An Honest Confession of a Dishonest Goal: Finding True Calling When Everything Fails

After finishing my Master’s in Political Science with good grades — and earlier, a Commerce degree — I thought getting a government job would be easy. I was wrong.

Even with two degrees, things didn’t go the way I expected. Since I studied through distance learning, I couldn’t take part in campus placements. Most of my friends from regular colleges already had interviews lined up.

I lived in a small town in southern France, where most young people dream of government jobs. Everyone around me was preparing for civil service or administrative exams. Writing as a career was almost unheard of — especially for someone who had studied commerce.

So, I did what everyone else was doing — I started preparing for the exams too. My small room slowly turned into a library. There were books, notes, and question papers everywhere.

For three years, I studied full-time. My days and nights looked the same — just study and revision. After many failed attempts, I started to feel lost. I wasn’t sure what I really wanted anymore.

What’s In Store?

During that time, I barely went out. I only watched a few films to take breaks. One night, while watching a movie starring a new European actress — someone who had no family background in cinema yet made her name — a thought came to me: If she could take a risk and make it, why can’t I?

That single thought changed my life.

I stopped preparing for exams and started writing instead. At first, I wrote short pieces and small blogs. Slowly, I moved on to essays and stories.

It was not easy. Many people around me said I was wasting my education. But for the first time, I felt free. Writing gave me a sense of peace that I never found in exams. I could finally express my thoughts instead of memorizing facts.

Today, I work as a full-time writer. I’ve published my work in different languages, reached readers in many countries, and built a life that feels true to me.

In Conclusion

Looking back, I’m thankful for all those failed exams. They pushed me toward what I was actually meant to do.

Here’s what I learned from it all:

1️⃣ Your degree doesn’t define your career.
2️⃣ Every failure teaches you something.
3️⃣ Playing it safe can stop you from growing.
4️⃣ You don’t need to follow the crowd to succeed.
5️⃣ One small moment can completely change your path.

I may have failed in government exams, but I succeeded in finding myself.

As stated by Joseph (name changed due to privacy concern).