u/Different-Match3399

Good afternoon everyone. This is a bit of a long read, so I really appreciate anyone who takes the time to read the whole thing. I’m not expecting anyone to decide my life for me, but I’m hoping to get some perspective from people who have more life/work experience than I do.

This has been on my mind for a while and while i have posted about it in bits and pieces before I think this is the first time im really laying it all out there.

I’m currently studying digital marketing and I’ve just finished an important exam. If I pass, I may be able to leave with a Level 7 qualification. I’m also trying to decide whether I should continue on to Level 8, or stop at Level 7 and try to enter the workforce.

The problem is, I don’t know if digital marketing is really the path for me.

I originally went into digital marketing partly because it was recommended to me by my parents. When I was younger, I wasn’t really thinking deeply about careers or what kind of life I wanted. I was mostly focused on coming home, playing games, and getting through school. Then when sixth year came around and I had to choose a college course, I realised I didn’t really have a clear career path that interested me. Digital marketing seemed like a decent option at the time, so I went with it. I think the reason this impacts me so much and the reason i made this post, is that i dont want to have that same "regret" i am having now, when i hit my 30's or 40's

Now that I’m older, I’m starting to question things more seriously.

The main issue with digital marketing/private sector work is not just work-life balance, although that is part of it (for my goals i really need to have a good work-life balance). It’s also that I don’t think I’ve ever really been a “business” type of person. I don’t feel naturally drawn to that world. I know some people love marketing, business, campaigns, clients, targets, and all of that, but I don’t think it’s really me. The idea of working in a digital marketing job long-term feels like it could negatively affect me mentally because it just doesn’t feel like my thing.

One option I’ve been considering is the civil service. The appeal for me is stability, structure, work-life balance, regular hours, and possibly work-from-home options. I know the pay may be lower than some private sector jobs, but the work-life balance matters a lot to me because I have creative goals outside of work.

At the same time, I feel conflicted about it.

With the civil service, one worry I have is that it might tie me too strongly to Ireland. If I worked in something like digital marketing in the private sector, maybe that experience could transfer abroad more easily. But civil service experience seems very country-specific. If I ever wanted to move somewhere else, I’m not sure how useful it would be outside Ireland.

I also have this weird fear around the idea of becoming a “lifer” in one job or one system. I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way. Some people genuinely like stability and stay in one sector for life, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But when I imagine myself working in one place or one system for decades, I get this pit in my stomach. It makes me feel trapped, like life is already decided.

I do realise this could just be my brain catastrophising. Maybe I’m making it feel more permanent and scary than it actually is. Maybe a stable job is not a life sentence, and it can just be one chapter or a tool that helps me build the rest of my life. But emotionally, it still makes me anxious.

Another big thing is that I have creative ambitions.

I’ve always liked the idea of storytelling. I was watching some videos from Healthy GamerGG about finding a career you actually care about, and it made me think about how, even when I didn’t know what career I wanted, storytelling was always something that interested me. Maybe not even just telling my own stories, but helping bring someone else’s story to life.

That’s part of why animation interests me.

My real dream, if I’m being honest, would be content creation, especially around animation, 3D animation, Blender, internet-style animations, and creative projects. I’m inspired by indie animation, online creators, and things like Glitch Productions and The Amazing Digital Circus. I love the idea of making animated content, building an audience, and creating something people enjoy.

I started trying to learn animation more seriously around 2024, but because of college, exams, and other obligations, I’ve been on and off with it. This summer, I really want to improve my skills and get better, even if it only stays as a hobby and never becomes a job.

The scary part is that content creation is very uncertain. You can put a lot of effort into something and still have no guarantee that people will watch, care, or support it. You can improve your skills and make better work, but you can’t control whether people like what you make.

I’ve also thought about animation as a career, but I have mixed feelings about that too. The drawing/art side is not really my main concern. My bigger concern is the animation industry itself. From what I’ve heard, it can be very passion-driven, competitive, and sometimes unhealthy in terms of workload. It seems like an industry that can take people who are passionate, desperate to prove themselves, or desperate to get in, and then stretch them too far. I’m worried that if I turn animation into a job too quickly, I could take something I currently enjoy and slowly grow to hate it.

So I feel stuck between a few different options:

• Civil service, which seems stable and balanced, but may limit me long-term
• Private sector digital marketing, which may be more transferable, but feels like a career I don’t actually want
• Animation/content creation, which is what I’m most drawn to creatively, but is risky and uncertain
• Continuing college to Level 8, which could improve my qualification, but might also affect my mental health

This past academic year was very hard on me mentally. I dealt with a lot of anxiety, dread, and stress. So I’m worried that if Level 7 affected me this badly, continuing into Level 8 could do a number on me as well. At the same time, I’m scared that if I stop at Level 7, I might regret not pushing further.

I’m also living with my parents at the moment. While I was studying, that felt understandable. But now that I’m at this crossroads, I feel uncomfortable with the idea of doing nothing or feeling like I’m mooching off them. I don’t want to be a couch potato. I do have dreams and ambitions. I’d like to become independent, move out someday, and maybe even live abroad at some point. But with rent and the cost of living, it feels very hard to do that.

Another thing that gives me anxiety is the idea of wasting my twenties. Adults often say that when you’re young, you should relax and not put too much pressure on yourself. I understand that. But another part of me worries that if I don’t prepare now, I’ll wake up in my 30s or 40s feeling unhappy, stuck, or full of regrets.

So I suppose I’m looking for advice from people with more life and work experience.

More direct questions:

Has anyone here felt this anxious and uncertain after college?

Would it be a mistake to stop at Level 7 if I pass, rather than continuing to Level 8?

Is the civil service a good option for someone who values work-life balance, or can it make you feel stuck?

Has anyone gone into the civil service and later felt trapped, or did it actually give you the stability to build a good life outside of work?

How do you balance wanting stability with wanting a creative life outside of work?

Has anyone here built creative skills, content creation, art, animation, music, writing, or anything similar while working a normal job?

And how do you deal with the fear that you’re wasting your twenties or making the wrong decision?

Again, I’m not expecting anyone to decide my life for me. I think I’m just trying to get perspective from people who have been through this stage already. Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I’m 21 and currently finishing a Level 7 degree in Digital Marketing. Next week I have what should be my last exam, but I honestly don’t know how it will go. If I pass, I’m finished. If I don’t, I may have to repeat.

I’m posting because I feel very stuck and uncertain about what to do next.

Since first year, university has been very difficult for me. It has taken a mental and physical toll on me over the years. The stress, isolation, pressure, and environment have really affected me. I’ve had palpitations, constant fear around exams, and today I had my blood pressure checked and it was very high. I know Reddit is not a doctor, and I will have to take the health side seriously, but I think it has made me question whether the path I’m on is actually right for me.

The difficult part is that I’m very close to finishing. I only need to get through this one exam, so quitting now feels wrong when I’m almost at the door. But at the same time, I’ve realised that I have never really been interested in digital marketing, the modules, or most of the career paths that come from it. I feel like I have been pushing through something that never really suited me.

The honest truth is that I want a simple life. I know that might sound unrealistic these days, but I don’t really care about having a lavish lifestyle or chasing huge money. I would honestly rather have a stable job with decent work-life balance, even if that means earning less. I just want peace of mind and enough stability to live normally.

I’ve been looking into the civil service because it seems like it could suit me better, but I know competitions can take time and there is no guarantee. I’ve also been wondering if there are other jobs or career paths in Ireland where a university degree is not absolutely necessary, or where I could still build a stable life without being tied to the area I studied.

When I was in secondary school, I was always told university was just one path, but once I actually went into it, it felt like everything depended on getting through it. I’ve tried explaining to my parents that university never really felt like it was for me, but I think it’s hard for them to understand when I’m this close to finishing.

I do have passions, especially animation, but realistically I don’t think I can turn that into a stable career right now for various reasons. What I would like is a job with good work-life balance, where I can come home and still have energy to work on animation and other things I care about.

I know being uncertain at 21 is normal, but I feel very lost at the moment. I’m trying to figure out whether I should just finish the Level 7 if I can, take a break, look for stable work, apply for civil service competitions, or consider a completely different path.

Has anyone here been in a similar situation? Did you finish a degree you weren’t interested in and then move into something else? Are there decent career paths in Ireland for someone who mainly values stability, routine, and work-life balance over climbing a career ladder?

Any honest advice would be appreciated.