‘I’m still feeling pretty lost’: Local in his 20s opens up about feeling directionless in life

SINGAPORE: A local man in his early 20s recently opened up online about feeling directionless, saying he is unsure what path to take next, even though he has already graduated with a degree in user experience and game design.

Writing on Reddit’s ‘Ask Singapore’ forum on Sunday (Aug 3), he shared that although he has some work experience, including a part-time job at a childcare centre and an internship that lasted about a year and a half, he has been unable to secure any interviews in the current job market.

“The job market is kind of bad, and I haven’t been able to get any interviews, even for entry-level jobs,” he said. “I’m still feeling pretty lost on what to do with my life. I guess what I want to ask is, is it normal for me to feel this way at my age? Especially in Singapore?”

On the home front, he said things aren’t any easier. While he’s not the main breadwinner, he’s hoping to move out, largely due to his parents’ rigid views on success and lack of support for his chosen field.

“They aren’t open-minded about what my degree is because it’s just too new and foreign to them,” he wrote.

“I’ve had a few arguments with them in the past few months, the first ones I’ve ever had, because it’s only this year that made me realise just how they ruined my mental health and self-image for all of my life. Case in point, I need to leave or I will never be able to grow and become stronger. I’m going for another part-time soon; will see how that goes.”

“I’m in my thirties and still feel this way sometimes.”

Hoping to comfort the man, many Singaporean Redditors shared that they’ve also gone through this phase.

One Redditor, reflecting on their own youth, wrote, “I’m almost 50. Trust me, I felt the same way too when I was in my 20s. I guess some things never change. I graduated during the Asian economic crisis of 97. I had to make some pragmatic choices due to the soft job market. I wish you well.”

Another Redditor encouraged the man to be kind to himself, saying, “It’s totally normal to feel lost in your early twenties. I’m sure everyone goes through that phase, and I did too. Hopefully, you’ll be kinder to yourself and give meaning to the things you do.”

A third added, “It’s perfectly normal, I think, for people in Singapore or anywhere else, especially in this day and age. Try to take your time to figure it out, I’m in my thirties and still feel this way sometimes.”

“What I’ve learnt is that you don’t need to have it all figured out, don’t give up applying for jobs, but use your part-time jobs to sustain yourself financially first till you can find a sustainable and stable income.”

In other news, a domestic helper recently shared on social media that her employer “becomes unhappy” whenever she eats their food.

In a post shared on Friday (Aug 1) in the Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic Helper Facebook group, the helper said that she never helps herself to their food unless she is explicitly told that she may do so.

“I never touch the food when they never say I can eat,” she wrote. “If they say, ‘can eat,’ then I eat, but when I eat, they’re not happy.”

Read more: Maid says her employer becomes ‘unhappy’ whenever she eats their food