To not have a clue about what sort of job/career I want?

[DieSchottin93]

I'm really starting to stress out about this

Background: I'm in my early 20s and I graduated from uni in the summer of 2015. I didn't find a "graduate job" straight away, instead I moved back in with my parents because there was a job going at my local shop (small convenience store), I'd worked there before as a school pupil/student and was only intending it to be temporary (admittedly I didn't apply for loads of jobs but I'll get to that in a minute) but ended up staying for a year. It was minimum wage as well so I couldn't start paying off my student loan, plus the shifts weren't that great (opening hours were 05.30-22.00 and I did a lot of late and early shifts and not may mid shifts).

Since September last year I've been working as a language assistant in Germany (did French & German at university) but my contract ends at the end of next month. I want to move back to the UK but I just don't have a bloody clue what sort of job I could do

Tourism/hospitality seems like the most obvious option (given my languages degree and having worked in busy National Trust property cafe) but in all honesty I'd be happy with a 9-5 office job. I've never worked in an office before though, bar a week's work experience at the age of 14 at a solicitors/estate agents, and I just feel like there's nothing on my CV that really stands out....how can I make my previous roles as a shop assistant/waitress/language assistant seem appealing?

I'm thinking of contacting a recruitment agency to see if they can help me a bit but every time I go to email them I somehow chicken out. I hate applying for jobs because I read the description and think "I could never do that"....I doubt my abilities so much but I don't want to be stuck in minimum wage retail jobs forever. It doesn't help that the handful of jobs I did apply for never even acknowledged receiving my application.

I'm really stressing out right now, I've been in tears about it the last couple of days . Are there any wise MNers out there with any advice?

I see adverts for translators all the time, every where needs them, businesses, call centres, job centres council services,

Even online work translating websites and documents, it's a desk based job that might suit you.

Maybe ask the recruitment agency for advice and ask if they get relevant jobs often?

I take it teaching doesn't appeal?

If there's on thing this language assistant job has taught me, it's that I'm not very good at explaining things And I don't want to go back to university either.

I'm not even sure about translation work, I still fell like my French/German isn't good enough Although I suppose using CAT tools would simplify it a bit....

I started off in a junior office role straight out of uni, but I know it's harder now. I never had a graduate job. The civil service could be an option too, start from the bottom. Voluntary work can help with gaining office experience. You have to set yourself apart because the competition is fierce, some low level jobs when I was looking more recently after a long break, went to very experienced and qualified women wanting to step down. I recently changed career direction so it felt like starting over again.

OMG you sound so similar to me! Also French and German studied, graduating this summer.
I haven't really had any experience, bar a summer volunteering with the local library (summer reading scheme) and volunteering with local Brownie group yonks ago.
Translating is a good start but it's not really a regular job. They're often freelance unless you work somewhere huge like in Brussels.
The civil service is an option I've been looking into. Check out the Fast Stream website: www.faststream.gov.uk/. There are different areas you can apply for. It's like an apprenticeship type thing. Unfortunately applications for starting this September have closed, but they'll open again in a few months for September 2018. The European one, for example, asks for at least a 2:2 degree as well as an A-C grade in a language which I assume you have. There's also the Diplomatic Service, Houses of Parliament etc.