Give me a career pep talk please!

[PJBanana]

I’m 26. Graduated from uni with a first class degree in marketing.

For the last 4/5 years I’ve worked in digital marketing, before moving into a more content/copywriting focused role. I didn’t enjoy the mathematical/analytical side of digital marketing.

I struggled to “settle” anywhere until I found my previous job. I was there for almost 3 years and it was great in many ways. But it was so easy it almost didn’t feel like work. In the end, me and DP had a “now or never” moment, packed up and went travelling for a year. We’ve been back a few weeks.

I love writing, but there seem to be so few copywriting jobs available, and pay is generally poor. I also dislike the creative industry as a whole, there seems to be a work hard, play hard culture and presenteeism is rife.

I don’t know what I want to do. Honestly, I want something that I can drop at the end of the day, go home and relax. I’m an introvert and definitely not a “people person”. I just feel so stuck because I cannot think of anything I want to do, and since leaving uni, my enthusiasm has taken a nose dive, as has my self confidence.

Would love to hear some suggestions from wise MNers.

So to summarise 1) you enjoy writing 2) you want to be stimulated / intellectually challenged 3) you want to earn reasonable money 4) you don’t necessarily enjoy the social / partying side of a typical marketing company . Is this correct? Have you considered investment writing? Most asset management companies will have an investment writing team who will write content/articles for clients about financial markets. It can be well paid and could allow you to flex your intellectual
muscle.

I think it’s importabt to remember that you’re only very young and many people don’t have a career plan as such. They see a company they want to work for, get a job there and see where they best fit , make a move internally. I wouldn’t put so much pressure on yourself to find the ideal job now, just think about the industry you’d want to work in and the companies within that

Thanks strongmummy.

I’m not sure whether I want to stay in writing as a career really, there just doesn’t seem to be a lot of choice.

I have briefly looked into technical/financial writing, but the subject matter doesn’t interest me in the slightest unfortunately! (Plus, around here those opportunities are very hard to come by - I’m in the north).