I don't know what to do with my life

[Hexagon]

Hi fellow EREs

First, excuse my english. I'm living in the canary islands (link), I'm 28 years old, and I don't know what to do. I don't have a single penny. I dropped out from education several times because I never found anything I've enjoyed except from music. I'm learning now how to play piano and learning ableton live to produce. But it will take some years until I get to the point I want to be, and you know how things are economically in the world of music. Here in the islands, the unemployement rate for young people is something like +60%. Since I'm living in a island, there's few ways of making a living. Most people start up a business in the old way (shop or a restaurant working insane hours), or work in tourism (highly competitive here). The type of jobs I can aspire to are pretty much bullshit jobs, commission based, precarious and badly remunerated, and I always get rejected from those because my social skills are quite awkward. Also they require a level of "role-playing" I'm not able to put with it.

I tried some things, for example, make a website for passive income, but seems like a bubble whose ship has sailed already, wasn't that big in spain and I don't have a single area of expertise. I tried to make a website about music production but since I'm a beginner, I gave up because I didn't have the knowledge to explain things, plus it was taking time from the actual learning I need to have. The good, easy ideas for a website were already taken and/or highly competitive, and writing is not my forte.

I tried reselling computers but there's no market in the islands, and we have a special economic regimen (diferent taxes from mainland Spain). For example, one cannot order an iPhone or a Nexus straight from Apple or Google. When shipping to the UE (including my own country) I face the possibility of customs duty/taxes. But the portuguese guys from the archipelago above (Madeira) have no problem with this bullshit. Ironic, isn't it? I sold a computer to someone in mainland Spain but customs got in the way, and he already told me that he will send back the computer. It was a very cheap computer btw, because I don't have any money to invest.

I tried making "beer money" (online surveys and similar) but thing seems to work only in the United States, there are less options for spanish speaking people and frankly it's a very dull thing to do for a pitiful amount of money.

There aren't any studies in these islands that I find interesting except sound tecnician... in a place 100km away from me. So I would have to spend a lot in gas every month, money I don't have to study something up to two years while earning nothing in the process. I tried other studies (gardening, graphic design) but the courses were of so bad quality (official public formation from the state) that I dropped out. The islands have the worst education level in the entire country, and Spain itself qualifies pretty bad within the EU.

I live with my mother, something I hate, not because she's a bad person, on the contrary, she's adorable, but my biological clock wants to live alone since some time ago. Suffice to say that we have debts and mortgage (well, she, but I'm mantained by her so it affects me), the real-state market is broke in Spain and we couldn't sell the house (except if the sell is at a loss, I mean, half the price we paid for the house 8 years ago), and that's not an option). I don't want to live here, and frankly I've always hated living here; but I cannot take the car and move out to another town, because anywhere you have to take a ship or a plane, and they aren't cheap. I'm studying german but my level still not good enough, and even if I went to Germany, Austria or Switzerland, I will find bullshit jobs because I didn't study anything with career opportunities. I'm not intelligent, demonstrated by my severe lack of ideas to get out of these situation. Perhaps I should be thinking of living in eastern europe, Poland maybe, I heard it's quite cheap, but I don't even have the financials to move, I don't have the studies to earn an income without incurring in bullshit jobs, I won't have the language at first and so on. I need to earn some money, but how? am I financially crippled by all of this? I'm frugal as hell (I don't have another option in my situation). Do I need to wait more years cursing my current situation? I am severely "crippled" by the place I live and my situation. I need some help, some ideas. Something to revive any hope. I'm not even asking about retirement, just to find a way of living that feels dignified, to be on my own. I want to live life.

[riparian]

Who has money, where you live? Tourists? Or what kind of person?

[Hexagon]

Who has money, where you live? Tourists? Or what kind of person?

Tourists mainly, yes. That's why the local government focuses to attract of all their money at the expenses of their own inhabitants, that's why either you choose to study tourism (or the usual "law", "marketing" and whatever that makes money today) or you're screwed. Lots of people with a valid education, degrees, are emigrating just to find themselves cleaning toilets in London. Local businesses are closing doors at a record rate due to the economical crisis that has hit the country since 2008.

[Hexagon]

I am also thinking tourism might be your best bet to save up enough money to move, as it sounds like you might be interested in trying out a new place. I know you said it is a competitive market. Your English is good, how common is that in the Canary Islands? I've met some folks that had a side businesses arranging weekly apartment rentals for English speaking tourists in a non-English speaking country. I don't know lucrative it was for them, but perhaps it would help you scrape together the funds to try something new? Many Americans and travelers of other nationalities are looking to keep vacation expenses low, so there might be a market for it.

Quite common, in fact now for those studying tourism it's required the need to study russian! (adding that to english, german and french, since those four are our most common tourists)

Tourism here is a "degree" (yeah, unbelievable) so it will take 4 years (and just one day more here makes me go mad ) plus the time of learning four non-native languages until a practical point. There are then some sub-modalities of tourism for 2 years of study without university that are quite dull and to be honest, I never wanted to do anything with that. I want to move to a new place, but not working in a hotel or selling best travel offers. Perhaps you'll call me impatient, but at 28 and many failures, I feel the need to do something, to earn something now. Studying for me is not an option anymore especially when the subject doesn't interest me a little bit.

[JamesR]

1) You are intelligent, your post was coherent, you're able to string together concepts and communicate them.

2) The main problem you're struggling with is lack of experience, marketable skills, and capital. This is preventing you from getting paid work and from generating a cashflow with websites or other businesses.

You might be interested in Cal Newport's book "So good they can't ignore you". Don't worry about finding your passion (the book explains why), instead focus on developing valuable, in-demand skills that you can make money with immediately. You probably have some things that you are already good at, focus on developing this & getting paid for it.

3) I suggest working online. You have a much wider pool of customers that way. Start by freelancing on odesk.com, elance.com, freelancer.com, fiverr.com or other sites. Look around on odesk categories and find something that matches your skills.

4) Get skills, experience, and capital FIRST before trying to build your own business/websites/etc. I made the mistake of trying to skip this step too and spent a bunch of years being unsuccessful.

[vivacious]

JamesR has some decent ideas.

Also, it's a big world. You have an EU passport right? Use that to easily relocate in Europe even for something that is nothing special.

Also you could relocate lots of places in the world and probably find something or other.

What does your mom do for work? Could you help her?

Could you start a simple tourist business i.e. sell some tourists something like SD cards, souvenirs, food, etc? Could you get a small stand or shop and do that? That sounds like an easy way to get some money for awhile.

[archi]

Aren't there any opportunities in plumbing, electricity, construction, gardening... ? Those jobs tend to be seen as less attractive that the office jobs because they are manual, but in fact they can pay very well.

[slimicy]

So you're a musician in a small tourist-centric area... how has no one mentioned busking?

[Hexagon]

Ok, I'll take a look to that Cal Newport's book, just read a small preview last night.

Could you start a simple tourist business i.e. sell some tourists something like SD cards, souvenirs, food, etc? Could you get a small stand or shop and do that? That sounds like an easy way to get some money for awhile.

No way in here, there are many shops that sell cheap things like that (mainly hindi and chinese people who get the stuff real cheap in shady ways). Then there's the local market for people to mount a stand in sundays, but you have to pay a fee for that.

Aren't there any opportunities in plumbing, electricity, construction, gardening... ? Those jobs tend to be seen as less attractive that the office jobs because they are manual, but in fact they can pay very well.

I thought about plumbing before but I don't think I'll enjoy it a little bit, specially after what happened with the gardening experience. Electricity courses are 1500€... yeah I could learn by myself but then I won't have a "certification" and here everyone ask for one (perhaps one of the many reasons that explain the high unemployment is that you need "experience" (always 2-3 years) and a certification, even for cleaning )

So you're a musician in a small tourist-centric area... how has no one mentioned busking?

Well, mostly electronic musician (editing, producing... my playing skills are a bit shitty at the moment)... that doesn't bode well with busking... oh, and before you ask, there's no electronic music scene here! that's one of the reasons I would like to go to germany some day.

Sorry if I sound pessimistic and like rejecting everything, but I already thought of many things here mentioned, including freelancing (pitiful returns if you consider the ratio hours/$, at least for spanish prices... many people do online jobs like blogging for free (or just getting products to review as cash) just to get paid in "recognition", so prices are dragged down)

I read the "50 jobs without a degree" from mr money mustache. Many of those won't work here, others I wouldn't consider at all and some others I found interesting (like home inspector) needs an initial invest (I googled a bit and the course+certificate for home inspection is around 2000€). If I had that amount of money I think I'd prefer to go to a cheap european city like Budapest and try my luck there. I'm running impatient of being here.

[George the original one]

The way I read it, hustling any job (manual labor even) to build the small pile of emigration money is the way to go.

[Spartan_Warrior]

Do you know what you would do with your life if money weren't an issue?

[Hexagon]

Do you know what you would do with your life if money weren't an issue?

I would like to live in a natural environment (dunno how possible would it be since I've always been in urban places, so perhaps close to a city, a musician needs contacts too) and making music/working in my things I guess, with the occasional travel (I'm not a travel junkie anyways).

[frihet]

If you are smart and disciplined go with JamesRs suggestions. But not to be harsh you sound a bit depressed and then maybe it's hard to focus on building those skills? You know this best yourself.

My suggestion, maybe because I'm not smart enough , is manual labour to save for a ticket and then go and do manual labour in a country where it really pays off. Use your EU passport. I live in Norway and here everybody can get work but the taxes are high and cost of living as well. But even taking that into account you would earn much more than in Spain.

If you are prepared to really go for it why not Canada and the oilsands. The best way I've heard of for someone without education to make a considerable amount of money in a few years. Here is a forum thread of people helping each other to get going there. And another bonus, I have a feeling that this kind of work really builds character.

Working in the Canadian oil sands: 6 figures in 6 months!

http://www.rooshvforum.com/thread-9826.html

[Dream of Freedom]

You need the money to get off the island & you need to find the career for you. These are separate problems but you've been letting them run together.

I'm not going to lie. You are in a tough position. You need to do what is necessary short term. The dream job can come later.

To get off the island get a job, any job, even if you don't like it or it doesn't pay all that well. Most people's first jobs don't pay all that well. Comfort yourself with the fact that it will be over soon.

Now for the spice in the sauce. Spend an hour a day learning a vocation. There are a lot of free resources online. http://www.codecademy.com/ comes to mind.

[JamesR]

What about working in a restaurant? Even dish washing to save up money and relocate?

Handyman/carpentry/welding might not sound that exciting but having those skills would be great for your own benefit later in life. Metalworking sounds cool too. Maybe you can get into carpentry part-time, so that it's not so overwhelming initially?

But I think that there's gotta be some work you can do over the internet, whether it's transcribing podcasts or researching or doing some other specific skill..

Maybe try putting up a fiverr.com where you produce 5minutes of electronic music according to someone's theme.

[Hexagon]

Ok, after some days thinking about it, it's true that I need to learn skills, but I don't want to learn them here, that came clear from my previous posts. It's clear that being here is the #1 of my problems, and I don't want to spend two more years learning here. But I can do it elsewhere. Me and my mother are trying to clear off some of the debt, we have a plan and hopefully our economical situation will be better in a year. If things are going well, I'll try moving to a cheap country (hungary?), re-trying the computer reselling to earn some easy money, with my mom helping me a bit (just 100-200 euros at most) and learning the language as fast as possible. Then I would be able to learn a profession there, I'm still thinking that something like electricity technician wouldn't be bad, and any free time I have left to keep learning about music making.

It's just that I lose all sense of patience when I see myself in this place. Hopefully this plan comes out good.

[henrik]

I suggest you choose your destination country early and use any remaining time (before you can move) to get started with learning the language. First, it will help with the relocation when it's time and second, becoming fluent once you're on site will go much faster if you already have some basic skills. All this is especially important if you choose to go with Hungary and Hungarian:)

[Dream of Freedom]

I can sympathize with you not wanting to study from the college there, but like I said there are a lot of free resources on the internet. http://ocw.unican.es/ensenanzas-tecnica ... ica-basica