21 and don't know what career I want :(

xRaindrops

I am 21 currently and I just have no idea what I want to do as a career. I have had an anxiety disorder since I was 14 which resulted in me quitting school before I had got my GCSE's, and after 3 months work in admin at my father's business, My anxiety flared up again and I quit. I realised after that job that I hated admin and data entry! Since then (2009) I have been jobless and on ESA for the most part for my agoraphobia. I am married and my husband is also unemployed, so we're on benefits. He is 24 and I don't want my disorder to continue robbing him of a career that he could be enjoying!
I wonder if anyone could help me with my choices? I have considered and had a passion for so many subjects over the years, at times I was convinced I'd be what I was interested in at the time but eventually that interest fizzled away and a new one emerged.

I was interested in horse training (I had ridden since I was 4) web designing (got interested at 9 years old!) graphic design (that followed), 3D design and animation (That followed) biology at school (I just picked the subject up extremely easily even when I wasn't listening in class :P) English Literature (Loved writing stories and poems) art (Was good at it but the passion faded quickly) nutrition, counselling, midwifery, mental health work, care work, support work, psychology... The list goes on.

I think I do have one calling, which is to be a novelist, but I feel like this should be an evening hobby that I can work on while I work a normal 9-5 day job. I want to be passionate about this day job too, so I can feel satisfied with my life even though it's a compromise (a working career before my dream career) for financial reasons.

I wonder if I should get a degree in English Literature? Or maybe in something more related to actual "work" I may like to do, like nutrition, because I would hate to be a journalist yet a nutritionist/budding author on the side sounds nice.

But I'm sure there are more ideas for careers that I haven't thought of, so I will list some of my likes and attributes here:
- I love helping people
- I am creative
- I like a quiet environment
- I love animals
- I like to be charitable
- I enjoy writing
- I am not good on the phone
- I am good with technology
- I am a problem-solver
- I am a peacemaker
- I'm not outgoing
- I love the outdoors
- I am a deep thinker and quite philosophical
- I like to give advice
- I don't like office environments
- I don't like retail
- I'm not very good at maths
- I am good at budgeting
- I am empathetic

I could go on but I won't because I think this post is long enough! I just don't want to go all the way with one subject, get a degree and realise that I hate the job and I've made the wrong decision.
I know I'm still young but I feel like time is ticking. My husband and I are also desperate to start a family but I want a stable job before we do so. Salary isn't a problem because we are good at budgeting and do well enough on benefits (we rarely treat ourselves to anything but we are happy with that) so anything more is a bonus really.

Thanks!

bubblegum1985

Police officer?

Lagoon

If you find website design and graphic design particularly interesting, but don't like the office environment, have you thought about setting up freelance?

Want_to_be_free

I am 43 and I still don't know what I want as a career but somehow I had fallen into successful one, till yesterday then I was told I will get my redundancy, under the circumstances , this is a great news for me

Joking aside, there are some organisations that do free tests, remember taking one 20 odds years ago, at the local college -The well known Morris B Personality Self-Portrait Test, it gives good insight about the areas that you are good at, and comes up with different careers that you can be successful and also the ways you can work towards those careers... It is worth the consider taking;)

I may do it again to compare how I changed within 20 years
You could ask your local college or CAB about these test.

Good luck in finding yourself :T

The_Magnificent_Spoon

It sounds to me like graphic design is perfect for you.

I've worked with many graphic designers in the past (I am one of them! Just my real talent lies in systems engineering, I am an engineering prodigy yet my design skills I'd say are average).

Real design environments are not typical office environments, they are all about being relaxed and inspired. They are laid back, comfortable, and usually full of creative, interesting people.

Go for it, get yourself signed up to college on a course that includes experience/training with adobe creative suite apps, and don't look back. I love graphic/web design, and if only I were more creative I'd have loved to take it up as a career choice.

sharp910sh

I think you will need to take your GCSEs, not many companies will consider you without C in English.

Wyndham

Another 43 year old still working out what they want to do when they grow up

Seriously, pick something, try it, see what you think. If you don't like it, move on. Remember that no job is perfect, but you'll learn from each one, even if it's only about what you don't like. But you'll also find parts you like that will take you by surprise.

SailorSam

I don't think choosing a career when you're young is as important as it once was. There are few if any jobs-for-life anymore. The fact that you've got so many interests means you'll probably always find something to do. While you're working you'll be able to do something else as a hobby which may turn into a job if something like redundancy hit.
I wouldn't worry if you put your heart and your mind into what you're doing you'll always get by..

The_Magnificent_Spoon

SailorSam wrote: »

I don't think choosing a career when you're young is as important as it once was. There are few if any jobs-for-life anymore. The fact that you've got so many interests means you'll probably always find something to do. While you're working you'll be able to do something else as a hobby which may turn into a job if something like redundancy hit.
I wouldn't worry if you put your heart and your mind into what you're doing you'll always get by..

I don't really see that as great advice - sure, you can always find 'a job', to 'get by', but if you want to actually do well at something then you need to consider taking on a profession. It is the only way you are likely to get closer to the more interesting, more rewarding jobs - unless you are just plain lucky.

When I take on new engineers, I want people with previous, proven job experience, and you're not going to get that without having worked at it, and gone through the steps.

Don't keep jumping from ladder to ladder. You wont get anywhere doing that. Climb it!

SailorSam

I appreciate you may want to work hard and get a well paid job at the top of your profession but when you get down to it if you can make enough to make a living, finding something you enjoy is more important.

The_Magnificent_Spoon

Finding something you enjoy is important, but finding something you enjoy that offers career progression, and challenges that keep the job interesting, and the opportunity to earn a wage that will provide the standard of living that you (and your children!) would be happy with, is more important.

If your intentions are to settle down with a family sometime in the future (as most people do), then it is important that you can be responsible and provide for that family.

Choosing a career isn't about thinking about how you're going to become the MD of a company that you hate, working 70 hour weeks and then ending up with stress disorders. The idea is you choose your career, based on what you like doing, then follow it to where you want to be. Whether that's an executive director, or senior designer, or anywhere you want.

The OP is right to be interested in a career. It is never too early to think about it, but it can be too late to think about it. People telling her to forget about it, just do what she wants, will end up with her either with no job, or on the checkouts at tesco. You can't just 'do what you want'.