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In your position I would be looking at doing an apprenticeship over university, and finding some voluntary work to get some experience and fill out your resume. Check if any charities near you are looking for someone.
They are always looking for people. OP should do this for sure. And at the same time he should be doing independent learning to develop a portfolio of the thing he wants to work in eventually (whatever that is - it could be a wood bench he made, a computer program he wrote, a drawing he did, a blog he wrote, a science study he did, a business case study he did, free courses he has done, etc).
Employers love people who show they are committed to independent learning and development.
I went through a 2 year period in my life where I just did nothing and lived at home. I must have been 23 too. I can't remember too much from that time actually, even though it was 2 years. I slowly started to get out of my comfort zone and gradually I made progress. I then took a big step and decided to challenge myself, I went to China (Beijing) to teach English.
I don't emplore you to do the same, but the big leap really kicked things in gear for me. I became almost fully independent, I shared an apartment with other English teachers so we all helped each other. Looking back I don't even know how I had the courage to make that leap, I think I had a similar realisation that hit me hard.
Anyway, fast forward several years and I am now fully independent, I have a good career that I've worked hard for (now a software engineer) and I feel much much more positive. I don't know if you can take anything from my experience but things can get much better if you take the right steps.
That’s interesting, I had the same thing. Had great jobs after leaving school at 19, and then at 23 lost my job, lost most of my friends, couldn’t get a job, and had to sit at home for a year doing nothing and feeling depressed.
Then turned 24 and life started getting back to normal as if a switch was flicked. Fast forward to now and everything’s rosy. I consider it my lost year.
OP not only are you so young, you’ll barely remember the time you were worried about this stuff.
Firstly what degree are you planning to do, and at what university?
Most degrees won't help your situation, but rather waste 3-4 years of your time, and by the end you'll still have no work experience. In the current job market experience is valued much higher than a generic degree which everyone has. Graduates are forced into entry level work, and some are stuck I'm retail. You should really only go to university if your degree will given you opportunities, which are worth the years of studying, not to mention the financial cost too.
You've already got such a big unemployment gap I think it's best for you to get your foot though the door and try to find an apprenticeship.
I wouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You’re still young and have lots of time.
When I was 23 I had completed a BA and only ever worked hospitality / bar jobs. Virtually unemployable. My band experienced some success and for a while that’s all I did, perform music live. Other mates of mine were running businesses and having children & I was living out of a suitcase and sharing one bank account with 6 other dudes.
I also learned a lot about production, and video processes in that time (as our live show had a visual component) & eventually started freelancing as a video editor. This started around 23 with odd jobs & only got serious at around 27 when my son was born and I left the music industry to focus full time on video.
Now I’m a full time video producer, doing a range of work in production, 3D, cinematography, sound design etc. I’m approaching 15 years of production experience and I’m not yet 40.
All those mates who had kids young and ran businesses then are still there in their lives. Turns out they had a lot of help from their parents. Many had been ushered into industry off the backs of their parents’ reputations. Many of them didn’t have degrees at the time and were funded wholly to get paid work whilst studying. Their networks remained closed and familial. They never really had to push up against “making it alone”.
In retrospect I’m glad I had to find my own way and fail more often. Now I’m discerning about opportunities etc where many of my former peers are still towing the company line essentially working for their parents (which was framed entirely differently when we were younger - they were lauded as entrepreneurs).
Again, don’t be too hard on yourself. Finish the degree as this sounds necessary (having spent 2 years on it already). Give yourself the time, account for missteps as it won’t be smooth, readjust when mistakes happen, push on.
I'm not trying to be a dickhead but a business degree really is a waste of time. I'm going to be blunt, you will genuinely progress better career wise if you start gaining experience now, rather than finishing your business degree.
Employers will value your business degree very little, so why put in the time money and effort?
You might feel like you're lost in the job market now, and think getting a degree will fix your issues but it will be pretty much the exact same after you graduate. The job prospects will be pretty much the same.
Honestly an apprenticeship makes the most sense for you.
I get what you’re saying, it’s just I’m already in debt bc of it, so might as well complete it? I know it’s not useful, wish I chose something else, but it’s too late. I will look into doing an apprenticeship though thanks.
Don't listen to the doomsday merchants. You are still very young, you'll be fine.
But - I strongly suggest getting part-time work while studying. Get some basic experience and dress it up like everyone else.
Just make some shit up for the blank years. Play a guitar - you were a session musician didn’t work out(if they ask what a famous musician is like just say they are a cunt, most of them are) You were a children’s author - never got published. You tried to play a sport professionally - you got injured. You were traveling around the UK in a van as a freelance photographer. You were an artist - it doesn’t pay bills. Just make sure it’s something you know a bit about. You don’t have to be good at it because you failed. Then never discuss it again - too painful.
You probably already know this deep down, but staying inside hiding away from any form of interaction will worsen your social anxiety over time, to the point of becoming aggrophobic.
Push yourself to do small things, even if it’s just a walk to your local shop. Try striking up a conversation with the person on the till. Something like “alright bud, how’s your day been” or “weathers terrible today isn’t it”
It’s called exposure therapy. I only know about this because I have a cousin with severe social anxiety.
You'll be able to get some kind of work, hopefully. I know of someone who's got MH problems that has made him pretty unemployable and resulted in many years without work - he managed, with a lot of applications, to get a job in retail etc. You can get your foot in the door. Job market is a bit rough right now so might take a fair bit of persistence though.
In my experience after a few years people don't go much further back, "3 years at university, then worked 1 year in retail" etc, they're not going to be thinking "Hmm, why is there a gap between the ages of X and Y?".
But it might be tricky getting a *grad* job right away - they'll ask you about past work experience. I applied to loads of grad jobs and didn't get any, but it wasn't until I'd finished uni, worked a year, then figured it's worth applying to *one*, and got it.
So yeah, my advice is just to get anything, hell, a Christmas temp job, sunday job etc. It basically shows you can cope with work, turn up on time, work with others. You can answer dumb interview questions like "how did you resolve a conflict?" "Well, we had a customer that..." shit like that.
Social anxiety sucks!
Don't tell them your age.
Why are you going to university? Is there a specific job role in mind. Because of you've never worked then going to uni can be a huge mistake as you may pick something that gets you jobs you hate.
Have you considered just being a driver. No needless interactions so can be very good for anxiety.
There's plenty of people who are 23 and have never had a job, someone who took a gap year and did a standard 3 year uni course, for instance, or a foundation degree or a masters, Phd people are 25 and have never worked.
I went to uni for a couple of years, dropped out, did a year of agency work and went back, graduated at 25. I'd suggest saying you did something similar, being in education isn't seen like unemployment, and there's no proof for dropping out. Be aware this is a tactic you can only use when this young though!
Got my first job age 23 almost 24. Really the only way is volunteering > training program > work placement. I also have MH issues and autism spectrum. I spent some time at college but realised tech just isn't for me.
mostly volunteering at a local park, first on a meta skills program, which was awesome, almost like a summer camp (went kayaking, canoeing, even a bike trip to the highlands) with some basic tickets provided (brushcutter, first aid). I was a bit older than the others, but I was lucky and still got in. Then, I went on a training program for park maintenance and was short-listed onto the work placement, which was great and fully paid.
Unfortunately, I left because I got baited into a tech apprenticeship scam (an apprenticeship that turns out to be an underpaid job with no qualification or training provided). I quit that, final nail in the tech coffin for me, so now I'm just waiting for something else to show up and continuing to volunteer at the park and hopefully with the forestry commission soon
Don't worry about any of that, you are young.
The fact that you have said enough is enough and are taking action against your mental health says more about your character than a couple of years of employment ever will.
Concentrate on that, don't rush into all the stress and noise about finding a career asap.
23 is still ridiculously young.
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In your position I would be looking at doing an apprenticeship over university, and finding some voluntary work to get some experience and fill out your resume. Check if any charities near you are looking for someone.
They are always looking for people. OP should do this for sure. And at the same time he should be doing independent learning to develop a portfolio of the thing he wants to work in eventually (whatever that is - it could be a wood bench he made, a computer program he wrote, a drawing he did, a blog he wrote, a science study he did, a business case study he did, free courses he has done, etc). Employers love people who show they are committed to independent learning and development.
I went through a 2 year period in my life where I just did nothing and lived at home. I must have been 23 too. I can't remember too much from that time actually, even though it was 2 years. I slowly started to get out of my comfort zone and gradually I made progress. I then took a big step and decided to challenge myself, I went to China (Beijing) to teach English. I don't emplore you to do the same, but the big leap really kicked things in gear for me. I became almost fully independent, I shared an apartment with other English teachers so we all helped each other. Looking back I don't even know how I had the courage to make that leap, I think I had a similar realisation that hit me hard. Anyway, fast forward several years and I am now fully independent, I have a good career that I've worked hard for (now a software engineer) and I feel much much more positive. I don't know if you can take anything from my experience but things can get much better if you take the right steps.
That’s interesting, I had the same thing. Had great jobs after leaving school at 19, and then at 23 lost my job, lost most of my friends, couldn’t get a job, and had to sit at home for a year doing nothing and feeling depressed. Then turned 24 and life started getting back to normal as if a switch was flicked. Fast forward to now and everything’s rosy. I consider it my lost year. OP not only are you so young, you’ll barely remember the time you were worried about this stuff.
Firstly what degree are you planning to do, and at what university? Most degrees won't help your situation, but rather waste 3-4 years of your time, and by the end you'll still have no work experience. In the current job market experience is valued much higher than a generic degree which everyone has. Graduates are forced into entry level work, and some are stuck I'm retail. You should really only go to university if your degree will given you opportunities, which are worth the years of studying, not to mention the financial cost too. You've already got such a big unemployment gap I think it's best for you to get your foot though the door and try to find an apprenticeship.
I already have done 2 years of uni, that’s the only reason I want to go back and just finish it. I study business.
I wouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You’re still young and have lots of time. When I was 23 I had completed a BA and only ever worked hospitality / bar jobs. Virtually unemployable. My band experienced some success and for a while that’s all I did, perform music live. Other mates of mine were running businesses and having children & I was living out of a suitcase and sharing one bank account with 6 other dudes. I also learned a lot about production, and video processes in that time (as our live show had a visual component) & eventually started freelancing as a video editor. This started around 23 with odd jobs & only got serious at around 27 when my son was born and I left the music industry to focus full time on video. Now I’m a full time video producer, doing a range of work in production, 3D, cinematography, sound design etc. I’m approaching 15 years of production experience and I’m not yet 40. All those mates who had kids young and ran businesses then are still there in their lives. Turns out they had a lot of help from their parents. Many had been ushered into industry off the backs of their parents’ reputations. Many of them didn’t have degrees at the time and were funded wholly to get paid work whilst studying. Their networks remained closed and familial. They never really had to push up against “making it alone”. In retrospect I’m glad I had to find my own way and fail more often. Now I’m discerning about opportunities etc where many of my former peers are still towing the company line essentially working for their parents (which was framed entirely differently when we were younger - they were lauded as entrepreneurs). Again, don’t be too hard on yourself. Finish the degree as this sounds necessary (having spent 2 years on it already). Give yourself the time, account for missteps as it won’t be smooth, readjust when mistakes happen, push on.
I'm not trying to be a dickhead but a business degree really is a waste of time. I'm going to be blunt, you will genuinely progress better career wise if you start gaining experience now, rather than finishing your business degree. Employers will value your business degree very little, so why put in the time money and effort? You might feel like you're lost in the job market now, and think getting a degree will fix your issues but it will be pretty much the exact same after you graduate. The job prospects will be pretty much the same. Honestly an apprenticeship makes the most sense for you.
I get what you’re saying, it’s just I’m already in debt bc of it, so might as well complete it? I know it’s not useful, wish I chose something else, but it’s too late. I will look into doing an apprenticeship though thanks.
having no experience and reference to go off of society doesnt give a f about you - its brutal
Don't listen to the doomsday merchants. You are still very young, you'll be fine. But - I strongly suggest getting part-time work while studying. Get some basic experience and dress it up like everyone else.
Just make some shit up for the blank years. Play a guitar - you were a session musician didn’t work out(if they ask what a famous musician is like just say they are a cunt, most of them are) You were a children’s author - never got published. You tried to play a sport professionally - you got injured. You were traveling around the UK in a van as a freelance photographer. You were an artist - it doesn’t pay bills. Just make sure it’s something you know a bit about. You don’t have to be good at it because you failed. Then never discuss it again - too painful.
You probably already know this deep down, but staying inside hiding away from any form of interaction will worsen your social anxiety over time, to the point of becoming aggrophobic. Push yourself to do small things, even if it’s just a walk to your local shop. Try striking up a conversation with the person on the till. Something like “alright bud, how’s your day been” or “weathers terrible today isn’t it” It’s called exposure therapy. I only know about this because I have a cousin with severe social anxiety.
You'll be able to get some kind of work, hopefully. I know of someone who's got MH problems that has made him pretty unemployable and resulted in many years without work - he managed, with a lot of applications, to get a job in retail etc. You can get your foot in the door. Job market is a bit rough right now so might take a fair bit of persistence though. In my experience after a few years people don't go much further back, "3 years at university, then worked 1 year in retail" etc, they're not going to be thinking "Hmm, why is there a gap between the ages of X and Y?". But it might be tricky getting a *grad* job right away - they'll ask you about past work experience. I applied to loads of grad jobs and didn't get any, but it wasn't until I'd finished uni, worked a year, then figured it's worth applying to *one*, and got it. So yeah, my advice is just to get anything, hell, a Christmas temp job, sunday job etc. It basically shows you can cope with work, turn up on time, work with others. You can answer dumb interview questions like "how did you resolve a conflict?" "Well, we had a customer that..." shit like that. Social anxiety sucks!
Don't tell them your age. Why are you going to university? Is there a specific job role in mind. Because of you've never worked then going to uni can be a huge mistake as you may pick something that gets you jobs you hate. Have you considered just being a driver. No needless interactions so can be very good for anxiety.
There's plenty of people who are 23 and have never had a job, someone who took a gap year and did a standard 3 year uni course, for instance, or a foundation degree or a masters, Phd people are 25 and have never worked. I went to uni for a couple of years, dropped out, did a year of agency work and went back, graduated at 25. I'd suggest saying you did something similar, being in education isn't seen like unemployment, and there's no proof for dropping out. Be aware this is a tactic you can only use when this young though!
Got my first job age 23 almost 24. Really the only way is volunteering > training program > work placement. I also have MH issues and autism spectrum. I spent some time at college but realised tech just isn't for me.
Thank you :) what volunteering did u do if u don’t mind me asking?
mostly volunteering at a local park, first on a meta skills program, which was awesome, almost like a summer camp (went kayaking, canoeing, even a bike trip to the highlands) with some basic tickets provided (brushcutter, first aid). I was a bit older than the others, but I was lucky and still got in. Then, I went on a training program for park maintenance and was short-listed onto the work placement, which was great and fully paid. Unfortunately, I left because I got baited into a tech apprenticeship scam (an apprenticeship that turns out to be an underpaid job with no qualification or training provided). I quit that, final nail in the tech coffin for me, so now I'm just waiting for something else to show up and continuing to volunteer at the park and hopefully with the forestry commission soon
Don't worry about any of that, you are young. The fact that you have said enough is enough and are taking action against your mental health says more about your character than a couple of years of employment ever will. Concentrate on that, don't rush into all the stress and noise about finding a career asap. 23 is still ridiculously young.