7 answers
Elvin
Student
Miami Gardens, Florida
4
Questions
Asked
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How do you know what you want in your life, what do you want to become and who do you want to become.
I am 19 years old. I have little experience with jobs but I attend to learn more and push myself. When it comes to a task I tend to think I know when I am doing but sometimes I do not know and freeze. I want to learn to be more confident. #College
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7 answers
Shante Harrison, CPA
Accounting
3
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Shante’s Answer
Hi Elvin - Don't worry about not having experience with jobs! It'll come later :)
When you get to college, or even before then, to build confidence, try to first focus on applying for jobs that are "entry-level" and don't require any previous experience. And once you get one, just learn as much as you can and work hard. That's how we all got started, and there's nothing to be ashamed or worry about. Confidence comes with time, so give yourself some time to find a job and work there for a while.
Apply for entry level jobs.
Stick with the job for a while to build confidence.
When you get to college, or even before then, to build confidence, try to first focus on applying for jobs that are "entry-level" and don't require any previous experience. And once you get one, just learn as much as you can and work hard. That's how we all got started, and there's nothing to be ashamed or worry about. Confidence comes with time, so give yourself some time to find a job and work there for a while.
Shante recommends the following next steps:
Sarah Kuldip
Risk Management
4
Answers
Morristown, New Jersey
Updated
Sarah’s Answer
Hi Elvin! It's normal to not know what you want to do or become in life especially at 19. And even if you think you find your path, nothing is constant except change, so you may find you change careers 10 yrs in to your first career and that's good too. As you learn you'll become more confident and realize more about what you like and don't like. Time and life experience are what will help you grow, be confident, and understand what you want to do with your life.
Julian Mitchell
Student
3
Answers
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Updated
Julian’s Answer
I feel you! The fact that you want to learn more and push yourself is a great start. I started as a freshman in college at the age of 22- it took me a long time to feel confident with myself, my degree and career choices, and my future. The secret that no one talks about as a young adult is that, truly, only a handful of people really understand what they want to do when they're young. It's normal not to know what you want to do yet, you aren't alone.
My advice to you would be to try something you haven't ever done before. Something that you might have interest in, or just want to learn more about. Even if you aren't in college, you can still take advantage of things that are traditionally oriented toward college students. You can try a self-paced course on Coursera (for free if you choose to "audit" the course) in any number of topics, volunteer, or apply for an internship (which you absolutely can do outside of college). You can also try applying to different jobs- if you feel passionate about a career path, communicate that in your interview. If, or when, you have a sense of some career paths you're interested in, you can pursue that career further, either through school or just through work.
Building confidence takes a long time. Supporting and being kind to yourself is a huge part of this. Just know that it's alright to not have it all figured out yet, so don't stress to much if you feel uncertain: it's a part of life. There's no right or wrong answer.
My advice to you would be to try something you haven't ever done before. Something that you might have interest in, or just want to learn more about. Even if you aren't in college, you can still take advantage of things that are traditionally oriented toward college students. You can try a self-paced course on Coursera (for free if you choose to "audit" the course) in any number of topics, volunteer, or apply for an internship (which you absolutely can do outside of college). You can also try applying to different jobs- if you feel passionate about a career path, communicate that in your interview. If, or when, you have a sense of some career paths you're interested in, you can pursue that career further, either through school or just through work.
Building confidence takes a long time. Supporting and being kind to yourself is a huge part of this. Just know that it's alright to not have it all figured out yet, so don't stress to much if you feel uncertain: it's a part of life. There's no right or wrong answer.
Christel Abou Jaoude
Risk and Quality
8
Answers
Beirut, Beirut Governorate, Lebanon
Updated
Christel’s Answer
Choosing your life path can be very hard. It does take some time. It is important to take your time and know your interests, your values, hobbies, Soft skills, what motivates you, what activities do you most enjoy. Make a list of the fields you are interested in, Find educational, training requirements, Lifestyle requirements for each path in you list and you can start narrowing it down. Take some online career assessments, Seek out career coaches- Interview some people in your field of interest, seek internships. Imagine yourself in 5 and 10 years. Do you see yourself happy in that path?
To boost your confidence, try finding some extracurricular activities that will engage you groups, meet all kinds of people, experience all sort of things, teach you new skills and . Get involved in clubs, sports, etc. Try different things, different options, think outside of the box and most importantly take your time and surround yourself by supporting people either family or friends.
Good luck
To boost your confidence, try finding some extracurricular activities that will engage you groups, meet all kinds of people, experience all sort of things, teach you new skills and . Get involved in clubs, sports, etc. Try different things, different options, think outside of the box and most importantly take your time and surround yourself by supporting people either family or friends.
Good luck
Brittany Goodell
Compliance
3
Answers
Newport, Vermont
Updated
Brittany’s Answer
Hey Elvin, great question! You're definitely not alone in this feeling of not knowing what you want to do/be. Try to think of your life more as an experience versus as a mission to become something. As a 32 year old, I can say that even if you thought you knew what you wanted to be at 19, changes are those feelings would change over time. What you learn right now doesn't need to be what you end up doing for the rest of your life, but rather, it will set you up to just be more well-rounded later on. If you're interested in one thing right now, then I recommend pursuing it to it's fullest. In doing so, you'll undoubtedly learn new things and you'll get a better sense of whether or not it's actually something you truly enjoy doing. If it is, that's great! If not, no harm done - on to the next interest! We no longer live in a world where you have to become something and then be it for the rest of your life. In fact, much of our workforce now thrives off of people switching careers. People who switch things up bring a level of knowledge and experience that someone who's been in the same role for decades might not have, which makes the team/company stronger as a whole.
All of this is to say, try not to put pressure on yourself to decide right this moment what you want to do with the rest of your life. Do what feels right now, and you'll be shocked at what paths might open up for you in the future.
And in regards to the confidence...this is something I struggled with at your age, as well! My best recommendation is to find something you love doing and immerse yourself in it. Whether it's a sport, a hobby, an activity, or anything else....if you're doing something you love, then you're bound to feel good and confident while you're doing it. Do it as much as you can to help yourself become familiar with the feeling of being confident. Over time, that will start to carry out in other areas of your life, as well. One thing I've learned - most people have one or two things that they truly love and are good at, and we're all just semi-okay at everything else. So, confidence just comes from knowing who you are, what you love, and what you're good at and then being okay with knowing we can't all be amazing at everything!
Also - volunteer!! You'll be amazed at how much confidence you can gain while you're helping others!
All of this is to say, try not to put pressure on yourself to decide right this moment what you want to do with the rest of your life. Do what feels right now, and you'll be shocked at what paths might open up for you in the future.
And in regards to the confidence...this is something I struggled with at your age, as well! My best recommendation is to find something you love doing and immerse yourself in it. Whether it's a sport, a hobby, an activity, or anything else....if you're doing something you love, then you're bound to feel good and confident while you're doing it. Do it as much as you can to help yourself become familiar with the feeling of being confident. Over time, that will start to carry out in other areas of your life, as well. One thing I've learned - most people have one or two things that they truly love and are good at, and we're all just semi-okay at everything else. So, confidence just comes from knowing who you are, what you love, and what you're good at and then being okay with knowing we can't all be amazing at everything!
Also - volunteer!! You'll be amazed at how much confidence you can gain while you're helping others!
Jiaming Chen
Solutions Consultant
9
Answers
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
Jiaming’s Answer
Hi Elvin, it's very normal to have this question at your age, and some people may still have this question through most of the life. I would say it's great that you asked this question, which means you are already prepared to face it and try to find the answer to it.
But to be honest, this is a question that most likely only you can find the answer, other people can give you advice, but you will be the one to make decision. Then how to make a better decision on what to do and who to be? The answer is "try more, learn more, when you are young". If you feel you would possibly love to do something, just try it, talk with some people who are already in that area, try to be involved with it for a period, like 3 months. Then you will get a better idea on what it really looks like, and wether you will really like it for a long time. The more you try, the more you will know what you will really like to do. And there is not much cost if you change your idea or switch the path when you are young, so, don't wait until you get a perfect answer, the answer is just behind something you will try and experience.
Good luck!
But to be honest, this is a question that most likely only you can find the answer, other people can give you advice, but you will be the one to make decision. Then how to make a better decision on what to do and who to be? The answer is "try more, learn more, when you are young". If you feel you would possibly love to do something, just try it, talk with some people who are already in that area, try to be involved with it for a period, like 3 months. Then you will get a better idea on what it really looks like, and wether you will really like it for a long time. The more you try, the more you will know what you will really like to do. And there is not much cost if you change your idea or switch the path when you are young, so, don't wait until you get a perfect answer, the answer is just behind something you will try and experience.
Good luck!
Dan Kosuda
Field Service Engineer
7
Answers
Long Beach, California
Updated
Dan’s Answer
College is a great place to start trying new things. Other opportunities will help you build job skills, experiences, and confidence. You can volunteer, join a sports club, or apply for a campus job. Try activities you've never tried before.
Don't be shy with your new environment, whether that's work or at school. Ask questions and show a willingness to learn.
Don't be shy with your new environment, whether that's work or at school. Ask questions and show a willingness to learn.