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?

I had a shitty immature boyfriend, a job I hated and toxic family, in hindsight at 24 my mental health was spiralling out of control and I had issues like bulimia, severe depressive episodes and panic attacks. It all culminated in me getting pregnant from a short relationship, losing my job, and becoming a single mum before I was 26! Now I’m in my early 30s and managed to build a career which pays well and I have built up a small but invaluable social circle. And I’ve healed a lot mentally through therapy, medication and learning how to be a good mum for my dd. I’m also married now- but not for much longer :/ all I’m saying is that you never know what can happen in the space of 10 years, and even the hurdles can lead to good things you never saw coming. I was lost at 24, I don’t think I am now. Don’t stress and let yourself live your life.

Left a steady but dead-end job and went off to do an arts degree at a particularly hippyish college. Lived in ‘bohemian squalor’ with my then bf. It was fun and looking back I had so little to really worry me, though I never quite believed in myself.

I was going through the most horrendous time of my life having just had dd (now aged 17) - had terrible birth, horrible pnd and basically wanted to die. Was in an awful abusive relationship and was put on a dose of anti depressants they don’t even prescribe now. Thanks to those and the help of a health visitor I slowly got better, went back to work and then left abusive dh when dd was 6 months old. Things got better after that.

Doing my nqt year with the best class I've ever taught and single mum to an amazing 4 year old who was and is my best friend in the world. Wouldn't change my other 3 kids and dh for the world but I would love to go back just for one day ❤❤

I’d graduated from Uni and was a year into my first professional job. I was renting a flat with my boyfriend of 7 years. Was really enjoying life.

By 26 I’d bought a house, decided to take a job in America and split from my boyfriend so a big year of change.

1988 aged 24 I was single and had just bought my first flat which was a grotty studio that needed gutting. Interest rates were around 15% so I had no money to do the work. No savings left as I used every penny I had for the deposit and Low wages as an admin assistant so I also had a night job 5 nights a week in a pub. Lived on beans on toast and very little sleep.

I was just over a year into my first management role in Higher Education and had just started my MBA.
I had bought my first house too a year before but this was when house prices were cheaper relative to salary.

Drugs. Lots and lots of them. Working full time, renting my own place and having a whale of a time!

My life is completely different to when I was 24! I was living with my parents, was single, studying at uni, very overweight and unhappy.

I'm now very happily married, I own my home and have my own business, that has nothing to do with what I studied! I lost all the weight and now training for a marathon. (Well, pre-lockdown I was...)

Life has its own ideas :)

At 24 I went to Los Angeles to work for a year.....great times.

I had just left my live in partner of 10 years, left our house in Norfolk with a couple of black sacks of clothes, and moved back to my family in London.. jobs wise i was temping round London doing admin work..I'm 41 now. 24 is a great age make the most of it+

At 24 I was in an abusive relationship too scared to leave. Career wise didn't know what I wanted to do but working in the science field. Now 28 years later single but happy with that, still don't know what I want to do but have a good job in local government and not afraid to speak my mind but do feel I have wasted my life.
If I could talk to my 24 year old self I would say take every opportunity, stop worrying what others think, have confidence in how you look and your ability and stop wasting your time with losers.

I'd graduateted 3 years previous, working in my profession full time. Had been with h 8 years, was pregnant after 4 years of trying but dh was having an affair he left for ow.
So I became a single parent but was happy (not what I had or would choose though).
I had my own mortgaged home and went back to work when dc was 6 months.
If I could go back in time I'd have perhaps played the field more before settling down and also gone up a rung at work before having dc.

I was suffering from bad depression, partying, drinking too much and working a minimum wage job after having graduated. Don't worry, life rarely goes as we plan and even if it does, we aren't always happy with what we thought we wanted! Just go with it.

I was having a shit year. I had a 3 year old, was in the 2nd year of a demanding vocational degree and called my wedding off 2 months before the day. 24 was a huge turning point for me.

I was working ridiculous hours as a pub / restaurant manager. We traded for 70+ hours per week, it was unbelievably stressful & exhausting. I quit the industry the following year and never regretted it.

I was a Payroll Manager, and changed career into HR (now senior HR at 30).

At 30, I’m still not 100% sure about my career and could change at some point, although I enjoy what I do.

I was working abroad, hated the job (office work for a tour operator) but loved the lifestyle.
Had left a "boyfriend" at home, but knew he wasn't the one for me, knew I couldn't do the job long term, wasn't sure if I wanted to live abroad after the placement was over.

I was just enjoying the time and now 16 years later I do look back on that period of my life with rose tinted glasses.

Married, just moved into our first home and 12 months into a change of career and beginning my professional exams.

At 27, still married, moved into our forever home, moved jobs, fully qualified, progressed to manager and more than doubled my salary and currently on maternity leave with our almost six week old daughter.

So quite a lot has happened in a short space of time!

I was doing a PhD, going out far too much, I thought I was happy, but I really wasn’t
Years later and after a lot of therapy, I’m finally happy in my own skin. I wish I’d have starred the therapy back then..

At age 24. Graduated two years before, qualified teacher working in job I had secured in final year of uni. Hated the job and was treated like shit but I thought I was very grown up and looking back I was probably pretentious and annoying.
Kids I taught ran rings around me and blind inexperienced enthusiasm only takes you so far.
Living in rented accommodation with 6 friends, mixed genders. As a house share not bedsits, we were friends and it wasn't unlike the sitcom Friends.
One night stands (not with housemates :)), clubbing every weekend, cocktails, pub quizzes three times a week and always 'out' in very posh restaurants then wine bar / pubs then clubs (dancing) every Friday and Saturday. Taxis all weekend. Always very hungover all day Sunday until 8pm pub quiz, out at pub.

Suited and booted Monday to Friday. Very
conscientious about attendance and worked long hours. Spent every bit of salary every month.
Drove very old car weekdays.
Not much clothes shopping/ consumerism.
Hardly any international travel as opposed to current generations. Holidayed with parents over summers! Some volatile weekends away to seaside with friends.

I liked writing this as I'd forgotten about it a bit but I bloody loved that time of my life! I have regrets, not buying house, saving etc, but I'm glad I lived it up while I was young.

That's when I started my job which turned into my career. It was a defining age really for me as I'd been drifting before. Still felt very young at that age.

I'd been qualified as an accountant for a year at 24. I went straight from university to train with one of the big four (then the big eight) in London, without much thought. I'm now 50 and still an accountant. My DD is 22, graduated last year and I've encouraged her to think about her life without feeing pressured into the need to stick to the same career for ever.

I was cabin crew. Flying here there and everywhere. Footloose and fancy free. Saving up for my first house, which I’d buy a year later. No ties, drank like a fish 💃🏼 was having a blast.

At 24 I had dd1 who was 9 at the time. I was working 12hr shifts in a factory. Dd and I were living in our own home 10mins from my parents.
It was a happy time in my life.