Unemployed and feeling like a disappointment

Hi all,

I finished a level 3 in the worlds most pointless subject back in may. (UAL visual communication). In september, I started a level 4 foundation year in art that my college offered for free and I quickly realised that it was just wasting my time with primary school tier cutting and sticking and finger painting type stupid activities. So I dropped out.

I’m now feeling supremely ******* useless. Everyone I know is either at university or in full time employment and trying to achieve something with their life (one of them even at Cambridge for ***** sake) and I am just sat here on my ass all day every day not even getting responses from retail jobs . I got mostly 8s + a 9 in my gcses and I just feel like I’ve squandered all my potential. I can’t afford university and even if I wanted to go - the only subject I could do is something art based which is pointless and I cannot ******* stand it any more . I have no ******* A-Levels which makes me feel like a stupid piece of ****. I can’t stop feeling like I’ve failed everyone in my life including myself and I just want to give up entirely .

How the **** do I turn my life around from here?????? I have no money, no work experience, a distinction in a pointless subject in a field which has no prospects, and no will to live. I don’t have any access to a careers advisor and my parents are in their 50s and never went to university or even got a levels so they never ended up in this situation and can’t help me. What do I do ??? Is there anything I can do ????????

Reply 1

WaistcoatRich

Focus your attention on places that know what UAL Visual Communication is, such as marketing/communication companies, event management or museums, or the corporate communications departments of larger companies. Beg an entry-level position in graphics or similar.
If you’re getting FOMO from not doing uni, well, you haven’t done it yet. I crashed my A-levels, dropped out of Audio/Visual Design, but managed to eke out a career (advertising, then publishing). I studied part-time later on. MA now.
Two things you DO have right now: time and skills. The rule of ‘show-don’t-tell’ applies here, so build a portfolio. Be creatively active. An art qualification is only useless if you give up art.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 2

dmibxm

But that’s the thing - I have given up on art and I did a long time ago . I don’t want to go to university because I can’t stand the idea of debt and I would be the first one in my family to go which is terrifying

Reply 3

WaistcoatRich

Original post

by dmibxm

Bullet-point the positives:

•

Great grades at GCSE

•

Distinction in a Level 3 subject

So far, so good. Success story. Now pivot away from art and take some transferable skills with you (which you WILL have developed – lateral thinking, communication, and others – even if they’re not quantifiable). One possible pivot is towards marketing but I've no idea the opportunities near you for study or work. Not wanting to be in debt was a major factor in my decision to stop education the first time around as well, so I understand. Given the choice of uni or living debt-free, you're choosing the latter, so you’re still controlling your narrative as far as any one can. For now, have patience in those bullet points above getting you a job somewhere, even if it takes a little while.

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