>>16458137
For context, I want to learn a foreign language, earn a degree, and work overseas. My eye is set on China, but as I've not yet started learning the language, I'm entirely open to other options. I'm going to speak with a career counselor soon and I want to know how I can sound like I know what I'm talking about in front of him.

To most people, I may as well be saying that I want to be an adventurer or an astronaut. Their reactions are either politely discouraging (in real life) or outright hostile (online), and since people tend to be more honest on the internet, I am inclined to assume that most people hide some amount of anger when I tell them this. It probably stems from the fact that all I know is I want to work overseas, not the capacity in which I would work. I've spoken to a few people who do and their occupation ranges from shipping to diplomacy to teaching. I'm trying to figure out which is right for me.

I will probably spend a year in TEFL (English teaching) after I get my degree to get my bearings, but that's all I know. Not what degree I should get, not what kind job I will be looking for, and not how I will learn said language. It's all very overwhelming to figure out where to begin because most people see me as unreasonable and will try to talk me out of it.

>>16458137
Pic unrelated.

>>16458148
It made me cringe, so seems pretty related to me.

Frogposters get laughed at or worse. It's just the way it is.

Who gives a shit what people think in the first place? Do whatever the fuck you want and people that like what you do will follow

Weed out the haters

There was guy in Britain's Got Talent who had a dream of going on stage and perform. He's already middle-aged and his act during the elimination was making his dog speak and sing. His wife laughed at him.

Guess what? All for judges gave him a big fat yes.

Live your dream.

It sounds like you dont actually have a goal here. If you havent started learning the language and are "open" to other opportunities, what have you actually accomplished here? Either start learning the language right now, there is a million online resources for this. or figure out your shit.

Also if you arent presenting your dreams as what they are, simple silly goals in life, then you are going to come off as pretentious. Dont take this shit seriously untill you actually start working at this shit.
Fucking frog poster

>>16460338
Thanks for the "tough love" platitudes, but I'm not going to charge blindly into this. Learning a language has a steep learning curve. I must first know why I am learning this language and how I will make use of it. It makes no difference to a career counselor whether or not I have begun yet. Maybe I'm asking too much for a Mongolian cave painting board, because I think this isn't a post which a lot of people are qualified to approach, which is evident in its lack of responses.

>I haven't taken the first steps to achieving my dream
>I'm gonna cry when people don't respect my dream

If you want people to respect your dream you have to work for it first. Talking about and wanting something isn't working on your goal, and expecting people to reasaure you that your heading in the right direction when you haven't even take step is silly. Once you start respecting and working towards your dream people will give a shit about you wanting it. Until then, you're just talk and nobody respects big talkers who have nothing to show for it.

People laugh at you cause you're all talk right now. People will shut up when you have concrete results.