I gave up on a study course after five years of hell and now I'm back at my parents' house and must make a big decision on what career to pursue and find a job asap. But I just can't decide, I can't picture myself in 5/10 years from now and can't even imagine what type of job I'd love, bc everything seems out fo reach and impossible, just like it felt when I was 20.
I'm from Italy, and I made my previous choice based on job perspectives here, now I'd like some perspective from abroad...
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business and economics This is a course in English, I also speak French and in an ideal world I would have studied foreign languages (but in reality, I would have found no job, here at least, or nothing promising). Studying economics in English would sort of fulfill that, I'd study other languages and strive to become an export manager with time. Other than that I could combine it, in THe future, with studies in cultural heritage, which would be my first choice if only I could live off of that. And find related jobs as I go.
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computer science. Never interested me that much, I had a basic programming course which wasn't that bad, I think I'd be able to do that... But I don't know if I'd really want that. I've thought about it bc I'm interested in data journalism, and I could combine it with data visualization, design, writing... But that's more like an interest, I don't think I'd like the actual careers I'd have access too... I don't even have that much knowledge on what possible jobs would be like.
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management engineering Again export or project manager. I'd prefer economics, but bc of my age this might give me slightly better chances of finding a job asap?
Of course the careers I mentioned require years of work and I'm willing to do that, the problem is I feel very confused, I'm afraid of wasting time bc of my age, maybe studying and not finding a job and also how can one know if a career is the right one for you? You first have to get there...
Any type of advice would be of great help, thank you in advance
If you're at a University of some kind, you can ask a counselor there about job shadowing opportunities in the fields you are considering.
I second this, and would generally recommend finding some people to talk to who are in jobs similar to those you are considering, even if you aren't able to shadow them. And you don't have to be in university to do this--ask people you know if they know anyone in jobs or careers related to those you are considering, and ask to pick those people's brains. Ask them about what they like and dislike about their current job, what previous jobs/positions they've had and what they learned from those roles, what decisions they made that shaped their career path, what advice they would give to someone curious about or just starting in their field, etc.
I've found that people who are passionate about their jobs/careers often love to talk about how they got to where they are and what they wish they had known earlier along their career journey. Heck, most people enjoy talking about themselves in general, so don't be shy! I did this with a couple of friends' parents when I was trying to decide what to major in in college/university, and more informally along my early career trajectory with others I met, and it has been a huge help. One of the people I talked to even helped me realize how flexible a degree program I was considering could be, and she was absolutely right! And who knows--you may even meet someone who turns out to be a great mentor.
Picking a career path is intimidating, but it's a path, not a label you're stuck with the rest of your life! Even if you take a job that isn't a good fit for you, it can teach you more about your strengths/weaknesses and what growth areas interest you. When you come to a fork in the road of your career path--you learn about a promotion opportunity, see a job posting at another company, or even just have a conversation with your manager at your current job--you'll have the opportunity to make decisions that could help you find a role that's a better fit for you (or even re-shape your existing role to fit your strengths and passions better). Learning about other people's careers--especially the choices they made and what came of them--can be a huge help as you walk down your own career path.
Best wishes for your journey! It's completely normal to be uncertain in making big career decisions, but you got this!
(EDIT: minor rephrase)