The reality of being 20-something in 2026: doing good, paying rent and not burning out

At 18, I thought adulthood would come with some sort of structure. Not a full manual, but at least a few clear steps: study something you enjoy, get a good job, build a life, feel fulfilled. Simple, logical - and slightly fictional, as it turns out.

What no one really explains is that modern working life, especially in 2026, isn’t linear - it’s layered. Just having a job is not enough. You’re expected to build a career, find purpose, stay financially stable, maintain a social life, look after your mental health, and ideally do something meaningful on top of all that. 

All while pretending you know what you’re doing.

Most of us don’t. We’re just getting better at making it look like we do.

I’ve always known I wanted to “do good.” That part never changed. What did change was my understanding of what that actually looks like. I used to think it meant one job, one clear path, one role where you make a difference. Instead, it turned into a mix of things that somehow all connect.

My day job (and why it matters more than it sounds)

By day, I work as a Digital Content Officer at UEL. In simple terms, I edit and manage website content to make sure it’s clear, accurate, and genuinely useful for everyone accessing it. It might not sound like the most exciting role at first, but you’d be surprised by the range of situations it involves and how engaging it can be. No two days are quite the same!

If you’ve ever been a student trying to find one specific piece of information, clicking through five different pages, slightly confused and a bit stressed, you’ll know how much that clarity matters. Having been a student myself, especially as an international student, I try to bring that perspective into my work. A lot of what I do is about simplifying content, improving structure, and making sure it answers real questions, not just looks good on a page.

The goal isn’t to completely reinvent anything, just to make the experience a bit smoother for the next person. It’s a small part of a much bigger system, but it does make a difference.

How I accidentally built a “charity empire”

Outside work, things get a bit more busy.  

I run an NGO in Romania supporting children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and their families. That work is deeply personal, and it’s probably the closest thing to what I originally imagined when I thought about “doing good.”

Alongside that, I’ve found myself involved in other projects, such as helping young people access job opportunities, supporting emerging artists, and building a sense of community for Romanian students in London.

None of this was part of a carefully designed plan. It came from saying yes, from meeting people, from caring enough to get involved. One thing led to another, and at some point, a colleague jokingly referred to this as my “charity empire.” I laughed but also made a mental note that if I ever print business cards, that might actually make it on there.

And while it all sounds quite impressive when you list it like this, the reality is a bit more complicated.

Trying not to burn out

There’s a constant tension between building a stable career and wanting to do more than just your job. Especially in London, where paying rent isn’t just a figure of speech, but a priority you can’t ignore. You need something stable, something that supports you, but at the same time, you want your time and energy to go towards something that actually means something. The tricky part is that no one really teaches you how to balance the two.

Some days, everything just clicks. You feel productive, motivated, and like everything you’re doing has a purpose. Other days, it feels like a lot. Like your to-do list keeps growing, your time doesn’t, and you start wondering if “doing good” is supposed to feel this exhausting. That’s the part I feel we don’t really talk about.

Because caring, getting involved, and wanting to do more is a good thing, but it also takes a certain level of awareness to not run yourself into the ground. I’ve had to learn how to set boundaries, how to prioritise better, and how to accept that I can’t do everything at once, even if I’d like to.

Why I still wouldn’t change it  

Despite the busy schedule and the occasional chaos, it’s genuinely worth it. There’s something very grounding about knowing that what you do has an impact, even if it doesn’t always feel big in the moment. Whether it’s improving a student’s experience online (making something clearer, easier, less frustrating) or supporting a family so they feel less alone throughout the diagnosis process, those moments add up over time. They give a different kind of meaning to the work, which is not always immediate, not always visible, but it’s there.

I’ve been lucky to receive recognition along the way, both in my role and through volunteering, which has been incredibly rewarding. But more than that, it’s the feeling that I’m building something that reflects what I care about, and that isn’t just about a job title or a checklist, but about people, community, and the kind of impact I want to have.

If you’re figuring it out too

If you’re at the start of your journey and feel like you’re supposed to have everything figured out, you’re not alone. Most of us are navigating this in real time, adjusting as we go.

You don’t have to choose one version of yourself. You don’t have to follow a perfectly straight path, and you definitely don’t have to do everything at once. What you can do is stay open. Try things, talk to people, say yes to opportunities that feel right, even if they don’t fit neatly into a plan.

Because the reality of being 20-something in 2026 is that there isn’t just one way to build a career or make an impact, you can do both! It might be messy; it might take time, but it’s possible.