Confused about what career path to take next

[Guest community6seasons]

A bit of background info: I worked for 9.5 years in IT, but I was quite miserable in my line of work. I couldn't cope with the general atmosphere where it was generally expected of people to put in 10-11 hours of work every day (spending 1.5 hours in commuting didn't help too). I quit last year. In fact, it has been a year to the day today. Since a one year gap on my CV looks bad enough, I need to do something now. I have been thinking of several options and I think my brain has short-circuited itself. Realistically I have two options: a diploma in graphic design or a certificate course in GIS. Both the options make me nervous. Graphic design: I can't draw well. At most, I am good at copying. As a result, I feel I will be a failure at GD. I am also not sure if it's a stressful field.  Also, I understand that I would have to interact with clients. Now I have social anxiety and panic at meetings. But there are lots of job opportunities in India and I hope I can go freelance some day. 

As for GIS, I feel I would be going back to square one since it's an IT field basically. Plus there are only a handful of companies where I stay. Plus I guess there would be no opportunity to freelance. 

Ideally, all I want is a simple stress-free 9-5 job so that I could pursue my real interest in my free time which is maintaining my blog on books and movies. That's all I want to do. Wish I could be paid for it haha. I thought of doing a diploma in pre-primary education or a bachelor's in library science. But my Dad is very scornful of these options since he feels there is no scope for growth in them. In a way I think he is right since I don't have anything else going in my life. I mean I probably won't ever find anyone so I would probably look to work for fulfillment. But at the same time I am not at all career oriented or very ambitious. My ideal life would be to freelance in something and write my blog on the side. That's all.

 

PS: I should add that I do find both Graphic Design and GIS quite interesting. In fact, I think GD would be quite helpful in movie analysis.

PPS: I actually want to spend all my free time improving my English and movie and book reviewing skills.

[Guest community6seasons]

Haa. I have so many things to add. I don't believe in myself anymore. Pretty much every decision I have taken in life has turned out to be wrong (ie chasing after the wrong people etc). My BPD colors all my emotions and decisions so I don't trust myself now. I feel I should do the sensible thing and listen to Dad and take up the GD course. He has already shown incredible patience with me and I can't let him down anymore. There's also my younger brother to think of. He wants to get married and the thought keeps haunting me that his marriage prospects would get affected having an unemployed and unmarried sister at home (I hate that these things matter in India).

[lazypanda]

Have you considered Data Science ? It's pretty hot now, and with your background in computer science, shouldn't be too hard for you to cope up.

[Ayra Star]

Sorry I don't really know enough about various career pathways to be able to help much 😕

But I have had a thought: if your blog is the only thing you really feel passionate about then perhaps there is a way to turn that into a career. You could go into journalism perhaps and write book/movie analysis or reviews, or maybe even create a mini magazine if you feel you have the time and patience for that - your design and IT skills would probably come in handy with that!

I wish you luck with whatever you choose to do though

[Guest community6seasons]

37 minutes ago, lazypanda said:

Have you considered Data Science ? It's pretty hot now, and with your background in computer science, shouldn't be too hard for you to cope up.

Ah, I should have clarified: I pretty much sucked at my job. I am so conflicted. On one hand, I don't think I am creative enough for graphic designing. But I also don't think I am particularly very intelligent at coding and that sort of stuff. I think all I am good at is some mindless sort of job.

[Guest community6seasons]

31 minutes ago, Ayra Star said:

Sorry I don't really know enough about various career pathways to be able to help much 😕

But I have had a thought: if your blog is the only thing you really feel passionate about then perhaps there is a way to turn that into a career. You could go into journalism perhaps and write book/movie analysis or reviews, or maybe even create a mini magazine if you feel you have the time and patience for that - your design and IT skills would probably come in handy with that!

I wish you luck with whatever you choose to do though

I did think of journalism, but where I stay, there aren't opportunities at working for a newspaper. All I could see were content writing jobs or writing business proposals. That sort of thing which is not really my cup of tea. There is one option of doing a part-time diploma in journalism on Sundays. And juggle it with some full-time degree or job.

Thank you for the wishes :).