Blog series: Moving forward with uncertainty (part 1/5)
Uncertainty is part of the journey
Where should I apply to study? Should I change careers? Will I find a job? How will I cope in the new situation? At the same time, on social media, it seems that everyone else has a clear direction. We see the successes of others, but rarely the uncertain phases that have preceded them. It is easy to start comparing your own incompleteness to the highlights of others.
Why does uncertainty feel so heavy right now?
Uncertainty is not a new phenomenon. What is perhaps new is the number of directions from which we encounter today.
Working life is changing rapidly, new competence requirements are constantly being created and there are more options than ever before. At the same time, efficiency, performance and continuous self-development are emphasised in society. Digitalisation, the continuous flow of information and social media also increase the experience of keeping up with the change constantly.
Uncertainty is part of the transition phases
When the future feels unclear, many people start looking for something wrong within themselves. Research suggests that uncertainty becomes especially prominent during transitions, situations in which something familiar is ending and something new is still taking shape.
Examples of such transitions include:
Moving from secondary education to higher education
Graduating and entering working life
A first internship or placement
Changing careers
Returning to education after working
Entering a new community or environment
It is precisely in these situations that we must make decisions without certainty about what the outcome will be like. Although uncertainty is often most visible during life transitions, it is not limited to them. We may also experience uncertainty in situations that are, in principle, familiar. A new task at work, a changing environment, or even a responsibility we already know well can still evoke feelings of uncertainty.
In the TRIC project, uncertainty is viewed as a natural part of being human, learning, and navigating change. The aim is not to eliminate uncertainty, but to understand it better. When we learn to recognise uncertainty as a normal part of new situations, it can become easier to live with it, without feeling that every unanswered question is a problem that must be solved immediately.
What does research tell us?
📌 According to the OECD, future competence requires the ability to find one's own direction in unfamiliar situations and changing environments. This is especially emphasised in life's transition phases, when choices concerning the future must be made without certainty about the outcome. (OECD, 2019).
📌 Eurofound describes the current environment as a 'new era of uncertainty', in which societal crises and economic changes affect people's well-being and future prospects. (Eurofound, 2022).
📌 According to research, social media offers constant opportunities to compare one's own life with that of others. Because the successes and achievements of others are often visible, the focus of comparison is not the whole picture, but a carefully selected part of it. (McComb et al., 2023).
Sources:
Eurofound (2022). Fifth round of the Living, Working and COVID-19 e-Survey: Living in a New Era of Uncertainty. https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/publications/all/fifth-round-living-working-and-covid-19-e-survey-living-new-era-uncertainty
McComb, C. A., Vanman, E. J., & Tobin, S. J. (2023). A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Social Media Exposure to Upward Comparison Targets on Self-Evaluations and Emotions. Media Psychology, 26(5), 612–635. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2023.2180647
OECD (2019). The OECD Learning Compass 2030. https://www.oecd.org/en/data/tools/oecd-learning-compass-2030.html
Elina Asukas
Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland
TRIC project contributor
Published October 28 2026.
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Turku University of Applied Sciences, Kukunori, MARKED with Purpose, Innocamp Poland, Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Erhvervsakademi SydVest, Business College Syd, IES Bernat Guinovart, Jugend am Werk, University for Continuing Education Krems and the University of Gdańsk.
Co-funded by EU
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
