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26 never had a 'proper' job

Due to illness and family problems I've only ever worked in retail whilst I was at university and never actually had a 'proper' job i.e. 9-5/professional. It is what I'm aiming for but I just feel so fragile at the moment and I do not understand how people can sustain full time jobs like that. It's a part of adult life and it scares me that at this age I don't fit into the work environment. If any of you have a full time jobs like that how do you cope?
You get up and you go to work. It's really as simple as that. Although having said that my boss is really relaxed so I'm often over an hour late and take long lunches so I guess I don't really end up doing a full day most days. But when I first started I did the whole 9-5 thing. You just turn up and do the work.
Reply 2
Avatar for Anonymous #1
Anonymous #1
OP
Original post by Anonymous
You get up and you go to work. It's really as simple as that. Although having said that my boss is really relaxed so I'm often over an hour late and take long lunches so I guess I don't really end up doing a full day most days. But when I first started I did the whole 9-5 thing. You just turn up and do the work.

What's the rest of your life like? As in home life...
Original post by Anonymous
What's the rest of your life like? As in home life...


Pretty boring. I don't really know anyone here so I pretty much just come home, make some food, maybe have a bit of a chat with my housemates, watch Netflix and go to bed. On the weekends I'll go visit my parents or my boyfriend or I have one mate down here so I often hang out with him on weekends.
Original post by Anonymous
Due to illness and family problems I've only ever worked in retail whilst I was at university and never actually had a 'proper' job i.e. 9-5/professional. It is what I'm aiming for but I just feel so fragile at the moment and I do not understand how people can sustain full time jobs like that. It's a part of adult life and it scares me that at this age I don't fit into the work environment. If any of you have a full time jobs like that how do you cope?


I've worked full time for a year now, I'm lucky that I enjoy the job I do so 99% of the time I'm so engrossed in work I don't think about how I'm feeling until the evening/weekend.
I don't have a job yet, and pretty sure I'm not gonna get one for a good while with this current state of the job market.

To answer your question, I am a little younger than you but feeling the same way. I don't know how I am going to cope with a full time job after having a nice easy university experience where I finished at lunch time most days.
Decide on applying first. Go for the action and everything else will follow.

You can do it
Original post by DocWho49
I don't have a job yet, and pretty sure I'm not gonna get one for a good while with this current state of the job market.

To answer your question, I am a little younger than you but feeling the same way. I don't know how I am going to cope with a full time job after having a nice easy university experience where I finished at lunch time most days.


Should've done a proper degree lol
Original post by Anonymous
Should've done a proper degree lol


I did computing :smile:
Original post by DocWho49
I did computing :smile:


Ok I take it back but how were you done by lunch every day doing computing?
Original post by Anonymous
Ok I take it back but how were you done by lunch every day doing computing?


Was only one day to be fair, but we only ever had 3 hour lessons anyway :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
Pretty boring. I don't really know anyone here so I pretty much just come home, make some food, maybe have a bit of a chat with my housemates, watch Netflix and go to bed. On the weekends I'll go visit my parents or my boyfriend or I have one mate down here so I often hang out with him on weekends.


Least you have a boyfriend, get on with your parents and have a few friends.
I'm 25, I have a masters degree and a good well-paying job but no friends, hate my family and never had a GF. I'd gladly swap places with you :smile:
25 and also never had a proper job (been hired as a camera operative on a good number of short-term projects, but gave that up for mental health reasons) so you're not alone!
Reply 13
Avatar for Atreus
Atreus
11
The real question I have is how you're so content doing nothing with your life and presumably getting such a small sum of money. You must have parents you leech off or something. When you actually have to pay for your own rent/food/bills/recreational activities you'll be surprised how much you'll be willing to work.
Original post by Anonymous
Least you have a boyfriend, get on with your parents and have a few friends.
I'm 25, I have a masters degree and a good well-paying job but no friends, hate my family and never had a GF. I'd gladly swap places with you :smile:


I have one friend, not a few friends lol. And tbh I'm not even sure if I'm still in love with my boyfriend anymore as I don't really see a future together so you're welcome to my life lol. Plus I'm about to go back to uni for final year where the only person I know up there is my boyfriend and I'll be in lectures with my ex so that'll be fun :yy:
Original post by Anonymous
Least you have a boyfriend, get on with your parents and have a few friends.
I'm 25, I have a masters degree and a good well-paying job but no friends, hate my family and never had a GF. I'd gladly swap places with you :smile:
This is what scares me. The whole working but being so dissatisfied that I end up on a slow road to burnout which I'll inevitably arrive at if I'm not super careful. I dunno about anyone else but one of the things that scares me the most about the proper kind of full time employment is the potential of a lack of variation in the job - I'll end up with my face on the keyboard.

Original post by sinfonietta
25 and also never had a proper job (been hired as a camera operative on a good number of short-term projects, but gave that up for mental health reasons) so you're not alone!
Exactly.

Original post by Atreus
The real question I have is how you're so content doing nothing with your life and presumably getting such a small sum of money. You must have parents you leech off or something. When you actually have to pay for your own rent/food/bills/recreational activities you'll be surprised how much you'll be willing to work.

You obviously have never had a scenario where you can't move out for family and financial reasons. The fact you've been able to move out and have a job to pay for those things shows you've at least in some sense been lucky... more often than not it isn't as simple as haven't moved out = lazy/ incompetent.
Reply 16
Avatar for Atreus
Atreus
11
Original post by Anonymous
This is what scares me. The whole working but being so dissatisfied that I end up on a slow road to burnout which I'll inevitably arrive at if I'm not super careful. I dunno about anyone else but one of the things that scares me the most about the proper kind of full time employment is the potential of a lack of variation in the job - I'll end up with my face on the keyboard.

Exactly.


You obviously have never had a scenario where you can't move out for family and financial reasons. The fact you've been able to move out and have a job to pay for those things shows you've at least in some sense been lucky... more often than not it isn't as simple as haven't moved out = lazy/ incompetent.


Lucky ? My mum sold my house because she wasn't able to keep up with bills while I was at uni, I finished and ended up homeless and jobless and my mental health had been in a dire state the whole time.

I went from charity to charity and it took weeks of begging in front of councils till one of them put me in a hostel for the homeless. That's where I now live. Every day I would apply for jobs non stop and it took about four weeks till something came up. It takes most my pay check to keep a room over my head. You think I wouldn't rather sit around and feel sorry about myself like you ? You think I'm getting hands out to feed myself ? You think I have any option but to go into work every day to keep a room over my head ? I'm not by any means lucky.
Im 27 and never worked. i volunteer a few days a week i hope it will lead into something else soon so your not alone. Plus i have aspergers, this makes things worse with interviews.

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