I have no idea what to study/find a career in

[karaddin]

DY - I wouldn't stress not knowing your passion, I sure as fuck didn't at 19...but I felt that same pressure that I *should* know it back then. I stumbled around, tried uni a couple of times, did some temp work and ultimately fell into IT via working at a University help desk. I now have a career in IT, but at 31 have finally discovered some idea of where my passion actually is (its not in IT), and I'm at Uni part time working on an eventual career change. I still have no idea what that career will wind up being, but if you have some level of skills in IT, I think a path similar to mine is a really good option to get a decent paying career under your belt while you figure things out. I'm at Sydney Uni and the Helpdesk here pays pretty well, and while progression options aren't super common, they do come up and you can always jump outside of Sydney Uni to try move up once you've got some experience under your belt.

[DeathYon]

Deathyon - not to harp on the personality sorters, but I do think they are meaningful. I sort as an NTJ myself, and have consistently done so over more than 20 years (it's apparently quite normal to sort the same over and over again). Are you better one on one? That is, would you be ok in a profession where you dealt with people, but not with the VOLUME of (needy) people that you deal with in retail? My husband is an introvert and he's actually very good (much better than I am) one on one or in a small group and also very good in a "presentation" situation (that is, where he is talking to, but not necessarily interacting with, a large group of people). What about actuary/accounting/economist type work (i.e., something with a lot of data crunching)? (Note you would be dealing with people to some extent in all of these)?

One of the things that stresses me out would be when I have to help multiple people, but also have to serve customers at the same time, it feels like a juggling act. Another thing that I dislike is when I'm busy putting things on shelves and I have to try and watch the register (which the view of is often obstructed) in case people start lining up.

One on one would probably be a lot better for me. I like the sound of those jobs, I'll look into them a bit further.

I'm only average at maths though, but I'm sure that I could learn all the basics.

I did that kind of travelling, and I hated it. But sometimes doing things that you really dislike/are bad at can be good for you. These days I'm probably much better at the social parts of working in a library because they're so minor and easy in comparison to TEFL-ing.

I asked what citizenship you have because that can open up higher education opportunities. For example, an EU citizen could take a degree very cheaply in Germany.

That's true, I would miss my girlfriend too much though.

I don't want to sound like I'm being melodramatic, but we've been together for nearly two years and I'm positive that we will stay together for quite some time.

Sorry, it was pretty late when I replied to you. I'm a New Zealand citizen :)

Re: Library science

There are different areas of library science, and some areas actually are heavily involved with working with patrons. Almost all librarians work with patrons in one way or another, but reference librarians' main job is to interact with the public. So if you don't think you want to be interacting with a lot of people that directly, that's one area of librarianship you want to stay away from. That said, there are plenty of other areas that don't have such heavy emphasis on interacting with the public, such as cataloging or archiving.

In the United States, a degree for library science is Master's level work, so it requires a Bachelor's degree first. The Bachelor's degree specialty area doesn't matter, though your undergraduate area will often become your specialty area if you go into collection development or liaisons to academic departments (for academic librarians, which have a slightly different set of duties than public librarians or law librarians). I am not sure how it works in Australia.

In general, if you like interacting with people but find retail to be stressful, you might want to seek out jobs where you will interact with the public but not in a way that puts you in service to them as a restail setting. So, for instance, certified nursing assistants work with people but not in retail. Another example would be community activity organizers at the local YMCA. A third example would be nature park guides or guides for museums. There are options out there that will allow you to work with people but not in a way that is like retail where you feel you have to provide a service to them in order to make a sale.

I think that I would enjoy cataloguing and archiving a lot.

I believe that in Australia you only need a CERT 3 to work in almost any kind of library or museum. The problem with only getting a CERT 3 though, is that many other people will have diplomas and degrees, so getting a job would be more difficult.

I've been thinking about getting a CERT 3, and then eventually a diploma, but I want to be 100 % sure before doing that.

I'd say, 'be a fire fighter' but doesn't seem like an option for you, as you are not a native.

Can you go back to NZ and maybe join the Military?

That's a good suggestion, but I don't think I would want to do that.

The military seems pretty intimidating to me, and I'm worse around males because I have no idea how to interact with most of them.

All the masculinity of the place would make me feel very out of my element.

I came here to say pretty much what Terra said. To add to the education, in Canada you can also do a Library Tech program in community college, if you don’t want to go the full librarian route (not everyone who works in a library is a librarian). It’s a two year trade program here. That’s how I started. When I started working in a university library, I found out that they would pay half my tuition, so I did a BA. Then I went and did the MLIS at another nearby uni. I’ve been working in libraries for over 20 years now, but just got the MLIS four years ago.

You also have to decide what type of library appeals to you. I’m a Reference Librarian at a midsize university, so I’m often on the front line:

• It’s not really all that calm or peaceful (the main floor of our library is one of the busiest spots on campus and not a quiet zone).
• You have to be prepared to spend considerable time with one person who can sometimes get frustrated that you can’t find what they need/want/our uni doesn’t have access to/can’t order in soon enough "because my paper is due tomorrow and I’m just starting it"
• You have to be able to coax info out of people, because they will think you are a mind reader (a couple of hours ago: “I need stuff on garbage in water” means “I need only peer reviewed articles on the effect that microplastics found in the Great Lakes have on local wildlife”).
• Most people are awesome, but there are still those who will yell at you, patronize you, and treat you like a personal secretary, because they don’t understand what you do (when I tell people that I’m a librarian, I often here that it must be pretty easy, because I just check out books and tell people to shut up. Yep. Hear that a lot).
• We’re part of a consortium, and I do an online shift where I can have anywhere from one to seven questions at a time from universities and colleges across the province. I have to know their resources, policies, etc., and the people I help can’t see that I’m helping others at the same time or that I’m not based out of their library. You gotta be able to move for these shifts.

If you like the idea of a uni library, but not the public part, there is the Archives, Cataloguing, Acquisitions, Administration, and Document Delivery, to name a few departments that don’t have the public aspect to it.

I have never worked in a public library, but I assume it’s much the same except you cater to people of all ages. I did run three public school libraries right out of the Tech program. The high school kids were ok, the little kids were meh, but I’m not really a kid person unless they belong to friends or family, and the junior high kids were full on hormonal bastards. Not a fan of school libraries. Only did it for a year. I also ran a library for a private company. That was ok, but kinda boring. I also worked in another department in my current library. All of these I did without the MLIS. If you are looking for just back office library work, you can get by without the MLIS degree and just do a Tech program.

I would suggest that you see if there are any volunteer opportunities or bottom of the rung shelver jobs at a local library. That would give you an opportunity to see what goes on, and to talk to people in the different departments.

Wow, sounds like you'd have a pretty interesting day at work.

Doing archive work for a university library sounds like it would be good.

Yeah, that's good advice. I definitely should try and find a library where I can do some volunteering.

:agree: As soon as I read the OP, this was my first thought.

I'm much like you, DeathYon. Introverted and sort of weird around people. I prefer being alone and cleaning and organizing are the things I do when I want to feel zen or something. A few years ago I moved during an awkward time of year and was unable to find a job fast enough so I spent five months cleaning houses while I kept looking. It was seriously the most enjoyable job I've ever had. The only thing I didn't like about it was having cleaning supplies in my car all the time. But coming home with adequate money and feeling relaxed each day was pretty great.

Hahah, I had a feeling that someone would say this :)

My mum used to be an independent cleaner actually, so I should probably ask her about this too.

I certainly want to echo Terra's comments here. It's pretty key to seek out work and other opportunities for "hands-on" experience while in a degree program, and to think of how you will use your degree in the future. A general degree can be used for almost anything, and it's important to point out that apart from engineering and some applied programs, doing a history or biology degree does not allow you to find a job "in your field". Undergrads don't have "fields" but that first degree is the starting point.

I didn't really figure out what I wanted to do until I was done undergrad, and the number of times I thought about changing my degree program certainly reflects that. Ironically, I started out in engineering, decided a I didn't want to be an engineer, and did an arts/math degree instead. But even a degree like engineering doesn't consign you to a particular career - it is merely a start - and my brother went on and got his B.Eng after me but changed tracks with an MBA and now works in insurance finance!

If i'm getting at anything here it's that you *do* need to get an education, but what you start learning is merely a springboard to career, not a determinant of it.

In terms of your self-professed introversion, I wonder whether this would be something better approached as a challenge rather than a barrier. I might have called myself an introvert at your age too - maybe I still am - but I've found that the older I get, the less this matters, and the more any feelings of awkwardness become less relevant. One of the reasons I went into medicine was to "stretch" myself, and socially is one aspect of that.

Anyway, it's easy to feel little direction at 19. I don't think my interests square very much with yours - I hate routine and prefer to be on the go and doing stuff, punctuated by periods of chatting and planning for whatever I need to do next.

Otherwise, I did work in my uni library in undergrad. I thought it was okay, but the "customer service" aspect could be fairly busy/stressful, typically during class changes or over lunch. Other aspects of the job like shelf-reading were godawful boring. I suppose that might have been okay if I'd been able to listen to music, but for reference, when I was in undergrad most people didn't have cellphones (which certainly couldn't play music then) and I would have had to have used my Discman (iPods existed but were really expensive and only compatible with Macs... which no one had then either).

Yeah, I think so too. I learn things quickly when I get to have hands on experience with it.

I originally wanted to study criminology at university, but since I can't become a citizen I was not be able to get a student loan or any kind of government allowance to support me. Even now that I've saved some money I would not be able to afford a number of the courses. I have to mostly stick to tafe (like a community college) which is cheaper and are generally 1-2 year courses.

Hmm, I think I should do some volunteer work at a library to see if I enjoy it.

[Larry of the Lawn]

I can't find it with the search.function but there was a thread awhile ago about " what do you do for a living and how'd you get to be.doing it". One thing from that thread that stood out was that people arrive at their professions by often surprising and unexpected paths.

[Starkess]

I feel ya. I am 27 and on my second serious adult job, and I have no freaking clue what I want to be when I grow up. I am so jealous of those people who know what they want to do. The only thing I definitely want to do is be a novelist, and while I work on that all the time, it feels like saying "I want to win the lottery!" as a career choice.

[deleted01]

I feel ya. I am 27 and on my second serious adult job, and I have no freaking clue what I want to be when I grow up. I am so jealous of those people who know what they want to do. The only thing I definitely want to do is be a novelist, and while I work on that all the time, it feels like saying "I want to win the lottery!" as a career choice.

:cheers: Snap. Though at the moment, I'd be happy with any kind of paid job. Even if it pays in chocolate.

My fingers are crossed for you! Get that novel finished! :D

[dog-days]

Re: career plans/goals.

I think these can be quite useful. Certainly, I wish I'd made them when I was eighteen/nineteen, but then I didn't have any confidence, or the experience of working life to understand their potential. Career goals can be useful for everyone, even (especially for) people who don't know what to do. Searching for a passion/vocation generally needs time and money. Career goals are how to get a stable position in an initial, uninteresting field of work so that you have the resources to explore other options later on.

I remember meeting someone in Germany who was a senior executive who'd mapped out a career plan apparently while he was still wearing nappies. OK, he chain-smoked, was divorced and didn't appear very happy, but if he'd wanted to, he could have afforded to change jobs a long time ago.

There are lots of fields I've wanted to try and get experience in, but I've never been able to, because I just haven't had the money to do it.

I couldn't believe how young he was when he'd planned his career, and he couldn't believe that I was twenty-five and still hadn't. :)

[baxus]

There are lots of fields I've wanted to try and get experience in, but I've never been able to, because I just haven't had the money to do it.

If you don't have the money, you can substitute time for it.

You can learn quite a few things on your own, without the benefits of formal education.

It just requires a lot of willpower and organizational skills to juggle learning skills from a new field while working a full-time job and all that.

It may not be easy, but it is doable.

[Arkhangel]

If you don't have the money, you can substitute time for it.

That's not true in a lot of fields any more. In mine and in many other professional fields you are expected to have the money, education and time, e.g. 6 months unpaid internships with Masters degrees as a basic requirement.

[Iskaral Pust]

I would have guessed INTJ just from the first post. My impression is that you would like a career with autonomy/self-direction, focus, mastery and relatively low external stress or volatile demands. Stereotypical* fit: engineer, accountant, programmer, skilled tradecraft. Stereotypical* opposite: sales, entrepreneur. In MBA-speak, you're seeking a "closure" environment/role, not "brokerage".

It sounds like you're working full-time at 19. If you don't like retail then you need to seriously consider university or some training in a high skill craft. High school graduates with no significant further education or skills disproportionately work in shitty service sector jobs.

I call bullshit on "know your passion". Loving model trains does not mean you are equipped for or will be satisfied by opening your own business in the field of model trains. And there's a reason why there is greater supply than demand for actors, musicians, artists, writers, etc. It's great if you can make a career of your passion but it's also pretty good if you can have a career that suits you while you enjoy your passion as a hobby.

Know what will suit your personality: the overlap between what you would be good at, what is valued by the job market and what you would enjoy. That requires some good self-awareness and then some research about what various careers are really like. I don't know why you wait until age 19 to ask this question. Your basic personality type has been in place for years and won't change much. You'll get more comfortable dealing with people/stress/variation/uncertainty with practice, but it won't change whether you enjoy/seek it versus endure it.

*Don't believe all stereotypes.

[peterbound]

There are some great jobs out there, that put a high premium on individuals that can work by themselves, have a strong work ethic, and don't require any college education. I'm a firm believer that you don't /need/ college. You just need to find a trade. Electricians, welders, plumbers. All are good paying jobs that require you work in small teams, or by yourself, and only need a technical degree.

Might be something to look into.

Australia apparently is lacking in 'skilled' workers as well:

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-08-06/australias-latest-import-u-dot-s-dot-electricians

[Arkhangel]

There are some great jobs out there, that put a high premium on individuals that can work by themselves, have a strong work ethic, and don't require any college education. I'm a firm believer that you don't /need/ college. You just need to find a trade. Electricians, welders, plumbers. All are good paying jobs that require you work in small teams, or by yourself, and only need a technical degree.

Might be something to look into.

Australia apparently is lacking in 'skilled' workers as well:

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-08-06/australias-latest-import-u-dot-s-dot-electricians

I really strongly disagree, not having any uni degree at all (even if it's in, like, basket-weaving) is a huge impediment in today's job market.

Also, just as a side note there's some significant context missing from that article, which is that part of the reason they want to get in foreign workers for the mines is that many Australians just don't want that lifestyle. Quite often it involves living in remote desert (remote by Australian outback standards!) in tiny towns or actual camps, away from family and friends for months at a time. In some cases working conditions are not good, and mental health problems are a big issue. That's why they struggle to find workers, and why it can be easier and cheaper to hire foreigners to do the work, perhaps in part because they are unaware or underestimate the personal toll it will take.

[peterbound]

As stated in my other thread, if anything the current job market has proven, is they degree does not equal work.

I would say it's a huge impediment in the work force. Not getting training is an issue, but not having a degree? I'm positive you can get by, and succeed without one.

Also, wasn't the op asking for something to do by themselves, away from people.

As for the 'living conditions'. Hey, hard work and sacrifice are what makes for a good living. That's part of the problem. People want to make good money, but not work hard to get it. Seems a little backwards to me.

[Arkhangel]

As stated in my other thread, if anything the current job market has proven, is they degree does not equal work.

I would say it's a huge impediment in the work force. Not getting training is an issue, but not having a degree? I'm positive you can get by, and succeed without one.

Also, wasn't the op asking for something to do by themselves, away from people.

As for the 'living conditions'. Hey, hard work and sacrifice are what makes for a good living. That's part of the problem. People want to make good money, but not work hard to get it. Seems a little backwards to me.

No, absolutely, a degree does not equal work. For many jobs a degree is a basic requirement to be eligible even to apply. I'm glad that you're positive it's possible to get by without one, and maybe it is, but you have a hell of a lot more options with one.

I'm not sure where in my post you read that the problem was hard work, but that's not the issue. The issue is everything outside of work - the physical, social and psychological conditions under which many workers have to live, as well as the problems the mining industry causes in tiny local communities. FIFO workers are actually a major social problem in remote Australia.

[brook]

I've known a few people who have successfully done FIFO, for some people it works.

None of those people are introverts who are uncomfortable in hyper masculine environments though, I really couldn't think of a worse choice.

[peterbound]

I've known a few people who have successfully done FIFO, for some people it works.

None of those people are introverts who are uncomfortable in hyper masculine environments though, I really couldn't think of a worse choice.

Hmm, you could be right. i grew up in a mining camp (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami,_Arizona), and the alpha male attitude is pretty prevalent (which may be to blame for some of my outlook in life). However, what I took from the article is that there is work to be had for foreigners in the trades. Doesn't have to be in the mining world. That college isn't the end all be all for getting work down there.

I did know a bunch of guys that would be considered introverted that did well in the trades, due to the time they get to work by themselves.

[dog-days]

If you don't have the money, you can substitute time for it.

You can learn quite a few things on your own, without the benefits of formal education.

It just requires a lot of willpower and organizational skills to juggle learning skills from a new field while working a full-time job and all that.

It may not be easy, but it is doable.

It's not doable if you're in an unstable, low-paid job that requires you to be on call at all hours so that you can never commit to any volunteering or training opportunities that come up, or if the place you live doesn't have any training or placements available, or if all the places that offer local placements want extroverted university leavers with degrees in Business Management or Finance.

Besides which, I'm not sure what kind of things you imagine him learning on his own, and whether these would be valued by potential employers.

[Starkess]

:cheers: Snap. Though at the moment, I'd be happy with any kind of paid job. Even if it pays in chocolate.

My fingers are crossed for you! Get that novel finished! :D

Thanks! Finishing the novels isn't the problem (working on #5 right now...), now I need to make them good enough to catch the eye of an agent!

:cheers: writers unite :cheers:

[deleted01]

Thanks! Finishing the novels isn't the problem (working on #5 right now...), now I need to make them good enough to catch the eye of an agent!

:cheers: writers unite :cheers:

Give me a shout if I can help at all. Also helps me too, so not an entirely selfless offer. But a genuine one! :p

[baxus]

That's not true in a lot of fields any more. In mine and in many other professional fields you are expected to have the money, education and time, e.g. 6 months unpaid internships with Masters degrees as a basic requirement.

I don't know what your field is, and I believe there are ones that fit your description.

However, in my field (software development) university degree is not really a prerequisite, though it definitely is an advantage.

Universities are not the only places where you can learn things.

At the moment, team I work in includes a guy who's graduated in German language and literature and a guy with a degree in sound engineering.

They both work as software developers and are good at their jobs.

You need to learn stuff, you don't really need the paper that proves you know stuff.

I would have guessed INTJ just from the first post. My impression is that you would like a career with autonomy/self-direction, focus, mastery and relatively low external stress or volatile demands. Stereotypical* fit: engineer, accountant, programmer, skilled tradecraft. Stereotypical* opposite: sales, entrepreneur. In MBA-speak, you're seeking a "closure" environment/role, not "brokerage".

*Don't believe all stereotypes.

I don't know how many engineers you know, but this is the first time I've heard engineers' work description include words "low external stress or volatile demands" ;)

It's not doable if you're in an unstable, low-paid job that requires you to be on call at all hours so that you can never commit to any volunteering or training opportunities that come up, or if the place you live doesn't have any training or placements available, or if all the places that offer local placements want extroverted university leavers with degrees in Business Management or Finance.

Besides which, I'm not sure what kind of things you imagine him learning on his own, and whether these would be valued by potential employers.

You must have heard of this big, new thing called internet.

It's not just for message boards and Facebook/Twitter.

As a software developer, I guarantee one could, provided he/she's so inclined, definitely learn a programming language from the material easily available online.

I'll let you be the judge whether such skills would be valued by potential employers.