SINGAPORE: A 28-year-old unemployed man recently took to Reddit to ask for help and guidance “with adulting,” saying that he doesn’t want to go back to being a NEET but is feeling unmoored after four unsuccessful months of job seeking.
NEET, for those who are unaware, is short for “not in education, employment or training.” It usually refers to people between the ages of 16 and 24 who’ve finished some form of education but have yet to join the working world.
u/meWaffles appealed for help on r/askSingapore on Thursday (Apr 11), writing that he has no diploma or degree and that his savings are “running thin.”
“I don’t wanna go back being a NEET (yes, mental health issues). I need help/guidance with adulting (like what i need to do/have at the very least), I don’t know what I’m doing most of the time and I feel stucked (sic), scared to get back on my feet.”
Some sympathetic Reddit users offered to give the post author a listening ear via Direct Message if he needed it.
Others encouraged him to take on temporary or part-time jobs for now and to pursue certification or get a diploma. Taking on even these types of jobs would help him build his confidence, they added.
“A job is a job – what matters is to develop the confidence in your own ability to work, and to receive some pay that enables you to take care of your needs,” a Reddit user told him.
Another wrote, “Part-time contract jobs, though hourly rated or short term, can lead to better opportunities if you can prove yourself. Also allows you to trial a job and see how well you cope with it.”
One commenter warned him to stay away from social media where others flex how much money they make, so he won’t feel worse about his situation.
He added, “28 still have time. Go for it bro.”
An encouraging commenter told him, “Everyone has a different path in life, and we start maturing at different stages… Give yourself the time to progress.”
A few others advised him to talk to a career advisor.
On a related note, earlier this month, a study in the United States showed that one in three Americans between the ages of 18 to 24 do not have income, and that many young Americans are depressed and not enrolling in university or college.
Thirteen per cent of young people in this age group are the so-called “disconnected youth,” who neither work nor go to school. The study said that this number has been growing since 1998. /TISG