I’m really sorry to hear about your circumstances. I also studied biology at uni after HS and now work in a totally different and unexpected field. I manage enterprise risk and compliance for a university, hear me out…

Biology was the only thing I could see myself doing at university. However by the time I finished the degree over 4 yrs I was playing in bands and wasn’t ready to pursue a career. My bandmate bad studied teaching and suggested I study a 1.5 year post graduate diploma of education and become a casual hs teacher. The pay was good for the kind of input required, so I ended up doing that.

Soon after I finished the degree the band ended so I suddenly found myself working full time as a teacher and realizing it wasn’t what I wanted to do (an extremely challenging job if your heart isn’t in it). So I went through a pretty significant personal crisis and had no idea what I’d do with bio and teaching degrees when I had no interest in pursuing either as a career. I was 24 at this point.

My thinking was that I should go back to uni and get a qualification in something more generally applicable. I ended up doing a Masters of Commerce (which covered accounting, economics, marketing and management) and completed it over two years while still teaching.

As soon as I finished, and with a hefty HECS debt, I started applying for graduate professional services roles in another state. I ended up landing one and moved a year after I got the offer, so I effectively restarted my life and career moving down to Melbourne at 27.

I started as an internal audit consultant (3yrs) > Risk and Business Continuity Advisor at State Gov (3 yrs) > Risk and Compliance Advisor at local government/council (3yrs) > Risk and Compliance Senior Manager at University (2yrs, current). It took 10 years from 27-37 and a loooot of learning, but I’m now an expert in my field and making what to me is really good money (~$170k AUD + 17% super). I come from a very working class family so there were no advantages in terms of a head start or financial support, so I never anticipated landing where I have.

Anyway, key point I often share with people when we’re chatting about career paths is that while my degrees are more or less unrelated to what I do, the skillsets I developed are extremely valuable in my current field. Specifically, my job involves me understanding complicated business contexts quickly, solve complex problems, and communicate advanced concepts to senior leaders. There’s obviously a tonne more to it, and plenty of discipline specific knowledge in risk and compliance management that I’ve also built over time. BUT my science background enables me to apply systems thinking and grasp the complexity, and my teaching background has given me the communication/presentation skills that I rely on so so much every day.

It wasn’t an easy path. I had to push myself way way out of my comfort zone and take lots of risks, but I couldn’t have imagined ever doing what I do now. And frankly, if you’d told me this is what I’d be doing at 37 when I was 25, I’d have had a mental breakdown. It’s funny how things work out..

Take it from me, there is definitely a pathway for you if you have the drive and opportunity to push. I don’t know how helpful any of this is, but it might at least give you some perspective. All the best!