When I left college, I thought I should have some idea of what came next. Instead, I had hardly any qualifications and no clear direction. I knew I wanted to do something with my life, but I didn’t know where to begin. The future felt like a question I was expected to answer before I was ready.
One of the hardest parts was feeling as though I should already have a plan. People ask what you want to do after education, and sometimes you don’t have an answer. That doesn’t mean you don’t care. For me, it meant I was struggling to see what opportunities were available and where I might fit.
I worried about failing myself and my family. I wanted to make them proud, but I didn’t know how to move forward. Leaving college without many qualifications made me question what I could offer. It was easy to focus on what I hadn’t achieved and overlook anything I might be capable of. I needed an opportunity to discover my abilities, but at the time, I didn’t know how to ask for one.
Life after education can feel strange because the routine you have known suddenly changes. While you are studying, there is usually somewhere to be, work to complete and a next term to prepare for. When that ends, you can be left trying to build a new routine while also making decisions about your future.
For me, that uncertainty was frightening. I needed income and support, and signing on felt like one of the only options I knew about. There is nothing wrong with needing that support, but I wished I understood what other routes might be open to me. If you are unsure what comes next, the National Careers Service explains education, training and work options after 18.
I also felt behind other people. If you recognise that feeling, I’M MORE’s article on how to stop comparing your career progress explores a similar challenge. When you see someone starting a job, continuing their education or talking confidently about their plans, it can make your own uncertainty feel bigger. I didn’t know where I belonged, and sometimes I felt as though I had failed before I had even had the chance to find my way. Looking back, I wish I had been kinder to myself. I was facing something unfamiliar. I didn’t need to have every answer straight away, but I did need help understanding my next step.
Something I wish I had been given was the chance to show someone what I was made of. Having few qualifications didn’t mean I had no ideas, no willingness to learn or nothing to contribute. It meant there were parts of myself I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to explore.
I wanted to feel comfortable speaking up without worrying about what someone might say. When you already doubt yourself, sharing an idea can feel difficult. You can spend so much time worrying about getting something wrong that you never give yourself the chance to find out what you could do well.
That is why encouragement matters to me. Someone taking the time to listen, explain a task or give you useful feedback can make trying feel more manageable. It gives you something practical to build on. Confidence doesn’t always arrive before an opportunity. Sometimes, you need the opportunity first. You can also read more about how to believe in yourself and build confidence.
Now, through my work at I’M MORE, I am exploring writing, creating content and helping develop ideas for young people. These tasks give me opportunities to practise expressing myself and think about how my experiences might help someone else. Writing about life after education means something to me because I remember how uncertain it felt. I don’t want to tell someone to “just be confident” when I know how difficult that can be. I want them to feel understood and have something useful they can try.
I am still learning. There are skills I want to improve and things I need support with. But I am beginning to recognise that learning carries on after college. It happens when I work on an article, ask a question, listen to feedback or attempt something unfamiliar. My qualifications are part of my story. So are the things I am learning now. The National Careers Service also offers guidance on recognising and developing your skills, including skills gained through everyday life, work and education.
Working at I’M MORE connects with my own experience because we support young people aged 18–24 who need help finding direction and moving towards opportunities. The ideas behind Discover, Believe and Become feel relevant to what I needed after education: space to discover my interests and strengths, support to believe I had something to offer, and practical steps towards a future I could begin to picture. If you find it difficult to recognise your strengths, the National Careers Service’s skills assessment can help you explore your interests and possible career directions
I want young people to know that they can ask for help even if they don’t know what job they want. Being able to say, “I’m unsure where to start,” can be the beginning of a useful conversation. I also want our work to make that support easier to understand. A young person should be able to see who an organisation helps, what support involves and how to take the first step. When you already feel uncertain, knowing what to expect can make reaching out feel less intimidating. For practical starting points, explore I’M MORE’s employment and training resources, including opportunities in Essex.
If I could speak to myself when I first left college, I would tell her that she didn’t have to work everything out at once. I would remind her that needing support wasn’t something to be ashamed of and that having few qualifications didn’t take away her ability to learn. I would also tell her to give herself a chance to try. Ask the question. Share the idea. Find out about the opportunity, even if she isn’t sure where it will lead. Life after education has been more uncertain than I expected. I am still finding my way, but I now have experiences to learn from and skills to develop. For a long time, I wished someone would give me the chance to show what I could do. Now, as I take on new tasks and put my thoughts into words, I am giving myself that chance too.
