Graduated but completely lost....

[aznric3boi]

So I'm 21 now...This may or may not sound crazy but I graduated about 2 months ago with a BS in Computer Science. I have looked for jobs but they just don't seem to fit my description of what I am capable of doing or want to do...Yes I know I have low self esteem. Yes I am picky. But I've heard so many people say that you should do what you love...Do things that make you happy. But I just cannot seem to find that spirit or interest. I don't know what my dream job is I guess...

I guess I just want to work on projects that have large impact. That can be used by many people instantly. Is this crazy? Am I stupid or insane for thinking this way? I just feel that I've been wasting so much time in college.

All this time I've been prototyping a business by myself, but I just feel that there has been people wondering why I don't have a job. I've been reading up on how to make my own startup.... Should I really get a job before I continue to prototype?

I'm honestly lost. I don't know what to do with the rest of my life. Have you guys experienced anything like this before?

I'm at the point where I feel like a complete failure.

Comments and advice are welcomed and appreciated.

 

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[Runum]

Welcome to the Fastlane and congratulations on your graduation. Sorry to hear of your quandary. Tell us more, when you decided on your major, where did you envision it would take you? What do you think has changed since then?

 

[Chris Becker]

Should I really get a job before I continue to prototype?

I was listening to the audio of Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki and Guy talks about two things to do in your scenario....
1) Bootstrap like crazy and work on your business. Eventually you will run out of money and need to sell your services (consultant) while you work on your side project. Eventually your side project can take over your income and you don't need to consult anymore. Or,
2) Start working as a consultant right away and prototype the side project. You won't have to bootstrap as much and you will be able to take the projects you want to. Eventually your side project can take over your income and you don't need to consult anymore.

Hope that helps a bit. I'd recommend checking that book out along with TMF if you haven't read it yet.

 

[aznric3boi]

Welcome to the Fastlane. Sorry to hear of your quandary. Tell us more, when you decided on your major, where did you envision it would take you? What do you think has changed since then?

Well I decided my major about 2 years ago when I knew I didn't want to mess around too long with a Comp. Sci Degree... At the time I knew I wanted to build things with software as I knew the cloud was getting cheaper and much more affordable. But I didn't know squat back then. The only thing I knew was Java... No python, no iOS, no nothing... It wasn't until I worked on a group project on iOS that I knew I wanted to work on something similar to this. I was happy to see people were able to use it and have fun with it and interact with it instantly.

Since then, I've been bombarded with classes until graduation and worrying about finding a job. Right now after 2 months of graduation, I've been learning how to leverage amazon web services and other web platforms for my app. I've got a design and know it will take a lot of time to build and market it myself... I don't know what the right term would be but I feel I'm "ill prepared" to find a job and "ill prepared" to work on my app. My family are supporting me but I feel like I'm being a burden to them. I don't go out as often as I'd like since I'm always busy learning the technology, and trying to apply it even though I've got a crap way of learning and no training from professionals like in the workforce.

As of right now...I feel like I'm in Limbo...

Should I find a job and work simultaneously on my app? Or should I work strictly on my app? I feel like I lost my spirit or passion...?

 

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[Runum]

You spent four years in college, got a degree, but no education? Who paid for that? Did you work at all during that time?

 

[Talisman]

"ill prepared" ???? Pull your finger out. You want to change the world? It's not going to happen by sitting around feeling "ill prepared". If your app is going to take months and months of work and marketing.. you're doing it wrong (unless it's a game, in which case, stop now, turn around, go find something else to work on).

What the fk is this prototype business you talk of? You have an idea? Great - spend some time researching, thinking, and planning, and then either go full steam or go find a better idea. "Some time" does not mean months. Im talking hours, days at the most. You'll know if it's a viable business idea by then (not saying it will work, just saying it may be viable).

"Training by professionals in the workforce" haha that makes me laugh. I am one of those professionals - trust me, use what little you know, and just build toward something.

You are in a unique position in your life, one unlikely to occur again.

You have a fastlane relevant skillset (IT related).
You have 0 income to replace.
You have parents that are "supportive" of your situation.

I'd kill to be in that position again, knowing what I do today.

 

[DeletedUser2]

you just graduated?

Time to start your REAL education.

start here on the fast lane search function.


good luck...

Z

 

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[buckmajor]

We all hit a rut at some stage. At 21yrs old, I believe your in good position to go full steam ahead. You have a lot of years ahead of you. Maybe you're trying to grow up too fast but then again it can be good thing. Some of us over 30yrs finally just woken up about the Fastlane wishing "If I started earlier" but its never too late. Only age goes up but never comes down. Some learn quicker than others and some like myself take a while to comprehend but perseverance is the key to not giving up on your goals or Fastlane dreams.

 

[aznric3boi]

"ill prepared" ???? Pull your finger out. You want to change the world? It's not going to happen by sitting around feeling "ill prepared". If your app is going to take months and months of work and marketing.. you're doing it wrong (unless it's a game, in which case, stop now, turn around, go find something else to work on).

What the fk is this prototype business you talk of? You have an idea? Great - spend some time researching, thinking, and planning, and then either go full steam or go find a better idea. "Some time" does not mean months. Im talking hours, days at the most. You'll know if it's a viable business idea by then (not saying it will work, just saying it may be viable).

"Training by professionals in the workforce" haha that makes me laugh. I am one of those professionals - trust me, use what little you know, and just build toward something.

You are in a unique position in your life, one unlikely to occur again.

You have a fastlane relevant skillset (IT related).
You have 0 income to replace.
You have parents that are "supportive" of your situation.

I'd kill to be in that position again, knowing what I do today.

But it's easy for you to say since you know how to setup these technologies in a specific way with many years of experience. You may take a day or two but I don't know if it will take weeks. I've been in a constant loop of searching for jobs, and working on this project.

So even when you're in the work force...You don't get this type of training?

I guess what I'm trying to say is I'd like to find a mentor or a guy who's built big apps that can share their experience with me on what technology is best...?

And the only thing that's been bugging me the most is the debt I had incurred during my 3 years in college. :/ I think this is the main reason why I'm afraid of starting a business...

 

[aznric3boi]

I was listening to the audio of Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki and Guy talks about two things to do in your scenario....
1) Bootstrap like crazy and work on your business. Eventually you will run out of money and need to sell your services (consultant) while you work on your side project. Eventually your side project can take over your income and you don't need to consult anymore. Or,
2) Start working as a consultant right away and prototype the side project. You won't have to bootstrap as much and you will be able to take the projects you want to. Eventually your side project can take over your income and you don't need to consult anymore.

Hope that helps a bit. I'd recommend checking that book out along with TMF if you haven't read it yet.

I'm checking out the Art of Start right now. It's quite interesting. Thanks.

What is TMF ?

 

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[aznric3boi]

We all hit a rut at some stage. At 21yrs old, I believe your in good position to go full steam ahead. You have a lot of years ahead of you. Maybe you're trying to grow up too fast but then again it can be good thing. Some of us over 30yrs finally just woken up about the Fastlane wishing "If I started earlier" but its never too late. Only age goes up but never comes down. Some learn quicker than others and some like myself take a while to comprehend but perseverance is the key to not giving up on your goals or Fastlane dreams.

I know I have plenty of time but if you had incurred debt during your college career. Would you find a job or go full steam?

 

[aznric3boi]

You spent four years in college, got a degree, but no education? Who paid for that? Did you work at all during that time?

I worked summer internships and saved up some money only to pay off some debt. Mostly I took out loans from the government.

 

[healthstatus]

Should I find a job and work simultaneously on my app? Or should I work strictly on my app? I feel like I lost my spirit or passion...?

Once you complete your app, then what? Do you have a stream of traffic ready to buy it? Are you just going to post it to the App Store, depend on Apple to decide it is worthy among the hundreds of apps submitted each day and feature it? Do you know what ad revenue on an app is?

 

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[Milkanic]

I'd suggest getting a job for a while and use it as an education. A mid sized company (100-500) is a good start so you can move into a few different areas.

Figure out what makes the good managers good, why the CEO is the CEO, how the company makes money, where are they losing money, etc.

I in no way had the skill set to run my own business straight out of college.

 

[aznric3boi]

Once you complete your app, then what? Do you have a stream of traffic ready to buy it? Are you just going to post it to the App Store, depend on Apple to decide it is worthy among the hundreds of apps submitted each day and feature it? Do you know what ad revenue on an app is?

I know where I can generate revenue. Are there specific apps that are not allowed to be submitted onto the app store?

 

[aznric3boi]

I'd suggest getting a job for a while and use it as an education. A mid sized company (100-500) is a good start so you can move into a few different areas.

Figure out what makes the good managers good, why the CEO is the CEO, how the company makes money, where are they losing money, etc.

I in no way had the skill set to run my own business straight out of college.

Well, nobody has the skill set to run any business when they haven't done so.
What was something important you can't learn by yourself?

Any companies you'd suggest, to work for?

 

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[theag]

Any companies you'd suggest, to work for?

[video=youtube;Lx4poQw1mZo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx4poQw1mZo[/video]

 

[Talisman]

But it's easy for you to say since you know how to setup these technologies in a specific way with many years of experience. You may take a day or two but I don't know if it will take weeks. I've been in a constant loop of searching for jobs, and working on this project.

So even when you're in the work force...You don't get this type of training?

I guess what I'm trying to say is I'd like to find a mentor or a guy who's built big apps that can share their experience with me on what technology is best...?

Implementing technology only takes a long time if you try to learn everything before you start.

Learn what you need to - you want to know how to start a particular type of app? Research that. Then you'll want to know how to hook up an interface, learn that, then you'll want to learn how to load data from a website, learn that. Etc. Before you know it you have a piece of shit app that's your first frankenstein, and it will wobble and groan, and you will wonder "wtf have I created". So you probably write it again, but it'll take you 1/10th of the time, and it will be 10x better.

Im not sure what you mean by "this type of training"... You will learn exactly what you need to do the job you're hired for, which Im guessing is not going to be as an app-developer. In all likelihood you will in turn learn how annoying middle managers are in big companies, how boring and useless meetings are, and how to look busy while doing nothing.

Again you mention technology. Technology is not your barrier. Finding a marketable product that has a market that's interested in it, is the barrier. Honestly, making the product is 20% of the effort. You seem to think you have a market - but you asked "are there some types of apps that aren't allowed on the appstore" - researching THAT is part of determining if your idea is worthwhile and viable. Due diligence.

I don't know what else to tell you. There are some things you need to discover by doing - but you seem to be afraid of that.

 

[Alana]

I would recommend doing something that scares you or you are completely uncomfortable with. Perhaps this means traveling to somewhere or volunteering for an organization or moving out into the middle of no where and building your own sustainable lifestyle (oh wait…that’s my gig).
Before you start helping the world, help yourself—learn more about who you are (not what you do and your GPA and your degree…but what makes you tick at your very core). You’ll be able to give back so much more in the end. You don’t have to figure everything out right away…that is what life is for.
Jobs and prototypes and business titles will come all in due time. Those are good goals to have and I’m not implying that you lose sight of them at all. But you’re at a sweet spot in your life right now—fresh outta college. The world is your oyster IF you take advantage of it…nothing holding you back but yourself.

 

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[GuestUser8117]

You have a degree least, which is not the case for me. That's a good asset. How about being a consultant?

 

[GuestUser8117]

What is TMF ?

Are you kidding lol? This forum is all about this book. A masterpiece that should be required to read before you come on this forum. Amazon.com: The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime. (9780984358106): MJ DeMarco: Books

 

[LeungJan]

But it's easy for you to say since you know how to setup these technologies in a specific way with many years of experience. You may take a day or two but I don't know if it will take weeks. I've been in a constant loop of searching for jobs, and working on this project.

He got the experience from doing, don't be afraid to start, failure will lead to experience. You can't know it until you've built your frankenstein app and iterate and improve, jump right in now.

You don't need to spend months on it either, take the most important parts of it and build a basic version of your app, but just make the UI as good as can be. (Test demand)

You do not need a mentor if you are doing nothing.

Dont over think it and start doing!!

 

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[aznric3boi]

Are you kidding lol? This forum is all about this book. A masterpiece that should be required to read before you come on this forum. Amazon.com: The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime. (9780984358106): MJ DeMarco: Books

Ohh hahaha I read it twice already.

 

[aznric3boi]

You have a degree least, which is not the case for me. That's a good asset. How about being a consultant?

I like working with UI. Should I be a UI consultant? I don't think they are high in demand...But I could be wrong.

 

[The-J]

Pay bills first, do business later.

Got your bills paid? Good: now you can work on your business.

There are a million things you can do. You can program, so sell your services like a previous poster said. Learn how to be a freelance programmer, figure out how many projects per month you have to take on in order to pay your bills, then (most important step) do them.

After you're done making the money to pay your bills for the month, work on your business full-time. Depending on what you're working on, it may take anywhere from 1 or 2 months to a year before you reach some sort of profitability.

They call this 'bootstrapping' but most entrepreneurs just call it 'making sure I don't go hungry'.

Good luck.

 

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[Lights]

Yes, I feel like a failure everyday until my bank account is at least a million dollars, and even then I'll still feel a failure if I didn't accomplish other things. That motivates me.

Money never correlates with loving what you do. So I don't try to look for jobs/careers that I would love to do, but only that I know I'll do it well and others can't do it as easily or as well I would. If being a janitor paid me 5 million dollars a year, I would ask "where is the mop and bucket".

I don't think you're stupid. I think you have a too high expectation from employers. The bottom line for them is profit, and not to make you happy.You make yourself happy.

 

[aznric3boi]

Yes, I feel like a failure everyday until my bank account is at least a million dollars, and even then I'll still feel a failure if I didn't accomplish other things. That motivates me.

Money never correlates with loving what you do. So I don't try to look for jobs/careers that I would love to do, but only that I know I'll do it well and others can't do it as easily or as well I would. If being a janitor paid me 5 million dollars a year, I would ask "where is the mop and bucket".

I don't think you're stupid. I think you have a too high expectation from employers. The bottom line for them is profit, and not to make you happy.You make yourself happy.

I honestly do feel like a failure. I don't know what I can do actually. Even with a computer science degree. I feel like I'm so incompetent when compared to others. I make mistakes all the time. No matter on school work or in life. I feel awkward and introverted nowadays. It's like I closed myself in these few years just to get that degree.

High expectation is true. But I just don't see how I'm valuable in any way to the employee. And I don't know how to market myself... :/

 

[The-J]

Even with a computer science degree. I feel like I'm so incompetent when compared to others. I make mistakes all the time. No matter on school work or in life. I feel awkward and introverted nowadays. It's like I closed myself in these few years just to get that degree.

One of the first things you'll learn when first going into business is that nobody really gives a F*ck about you.

 

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[Twiki]

I honestly do feel like a failure. I don't know what I can do actually. Even with a computer science degree. I feel like I'm so incompetent when compared to others. I make mistakes all the time. No matter on school work or in life. I feel awkward and introverted nowadays. It's like I closed myself in these few years just to get that degree.

High expectation is true. But I just don't see how I'm valuable in any way to the employee. And I don't know how to market myself... :/

1. Start doing push-ups, once every other day. I'm serious.

2. Study Zen Mind Beginners Mind: Beginner's Mind Original Manuscript- Ch6 - Horse Sense

"In our everyday life we are always ashamed of our self -- reflecting what we are doing. Some student wrote me saying, "You sent me a calendar, and I am trying to follow the good message of the calendar, and I find the calendar undaunted by failure." The calendar is a calendar of failure.

Dogen Zen-ji said, "Shyoshaku jushaku." Shaku means mistake or wrong. With wrong succeed wrong with wrong. To succeed wrong with wrong, or to succeed mistake with mistake. It means continuous mistake. Shyoshaku jushaku. Some Zen master says, "Shyoshaku jushaku -- It means, My eighty years of life is succession of mistake." But there is Zen in it."

You care too much about being the best horse or the worst horse. That is my anonymous internet diagnosis for today. Now go do some push-ups.

 

[GuestUser8117]

The alternative to a job is starting a business. Here are ideas:

Create an app that goes viral
Launch an Ecommerce website that sells a specific niche/set of products that are in demand
Become a real estate investor
Write a book and sell it to the masses
Create a social networking website like facebook

If you feel that a job is not for you then educate yourself on entrepreneurship and get to work.