# Choosing career path



## Scripturient (Mar 28, 2017)

For as long as I can remember I've wanted to move to the UK (or somewhere like that, just to get out of Sweden) and become an author. That later changed into songwriter or journalist. During high school I gave up on my unrealistic writer dreams and settled with staying in Sweden and becoming a high school teacher (Swedish/English). But everything I had hoped for in that career of fell apart when I went to university in January. I didn't like the school environment, I found the work way too hard from the first week and my mental health was hitting rock bottom. So I dropped out. Luckily university is free in Sweden so my parents weren't too upset with me and I didn't waste a ton of money for nothing. 

After I dropped out I've had a ton of time to think about what I REALLY want out of life. I still think about going to a different university and becoming a teacher but the more I think about all of the tasks teachers have to face day to day the more I don't want to do it. I would love working with books and inspiring the kids to step out of their comfort zone and go chase their dreams no matter what. Kind of like Mr Keating in Dead poets society. But I feel like I wouldn't be good at the actual teaching, just the thought of standing in front of 30+ 14-18 year olds and trying to keep them calm as well as making sure they learn what they have to scares the living hell out of me. Seeing as I even struggled with doing basic 3 minute presentations in front of 15 people in high school that just seems impossible for me.

So, back to my original dream of being an author. I took a creative writing class during my senior year of high school and it was awful. The teacher kept giving me mediocre grades without giving me advice in how to actually improve so I kind of gave up on that class halfway through the year. But I still dream of going to university and getting a bachelors in english and then moving to the UK or Ireland and doing some kind of writing work as I write my own novels. The issues that would come if I did chose this are many. 
1. My family would deeply question my choice and keep pestering me about "what will you become after this degree then?" "what will you de with your life?".
2. I would have to move out in August, the closest school is about 5-6 hours away from home and I have pets that will move with me so I won't be able to visit my family more than twice a year or so. 
3. What if I fail, what if I move away and then hate the school, what if I graduate and can't move away from Sweden. I'm so scared of failure that it's stopping me from even trying.
4. I'm not sure if I even really want to become a writer. And I refuse to get a degree and then just become a cashier or something.

Basically I have little idea of what I want to chose as a career path and I need help. Has anyone had a similar issue? From what I've read this is a common INFP struggle. 
Sorry for the essay type post :laughing:


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## IDontKnowMe (Mar 25, 2017)

Oh, I can totally relate. You think you want to do something but then you end up questioning whether you actually want to do it or are perhaps romanticizing the idea (I'm not sure if that is what you actually do but I definitely do that)? 

I think the only way to know whether or not you want to do something is to actually just try it. Otherwise, you will spend all your life thinking, "What if!" If you try it, and find out that you do not like it as much as you originally thought or if you find something else you like better, at least you'll know and you can stop spending time and energy thinking about it! I'm not sure if you write now, but that is definitely what I suggest you do. Read and write as much as you can. You can't become good at something if you don't do it, and you don't necessarily have to go to school for it and/or only do that thing while you are in school. If you do find happiness in being an author, don't give up! I think being an INFP (and again I'm not sure if it applies to all or just me [I'm new to this!]) but finding happiness and being content with your decisions is very difficult. So if you do find that it makes you happy, don't let it go! 

You're young. You have time to figure it all out. Everyone still is! Trust me. Don't beat yourself up about it.

I think it will be beneficial for you to see if you can answer these questions:

1) What would you like to write about? Why?
2) How often do you write now? Can you spend more time doing so?
3) How well read are you in that specific style of writing/genre?
4) Who are your favorite authors? Why?
5) What are your other interests? Could you see yourself having a career in them? Journalism, maybe?
6) Are there classes that are offered in your community that you can take?
7) You can always start a blog (if that is of interest to you) and start writing more that way.


I understand your struggle as I am also trying to find my way. It won't be easy but I know we'll get there. Best of luck! :smile:


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## SpaceVulpes (May 26, 2015)

As an INTJ I can also relate to this, as far as I understood this correctly. Superficially knowing what you want, or what direction you want to head, but then start questioning all of that. Do I really want to do that? What if I wouldn't like it, what then? Would I be capable of doing it?

I actually live in Finland, and I also thought about moving to UK and becoming forensic anthropologist. But then I gave it up because I started questioning my capability and also if that really would be the path for me. Since 2015 I've been quite stuck with what I want, and actually started a thread about that myself. Which lead to starting an online computer science class, of which I'm rather enthusiastic about at the moment. (And also, just btw my INFP friend is also dealing with similar problem.)


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