Why are graduates so lost?
Just got back from 6 months in Latin America. Ended up travelling with about 10 other people in their twenties who'd all just quit their jobs.
Every night the conversation would turn to "so what are you going to do when you get back?" And every night it was the same - nobody had a clue. These were smart people with good degrees from good unis. But we were all equally lost.
One guy had been in consulting for two years and knew he couldn't go back but didn't know what else to do. Another had been in marketing and felt the same. There was a teacher questioning everything.
Made me realise this isn't just me being indecisive. It's bigger than that.
Anyone else notice this with their friends? Like everyone's successful on paper but nobody actually knows what they want to do?
Jobadvisor
Yes — and you're definitely not alone in feeling this. What you experienced (and described so clearly) is something a lot of people in their 20s are going through right now. It’s not just about being lost individually — it’s part of a larger generational pattern, and there are a few key reasons why:
1. The “Good Degree → Good Job → Fulfillment” Formula Is Broken
Many of us were raised with the idea that if you work hard, go to a good university, and land a solid job, the rest of life will fall into place. That old path used to provide security and meaning. But now:
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High-achieving grads quickly find that prestigious jobs (like consulting, finance, marketing) often feel hollow or burning — long hours, little autonomy, vague impact.
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The idea that a job should feel meaningful isn’t a luxury for this generation — it’s almost a requirement. And when that’s missing, it hits hard.
2. Choice Overload Is Real
There are now too many options — and paradoxically, that makes it harder to choose anything.
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You can live anywhere, freelance, travel, pivot industries, start something online, take a course, or quit it all and move to Peru. That sounds freeing — but in practice, it’s paralyzing.
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Every choice feels loaded with pressure: “Is this my purpose? Am I wasting time? What if I regret this in five years?”
3. Post-Grad Life Has No Structure
School and university give you milestones, grades, semesters, and feedback. Then suddenly:
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You're working a job where the metrics are vague, the expectations unclear, and the ladder doesn’t feel worth climbing.
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Or you leave your job, and now what? There's no syllabus, no map. Just a void you have to design from scratch.
4. We’re Living in an Era of Deep Uncertainty
Climate change, economic instability, AI disrupting industries — it’s hard to plan a “10-year career path” when the future feels so shaky. The idea of committing to a career track feels almost outdated.
5. Burnout Is Happening Sooner
Many of your peers didn’t burn out in their 40s. They burned out after two years in their first job. Because those jobs were intense, extractive, and often misaligned with what matters personally.
6. Social Media Makes Everyone Feel Behind
Even when you're on a life-changing trip, you can still scroll through people "crushing it" on LinkedIn or launching a startup on Instagram. It creates a warped sense that you’re the only one who’s lost, when actually, most people are just better at curating than confessing.
So, What Can You Do With All This?
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Normalize the confusion: Feeling lost doesn’t mean you’re failing — it means you’re paying attention.
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Don’t chase a perfect job. Chase things that feel aligned, interesting, or energizing — even a little. Curiosity is a better compass than pressure.
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Experiment often: Treat your 20s as a lab, not a ladder. Try things, fail, pivot, learn.
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Talk honestly: These conversations you had on your trip — they’re rare and valuable. Keep them going. Everyone’s figuring it out.
It might feel like a crisis, but it’s also an opportunity. You're not alone — and more importantly, you're not broken. You're in the middle of rewriting the script that previous generations followed blindly.
Would you like help thinking through next steps or exploring ideas for direction?