A little bit ago I looked at two ways to make money and how you can improve your financial situation in your 20s. Today I wanted to expand on the discussion of career choices in your 20s and what you can do for the rest of your life. There seems to be this notion that you need to figure out what to do with the rest of your life at an early age.
Do you need to stick to one career in your 20s? Are you stuck with the first career choice that comes your way?
I wanted to share two quick stories first…
Example #1:
I remember when I was in Jamaica many years ago I got into talking about career choices with an older dude by the bar (isn’t that how most discussions begin on a trip?). While our girlfriends chatted about shoes I got some life-changing advice from this guy. He suggested that your 20s are the best time to actually try out different jobs until you find what works for you. He told me that school wasn’t worth it for him. Instead he worked for construction for a year. Then he spent some time in business working an entry level job. He eventually learned enough and saved enough money that he bought his own franchise. He nows runs his own business. He told me he has no idea how he got there but that it was worth trying out a bunch of different jobs first.
Example #2:
I met a friend’s cousin who had just landed a full-time job in his company. He told me that the main benefit of landing the steady work was that he was now too old to be moving around careers. He felt that being in his late 20s meant that he should find one job and just stick with it. He wasn’t willing to bounce around any longer.
Do you need to stick to one career? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Your 20s are a time where you can experience life, try out different careers, and see what it is that you are truly made out of. Do you really want to stick with the first job that comes your way? That’s life marrying the first person that you kiss?
There are always going to be ways that you can find apprenticeships vacancies. It’s all a matter of keeping your eyes and ears open. You can also start your own business. You can form a partnership. You can land a sweet union gig. You could even win the lottery. You can go back to college. You can upgrade your credentials. You can do anything that you want. Anything can happen in your 20s. What do you have to lose by trying out a few careers until you find one that works for you?
