Recent graduate confused about career/life

Don't worry about feeling like you haven't learned anything. Smart people know that they don't know everything. Ignorant people think that they know everything. Your objective, the first few years out of college should be to stay afloat or move forward professionally. You're still paying your dues. The sooner you eat your vegetables you can have your ice cream. Make a to-do list and when you start thinking about other things, look at your list and get back on task. For a lot of jobs, it really doesn't matter what your bachelor's degree is in so getting another bachelor's probably won't help you much. If you're really interested in learning about something else, get a book, go to the library, see if you can find an online class you can take. If that sounds boring, then you definitely should not go back to school. Don't compare yourself to other people - it's not productive and things change for everyone at some point. I always thought I should be more like my sister because she's really smart. Then she didn't get in to med school. Things happen. Plans change. Also, your career is not your life. It might seem that way when you're 23 and trying to start your career but I promise it's not. Something dramatic will happen to you or someone you love and you'll realize that there are few gigs that you wouldn't quit in a heartbeat to be with someone who needs you. Being in your mid-20s is uncomfortable because you're forced to deal with uncertainty which is challenging. Then you realize that all parts of your life involve uncertainty - you just face it head on for the first time when you leave school. I'm more settled than you are but still, me, my husband, my father, any of my siblings could get crazy sick tomorrow and that could turn my world upside down. My apartment could burn down. My husband or I could find out that we can't have kids. But having dealt with uncertainty before, I know that I could deal with it in the future, because what choice do I have? Put one foot in front of the other. Repeat.

You are doing high-level procrastinating. You're out of school and you should be actively looking for a full-time job, doing what you studied. You're so lucky you have no school debt, I'm just going to say that up front. The reason you're thinking about another degree is because it is the ultimate procrastination. It would allow you to stay in school, and not have to make adult-type decisions. School isn't going anywhere. Get out and work in the world for a year. Interesting people find interesting things interesting. That doesn't mean we all go running off to study each thing in depth. I mean, where would it end? So get to a doctor and get the ADD under control. Put a portfolio together and start looking for a job. Watch documentaries, read books and blogs about things that interest you.

these days I’m having mood swings where I can’t focus I have ADD my anxiety about my future is getting in the way You need to fix these before you commit to a multi-year course of action like another bachelor's degree. These problems are solvable, but they won't be solved without consultation with a medical health professional. As a bonus, if you're in Europe, there's a good chance you can do that without having to spend an inordinate amount of money. The worst that can happen is you go pursue another degree and end up exactly where you are now. Don't let that happen to you. I’m genuinely interested in just everything If this is actually the case (I don't think it is), then you simply need to arbitrarily pick an area that has the highest potential income in your area. Law, medicine, and petrochemical engineering are three possibilities here. Can you see yourself going to law school or seven-plus years of medical school, requiring a significant studying effort, and joining an extremely competitive career? If so, then there's your decision. Can you see yourself working on an oil rig for the rest of your life? If so, there's even more money to be made there. If the answer to either of those questions is "no", then you just reduced your career field by three and you've shown to yourself that you're not actually all that interested in everything. Once you come to that realization, you can start to work with the previously-mentioned medical health professional and possibly a career counselor to help narrow down future options.

Are you getting treatment for the ADD? GO GET TREATMENT And the best advice anybody ever gave me was "keep your eye on the ball". I was annoyed at the time, because it seemed vacuous and glib. They were right. Keep your eye on the ball.

Honestly, my advice would be to pick the most lucrative career that doesn't suck your soul, especially since you're open to many different careers and don't feel like you were put on earth to do one particular thing and you would feel like a shell of a person if you were unable to do that. I say this because I got a fluffy, fun degree in college and now I'm in my mid-20s, having just finished a technical degree. The technical degree wasn't all that fun to do, but it's great fun now knowing my future is more secure. So, it's not too late to pursue something more technical, I'd say. Also research the hottest fields where you want to move. It's eerie how similar we are, as I also have a very nice, stable, 4-years-older boyfriend with a great job, and in the beginning I was worried about not living up to his expectations, but it turns out the only expectation he has for me is that I try my best, and he loves me no matter what. I'm positive your boyfriend is the same way. Also, do get treated for ADD. Maybe once your mind settles down, the right career will emerge from the ether. But definitely weigh in the practical realities of the job. If it's rodeo clown...

A lot of young people fall into the trap of thinking that their career should be skyrocketing as soon as they leave school. The reality is that, especially in fields like graphic design, your real schooling begins after you leave school. You are in the learning-the-ropes phase of things. You need to focus on building your strengths and talents (and portfolio) by doing as many different projects as possible. That is how you build your career. And, yeah, get the ADD treated.