Almost 25 not really going anywhere and worried

[toasty]

So my 25th birthday is coming up next week and with this has come the stark realisation that my life is actually going nowhere. I'll try and set the scene a little, I attended a good university and graduated with a Masters degree in Chemistry. Usually around the end of our 4th year of the course companies would come in and basically throw jobs at the soon to be graduates. However my graduation happened to coincide with the whole job market going belly up so this never happened. Fast forward around 10 months after my graduation and I finally found a job, working for minimum wage in an admin role for 6 months, this was extended to just over a year with a pay rise but I was still a temporary member of staff. This position ended September 2011 and as of now I am still looking for a job.

 

I've had interviews for similar roles in the time since I've been unemployed but I think my lack of passion for these roles seems to come accross in the interview and I don't get the job. Even though I have shown that I can do the job blindfolded. The feedback I get is usually of poor interview technique so I feel like why bother applying when my interview will just be terrible and I won't get the job anyway.

 

This is made worse by the fact that pretty much everyone I'm still in touch with from my university days is succeeding in life, well paid jobs, their own houses and girlfriends / fiances, while I'm single, unemployed and at home with my mum and it makes me feel absolutely worthless.

 

I'm not sure what I'm looking for in terms of response from this post but just really needed to put out how I'm feeling to people that don't know me.

[gremlinhands]

I have similar feelings. I am also 25 and a university graduate. I can only find part time work (and by part time I mean under 10 hours a week) and I have almost no savings. I also live with my parents.

 

Okay, so you are not alone and there are lots of people who are like us. But listen. There are so many positive things in your life. You are smart, healthy, have family support (seriously, some people's parents are dead, some kick them out at 18, and some are abusive). It is not fun having no space of your own but it is not going to be forever. These are amazing things.

 

Try and stay positive. I am in the same boat and I understand (even trying to find a place to move out has been rough) but eventually something will happen.

 

Are there government youth work/volunteer programs you can apply for? Did you consider teaching abroad (its a great way to travel and save money, and most countries simply require you to be native speaker and have a degree)?

[ghengisT]

I'll be 25 at the end of this year. I'm still working on my associates.

 

But, I've been working in my dream job since age 19. Money isn't the best ($42K/year), but I have great benefits, great co-workers, and I'm happy.

 

There have been studies showing that if you go straight to college or university right out of high school, it's an extension of your childhood. That wasn't an option for me at age 17, so I got my GED I jumped into the workforce.. Had a handful of jobs I didn't like for a couple years. At age 19, I had gotten fired from a job I thought I liked.

 

I asked myself what my hobbies & interests were & how they could make me money.

 

A lot of people I've worked with have a degree in something entirely different than what they're happy doing. Find what your hobbies are, and use Google to build a resume around those skills.

[SuperDuper]

Two things... I think if you've identified interviews as being your weak point, you shouldn't have the mindset of " why bother applying when my interview will just be terrible and I won't get the job anyway...". That's self-defeating and definitely won't get you anywhere productive.

 

Why not instead try to practice your interview skills, make them your strong point? It really isn't that hard to do well in an interview if you're prepared and show some motivation/enthusiasm. Perhaps the issue is that you're simply not applying for things you're interested in.

 

Some of the best advice I've received in this regard is to "Figure out what you don't want to do... that will make identifying what you DO want to do, a lot easier".

And it's true.. I knew I didn't want to sit couped up in a cubicle all day 9-5 with my little thermos of coffee. I wanted to get out and meet people, socialize, be flexible and be my own boss -- and it's working .. because I'm avoiding scenarios and jobs that don't have these qualities.

 

Good luck

[drummergirl]

I know people that at 30, are still working to graduate. For that matter, I've known people well over 30 still working on their first college degree.

 

So, I would say that you are 25 and have actually accomplished quite a bit.

 

Maybe you should try working on good interviewing techniques? Figure out what you're struggling with there and change it.

 

Also, a career is only one aspect of a balanced life. Focus on accomplishing other things that matter to you... art, music, volunteering your time. A career isn't something that measures whether or not you're going some place in life, although it may feel like it at times. Nobody on their death bed looks back and thinks, "I wish I'd spent more time working."

[toasty]

Thanks for your advice so far. I definitely can see that my poor interview performance is coming on the back of not really being that interested in the job that I'm interviewing for. My problem is I don't actually know what I want to do, I enjoyed the lab work aspect of my degree but can't even get an entry level position as everywhere is looking for 2 years+ experience.

 

I'm pretty happy with other aspects of life, I'm involved heavily in my local cricket club, playing 2 or 3 nights a week, helping coach the junior sides and helping update the website with stats and match reports. It's pretty much this that's keeping me going I think I'd have been carted away in a straight jacket at some point if I didn't have it, not sure if I could make a job of it though.

[imsuperman]

I would say work on your interview technique and get some intern-type experience to build up your resume.

[abitbroken]

There is a high need for teachers who can teach advanced sciences. But first I would go to my local career center and take a class in interviewing skills.

[cynthialc]

I know people that at 30, are still working to graduate. For that matter, I've known people well over 30 still working on their first college degree.

 

So, I would say that you are 25 and have actually accomplished quite a bit.

 

Maybe you should try working on good interviewing techniques? Figure out what you're struggling with there and change it.

 

Also, a career is only one aspect of a balanced life. Focus on accomplishing other things that matter to you... art, music, volunteering your time. A career isn't something that measures whether or not you're going some place in life, although it may feel like it at times. Nobody on their death bed looks back and thinks, "I wish I'd spent more time working."

 

great advice I must say, taking the negative and ending with a great positive! But yes i can relate to this post very very WELL! i'll be 25 in two days actually. I graduated last year with a license for cosmetology. I actually changed my career path i really wanted to get into the medical field, i was working for a very well known pharmacy company. But things happened and I moved, and i had a change of heart with what i wanted to do. So i went to school to become a cosmetologist. Graduated, and now i cant seem to find a job that doesnt pay anything more then minimum wage. I cant live like that. So im debating if i should go back to school now with a side job with my cosmetology and get back into the medical field. Right now i feel stuck like im not making enough money to be successful. Not only that, but im thinking about my future as well as when i have kids, insurance. All those great things we need in life! I hope everything works out for you, You have a Masters! thats great. Not many have there masters at our age. So take that in consideration and get your self out there! good luck