I think you need to try and relax a little. It appears to me that you are putting way too much pressure on yourself right now.

This is the ideal time in your life for exactly the kind of experimentation that you are doing. You are trying new career avenues and that is fantastic.

You tried one job and it didn’t work. That’s great! Now you know at least one thing that you don’t want to do. You can cross it off the list.

I say go for the interview and do your best. If you don’t get the post, never mind, it’s all just experience. If you do get it, great, another chance to learn. Maybe you will like the job, maybe you won’t but you will never know until you try.

I think people your age are given a lot of the wrong messages. So many in fact. When you are in academia the world of careers is presented as this imaginary field of parallel lines. You are told have to do Degree A to join Parallel Line A and this will grant you access to a career in Parallel Line A which you must and can never deviate from for ever and ever and ever (unless you come to us for further academic training which will cost £$£ sign on the dotted line please).

I remember being told all of this stuff and it just isn’t true. The modern world of work is so different now. People switch fields all the time. I read once that it is now the norm for the average adult to change occupations at least once in their life time.

So if I were you I wouldn’t see making a decision as closing doors to certain careers, but rather as changing your options a little. There isn’t a career ladder any more its a career jungle gym and you are just selecting one particular route up it.

I really hope you can find some peace.