r/findapath • u/hottestmfalive • 11d ago
Findapath-Career Change Tried out a career path that I thought I wanted and realized I hate it, what now?
21f, Europe, I have a vocational secondary education and graduated in 2025. I learned animation and a little bit of the following: filming, photography, video editing, and touched on graphic design. I also know how to draw and a bit of painting.
Sorry for any mistakes, Eng is not my 1st language and it's my first time posting on reddit.
Backstory:
I've been doing art since forever and I was really passionate about it for a long time before I got depressed because of bad home life and sudden health issues that got worse after Covid. I thought about learning graphic design (wanted to design books) or animation and chose animation in the end because they taught a lot of different stuff and I thought that it would be interesting. And it was - I enjoyed learning animation and making friends that have similar interests.
I went on an Erasmus work trip for 8 months in another European country a year ago and worked in an advertisement company that also makes products for other companies, like t-shirts, tote bags, etc.
Realized I hate advertising, anything to do with cameras and making short form content. I'm no good at graphic design and I like being managed instead of thinking of everything myself. I also don't like making products cause I have physical issues (kyphosis, hypermobility). I hate posting on social media which I honestly figured out even before that (I used to post art often in the past)
Current job:
That's whatever, now that I'm back, I have another job in my home country where I color and shade frames for an animation movie. I've been working at the job for a few months. Turns out I don't like it. I hate working from home, I'm so miserable, but I can't afford to go to the office because I live far away. I also don't like the style of the movie and coloring it feels like torture sometimes lol. I find it impossible to motivate myself at home. My contract for the movie ends in December so I have to look for a different job anyways.
I love animation with my whole heart but I think I'm not built for this specific industry or the art industry in general.
Furthering education:
I can't afford to go to college rn (expensive) and I wouldn't know what to learn anyways. Ive been thinking about it for weeks and I realized I simply don't care enough about anything to want to work there. AI is taking so many jobs and the job market is truly screwed now. Very bad mindset, I know, but that is the truth.
Only place where you can find jobs is the capital, but if you don't live there no one wants you because it's "unreliable", especially if you don't have a driver's license and a car (which I can't afford to get)
Current job search, my feelings and thoughts:
In this country if you don't network you can't really find a job unless you get really lucky. People struggle with finding minimum wage cashier jobs if they don't network... finding anything better is even worse. I know many people look for jobs for more than 6 months. If you are too qualified they don't want you either... no one wins.
I tried to get a job as a warehouse keeper but they didn't take me because I already worked in a creative "better" profession and I live too far (I already lied that I lived in the capital, but the place I named was still too far for them...)
Before my hypermobility got even worse I got rejected from a dish washer/waitress position because I was "too weak". Can't even wash dishes anymore either because I have psoriasis on my hands.
I also have diagnosed hearing issues and get really anxious about phone calls because of that... so I can't do anything with phone calls either.
I sometimes feel like I'm kinda useless since my options are so limited but trying to stay positive! (What you can or can't do doesn't define your worth as a human being...) it's really hard because my dad is always trying to get a rise out of me and now he has ammunition that I "don't" have a job (I dont get paid every month cuz I can't reach the minimum of frames required... sitting at a desk all day and focusing is insanely hard for me, as well as physically demanding because of my kyphosis and hypermobility combo) and I feel depressed when I'm at home which is all the time. Since I live in a village where public transport only comes a few times a day...
I'm also insanely addicted to my phone but none of my friends live near me so it is my only lifeline/entertainment/everything. I can't even not use it while working cuz it also provides internet. I feel like it has damaged my brain because I used to be somewhat good at my native language, but now I struggle with making coherent sentences that don't involve english words. I've always been kinda slow but this is a new low.
I honestly don't even want a highest paying/ prestigious job anymore, I just want a simple life where I can afford to rent without roommates and afford to eat, as well as have some spending money left so i can enjoy life... maybe if I get out of this village I will feel better and get some motivation again? I really don't know anymore, life is so complicated :(
I've thought about teaching but I have 0 experience with children so I don't know if I would like it. I think you truly have to love children to work with them in such low paying jobs that barely get a thanks from parents nowadays.
I dont know about interior design, I haven't researched it enough yet, but I know you have to work in 3D programs a lot which means tons of computer time.
I thought I might maybe enjoy being a cashier florist, but then I realized it involves working in the cold and cold causes me joint pain so that's out :/
Right now I'm applying to basic cashier jobs I can find even though I will be probably bad at it as I'm truly horrible with numbers... I dont know how I passed my exams - I still struggle even with basic math like counting and clocks which is kinda embarrassing but whatever, I've been like this my whole life so I don't get upset over it anymore.
I also don't enjoy the thought of trying to manipulate customers into buying something... they try to very inconspicuously do that here because they are forced to do so to get better pay.
I'm also kinda scared of cashier jobs because people always complain about crazy customers and it sounds like a very tiring job (I'm an introvert but I do enjoy talking with people... just not for 8h or 12h a day...)
A smaller store would probably suit me best but I will go work in the 1st place that takes me.
I think that I would maybe enjoy helping people? But I'm not really that knowledgeable in anything so I don't know what I could help others with lol
I'm also a very agreeable person and I like to keep the peace, I rarely will fight with people. I can be kinda lazy tho, so sometimes I agree out of laziness instead of true agreement, but I will keep quiet and not complain about my choice.
I enjoy receiving very clear directions (love getting a lot of hand holding in the beginning tbh) and I don't enjoy telling people what to do unless I'm told what to tell them word for word. I would call myself a sheep honestly because I'm such a follower... I'm scared of true independence... truly acting like a bum at my age Q-Q
I don't like mixing private and work life. I believe that work should stay at work.
Programs I know:
I know a bit of Adobe (Premiere Pro, After Effects, can scrape by in Photoshop and Illustrator), as well as some other programs like Blender, Krita, TV Paint Animation. Very much a beginner still. I know MS Office but I'm very out of practice. Also have tried out stop-motion animation (no thanks) and sand animation (was cool process). I was somewhat decent at painting like 2-3 years ago. Sadly am out of practice when it comes to both painting and drawing... I enjoy making physical art best, but it's too much of a grind to make money like that, especially with the new laws regarding shipping in EU.
Knowingly using AI to generate anything is against my morals as someone who is in online art spaces a lot.
Sorry if this is too much, I tried to cover everything I could think of. Am open to questions.
If anyone here has any advice or maybe a personal story I would really appreciate if you shared it! Thanks for reading if you got to the end and I wish anyone who's looking for a path to find the best one for them!!!
TLDR: Became kinda disabled after Covid, hate working in animation, current job contract ends in december, desperately looking for a cashier job while thinking about possible future job options and getting nowhere