POST 8: 34 AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MY LIFE

[TheWhiteRose]

Hello All!

Today, March 17 is my birthday!!! I'm glad that I'm a year older and I'm glad that I'm still here, however, I'm sad. I'm sad because I don't know what to do with my life and I'm supposed to be at a point where I should be established with a job/career, a decent place to live on my own and ready to be settling down with a man and have children. At the level I'm at now, I'm NO WHERE near where I want to be in my life. Here's how I mapped out my life.

When I was in elementary school, I always wanted to be a teacher. However, that changed because math is not my strongest subject other than statistics. In middle school, I wanted to be a computer graphic designer but I ended up changing my mind to be a fashion designer. Even up until my freshman year in high school, I wanted to be a fashion designer but it didn't work out because I can't draw very well so in sophomore year in high school, I wanted to become a nurse because at the time, my mother was sick and was admitted to the hospital more times than I can count. When I visited my mother at the hospital, I liked how her doctor and some of the nurses took care of her which is why I wanted to get into the medical field, along with social work as a minor in case nursing didn't work out. At the time of my mother's death, I was 18 and I really didn't want to do nursing anymore and didn't know what to do with my life at the time.

After I graduated high school, I took an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class and I ended up flunking out due to low grades on exams. From there, I applied for every job under the sun, only to not get any segue and I moved away to another state to have a fresh start at life back in September 2006. I've had numerous jobs that I ended up getting terminated from and have had difficulties getting a job until August 2010 when I became a student at the local Community College where I studied Human Services; Social Work. I've obtained my AA degree in December 2013 and transferred to a 4 year private liberal arts college in January 2014 until May 2017, continuing in the Social Work major. I ended up leaving school in May 2017 with no degree due to lack of finances.

After college, I still had my part time job as a receptionist at the nursing home and working as a access specialist at a doctor's office, scheduling appointments. When I got let go from my job at the doctor's office back in January 2019, I've had trouble finding a job, suffered a mental breakdown and sought help. My last job was an event specialist working at a big box club warehouse giving samples to customers but I resigned due to an anxiety attack.

It's been 4 months now that I have gone without a job and now that I have a college degree, I can't get a job with it because I have to have a masters in social work and must have a social work license in order to be a social worker, which will take a long time and I don't have the money to continue my bacherlor's degree and get into grad school to obtain a master's degree so I will have to do something else.

Is it so bad that I'm 34 and still don't know what to do with my life? Is it so bad that I don't know what field I should get into?

[Sillysausage234]

Happy birthday 🎂

[TheWhiteRose in reply to Sillysausage234]

Thank you so much, and please excuse the lateness of my reply.

[kenster1]

hi if its any comfort to you I am 47 and still don't have a clue but hey I doubt lots of u do now but I would like to wish you a happy birthday and I am sure whatever career path you follow next you will be successful keep believing.

[TheWhiteRose in reply to kenster1]

Thank you for the birthday wishes and your kind words. Please excuse the lateness of my reply.

[Poodie]

Hi white rose.

Happy Birthday❗️🎂 I know that is a cake but I need to be careful because I sent the poop emoji to a friend once thinking it was chocolate ice cream.

I know that you are sad. I think one of my older kids feels the same way and he is a bit older then you. I feel sad that he feels sad but we tell him what I will tell you.

Many people don’t know what they want to do. Or do something they worked in a long time even though they were unhappy before they try something new. Sometimes people switch careers in midlife and start on a completely different path. So in essence they may be at the same point starting over as you are in now or probably older. You move forward from now and don’t dwell on the past.

People are also getting married later, having kids later. Getting to know someone as well as possible takes time. You can join meet up groups. Let people know you are looking for a job too. . Make friends. Most people find jobs through connections.

Do any of the schools you went to have career counseling ? If so, take advantage of it. Do you have a two year associate degree ? Maybe you can get a job with that social service in mind and in the future eventually finish your four year degree in social work. Take the license test for the college level of social work. You actually can work in some fields of social work with that license.

Concentrate on making sure your mental health is stable. Have you been in therapy? You may want to have that support during this time. Have you seen a psychiatrist who can perhaps put you on meds to help stabilize your anxiety and mood ? You will want to stay in good mental health. Exercise, eat right. Take care of yourself .

You have done many different things working. Turn them into positives. Get help from someone on your resume if you have to in order to put things in the best favorable light.

You may have some things to sort out with a therapist from the past. Other then that look ahead to the future. Stop comparing yourself to where other people are. You are you and not those others and you are fine and quite capable of building a happy life doing fulfilling work and maybe falling in love.

Keep posting .

[lawdog]

Well, you definitely not lazy.....you keep going.....hey, I managed to find a way to get an education, then the rug was pulled out from my feet by a truck T-boning my car.......can't work due to the injuries.....I'm not lazy either, but my depression hits me hard, along with the chronic pain......and just like you, I am my own worst enemy by still trying to figure out away I can prove the medical field that they are wrong and I can find work..........Don't do that to yourself.

I am not wise, but you are still young enough to find work you enjoy, to meet a good man and to have children in your life. (Some children would be estatic to have you as a foster parent .....then maybe adopted)

At 39 I was heading back to school at the advise of a vocational professional who evaluated my whole situation. He was right, the profession he recommended I liked very much...even if very demanding...........the truck came 16 years later. But maybe that truck was large enough I was hit for both of us, and you won't have to worry that. That part is my gift to you. (no injuries)

[Hidden]

That's a tricky one to find the right path for a career. With the virus people are having to self isolate and many schools in our area are shutting down so teachers and pupils are not at school. Admin staff are cut or may work from home. May be you should look at online courses and your local college spec. Many courses have a day release and are online. reed.co.uk open access and others may do languages and even estate agents and conveyancing. A secretarial course can help gain access to different corporate jobs. Educational welfare is a type of social work which may need maturity and work experience gained by starting at the bottom ring voluntary or social work qualifications learned as you go . The qualifications have changed BTec Courses for social work l AC Education. Best to check with your social services department to see how you can use those talents of empathy and care.