When it comes to building a career, women are often told to have a plan before they start moving. Know what you want to do. Choose a career. Set goals. Build experience. Keep moving.
But what happens when you don’t know?
You might know what you’re good at and what interests you. You might even have a job you don’t hate. You just don’t know what you want all of it to add up to. Maybe you took a job because it was the opportunity available, or studied something because it seemed practical. Maybe you thought university would give you clarity, only to graduate and realise that a degree doesn’t automatically tell you what to do with the rest of your life.
Meanwhile, other people seem to be moving ahead. They’re getting promotions, launching businesses, changing careers and announcing their next big thing. It becomes easy to wonder whether you’re actually building a career or simply collecting experiences and hoping they eventually make sense.
There is also pressure to figure it out quickly. By your twenties, you’re expected to have a direction. By thirty, there can be an even stronger expectation that you should have built something. Social media makes this harder because we see everyone’s progress without seeing the uncertainty that came before it. You can start to mistake not knowing for being behind.
But not knowing exactly what you want isn’t necessarily a problem. Sometimes, clarity comes from doing. You take a job and discover what you like. You try something and realise it isn’t for you. You develop a skill and discover a new possibility. Even knowing what you don’t want can help you decide what comes next.
Sometimes, the path only becomes visible after you’ve started walking it.
We asked women what career uncertainty has looked like for them.
Gbemi, Visual Storyteller
As an architecture graduate, I’ve developed skills in photography, videography, graphic design and video editing. For a while, I struggled with whether I needed to choose one direction. I’m beginning to realise that I may not have to. These skills can complement one another and allow me to build a career combining architecture, design, visual storytelling and creative media.
Leelee, Multi-hyphenate
I just got an internship I’ve been dreaming of, and I’m wondering if this is really it. I know what I want, but I also want many things. I’ve wanted to write, transition into finance and use my chemistry degree, so I’m exploring laboratory practice while doing writing and education consulting on the side.
I’ve had other dreams that didn’t work out, so I can’t say I know exactly what I’m doing. I just dream, tell God, and He sorts it out.
Tolu, Administration
I’ve always known I wanted to work in an office environment, but building a career hasn’t been a straight path. My uncertainty isn’t about a lack of passion or effort. It is about compensation and financial growth.
My current job has given me valuable experience, but limited financial growth is making it difficult to fund my next step, an MBA. I’m still figuring out how to balance stability with the professional future I want.
Amaka, Journalist
When I started working, my priority was survival and earning an income, so I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to become. About two years into my career, I began questioning whether journalism was where I saw myself long-term.
I’ve considered tech, project management and market research, but I’m still exploring what genuinely interests me. I’m worried about becoming stuck in a career I didn’t intentionally choose while not knowing exactly what I would choose instead.
Ibukunoluwa, Data Scientist/Stylist
I’ve explored architecture, styling and now data science. Styling started as something I enjoyed and eventually became a business, but that came with its own uncertainties. Now, I’m transitioning into data science. My initial uncertainty was mostly imposter syndrome, but my biggest question now is, “What happens after the MSc?”
Interestingly, I’m beginning to see how these different paths connect. I don’t have everything figured out, but I’m learning to be okay with that.
Temi, Artist
I’ve been trying to find my career path all my life, from wanting to become a teacher, accountant and engineer to eventually studying architecture.
As a creative with many hobbies and talents, sticking to one career path has proved difficult. I’m still trying to figure myself and my career out, one step at a time.
These experiences show that career uncertainty doesn’t always mean being lost. Sometimes, it means having many interests. Sometimes, it means wanting to change direction. Sometimes, financial realities make the next step difficult. And sometimes, you’re still figuring out what you want because you haven’t found it yet.
A career isn’t one decision you make once. It changes as you gain experience, learn what you like, discover what you don’t and grow into new versions of yourself.
Maybe you don’t need to know exactly where you’re going before you start moving. Maybe you just need enough clarity to take the next step. Certainty doesn’t always come before movement. Sometimes, it comes because of it.
So, can you build a career without knowing exactly what you want?
