Worried that my career would start too late

[Jayce]

I have decided that I definitely need more time to work on myself academically, before I want to continue university for another semester. I took a break last year for 4 months, came back and did some math units. I succeeded and thought that is fine to continue, but I felt burnt out quite quick(maybe it was cause that course was intensive and only lasted for six weeks). After a course practical that I did, I realise how far I actually am. I'm in education, but most of my lessons were largely failures. It was my first time going out there in the field but, according to the teachers there I didn't do so well. The most I could do is make the students at least learn something every lesson. Now I'm really worried that my career is going to start off too late. It's not too uncommon for people to start their careers when they are 25-26 right? I'm 20 years old right now, and I have at least 4 years of study to go.

[PintsizeBro]

No such thing as "too late." Graduating at 22 and immediately starting your career isn't a given. Even if it were, better to start late than burn out before you even start.

My dad graduated college at 30. My mum is pushing 60 and just finished her Master's. I got my first "real" job at 26.

[eselle28]

I would say that these days, it's far more common for people to start their professional careers when they're 25 or 26 than it is when they're 22. Very few American college students manage to graduate in 4 years. It's also incredibly common for young people to spend a year or two working outside their fields, or adding a master's degree to make themselves more employable, or to switch fields once or twice before finding the right job for them. And that's just focusing on the most traditional of students and ignores all the military veterans and second career people out there.

At 25, it's very likely you'll be one of the younger people in many workplaces. I know who the newer, younger employees where I work are, but I don't know exactly how old any of them are and I can't tell the difference between someone who's 22 and someone who's 25. Also, in terms of the scope of your career, I think it's worth remembering that you probably have 40 or so years of workplace activity in front of you. Given how much time that is, I think it's worth it to take a year or two and get things right.

[Gman]

I always thought that in todays global world, I'm at an inherently disadvantaged starting point and worried alot that I didn't have a job at 25. Today I'm 27 and I just got accepted into my first "real" job in my field of studies and even then this is just a 25% job (meaning it's not fulltime). I just got my B.A. certificate and I am also finishing my first year as a M.A. student.
So trust me, especially in my country - most people that I know didn't get into anything even remotley related to thier field of studies before 25, except for general student jobs like being a customer support representative of some sort.

[Conreezy]

I'm 29 and in the middle of preparing for a career change. It hasn't even started yet. I wouldn't worry about it.

[BasedBuzzed]

Careers are over, it's all flex work from here on out.

[Jayce]

Careers are over, it's all flex work from here on out.

In education most people last really long, at the workplace I've been to people have been working there for years, and everyone's married

I thought most people went into their full time gigs at around 22, cause that seems to be the case for the education field in Australia, you graduate, the government helps you find a job, since there is already an inherent shortage of teachers in the country it's not too bad.

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