19 year old lost on what to do in life

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I’m 19 and not in school or working. I have no plans for my life and have no direction on what to do next. I’m so depressed everyday. I don’t know what to do, does anyone have good career ideas? Should I go to college? I have no friends and feel like post college age it’s really hard to make friends, and that people won’t wanna be friends with some unemployed guy living with his parents, unless I’m being too negative. I feel very anxious tho, like time is running out and I’m just wasting my youth and valuable time playing video games and used to do drugs. Any advice is appreciated

I found an article that suggested 12 "best jobs for autistics".

Do you like the sounds of any of these:

Animal Scientist
Accountant
Actuary
Researcher
Shipping and Logistics specialist
Computer Programmer
Data Analyst
Gardener

https://www.zippia.com/advice/best-jobs ... ic-adults/

(yes that is only 8 - apparently I have to sign up to read the rest of the article).

Other questions.
Do you have a special interest?
Do you have a High School Diploma?
Do you have an Associates Degree?
Do you have a Bachelor's degree?

I am 54 - and I have no idea what to do with my life and no clear direction right now. I am currently out of work.

I used to think almost identically like you at that age. I used to think I was aging and waisting my life away. Well I did just that, not any fault of my own, being an undiagnosed adult with autism and absolutely no support. I did drugs for a while, jumped from one lame attempt at life to another. My advise, stick with a passion and pursuit a future with that, don't try to convince yourself that you ought to do anything you aren't feeling. People don't stop making friends when they aren't in school, you'll meet new people at work and events for the rest of your life, probably better people for you because of common interests.

So what is it you actually want to do with your life Sohil?
What is your passion? What matters in life to you?
The answer could be anything, anything at all.
What matters is that it's important to you - you only have one life, what do you want to do with it?

What do you believe in?

I'm more than twice your age and have found a niche working in critical care medicine.
I mixed my love of scientific knowledge with a desire to help other people.
I now work on a contract basis in intensive care units and operating theatres programming and operating a particular variety of life support equipment. My life is good, minimal stress and I get to do what I believe in.

Your future career is a blank canvas Sohil, where do you want it to take you?
(PS.Stay away from the drugs).

Apprentice a trade. You'll earn money while learning a skill that will pay you an above average income.

4-5 years in, you'll no debt, money in the bank, and a skill set that will earn you $70-100k+/year.

Alternatively, if you decide to got to College/University, you'll almost certainly end up with student loan debt, and come away from the experience with an education that qualifies you to apply for jobs that pay less than tradesmen earn.. while having to compete against a Lot of other qualified applicants.

If I had to do it all over again I'd have started in on a trade at 19 instead of business school. I'd have made a lot more money for it.

Where I am in Australia there is a huge shortage of various trades.

Plumbers, concreters, roofers, mechanics, sparkies. The ones that are qualified and experienced can pick and choose which jobs they want to do and how much they will charge for it. The supply vs demand equation really works in their favour.

What sort of jobs are in your area like this with more work available than there are people qualified to do it?

Apprenticing in a trade is definitely a good choice. You could also try meeting with a career counselor of some kind. In the US there are at least two such free programs. One is for anyone who is unemployed or makes less then $20 an hour (it may also be for anyone part time, I don't remember and that isn't important in this case). The other program is called Vocational Rehabilitation and is for people who have disabilities.



Also, think about what interests you may have that may be something you could pursue a career in or in some related area.


But remember, you are 19. You are still a teenager. If you are in the US, you can't legally drink or even smoke now. It is normal to feel completely lost as to what to do and where to go at that age. Try out different things and see what fits. You can also volunteer some if you want, such as at a zoo if that was something you found interesting.

Another thing you can do is take some collage classes and see if that is something you would want to do. You could enroll in a community college and take one or two classes (or more) at time. That is something you could also do while having a part time job if you wanted to.

Enrolling in the college even part time and even if only for a semester, would give you an opportunity to meet people your own age who are in a similar situation in life.

Bumping this thread to triple down on saying pick a trade and do it!

4-5 years from now you’ll make $70-100k+/yr with cash in the bank and no student debt while those who pursue a degree somewhere will likely owe tens of thousands of dollars in student loans and start out in some career path that pays them less all while having a soft weak body instead of the one you built alongside skills & finances.

100% if I had to do it all over again I’d pick a trade instead of business school and thus I recommend it to others for all the reasons listed above.

I've heard that this isn't always the case for women

Why is that?

Male, female, non-binary, it doesn't matter.
Pick a trade you want to do, learn the skills and get the experience and necessary qualification if needed.
Then work for yourself selling your skills and labour, setting your own price.

There's many fields out there that are desperately short of skilled people to do them, why not take advantage of that and earn a living from it?

And if solo contracting proves too difficult due to sexism, stick to a Union job that has solid wages, benefits, AND protections from discrimination and other such nonsense. Here in Canada, anyways.. depending on where you are - USA I assume - you may have to wait a little while for proper unionization of the labour force to happen. But at least construction trades have unions in the USA, it's a whole lot of other industries populated by abused people that are severely underpaid that are about to become part of the biggest labour movement in possibly all of American history, but at least for the last half century or so.

In my area there are two female sparkies who are in business together.
I often see them and their vans in various places around the neighbourhood so I'm guessing they have no shortage of business.

I would try to become a plumber or a HVAC technician or electrician or mechanic or some other type of trade if you dont feel like college is for you.I had a friend from college that studied a trade instead of getting a degree and he makes a good living.I would only go to college if you did not have to take out student loans.Also if you go to college try to study something like STEM or something more marketable than a liberal arts or social science degree.I learned that the hard way.You could work in landscaping.

The IBEW takes women. Do you have a high school diploma? A year or more of algebra with a C or better grades? I am biased but I consider the IBEW to be the best union. Only the UA ever competes with us in terms of pay package and benefits. As has been stated in this thread, we pay you while you are in the apprenticeship. Starting @ 45% of Journeyman rate. If you get in you will be a union sister. If not, I hope you find something that pays well and gives you a decent retirement.

I am a landscaper myself, I can attest that landscaping or general labour is probably the easiest way to make a living wage without having to attend college you can easily make upwards of 20.00 an hour, but often at the cost of your mental and physical health. These jobs pay relatively well because no one wants to do them and you better get used to working with unsavory people i.e. drug addicts and sociopaths. If you can tough it out for a few years to make ends meet I say do it but please work on a escape plan because no one wants to be a 40 year old loser still cutting lawns in the rain for a living.