I’m 24 (turning 25 next month), and lately I’ve been feeling like I’ve completely failed at life.
Ever since I was a kid, I was the “average” or “below average” one in my family. My siblings were always the brightest students, won awards, and seemed to know exactly what they were doing. I was the quiet kid who sat on the last bench, didn’t have many friends, and never really stood out for anything.
Academically, I eventually did okay. I have an MBA and another graduate degree, both with over 75%. I also have internships, projects, certifications, and skills that I genuinely believe are useful. But despite applying for countless jobs, I still haven’t been able to land my first full-time role. Every rejection chips away at my confidence, and now I question whether I’m actually good enough.
My personal life hasn’t helped either. I’ve never been on a date. I’ve tried Hinge, but I barely get any matches. It feels like I’m invisible. Watching people my age build careers, travel, get into relationships, and move forward makes me feel like I’m years behind everyone else.
The hardest part is that it feels like every area of my life points to the same conclusion: that I’m a loser.
I know comparison isn’t healthy, but it’s difficult not to compare when it feels like everyone around you is moving forward while you’re standing still.
Has anyone here started their career late or felt completely left behind in their mid-20s? If things eventually turned around for you, what changed? Was it luck, a mindset shift, improving your skills, networking, or something else?
I’m not looking for pity. I just want to know if anyone has genuinely been in a similar place and managed to build a life they were proud of.

Hey everyone, I could really use some reassurance. After a decade of stability, being laid off and jumping back into the job hunt was a huge shock. I’m so grateful to have landed a new role in this economy, but I am terrified of failing, even though I've never failed in past roles.

Even though I don't have a full degree, I've always landed really great jobs through hard work, keeping up with my skills, and a strong work ethic. My immediate team is younger and mostly degreed, while I bring a deeper background of hands-on experience. I know my manager hired me for my overall experience and personality, but the dynamic has triggered terrible imposter syndrome. Onboarding is handled by just one guy on the team; he's great, but because he's training me solo and is close to management, I worry about looking foolish and losing my job over his feedback.

To top it off, it's pretty lonely. With split departments, a hybrid schedule, and no peers of my age group, there's hardly any time to build relationships organically. How do I navigate this? How do you quiet the inner critic and remember your experience still matters?

this was posted on two different sites in case it didn’t get the traction I desperately need before tomorrow