To feel like I’ve wasted my life

yep I did a masters degree in chemistry… was a bit meh about it.. never found a job I liked and wanted to have a job where I worked with people and helped people.

Ended up in a house share at 28 with some random physios. Flicked through their textbooks and was like wow! This is what I want. Found a uni that would let me convert. This was 15 years ago. Still a great career op-needs an analytical mind and friendly caring attitude. Would recommend 1000 %

I met my husband backpacking in Thailand when I was 25!

You can hate every aspect of it, but ultimately having a solicitors qualification will open doors, and not just as a solicitor.

Your life is barely begun. Don’t wish it away before it has even started.

You’re clearly bright and capable and just because you don’t yet know what it is exactly you want to do don’t give up on (a) the lessons learned whilst doing what you’re doing now (b) your future potential. Treat every experience as a learning point, something that can help you improve yourself and better yourself, and help point you in the right direction even if it’s just through closing doors on something you don’t want to do.

and ultimately, if it all feels a bit too much, you can pack it all in and do something like a nine month Intrepid trip around the world. Remember there is no rule in life that says you have to sit still and stick something out.

If you think lawyering's bad, wait until you get a load of health care.

Hey OP. I am also a lawyer, and know how sole destroying it can feel, especially early in your career. I'm glad you will get your qualification as you may change your mind. I'd really encourage you to consider whether in house or even public sector law roles are something for you. I work in house and would rather not practice than work in private practice, they are very very very different jobs. SO you might find you come back to it.

That aside, 26 is still incredibly young. You have your whole life ahead of you, nothing is wasted.

Even mums have to work. I dont know any who don't. That fairytale of finding a man, having 2 kids, and staying at home to raise them doesn't exist any more.

Hun, take a chill pill. Go book a trip away and meet people in a hostel or do a group art/cooking class that’s totally new or a team sport. Sounds like you need some balance. That’s all. You’ve worked hard and as they say, work hard - play hard. It fills up your cup so you can do the crappy parts of life. Doesn’t need to be expensive. Give yourself that dopamine. It’ll give you perspective and help you learn about yourself, it’ll increase your network, it’ll take your mind off the not fun stuff going on. Very few of us have it ‘all’. Go do some life sightseeing x

Most people are still figuring it all out in their 20s. You haven't wasted your life, it's just getting started! Get out there and have some fun, try different jobs and see what fits right for you. You have plenty of time.

OP, think about having a period of counselling. It will help take you off this feeling of having’ wasted’ your life and help you to widen your focus on your life. I felt similar to you in my mid ‘20s, even though on paper I had a lot going for me, but because I’d made a lot of academic choices that weren’t truly for me, I felt lost. Counselling helped me to find my own path. Good luck OP. One day you’ll look back and realise this was a real turning point for you 🌸

your 26 ffs! work a min wage job for a year save up and get a working visa an move away somewhere else and work in a bar for a year and travel

go to asia backpacking

theres loads you could do!

Buying a house and settling down doesn't all have to happen now

I'm 36 and still often pack it all in and say fuck it and go travelling (and ive got 2 kids)

I think you need a break from all this work / studying etc just step away

I was in a similar situation, I took some time to work out what I wanted to do, started re-training at 27. I’m senior now, certainly not ‘behind’ those who stayed practising law. I met my now husband when I was also 27 - sometimes when you’re on the right path it all falls into place.

I don’t consider it wasted at all. I still use my legal training in negotiating and influencing, and spending most of my 20s single helped me focus on myself, what I wanted from life and a relationship etc. It’s easy to feel lost, but the cliche is right - life really is a marathon not a sprint.

Don’t be discouraged - without wanting to be patronising, you still are very young with your whole life ahead of you. Good luck!

Accidental double post!

I don't understand why you're moving for another minimum wage job tbh. Why not look for areas outside of being a solicitor that would value your qualifications and pay more?

Any regulated industry springs to my mind, you'd probably be considered valuable in a governance role and the culture would be very different. Where I work a governance professional can earn up to the mid 50ks, before then having management opportunities.

I totally get you, I except I’m 10y older and now I have kids and a mortgage to worry about and I feel utterly lost career wise approaching 40 feeling like a fat loser who doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up!

You sound burned out. You’re young, extremely clever and your whole life is ahead of you ❤️

Well just do plan to do that then.

Qualify, save, travel and reassess once you've lived life for you.

What I will offer up by way of advice is that many people hate their job. Life is a constant trade off and you never get everything. With work, you might get good money and conditions but not enjoy the work ir you might like your job but not the hours or benefits. You pick whats important and focus around that.

When buying a house you might get a 2 bed but want a 3 bed or you might want a big garden but can only afford that if you buy and renovate a wreck.

Basically, accept you won't get everything and pick your most important things. You can still be very happy. Imo, happiness comes with realistic expectations and an acceptance of compromise.

@WastedMyPotential that's good.
It means you go to work, do your work and then go home and don't have to think about it until your next shift.
So evenings, weekends, days off - get out there.
Look on meetup.com or local Facebook groups to see what's happening locally.
Just try things out to meet people. Board Game groups are a big thing at the moment - casual, meet people and have a bit of a laugh.

Even if you married and had 2 kids you would have to work eventually. Successful, ambitious men often want a successful woman. Why not go abroad for a year to clear your head and think about what you really want to do employment wise.

I was about the same age as you when I thought this. Because I thought at 26 I couldn’t now change my mind, I worked in the same space for another 5 years before quitting and starting all over again. I’m now 37 and look back and laugh at how crackers I was to think I was past it at 26.
I now have a profession in the civil service, it’s still not what I really want to do but tbh, nothing is, so I might as well make the most of the flexibility it offers me to be able to enjoy my life and my family. If you know something else you would love, please make the leap now and do it!
A word of caution; I also wanted nothing more than to be a parent. The reality hit me in the face like a brick. It’s really hard work. I’m not saying don’t do it - I still love that role - but don’t make your whole life about that.

Noooo you’ve got to change your thinking.

You should be so proud of yourself and the investment YOU have made in yourself.

You’re so young, and your world is only just beginning. Only you have made that happen.

Good luck in our wonderful NHS.

Sounds like you need to focus on marrying rich tbh! But obviously work a bit, travel etc in the meantime, you’re still very young. If you’ve qualified as a solicitor why not do legal contractor/paralegal type jobs rather than NHS admin, you don’t need to make a career out of it or love it but surely those jobs will pay more than an admin job which is unlikely to be that fulfilling either?