“She doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up.”

… and other things adults have told me since I’ve finished my undergrad.

It’s been five months since I graduated from university and started my full-time job as an interior designer. To be quite honest, I hate it. I’ve mentioned this to friends and family, and here is some feedback I’ve been given:

1. Welcome to the real world.

I have to start out with a favourite of mine. To me, Welcome to the real world implies that everything from here on out is just shit and that I should give up.

2. Wow, you really have your life together!

This comment usually comes from peers my age. Compliment or not, it creates a kind of pressure for me to stick-out a job that I don’t enjoy.

3. You’re just not used to working full-time.

The problem I have with this is, why should we get used to working full-time? Shouldn’t we genuinely enjoy our work enough that we enjoy being at work? Shouldn’t we want to put in extra hours and effort?

4. I cried every day my first two years out of school.

While I’ve only heard this once from a fellow interior designer, it really made me question what the fuck I’ve done with my life. I knew interior design would be hard, but I didn’t think it would turn me into a puddle of anxious tears.

5. …you want to do something related to your field, right?

This comment is hilarious because not only does it send me into a spiralling panic of self-doubt and worry; but because it is insinuating that once you pay for your $40,000 degree, you are eternally bound to it.

6. Now that you’re done school you’ll have so much free-time. You can always do things you enjoy on the side.

But… why can’t I make money from things I enjoy? Is that an option?

7. You should be thankful to even have a job right out of school! Especially in your chosen field.

God. Damned. Baby-boomers. Always shitting on us millennials for being “lazy” or “entitled”… Of course I’m grateful, it’s doesn’t mean I need to be happy with my job.

8. Why don’t you go into (insert design sub-category here)?

What kills me most about this is that the person is genuinely trying to help, but they’re not educated enough about design to give any useful advice.

This is similar to family and friends asking me to do “one of those cool fly-through videos like they have on the Property Brothers” (thanks for that one, HGTV)

9. She doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up.

Thank you for the reminder.

10. You’ll figure it out.

Thanks, I guess…