DEAR ABBY: I’m 18 and live with my boyfriend, “Austin,” at his parents’ house because, frankly, my mom is too much for me to handle.
I graduated from high school with no plan for anything afterward. I was going to follow Austin to the school of his choice, but then he changed his mind about college. I’m happy to stay here in Colorado, but I now feel like I don’t have much going for myself.
Austin already has a job because of a connection his dad had at work. I have applied for more than 10 jobs and haven’t heard back. I was thinking of doing online classes in a year, but I have no clue what I want to study. How will I know what I want to do for the rest of my life? – GOING NOWHERE
DEAR GOING NOWHERE: I don’t know what kind of jobs you have been applying for, but because you haven’t heard back from 10 of them, you either may not be qualified or don’t create a good enough impression. If you haven’t already asked Austin and his parents what they think you might be doing wrong, you should, so they can offer some helpful suggestions.
Also, contact the nearest university extension department and inquire about aptitude tests and career counseling.