisfied. I feel that I need to do something that is going to enrich the lives of those around me, whether it be counseling or something in the medical field, I'm just not sure.

Although I don't really have a question of concern, I just have to ask for advice. A lot of the time I feel really lost and it's been eating my alive for the past several years.

[Polydodecahedron]

Hi Justin, you're lucky you're thinking about this now, I was older, did engineering, got stuck in construction (and can totally agree with you), the BS put me right off, now I'm feeling like I'm back at square one.. Just about.

One thing I learnt though that might be a help, while you have a think about what you want, is to not just get hold of the career-specific info on the professions you like from universities/etc., but to also try visualising what your day to day tasks might be once you're in that job, whether you could imagine enjoying that - and not just the good bits, the boring bits as well..

[DrFrank]

"eventually a career will come to me" will occur if you take interest and aptitude vocational tests.They can be found on the internet,or even better, at your school's job placement office.These two tests identify specific occupations that you have an affinity for and which ones you have skills to successfully compete in.

[Perna]

Figure out what you'd like to pursue? I found this book and author (all her books) helpful: http://wishcraft.com/

[Justin12345]

Thanks for the advice guys, I know what I'm suppose to do but I keep the feeling that no sort of career epiphany is going to come my way (Not that it's necessarily suppose to). I have taken career aptitude and interests tests and they have made me think about different careers, but nothing has ever really stuck out. I'll be sure to check out that author, thank you Perna.

I know what your going through Poly, but at least you have the opportunity to still get pointed in the right direction not all hope is lost. Plus if you wanted to put up with your job, at least you could potentially good enough money not to care about it.

[northgirl]

Hi Justin, fellow INTJ, lol. I really identify with what you're going through. I'm also 21, took years off after high school because I had to deal with family crises. It is so hard to be this age and not know what you're doing or where you're going. My best advice is to just take what classes interest you, and make good use of campus resources. If you have taken classes you enjoy, talk to the teachers about your struggle, I've found them to be very willing to try to point you towards other classes or a field that might fit you well. If your school has an advising center, talk to an advisor, or even maybe the campus counseling center if your school has one, like mine does, often they will have staff on hand to help with career counseling. Good luck! Realize you're not the only one in this situation.

[CWC3]

Hi Justin,

I second Northgirl. Use the resources available to you. In college, we are really lucky because we have these at our disposable. For me at least it was hard to go to them at first, but I realized I could struggle with things because I didn't want to/ was embarrassed to get help, or I could actually do something about it. I'm also 21, junior, English major. And no--I don't want to be a teacher. Originally, I didn't WANT to just find some career. I wanted a degree that was broad so I wouldn't be tied to any one thing. I wanted to be a free spirit.

But you know something? I'd actually like to have some idea. But for now--get a degree. It's just your foundation. Then take an interesting job. Don't like it? Bored? Take another interesting job. Repeat. Build your skill set and experience, and you'll end up where you end up. Don't think you'll have the same job for 35 years :P. Take one decision at a time. I've always been told from advisers that many a time, students find successful and meaningful work in something they didn't study exactly. It happens all the time. So don't think college-career. Think college-journey.

-CHANGEwillcome

[StrongerMan]

Don't feel bad. I'm still lost at 43. I remember in 3rd grade we all had to do a speech on what we wanted to be when we grew up. I couldn't think of anything. I forget what it was I finally chose. Something I made up. And I have made little progress to this day. In my case it might very well be from being an ACOA and my dad's constant ridicule and rejection of my needs. Or maybe it's being an introvert and HSP. But I can't figure out how to change it. I am doomed to take whatever drudgery job falls my way otherwise. So I really don't have any advice only to tell you to beware of some underlying cause that is making it difficult for you to figure this out. Some ingrained thought process. If you don't tackle it now, it may haunt you for life.