Out of college and still cant figure things out
 

I am 22 and out of college. I decided not to do what I went to college for (few job prospects). I still don't know what I want to do in life. And to think I was supposed to have this figured out when I finished highschool? I just wasn't very ambitious about my future career in college- I guess I just thought it would sorta fall into place.

I want to do something that both makes a lot of money and requires math/analytical skills. Problem is that all these type of careers require you to invest a lot of time to "learn the trade" and build your resume(internships,etc)- without the guarantee of a job at the end. For example to get into one field I want to get into- I would need to take 2-3 field-specific exams (each requiring an expected 300 study hours). The exams are 1)Probability and 2) Financial Mathematics. These are hard exams from what I hear. There is still a large possibility of not being able to get the job at the end. I might hear something like "well taking these exams shows you have a dedication , but we are looking for people with internship experience". The problem is that you can't easily get internships after college. Obviously all that time going into prep for this is a large opportunity cost. I could be doing a lot of other things with that time. Yet all such careers that are good seem to require such an investment. For example , if i wanted to get into software development- I'd need to learn a lot more about programming to get myself up to speed with the people who were programming since middle school.

Seems like now I am out of college, I need to figure out something now , or I have a gap on my resume. I do have a job now, but it is nothing that would help my career prospects.

Re: Out of college and still cant figure things out
 

Re: Out of college and still cant figure things out
 

I completely agree with the above. It's okay to not know what you want to do. I've got a cousin who is in her thirties, has a Masters, and has no idea how she wants to use it to her full advantage. She's had several non-career and career orientated jobs but she's still not happy in what she's doing. It's okay to not know what you want to do. It can take a long time and even then you may change your mind. Try doing what you love most and sometimes you do have to start low on the totem pole in order to get what you really want. But if you want it enough you can get there.

Re: Out of college and still cant figure things out
 

I will tell you more. I am almost 30, and I am still in the same boat with you. So, do not worry. The main thing is you want to do something, want to reach something. It will find you for sure ;-)

Re: Out of college and still cant figure things out
 

Hi there! I'm about to graduate and I'm basically in the same boat. However, what I learned and what can possibly help you to figure things out, is to do whatever job according to what you think you want to do. So, you want something in math and analytic, then research jobs and apply for EVERYTHING. You can even go to your college's career services office (they must have one) and ask for guidance. They will help you develop an outstanding resume and point you in the direction of jobs that suit you.

I'm in entertainment management, and it's not easy to find jobs. But I've done a bunch of little things along the way and it has helped me to get closer to figuring out what I want to do. You also figure out what you don't want! Like, I did a Sales internship and I know that I do not want to do Sales :) I did a job shadow in a box office and I kind of liked it. So you have to just go for anything and everything you can find related to your field of study and gain the experience to figure out what you like and what you don't.

All the best!

Re: Out of college and still cant figure things out
 

I don't know about the particular field that you're aiming to get into, but the software industry is notoriously full of people with windy and non-traditional paths. I can confidently say that if you wanted to pursue that, you can. Everything you need to know can be learned on your own time, and sufficient personal projects can make up for or even exceed the value of an internship on your resume.

I think that virtually all jobs which we think of as "careers" require significant investment, be it time or money, usually both. That's why there's so much pressure to "figure it out" before pursuing something, because there's going to be a long commitment involved once we start. But that's okay, because most people change careers multiple times throughout their working life nowadays.

And don't worry, I haven't gotten anything figured out either. I'm trying to not stress myself out by putting on a deadline. I'm comfortable doing anything that pays the bills.... and things will be figured out on their own time; and it will be a natural, rather than a forced process.