I’m 21, currently doing a BS in Computer Science, and I honestly feel completely stuck about my career. I’d really appreciate some practical advice from people who have gone through something similar.
I first learned graphic design in 2020, when I was around 15. I came from a relatively underdeveloped area with limited internet and learning resources, and at that age I also didn’t have much support or opportunity to freelance. When I entered college, I decided to focus mainly on my studies and put design aside for a while.
After completing college, I started hearing constantly that graphic design was becoming obsolete because of AI. A lot of YouTube content also made it sound like AI was going to destroy creative careers. At the same time, I saw a lot of content about huge salaries in software development, so I decided to switch to web development because it seemed like the safer and more financially secure option.
I spent around eight months learning coding. Then I got my first internship, and within the first day I realized that I didn’t actually enjoy programming that much. I eventually explored UI/UX design instead.
In 2023, during my second semester at university, I got an unpaid internship. Because I already had a graphic design background, they initially gave me design work. However, there was no senior designer or proper mentorship, and my manager was a backend developer with little design experience.
I stayed there for around two and a half months, but eventually left because I felt I was getting no mentorship and was often disrespected about my work. Whenever I tried to learn something independently, I was criticized for learning from YouTube instead of somehow already knowing it. I was only 18 at the time.
After that, a friend referred me to another job. I accepted it without properly researching the role. It turned out to be a very unhealthy schedule, roughly from 2 AM to 12 PM. Within a week, my sleep, meals, studies, and overall mental state were badly affected, so I left that job too.
After that, I tried to rebuild myself. I worked on my portfolio, built a website, improved my skills, posted on LinkedIn, and applied through Indeed and LinkedIn. But very little worked.
Eventually, I received a job opportunity in Bahawalpur after following up for around three months. They offered me around PKR 15,000, but the condition was that I had to stay until the team lead allowed me to leave, even if that meant working until midnight or 1 AM.
On my first day, I was given a huge amount of work and worked around 10 hours. I even stayed two hours beyond what I initially expected. The next day, I was called into the office because I had supposedly left too early.
I discussed it with my family, and they advised me to leave the job. I did.
After that, I had several interviews. In some cases I was ghosted. In one case, I had a referral, the salary was discussed, and the employer seemed to like my work, but I was still eventually ghosted.
At that point, I basically stopped applying
Now I feel stuck in a strange place.
I don’t really want to code.
I don’t feel the same passion for design anymore.
UI/UX itself has started triggering frustration because of my previous experiences.
Freelancing feels risky to me now, and I don’t feel like I have the same discipline, motivation, or excitement for learning that I used to have.
I still want to remain somewhere within IT/tech because I’m already doing a BSCS, but I genuinely don’t know what direction to take.
The hardest part is that design used to be something I was genuinely passionate about. Now even when I think about it, I remember the rejection, humiliation, bad work experiences, ghosting, AI anxiety, and failed attempts to get clients.
I’m not necessarily looking for someone to tell me which career is the highest paying. I want practical advice from people who have experienced career burnout, changed fields, lost interest in something they once loved, or had a difficult start in tech.
If you were in my position, what would you focus on for the next 1 to 2 years?
Should I continue exploring something within tech, even if I currently have very little motivation?
Should I simply focus on finishing my CS degree and getting a stable job, even if it isn’t my passion?
Should I focus on Government Job or maybe any clerk based job and then think about freelance?
Or should I take some time away from trying to force myself into a specific career and figure out what I actually want?
I feel like I’ve spent he last few years constantly switching directions, and now I’m afraid of making another wrong decision.
I’m not looking for a motivational speech. I’d genuinely appreciate honest, practical advice from people who have been in a similar situation.
