What do you do when you're 26 and you're still confused about the career path to follow?
I'm a 25 yrs (well, going to be 26 in few months) graduate of biological sciences(Biochemistry major and Microbiology minor). Now, I studied this course not because I wanted to but because that was the available option then. While growing up I have always wanted to be a pharmacist, I don't know if that's what I really wanted or because Pharmacy was a fancy word then. I have always been a academically good so I graduated with first class. Where I'm coming from there is no much job opportunities for biological sciences so during my final year I started learning data analysis. I have always fancied tech so when I stumbled upon "data analysis" on internet as a growing career path, I decided to venture into it. I started this in 2023, in this two years plus I have stopped and restarted more that 7 times. I get small motivation, then lock in for 2 months before you know it I'm back to square one. In between, I have paused to learn graphic designing, coding, project management. Because I thought, maybe that's where my calling is but, I always stop half way.
I feel like I don't really know what I want. Sometimes I feel data analysis is not what I want. I have always dreamed of seeing myself in big corporations, you know that independent corporate girly type. In a big corporate office and meetings giving solutions and all. Now, the big question. In big corporations during what? Solving which problem? That, I don't have an answer to. Sometimes while having discussions with myself about my future self I will be like "since I studied Biochemistry, a lover of biology and I'm currently into data analysis while not I venture into bioinformatics?" "But then bioinformatics does not align with big corporate girly I have always wanted to be. Will I enjoy it". I'm trying so many things but losing motivation soon because I don't really know what I want or what makes me happy. People might ask, what comes to you easily? That I don't know really. I know some things come to me easily like anything that had to do with numbers like math(not complex though), people do ask me if I studied mathematics but that might be because I grab things that have to do with numbers easily. Another thing that fascinates is tech. Because I have to do something while still trying to figure out my true career, I got a job as a Restaurant Management Trainee. It's been 5 months now since I started work but I want to leave it so badly because my whole being knows that not where I want to be.
Something happened yesterday at work that made me realise a bit where my strength lies; solving problems. Towards close of shift, during cash confirmation, our store internet connection suddenly had problems. We can't do anything on the system or confirm cash, and that we must do before leaving. We spent close to 1hr30mins trying to fix it, sending mails to the head office to rectify the issue. Then a thought came to me. "Since the website you want to use to confirm the cashiers cash and till is online, why can't you log in, download the sales report of that day, open with excel and then filter by clerk and sum their sales to get the total amount they sold" the thought came fast and I went to action immediately, I don't know what I was during or the results but I just did it and it worked. My fellow managers where amazed. Now this kinds of things come easy for me. But, I'm still very confused of the career path to toll.
Sorry for boring you with this long message but, pls I need advice . Thank you!
Posted Jan 27, 2026, 11:34 AM UTC