to ask you what you were doing at 24?

[jewelledpineapples1]

I've just turned 24 and my future seems so uncertain. I thought by this age I would have more of a career plan.

If you don't mind sharing, what were you at 24 and how different is that to where you are now?

Oh god! I was a care assistant working 70hr weeks. I also have a degree in social care studies.

At 27 I landed a job as a deputy manager of a 78bedded BEAUTIFUL care home.

At 30 I landed a job as a general manager of a 60 bedded stunning brand new care home... and I was on £55k plus bonus.

I met my husband just before I was 31.

I'm now approaching 35, live in a £500k+ house, married, three boys and a dog. I'm a stay at home mum, but will return to work when boys all at school.

It will happen. Just let it, and WAIT for it all to be right. Chase your career now, build your platform.

I was working in a job that was fun but going nowhere. I was engaged to the man who is still my husband. I now manage a team of young women who are mainly in their early 20s. I would say it feels like you are getting on and need to settle but you really, really don't. Take risks and go after what you want. I did and I'm so glad!

I was in a job I didn't really enjoy, had been with DH for a year, was massively anxious and not seeing my friends much anymore. It was a bit of a crappy time.

I'm now 41 and (bar the weirdness happening right now!) life is great. Married for 10 years, 2 teenagers, lovely house, decent job, good friends, comfortably off financially. Basically life is good and a world away from where I was at 24!

I was on my big OE (overseas experience) and growing up immensely. Working in London to fund backpacking & slightly more luxurious travel around Europe and the Middle East.

A bit grim but my best friend took an overdose at 24 as she fell pregnant unexpectedly and had a termination because she had no family support.She thought her life was over.
She is divorced now, 3 grown up children, headteacher at a girls school, indépendant and very happy.
Still my best friend 😊

At 24 I left my job as a Marketing Executive, writing Travel brochures (pre internet times, when people would book a holiday from a brochure!- shows my age) Anyway I left my job at 24 to have my eldest son, I was with my ex, who I had met at school and moved into a 3 bed semi down the road from my parents. - My life years on is completely different, I plit with my after 27 years and 2 more children, now live in a 2 bed flat and work in a completely different role for the NHS. I am happy though. I dont think the direction your life is going in now is any indication of how it will be a few years down the line. Mine certainly wasnt

I was engaged at 24. I'm now late 20s, in the same career but not entirely happy in it and thinking about a change. Also with a different man and planning a future with him. Things can change loads in 5-10 years - just think about how much has changed since you were 14!

Drinking, smoking and chasing unsuitable men. The rest of the time I just wasted! 😆

At 24y..so 1997

Work:
I was a year into teaching secondary, having finished university in 1996. I was working in a leafy green Derbyshire school. An hours commute though so not ideal even though it was a nice school.

Relationship and Home life:
I'd been living with my boyfriend for a year, who I had been together with since we were 16y. We'd moved in together after university in 1996. We were living in a two bed flat - we bought our first house at the end of the year.

Holidays and social:
We went on our second holiday abroad together - a greek island for a week. It was hot! We had one holiday a year abroad, for a week, and sometimes the odd weekend away in England.
We didn't have much spare cash so coal life generally involved meeting up with friends in a local pub or having couple friends round for meals on a Friday night.

Aged 47 ... Now (some 23 years later)

Work:
I left teaching after 10 years. Secondary school just finished me! I now work as a HLTA in an infant school, with a focus on computing and I love it. Get paid much less, but although I still work long hours it is enjoyable.

Relationship and Home life:
Same partner but now married. Got married in 1998 and we've been together 30 years. We have a teenager DD - she turned 18y last weekend. She will go onto university in the autumn and it will be back to me and DH on our own again.
We live in a family type house n the edge of our city near to countryside - which is proving ideal for this lockdown!

Holidays and social:
We love our holidays and teen DD has the same passion for them too, so comes away with us every time so far. We tend to have 3-4 abroad holidays a year plus weekends away in England. Its where most of our money (outside of bills and mortgage) go. We are very much missing them this year so far!
Outside of lockdown we like to meet up with friends at a weekend for meals and drinks out, or meals at someone's house.

@splodgetastic.
😂

At 24 I had just moved in with my boyfriend who is now my DH. I was just leaving my first post-Uni job and moving to a better second job. If I could have a word with my thenself I'd be saying that this is a good time to push myself, either work wise, travel wise or skill-set wise. My experience of life pre and post kids has been completely different. I put my DPs desire to do an MSc (with me staying too long in my job to support him) before my career ambitions with a view that I could do mine later. Life hasn't worked like that and I won't get to do it now. Consider your ambitions and don't drop them for someone else.
I love my DH to bits and I'm happy overall with my life but I try not to think too much about 'career' etc I just think in 3-5 year chunks now and try to stay flexible.
Enjoy this time and remember you are gorgeous!

At 24 I’d been married for a couple of years , was working pt as a night staff nurse and looking after my horses . It was a long time ago .

I had just moved from Italy to Cambodia to teach English. I was single and had an amazing time. Job I loved, lots of flexibility, lots of travelling and working out who I was. I met my now husband at 26 and we had my first child at 28. I would have never guessed that at 24 though!
I work in a related field now. We're financially a bit worse off than other people my age, mainly because we didn't get on the property ladder until our early 30s. I never, ever regret what I did though.
I've lived in seven different countries, have friends all over the world. I feel my 2Os really shaped me. Enjoy and take your time.

I was married with a mortgage and a baby. In the 1980's that was what society expected of you. I was mostly a SAHM doing various part time jobs outside of my husbands working hours to help the family budget. I am now 53, still happily married, have 4 grown up children and two grandchildren and no mortgage. I work full time in a career which I love and loathe in equal parts, go to festivals, gigs and music nights. I had no career plan and kind of fell into the job I do now once my children grew up and left school. 24 is still very young and perhaps you just havent found the career you love yet, relax.

@Splodgetastic - this is what I wished I'd done!!

Sold everything I had inc car to buy a house. Had to rely on people for lifts and even use their washing machines. Had a job I liked but 12 month contract. Hated being so dependent on others, and also how some got great joy from this, but it got better and easier year on year. You've got this!x

Backpacking round South East Asia, before going back to uni to do a masters

I was working 4 jobs including one professional job part-time, bought a house, was doing it up, still clubbing.

A child with nursery hours is so easier to work around than a child doing school day hours.

My extra jobs stopped one by one, when I was challenged by schools shorter hours and I had my mum, who helped me loads with pickups.

I didn't realise it at the time but this is when I started to burn out.

1988. Graduated, married and broke. None of that has really changed. am now 56

Living at home, working in a job I didn't like, but close to leaving for one I did!

Thank you everyone who has shared, I feel very reassured that everyone has a different path and I'm not being left behind

Teaching maths in secondary school and realising I didn't like children at all. Starting to think about leaving and retraining, which I did, although it then took about 20 years to end up back in a settled career. I've never regretted leaving, though.

I was about to have my 2nd child with ex husband, though we weren't married until I was 26. I was clubbing and djing and holidaying a lot. I was working in social services. Ended up hating it and going in to lab work in the veterinary sector. Had another child, split, I moved out. I'm now in a completely different sector. Divorced him and remarried.

24 was totally different from my now 43 😬

24 I was working full time for a newspaper in a job I hated and had started when I was 16, I just didn’t know what I wanted to know and had bought my first house at 21 (which was a good thing) but I felt I didn’t have the freedom or skills or change jobs.

I mostly had Lots of sex and alcohol as my wage was very good though 😂 I was often worried I would never have a proper career or relationship.

Anyway I left the job at 26 (after 10 years there) to go backpacking and sold my house.

Met DH whilst I was abroad and he was due to return to UK in a week. He came back out to see me 4 months later in Thailand.

We both work full time, I got a completely different role once in returned from backpacking.

We have now been married 12 years, 3 small children, house etc. We have lived abroad, currently back in the UK and thinking about going abroad again😂

Things always work out when you least expect it I think.

Well, times are very different now but I was setting up a business with my now ex husband. It was hugely successful but due to underhand tactics of competitors we sold it and retired. I'm now a carer. Only job I can get at my age! But it's very rewarding.