One of the things I wish I had done differently was to not be in such a hurry to rush into a career. For some reason, when I was 22-years old, I felt like I had to figure out what I was supposed to do with my life right away, and that if I didn’t do that, I’d fall behind and never catch up.
This rationale was partially the reason that I went to law school soon after graduating from college. I felt like I needed to get started with something, and becoming a lawyer made sense to me – it had a clear path and was an easily identifiable career.
My brother, on the other hand, followed a completely different path. Instead of jumping into a career like I did, he instead opted to move overseas, getting a job at a tech company which he then promptly quit after he realized that working in an office wasn’t for him. He then spent the next several years living lean and being scrappy while he worked on different projects and businesses for himself. By the time I was done with law school and starting my first job as a lawyer, my brother had spent that same time hustling and building something for himself. Today, after several attempts and hustling for years, he’s finally created a business that fully supports his lifestyle – making him essentially financially independent at 30-years old.
In those early years, I always thought my brother was goofing off, just not wanting to grow up and become an adult. I’d been taught to think that there was a “correct” way of doing things – go to school, get good grades, get a good job with a good employer, and then work your way up the corporate ladder until you retire. I went into the world doing exactly that, following the nice, straight path that was laid out in front of me.
In retrospect, I wish I had charted my own path the way my brother did. I made the mistake of putting too much pressure on myself and thinking that I needed to get started with my life right away. But unlike our parents who maybe had more reason to get started with their careers (and fewer options available), our generation just has too many options at our disposal and too many ways to make a living.
The world is such a big place, and the last thing I think any of us should be doing is rushing into anything because it’s what we feel like we should do. Instead, let’s take our time, try things out, and figure out who we really are and what we can really do first.
Reasons You Don’t Need To Start Your Career In Your 20s
I think a lot of people have this idea that careers are like the way our parents had it – that you graduate school and go get a job at a big company right away. And if you don’t do that, you’ll never be a real adult and will never make it.
But the world just isn’t like that anymore – and if I could go back and talk to my 22-year old self, I’d tell him to slow down. You’re going to be putting a lot of hours into whatever career and work you do. So it’s important to at least know who you are first.
Careers don’t need to start in your 20s. Instead, take those 20s to explore, create, and build. You have a lot of reasons to slow down, and these include:
No One Expects You To Be Settled Down Yet. I’ve found that a lot of the things we do is based on what others think about us. I became a lawyer, in part, because it was an impressive sounding job that I could tell people about. But why did I need to do that when I was 26? As you get older, there’s more pressure to have your shit together (I rarely curse on this blog, but I just had to here), but when you’re in your 20s, who the hell cares?
From 22 to 27-years old, my brother spent his time creating and working for himself before he finally created a business that worked for him. During those early and mid-20s years, a lot of people, me and my family included, gave him flack because it seemed like he wasn’t doing anything. I was the 20-something successful law student and young lawyer. He was the kid that didn’t have a “job” and seemed to be coasting through life.
My brother didn’t like people thinking he was a bum. But he was only in his 20s, so it wasn’t as big a deal. He didn’t “have” to be settled down yet. You can use that to your advantage to figure out what your calling really is.
You Have More Room To Be Scrappy. One of the only ways you can spend time creating, building, and exploring is if you have the ability to live lean. When you need a lot to live is when you get pushed into jobs that you hate, just punching the clock each day and living for the weekend. As much as you want to do what you want, you sometimes don’t get that choice when you need to pay expensive bills or take care of other people.
When you’re in your 20s though, you just have so much room to be scrappy. I lived with roommates for the entirety of college and law school. If I wasn’t married, I’d still live with roommates (and I sort of do since I Airbnb a room in my house).
You can be way scrappier and make ends meet with less when you’re younger. It won’t even look weird. But when you get older and have a spouse, kids, and other things that you need to take care of, your scrappiness ability goes way down.
You Have So Much Life Left. I have no idea why when I turned 22 and 23, I felt like I needed to “grow up” and that life was passing me by. I could have gone to law school at 30-years old, and it wouldn’t have been strange at all. But for whatever reason, I completely overlooked just how young I was.
Time is an asset you’ll never get back. When you’re in your 20s (and 30s), you still have so much life left. If things don’t work out, a job and a career will always be there for you. You don’t need to rush into it right away. But if you let those years pass you by, you can never get them back.
My Advice – Take Four Years To Build, Explore, and Create
The advice I’d give to my 22-year old self (and to anyone just starting out their life) would be to take four years to build, explore, and create. Try to survive on nothing but your own wits.
Even if you know you want to be a doctor or lawyer or anything else, I don’t think you should go into it right away. Not in today’s world. There are just too many options and opportunities out there, and at 22-years old, you know so little about who you are and what makes you tick.
You might wonder what I mean by surviving on your own wits. I see this as the ability to essentially “create” an income out of nothing. That’s not to say a job is bad. But you have plenty of time for jobs later. Why not take a few years just to see if you can build and create? You might find it’s what you were meant to do. And if not, well, you’ll still only be 26 – super young in the grand scheme of things and with plenty of time to figure out something else.
I spent those first four years of my post-college life jumping into a career that I didn’t know would fit me or not. I’ve spent the last 5-years of my professional life pretty unhappy. My brother did the opposite. He knew that school and careers would always be there. And he knew that he didn’t have to get it all done at 22. He could take those early years, live lean, be scrappy, and build something for himself. Worst case scenario, he’d go back to school and get a job like everyone else. And he’d still be in his 20s if that happened.
Take Your Time
So to any 20-something out there, my advice is simple. Slow down. Take four years to build, create, and explore. It’ll help you figure out who you are and what you were meant to do.
The great thing is, when you’re that young, you have so much life left. If things don’t work out or you find that you were meant to do something else, those options will always be there. School and careers will always be there. If nothing works out, you’ll still be young too.
The world is a big place. With the internet and the ability to earn money in so many ways, not to mention the fact that jobs and careers just aren’t what they used to be, there’s value in just slowing down before diving in.
I’m now in my 30s, and still feel very young. It makes me wonder why I was in such a hurry in the first place.
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More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:
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- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
- Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
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Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $800 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
- Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
Well can you tell us more about your brother…? 🙂
I am 22, just graduated college in May and am pursing Masters in accounting currently. I always thought I needed to have everything kind of figured out after graduating and after reading this, it made me feel better and was what I needed to hear. I’m always so wrapped up in what’s next that I don’t have time to stop and think if this career is really what I want. Thank you for this advice.
Really great advice, thank you! I’ve come to realize this in recent months, and you’re definitely right. Keep up the great content.
-The Blogging Zoomer
https://bmoblogs.com/
i would like to disagree on this. Congrats to your brother, but he is the exception. I have watched people in my life put off their career, only to be struggling and poor most of their life. If you have the financial means to do so, that is great! Go live your live. Your 20’s are the foundation for now your life is going to go (probably for 90% of people) I decided to take advise like this when i was younger, and it only led me into a pool of debt and depression. You find yourself by trying different jobs, supporting yourself, and saving money. My career is the best thing to happen to me. I took a variety of internships to get where i am, and now i’m 23 and financially independent from my parents and have a good chunk of savings. Happiness comes from discipline and hard work too. Am I pursuing things on the side! Of course. But i’m not running around singing la-di-da hoping money falls from the air.
Hey Addison, totally get your point and appreciate your comments, although I think there’s a little misunderstanding about the general thesis in this post. I don’t think people should sit around doing nothing – I think your 20s are a time for you to take chances. Too often, many of us (myself included), fall into the safe route when our 20s are really the time for us to take chances.
I’m 10 years older than you. When I look back at my 23-year-old self, it’s like looking at a different person. I imagine when I’m 43, I’ll look back at my 33-year-old self and think the same. You have so much more life to live. I think you’ll find that when you’re 33, you’ll look back at your 23-year-old self and be amazed at how different that person looks and how your dreams, passions, ideas have changed.
Wow I feel like I was meant to read this article! I graduated with a B.S. in Psychology at age 20. I always dreamed of going to grad school, but I did not end up choosing that path when the time came. Immediately, I took a promising job working M-F 8-5…I loved the work I did and the people I worked with!! However, a small part of my felt sad working the typical office days and hours 8-5… when I got married a few months later and moved with my husband, I took a pay cut so I could have a more flexible schedule, and I love the hours now but feel “stuck” in what I’m doing.
Now at only 22 & 21, my husband and I are thinking about starting/buying a local business. Before reading this article, I feel like I kept bringing up the negatives that it is a huge risk and could set us back in being 100% debt free and buying a house…but this article has opened my eyes and realized I don’t have to take care of everything right now. I feel like I’ve now gained the optimism and courage to think now is the time to go for it!! I’m excited for a fun adventure! Thank you for a great read 😄
Thanks Taylor – I’m glad that this post resonated with you. You have a lot of life to live still. Trust me, in 10 years, you’ll look back at your 22 year old self and won’t even recognize that person. Go out there and take a shot and give yourself a chance!
I am in the transitional period I spent a lot of my twenties and my early 30s now (33) kinda of in limbo between the two ideals. I performed in a demanding job but at the same time I was able to meet many amazing people and travel all over the United States having adventures that most people will never experience. For this I am great full on the flip side of the Proverbial coin intimate relationships and friendship suffered and I now find myself starting over career wise. Taken what I learned from prior experience still at time leaves me scared lost staring at a dark treacherous abyss but I continue to strive forward and this blog post was a great inspiration thanks Kevin!!
Thanks for sharing some of your story David. I’m the same age as you and also essentially starting over after a decade of being pretty unhappy professionally.
This is a great article and something I needed to hear. If you could offer advice, that would be wonderful. I’m 25, got my bachelors/masters in accounting in 5 years total, started a career in San Francisco and absolutely hated it. I’ve never taken the time to really think about things because I felt like I had to choose something, make a plan and execute as quickly as possible. Now I am debating staying here and getting jobs that I know are not my forever to support myself in this expensive place or head home (New Mexico) to go back to school or try to figure out things there. I’m truly stuck and not sure what to do, I know the smart/logical decision would be to go home, but I am very attached to this city. I’m just really lost.
I totally hear you. I can’t tell you what you should do, but my thought, if it helps, is to remember this. At 25 years old, you can literally do ANYTHING you want. Personally, I live in the midwest which is a much lower cost of living. I’m originally from Washington DC and for a long time, that’s what I thought I wanted to do was to live in a place like DC. With the benefit of time and hindsight, I’m very happy with my decision to live in a lower-cost of living place like Minneapolis.
Hey Kevin! Great article. I like how you’re really adept at responding back to people in the comments. 🙂
In my experience, I’m similar to you. From a young age, the only path was the medical field. An insane unhealthy amount of pressure to do well in school, get good grades, etc. I could never understand why though; my parents and numerous family members were never good at explaining why its beneficial for someone to go that route. They cared more about results and less of the human person.
I followed the path of your brother for a bit: I studied liberal arts in my undergrad, lived with my parents for 2ish years after (worked as a waitress), lived in community for 1 year (learned a lot about myself), and now back to living with my parents (I’m 25). People say that I’m so young, but here I am feeling like I’m running out of time! I’m looking at going back to school which, ironically, is something in the medical field. I do agree with your points of people spending some time to be creative and to stretch their limits. Knowing oneself is a lifelong journey. For me, it just so happens that my 1 year of community living reaffirmed my inkling desires of going back to school and helped clarify some things that I wanted in life, like a steady job, financial stability, etc. (What also helped was realizations of myself after numerous self-reflections of myself, my family, my past, wounds, what I wanted, my desires, my gifts, etc.)
All I have to add is, if someone is taking some time off to be creative and they are at their parents house, I guess put a time limit on it (if circumstances allow). One can grow so much more OUTSIDE the house. Cheers!
Another option for people who are even younger and do not have any desire to live that college lifestyle that does not serve every personality type at all. Use college as a time to learn about who you are. That is what I did. College was the best 5 years of my life, yes 5 because I took my time exploded different options and listened to my gut when it came to changing majors and what not. I lived with my parents to save money but still managed to be independent and grow. Now I know this is not an option for many people due to various reasons, mainly based on your parents and if they even will allow you to live with them, I am just throwing this out there. If your parents aren’t terrible human beings to live with and there is a good college nearby, living at home may not be a bad option. Of course everyone is different, but to me this was one of the best decisions I ever made even though my first semester of college I was super jealous of everyone that went away and lived the “typical” college lifestyle.
In retrospect, I wish I had taken advantage of college more instead of sitting around watching TV and playing video games as much as I did. Especially if you go to a big school like I did, there are just so many clubs and activities to take part in. So definitely, use those college years to explore.
I understand your points; however, it’s difficult to really be able to travel (and enjoy it) when the only job you can land is washing dishes for $US15 an hour.
I’m a 20-year-old Australian guy studying accounting—and am on the path to complete a Bachelor of Commerce (starting in July 2019).
My blog may generate enough revenue in the next few years to enable me to pursue it full-time. But, at this point, I’m still planning to pursue a career in finance (stock market investing) and go from there!
Anyway, thanks for the article!
I would say what you suggest works for some people, but some of us “rush” because we want to have a family before we’re too old. I’m a 22-year-old female and with knowing I still have grad school ahead of me and then want to work for a couple years PLUS have kids ideally before 30 then that doesn’t leave much time to just explore. Not that I couldn’t push some of my life goals back if I wanted to, but my point is some people rush because your 20’s are really the optimal time to do many things so that a decade feels very short.
Fair point. But just one thing to think about because I think I was the same way when I was 22 years old (I’m 32 years old now). Life – especially a decade of life – just can’t be planned out in such a smooth path. There are too many variables in the way. I think it’s worth thinking about that. Hope that helps.
This is something I think about a lot. I wish I had the resources and the courage to do the things I want to do than following the traditional route. I hear this a lot — “time is always on ur side, no need to rush etc” – but I do think this varies on the persons situation.
I went straight to working at a corporate company right after I graduated from uni. Even during college, I worked multiple jobs to support myself. I knew that I needed to find a job and make money so that in case anything happens to my parents, I would be able to support them. I love my job and I was able to pay all my student loans off a few months ago. sometimes I have thoughts of opening up my own business or doing something I’ve always dreamt of pursuing. But that also takes financial resources and time I don’t have.
It makes me wonder – if I knew my parents were well off with a 9-5 office job, would I have been ok with living at home and figuring out what I want to do bc I don’t have that financial burden. I left home since high school for college + work.
Admittedly, this is true – I think that what I wrote is still valuable to understand how much time you have in your life to figure things out, but you’re right, a lot of this is context specific. If you have kids or have to support family, you’re right, you might just have to hurry into your career and can’t take any time to be scrappy and figure out other ways to make a living. One day though, your kids might be in a different position. Give them this advice when they’re starting their own journey.
I went to college right after high school, got my bachelor’s degree and then straight to grad school. Got my masters degree out of the deal though, so I feel great that I’ll always have that and wouldn’t have done that part of my life differently. It did take me a while to land my first full time job, which I’m still in today.
I’m approaching mid-30s now and I do question if there are ways to generate income without having a “job”. Although having a full time job is nice, it’s not my best life. I just don’t know enough to get started on my own.
I just wanted to let you know how comforting this article was for me, a 22 year old who is graduating college next month, to read. I am graduating with a degree in Human Resource Management, but still have absolutely no idea what I want to do or what my true strengths are. Seems as if people my age are such in a rush to start their path to immediate success, leaving me feeling behind. I hope that I still have plenty of time to figure out what is truly the best fit for me, even though I feel behind in the game. Thanks again.
Hey Alex, I’m so glad this article was helpful to you. Trust me, you have a lot of time left – just keep doing things to improve yourself, and know that you have a lot of life ahead of you. Take the time to explore and grow.
fortunately, we’re part of a generation that has boundless opportunity to explore new and alternative careers!
Exactly. That’s why the way our parents taught us to think about the world doesn’t work. There’s just way too much opportunity out there with the internet. And it’s still so new. I literally didn’t have a smartphone until 2013, when I was 26 years old. At the time, it didn’t seem weird at all. If things were that different just 5 or 6 years ago, imagine how different things will look in another 5 or 6 years.
I will say my two cents as a 50-year old mother and professional. Some wisdom I want to share about life, humanity and career:
1. Your brain is capable of collecting a lot of information and study while you are young (below 30’s) . So take advantage of that youthful brain to study. Study can come in any form , it can come from practical applications or work but know that everything has science into it , so master the craft or field in a methodical way and this is where school or learning institution comes in.
2. Life is not a race , what is wrong with rat race is that even if you win, at the end of the day, you are still are a rat. So live for the moment. The “Power of Now” does not mean you don’t plan for the future , it is just telling you to savor each day and be happy.
3. In anything that you do, perfect it. “Make it as an offering to God“, as Monsignor Escriva said. If you are a lawyer, a cook or a gardener, a waitress or a doctor , then be the “best “ one out there. Perfect your craft by learning and doing.
4. Build on your strengths and double down on your weakness , one comment above said that and that is true. That is the only way you can discover your path —- through mindfulness and doing.
5. When you are young, go for experience over money. Money will come with your experience.
6. Live a lifelong of learning coz Studies have shown that the higher your level of learning the more emotionally tough and mature you are and you need that as you pursue your dreams.
7. With or without formal schooling, Wit and Integrity is important. Whatever it is you aspire for —— just do it, just show up and fulfill commitments along the way.
I felt the same way when I was in my lower 20’s, and ended up going to engineering school and grad school as a result of not knowing what I wanted to do or what I as good at. Apart from everything you mention above, one more reason to spend 3-4 years building, exploring, and creating, is to figure out what you’re good at! So many of us choose a career without first asking that important question. Gary Vaynerchuk talks about this all the time. Double down on your strengths! If I were to give advice to a high school aged kid right now, that would be the one piece of advice I would push the hardest. Double down on your strengths, don’t spend all your time trying to fix your weaknesses. You’ll never be able to build up your weaknesses high enough to compete with someone who is strong in that area, and that’s okay! You can crush it with whatever you are good at!
Exactly – figure out what you’re good at and figure out if you even like it! Like a lot of lawyers, I just stumbled my way into law school because I graduated and didn’t know what I wanted to do. It never occurred to me that I could have just chilled out a bit and figured out what I wanted to do more, instead of just defaulting into law school. My strengths are definitely not arguing and sitting in an office all day researching briefs.
Hey Kevin,
This is a great read and I completely agree. Nowadays, people make a living on anything, from freelance copywriting on fiver, to video game streaming on twitch, it is an amazing world we live in. And yet we are fed this stupid path from childhood about getting a degree with a ton of debt for a low paying job which you need to keep in order to pay off the debt you accumulated, smh, the education system is obsolete. And the worst part is that those jobs that used to be given to bachelor degrees are no longer there, to be honest, most people are probably better off, trying to become youtubers, or dropshippers then going straight to a j-o-b.
Also, I noticed you are probably one of the few blogs that implements digital advertisement and I have to say, this is a brilliant way to drive traffic. But are you taking a loss, I doubt your conversion on affiliate links can pay for the traffic, if your playing the long game strategy, then, I’m even more impressed! You earned a reader 😁
Thanks for sharing such an honest blog. Would you suggest the same advice to a married 22 year old, or only for single folks?
What do you mean by “build, explore, and create”? And how could one do this without any money?
Thanks again
I’d suggest this same advice to every 22-year old unless you have kids or something relying on you. If you’re married at 22-years old, you are still so young – you can make it on very little (after all, you we’re probably living on very little from 18-22).
Build, create, explore. I mean take from age 22-26, and use your youth and resiliency to see what you can create in the form of businesses, freelancing, or anything where you are generating income from nothing. I know it sounds stupid, but content is something that there will never be a shortage of need for. Just look at Netflix, Amazon Prime, books of any sort, etc. People want content or something to help them, and a lot of us have the power to impact people with what we know and learn.
How do you do this without any money? Easy – you act like a college kid, and live just like that – with no money. Live with a bunch of roommates. Or live at home. Or do any 100 of things you did to make ends meet when you were a student with no money. By the time your 26 or 27, you’ll know more about yourself and have learned something from the 4 years you spent building something, creating something, and exploring things.
You always have such a unique take on things! And yet, your thoughts are always very sensible and rational. This article is no exception.
I was brought up the Asian way—while my parents were not Tiger parents by any stretch, things like Gap Years weren’t exactly the norm!
I like your suggestion to take things slow. In today’s world, it makes so much sense. Kids are maturing more slowly, staying home longer, and people are living longer. Why not spend a few years as a young adult exploring your options?
Thanks for another thought-provoking article!
I was brought up the Asian way too – also non-tiger parents, but sort of an expectation that we’d continue on our path, step-by-step. That’s why my parents kept thinking my brother was a bum as he took his 20s to build and create. Worst case, he could always go back to school at 28 and be exactly back on that path.
When I was a kid I thought it would be cool to have a lot of different jobs in my lifetime and if a career was essentially 20 years long (I don’t know why I thought that) I could start a career when I was 40 and be finished by 60. I didn’t give that any more thought until in my 40s I was in the midst of an actual career that I went to school for when I was 40. I graduated and got a certificate as a massage therapist when I was 41 and am in my 16th year and am loving it. I have had a wide variety of jobs in my life and I am able to look back and appreciate the course my working career had. I know my path is not for everyone and there are certainly careers that take a lot of schooling but it has worked for me and sometimes it is advantageous to wait a while before choosing what path to take. Exploration is very educational in itself.
Much success, Kevin, in finding your path that you can really feel good about. Thanks for letting us be a fly on the wall as you find your way.
Thank you Linda. You are a great example of someone finding their way later in their life. And look at that – at 40, you now have been doing it for 16 years! And yet, when I was 22, I thought I had to do it all right now or else that would be the end for me.
For people who realize as soon as they enter the workforce that they chose an ineffective degree field, there’s a lot of pressure to make the bad degree work and get your money’s worth by working jobs you can’t stand. There’s also a lot of social/internet pressure aimed towards 20s-30s women to work yourself to death on monetized blogs or an etsy store and other creative “side hustles,” to compensate, because you hate your inane admin job and it doesn’t pay a living wage. But the side hustle isn’t a job, it’s a fun hobby that you WANT to do for several hours after work every day!
*barfs all over Career Girl Daily*
1. Career retraining has a much higher payout long term than “making it work” especially in terms of life satisfaction.
2. When did it become a woman’s responsibility to compensate for the glass ceiling of admin assistant hell by spending all her free time on a second job that we’re told to think of as a hobby?
3. Starting a monetized blog about your bullet journal won’t get you out of a low paying job that you hate. Getting qualified for another job will.
So here’s a 27 year old “admin assistant” with a degree in underwater basketweaving and a nosebleed from that pesky glass ceiling telling you to go back to school if you hate your job. Yeah, it’s expensive and a lot of hard work, but sacrificing your future to the sunk cost fallacy isn’t worth saving any amount of money.
Oh and there’s a huge pilot shortage, so definitely look into flight training if you can’t like your life with a desk job and don’t want to be an entrepreneur either. It’s a guaranteed non-desk-job with real upward mobility and no glass ceiling to smash your face on.
I guess my thought is that, there are so many ways to make a living out there today, but from the time I was a kid, I was basically told that you could only make a good middle-upper-class living by being a lawyer or a doctor. And that path was very clearly laid out, so it’s why a lot of us went the routes we did.
Instead, I wish I’d taken the time to figure out more about who I was before I ended up putting myself in a position where I had to give up years of my life to a job. The world is SO BIG today. I’m firmly of the belief that most people, if they really want it, can figure out how to make an income with their own wits. And if not, okay, now you’re 27 years old and you realize you couldn’t do it and can go back to grad school and get a job like the original plan was at 22.
This is such a great reminder as I change careers…in my thirties! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Leigh. I’m in the same boat as well as I look to change up what I’m doing, also in my thirties.
This is such a good reminder! When I graduated with my BA, I really thought I’d go straight into a Master’s program and then hop into a career. That didn’t happen, and while I’m happy where I’m at (paying down debt, wandering around a little and side hustle), I still feel like I should have done it “different”…
Honestly, I wish I had done it like you and just figured out who I was a little bit first before jumping into it all. Sounds like you’re in a good place now. Create, build, and explore!
Great piece!
Although it was only one year, I look back fondly on the time I took off in between college and law school surviving on my own wits (albeit, with a family support network if I needed it). It helped me feel more confident about my life goals and, through my experiences in the sales career I had during that time, greatly improved my social skills thus making me a better lawyer in the end.
This confidence also helped me maintain my focus while in law school, which some of my peers who went to law school immediately after college seemed to have trouble doing. While i managed to work hard and do very well, many of them had trouble buckling down to get done the work they needed to do (partying all the time instead) or dropped out of law school because they couldn’t handle it.
Why so many people in our generation seem to need more time to “find themselves” before feeling comfortable with a career is an entirely different question with no one right answer. However, in the end I’m really glad I took that one year to do so.
Thanks for sharing Jason!
You don’t have so much life left. Never assume, because one is young, they have plentiful time ahead. That mindset will cut your life in half. You will do less with it. All anyone has is today. Do it now.
You know, that’s true for sure – we don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I’m not sure what to make of that. If tomorrow isn’t promised, then it seems like the correct play would be to only live for today and forget tomorrow. If we assume we have plenty of time, then seems like you should pursue your dreams now because you’ll have plenty of time to recover tomorrow. Both mindsets seem to support the same thing – do it now because either we don’t know what tomorrow holds, or we have plenty of time to catch up.