I feel like I'm getting nowhere while everyone is moving forward?

[Ellie]

I'm only 19 and I know that's still young but there's so much pressure on me to decide on a major/career and I've already done two internships and even though I did gain a lot of experiene in the corporate world and whatnot, I feel like it's not for me.I've had several other jobs as well (retail, restuarant, volunteer, assistant) I don't want to deal with co-workers, gossip, and the pressure of having to please someone 24/7 (boss0, and fear of getting fired or laid off. It's just too much pressure and I have anxiety from it all.

It is very frusrating for me because I want to have a job where I look forward to, enjoy it, and am good at it. Does this mean I should become self-employed? Do they even make money?

[mrreliable3599]

Yes, if you can't stomach "co-workers, gossip, and the pressure of having the please the boss 24/7," you don't have much choice but to be self-employed.

Do they make money? Well, Bill Gates is self-employed.

In reality, most people who choose to go into business for themselves risk lots of money and bust their butts in a desperate attempt to make a go of it. They hire people. Most people starting out in business pay their employees more than they make.

And they get trashed by the mainstream media if they happen to have a good year and make 100 grand or so ($250,000 after taxes).

If you're willing to risk it all, work twice as much as anyone else, sacrifice, and pay everyone else's way while you're being smeared as one of the hated "rich" people when you're still trying to make payroll, you might be cut out to be self-employed. Otherwise, just work for one of those evil rich people, become one of the 50% of people in the country who sponge off the other half, and resent everyone with more money than you.

Self-employment. It's not for the weak.

[Talita K.]

I was self-employed in a major city. You really have to study your market to see if they want what you offer. Then you need to know if you can stand to run a business at a loss for a while until you are established. Unless you step into a family business that is doing well, expect not to make mega bucks in the beginning.
I suggest that if at all possible, consider a job where you are a degreed professional, engineer, veterinarian, and etc. My friends in these professions have autonomy and do not put up with gossip and petty nonsense. They also love what they are doing.

[BeeLiz19]

It feels like there's pressure now, but I promise you, you can change your mind a million times, and be 40 years old, and you can still change your mind.

You just need to find a structured way to explore real options. You gained experience in corporate, fair enough, I know I don't want a typical desk job. Working in retail/restaurant/volunteer/assistant... ya, those aren't careersr, which is what you seem to be looking for. Those are filler jobs because you're lost, and they're great while you're finding yourself, but you're using these as a means to the end.

Almost every job you're dealing with people, which means you will deal with some people you hate, and some people you like. It's all a part of growing up; learning how to manage the people we don't like.

But again, not all bosses and not all co-workers are going to give you hell and make you get fired. You need to look at your real options. What careers have interested you? Pick one, and then do the research on the education required, what those qualifications will cost you, is there a market for the job, what will your salary by like, what is the social contact like, etc. etc. When you find that the information on this one subject doesn't suit you, then you repeat the process for a different career option. IF it passes this stage and you're still interested, then you do social research. Ask people who are currently in their field, and get into internships or volunteer positions within the companies to start networking and to experience if you actually like those careers. Maybe even take a course at school to see if you would enjoy the material.

You pick a dream that might be the one, you follow it through, and when you get to something you don't like, you switch. My sis is going through this problem right now. For years, she thought she would go into science. Now that she's spent a year at uni for it, she hates it. She loves creating and design, I've told her for years to try architecture, and now she's looking into the market and schools for it. I've also suggested she take a summer course at a nearby college in architecture, which she immediately loved.

WORK AT IT