Dear Prudence,
I’m a permanent college student. I have talked to a dozen school advisers, career center staff, a career coach, a life coach. No one gives me advice other than to follow my heart. At this point, I need better advice. I graduated college in 2011. I majored in communication, thinking I wanted to go into radio broadcasting or writing, but once I completed an internship I realized I disliked radio and decided not to pursue it. I have been a supermarket supervisor for a decade, which has barely supported me financially. My managers have been trying to get me to become a manager for years—they make great money, and I’m on the verge of just going for it, but I’m positive I would get burnt out after a few months. (These managers live at the store and deal with a lot of BS that I find to be unbearable.)
I have tried getting into an X-ray tech program (denied), gotten into a baking/culinary program (I accepted but couldn’t commit), tried being a travel agent (didn’t like sitting at a desk on the phone all day), worked in bakery production (too boring), finished three-quarters of a master’s-level teaching program (got bored and quit), and finished half of another program for secondary ed (couldn’t pass the state math exam). I just completed a one-year dental assisting program and got hired, but I hated it and quit after a week because they really misrepresented the job they hired me for. I just found a job at a specialty dental office and am going to give it a shot, but I am expecting the same outcome.
My biggest issues are: I like having control and supervising, I am not a huge people person (although I can fake it), and I get bored fast. I have a lot of student-loan and credit-card debt. My boyfriend and I want to get married and buy a house, but he doesn’t trust that I can keep a job. I can’t blame him. I have no problem getting hired because I interview well, but I end up disliking everything I try. My dream would be to have the means to travel and to have my own cafe serving vegan food. That makes me think I need to go to culinary school—but why commit myself to another project I may not stick with? What is my next move? I can’t keep doing this.
—Floundering