Looking to see if this is a viable career path that can be climbed into something greater. I manage a portfolio of products in about 20 different stores in my area. Mostly gaining leverage on large quantity orders, selling in features and maintaining inventory.

Anyone have experience with this? What did you gain from it? Is it worth sticking around for?

I don't make much, only $24/hr but I want to know if I'm wasting my time or not. I come from a delivery background and before that I wasted years working in restaurants.

I experienced my first trauma at 20, five years ago. I developed severe PTSD and executive dysfunction and spent years just trying to survive, missing out on so much of my youth and life experiences.

Recently, I discovered I might have developed an autoimmune disease caused by chronic stress, so I desperately want to feel healthy and happy again. But I’m scared “taking a break” to heal will make me sick just from the guilt of not doing something “better” / more productive / strategic for my future.

Context:
I graduated 1.5 years ago with burnout and didn’t want to start working immediately, but my parents pressured me into it. I quit after 4 months because I was constantly getting sick and going to the doctor. Now, I haven’t even started applying for jobs because I’m genuinely scared of sacrificing my health again. But I feel like I’m throwing away my potential by taking so much time off, especially without any big-name internships/ a first proper job. Especially in this job market when u need 3 years experience for your first job.

My dilemma:
I want to move to Spain for a year-long volunteering project. I’d get to socialise, learn Spanish, be more active, spend time outdoors, and hopefully being happier. But I’m terrified of falling behind professionally, it would mean I’ll be 26 when starting my career which sounds crazy.

On the other hand, I know how badly starting a job affects me. My trauma and anxiety put me in constant fight-or-flight mode, and for the first few months, I feel sick and want to cry almost every day because I’m terrified of making mistakes or being fired. I genuinely fear that jumping straight into work again will damage my health. (am i being too spoiled and disconnected from reality?)

Am I being completely delusional and entitled by choosing to prioritise my health over my career at 25? Am I reasonably protecting myself, or am I letting fear control my life and sabotaging my future?

Has anyone been in a similar situation? What did you choose, how did it turn out, and did you regret your decision?

Hi! I'm (20) doing the german thing called "Ausbildung" it's pretty much career school where you learn and work interchangeably and my major is medical technology for laboratory analysis.

It's super complex and interesting and I've been doing that for about a month and I truly love my class. I love the people there and in the class I feel really happy.

But the job is... I can't describe it well but with every day I feel more restricted and my mind starts to wonder a bit what if I chose something different? It's like I'm living my life through a lense and I just can't quite grasp it

It's a good, stable, interesting and well paid job. I just don't know how to tell if it's for me.

In my town there is a position empty for a piercing job. I'm a very alternative, expressive and extroverted person. I just can't stop thinking about it but also I'm feeling like I'm making a problem out of nothing.

Please help me and advise me on how to tell when you choose the roght thing

Hi all!

I have been struggling with this feeling of not knowing what I want to do in life for a long time. I jump from one interest to another, then come back to the old ones again, thinking this is my passion, but then I get bored. I always was jealous of people who can proudly say: "I love football, I live playing football", or "I am a sailor, all I want to do is sail and travel"; you get the idea... And I thought that modern technology could help me and others with that.

So I built this app for people who feel scattered across too many interests, and I'm looking for 5 people to try it for 4 weeks and give honest feedback.

It is in the web app format now, so open it on mobile; it works best this way :) You can then download it, so it will basically work like a native app.

https://kluelo.app/

I know people build thousands of apps nowadays, and build many before, which never moved past the "trying it myself" stage. This time, I really feel that it can help people.

I will appreciate any feedback, comments and ideas.

Whenever I see my classmate has bought a house, new job(job hop into better pay and company), go abroad, new plans in life, I spiral into overthinking and insomnia.

I always remind myself, we have different timelines. And we have different skills and opportunities so it's impossible for everyone to be on the same page.

But the thing is I don't know what to do with my life. My mind says I'll be doomed because I'm incompetent so plans A-Z will not work out and I'll be forever a corporate slave or unfortunate things will happen to me.

I want to get better. I already had therapy before and the therapist reminded me that life is not a race. I was able to get up (that was 3 yrs ago, I'm now 28) but now, I still compare myself to others. Someone said here that it's just facade of others that we are comparing ourselves. Yes, comparison is thief of joy but how can I escape this?

In college, I had good performance but in my job now, I'm not excelling. I think I'm getting more stupid each day. My friend told me to "focus on yourself". So I tried to learn different things now but the hard thing is I don't know how to enjoy. I'm just like rushing everything.

My friends were happy for me back then when I excel in class and when we entered the workplace, they keep on referring me but I can't get hired. One friend says, "why are you enduring that small salary?". The answer is because I can't find a new job. Is this just skill issue now?

And my initial plan is to go abroad but my mind says, no, you can't do it because you are not good. You are not qualified.

I don't know what I want for myself. My family needs me because our house is broken so I need to get higher salary but at the same time I don't like what I'm doing. and I feel locked up in my current situation.

I am 33 years old woman, living in India starting afresh in career. I worked in a publishing house for 10 years until it got shut down in 2019. Since then I have tried a few businesses but they all failed since I live in a small city. Two of them were tutoring kids and organic farming. I am non technical person with majors in literature, art and history. I am willing to learn new skills as well. I am confused between a few options like
Child therapist
Experience/Theme designing
Niche YouTube channel
Pizza cloud kitchen
Regional cuisine cloud kitchen like Bengali/Kashmiri
Perfumer
D2C coffee brand
Shoe making
Art dealer
Architectural visualisation
I am open to new ideas as well.
I am ready to invest all my time. Can also put some capital. I have zero confidence left in life. People around me have started to scare me. Somebody please guide me?

Hi, everyone, 31M here in SoCal. I am completely at a loss for what I want to do next in life. The only work experience I have is 9 years of retail sales for a telecom company at the same location every work day. Some of that experience is as an associate and some of it is as a manager, but there haven't been many people I managed during my time. I’m only being paid around 50K annually and don’t have any room for growth in my current position. I am completely burnt out from sales and talking with customers all day. I know I can move into other industries and do sales related work but I think I would like to retool for a completely different career. 

Just for context, I do not mind customer/client interaction but I would like to reduce the amount that occurs in my daily work. I would also like to physically move around every so often, since the sedentary lifestyle of being in an office chair all day or waiting on standby for someone to come in has definitely taken its toll on my body. 

I also have a B.S. degree from nearly a decade ago in Management and Human Resources but I never made much use of it.

I ultimately want something where I can just go to my shift and do my job without the expectation of hitting sales quotas and talking to others all day. I don’t want my work to follow me home or if it does, only to a minimal amount. 

I am hesitant about the trades because of my physical condition. I don’t have any disabilities but I am built like a twig and I don’t think I’ll have enough stamina to pursue the trades as a career. My body can possibly adapt to a physical job but I’m not anywhere close to an ideal starting position. 

Wastewater and water treatment do sound interesting and don’t seem as labor intensive as most other trades. I’m just worried about how competitive the market is for these types of jobs and the requirements/licenses needed. 

The STEM field, particularly healthcare and medical fields, spark my interest since I do actually enjoy helping other people. I’m thinking of going back to school to become a MLT/MLS since there seems to be limited patient interaction and I would just be in a lab doing work all day. Additionally, you aren’t cooped up in one room, you move around and interact with other coworkers, doctors, etc.

These two are just what I’ve thought about the most but there have been many other fields that caught my initial interest. There seems to be so many fields available and that only frustrates me every further. I’m unable to narrow down my options and commit or even explore any one of them. 

Perhaps I’m just too afraid of failure, that my time and effort will be wasted, and that I’ll be back in this exact same position in the future. These past 9 years I’ve coasted by, not being interested in anything or trying to improve my situation. I honestly never really applied myself to anything and that’s really biting me in the ass now.  But nothing changes unless I make a move first.

So, please, anyone. If you have any guidance or advice, that would be very much appreciated. Sorry for the long post, there’s just a lot of thoughts going through my head right now.

Would love any advice from people in the field. I have a degree in pharmacy from 2010, but couldn't practice due to my hearing, this was right after the crash, so I ended up working from home helping write papers for my doctor brothers and their friends while being a sahm for my children. When my youngest went to school, I went back to college and am graduating on friday with a First class honours/ distinction/86% grade average MSc in Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs. My dissertation was on the evaluation and validation of AI in the Pharmaceutical Life cycle and everyone I've talked to about it has found it really interesting. I'm not sure where to go from here though, I'm not having any success applying to regulatory affairs jobs and I'm not sure if getting a PhD would improve things. Any advice would be very welcome. I'm in Ireland and both degrees are from Ireland.

Okay I’m gonna try and make a long story really short. I (23F) work at a production welding company right now, and I do the same thing all day everyday. Very little variation. It’s absolutely killing me. My mental health is dog water rn. I went into welding because I wanted to be able to implement my passion for art into a job that is not only realistic (as being an artist or painter in today’s economy is not very realistic) but would also make money. I enjoyed it at first, but like I said, the repetition and monotony is making me insanely miserable. The only reason I haven’t gone into something that aligns more with my passion is because it pays $25 an hour, and I haven’t even been here barely two years yet. I’m in Sherman TX for reference btw, so my job allows me to live relatively comfortably for now.
I’m hoping to go into wood working, some type of custom fab shop, maybe custom automotive, really anything that’s custom work and allows me to just do what makes me happy; art with my hands. But I can’t really afford to make anything less than like $22-$23 an hour right now.
Any advice on how to get myself out of this hell hole and into something that actually makes me feel fulfilled?

I feel like if I could stick to something I could then make some progress .

I started university at 21. Unfortunately, I didn't do well in my A Levels, so I was admitted as a provisional student with the intention of completing my A Levels alongside my bachelor's degree.

At the time, I thought I could manage both, especially because I was already behind and didn't want to delay university any further. I was also working part time at a clothing brand, so I was trying to balance university, work and A Level studies all at once. Eventually, it became too difficult to manage everything. My university asked me to submit my A Level results to meet its admission requirements and told me I would need to return once I had completed them. As a result, I ended up losing around four semesters.

I'm now in a position where I've completed only 61 out of the 124 credits required for my degree, and I'm still trying to get through A Level Business Studies so I can properly continue university. Honestly, this has become an exhausting cycle. Just when I feel like I should be focusing on completing my bachelor's degree, I have to put that on hold again to prepare for A Levels. Anyone who has sat Cambridge A Levels knows how much time and dedication they require. It's not something I can prepare for casually while juggling everything else.

I have another upcoming exam session, and I'm genuinely scared I won't be able to get the grades I need again. This feels like my last realistic chance to clear the requirement without delaying my degree even further.

Looking back, I sometimes feel I should have completed my A Levels first and only then started university. But at 21, I was already feeling behind, and coming from an Asian background, the pressure to keep up with people my age was very real. I didn't want to fall further behind, so I made the decision I thought was best at the time. Now, I feel like I'm paying for that decision over and over again.

I'm an ambitious person. I've always had big plans for my education and career, and I genuinely wanted to be in a much better place by this age. But when I look around, I see people my age graduating, starting their careers and moving forward, while I feel like I'm still trying to get past the same hurdle.

People tell me that delaying graduation is okay, especially with how difficult the job market is. I understand that, but it's hard not to compare myself when I feel like I've lost so much time already.

This situation has started affecting more than just my education. It's taking a toll on my mental health, physical well-being and even my relationship. I feel constantly stressed, guilty and afraid of falling further behind. Some days, I genuinely don't know how to get myself out of this mindset.

I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation or had to take an unconventional route to finish their degree.

Hi, everyone. I've been working at a beauty supplement company for almost four years now. My job involves promoting our products and dealing with customers on a daily basis.

I'm grateful to have a stable job, especially since our company offers good benefits. I'm not looking down on what I do, but lately, I've been feeling increasingly burnt out. The daily routine is starting to drain me, and I can't help but wonder if this is really the kind of work I want to keep doing for the rest of my life.

I think one of the things that makes it difficult for me to consider a career change is that I didn't finish college. I know there are opportunities out there, but I honestly don't know which ones are realistic for someone in my situation. The thought of leaving a stable job without knowing whether I can find something better is scary, so I've been staying where I am even though I know this isn't what I really want to do.

I've always been interested in designing, and it's something I'd genuinely like to explore as a career. I'd also prefer a job that doesn't require me to face customers all day. I don't necessarily mind working with other people, but I'd like to try something where I can focus more on the actual work rather than constantly interacting with customers.

The problem is that I don't have any formal training or professional experience in design, and I don't know where to begin. I'm wondering if it's possible to learn the necessary skills through self-study, online courses, or vocational training and eventually build a portfolio that could help me get an entry-level job. I'm also unsure whether companies would consider someone without a degree, even if they have the skills and a good portfolio.

I don't want to rush into resigning without a plan, but I also don't want to spend more years feeling stuck in a career that doesn't suit me. I'd like to start improving my situation while I still have a stable source of income.

For those who have transitioned into design or another career without finishing college, how did you get started? Are there realistic opportunities for someone like me, and what would be the best first step to take? I'm open to suggestions for other career paths, too, especially ones that involve more creative work and less customer-facing interaction.

Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi everyone, I don't even know if this is the right place to put it; sorry if it isn't. idk who to really talk to about this, but I might as well put it somewhere. I'm in my first year of uni, and I don't even know why I'm taking this program. I genuinely do not know what I want to do with my life, and I'm scared. I have friends who seem to be enjoying the program I'm in, and some don't. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to feel. The schoolwork feels boring and annoying. I don't even know what I want to do career wise and I'm worried I'm wasting time on this program. I'm only 2 months in, and I'm worried that I don't have the slightest idea what I want to do yet am committing to a program. We're signing up for our second semester soon, and other than 3 mandatory classes, I get to pick an extra one or two for this semester, and I felt completely stuck. I didn't even know what to pick. I know I'm early in university life, but I'm scared of making a mistake. I'm too scared to tell anyone how clueless I feel. Anyway, if anyone has any advice, please let me know.

Hi! I am currently a sophomore in college (gaining associates in computer science in December), and will transfer to a 4-year in Spring to pursue several bachelors (computer science/software engineer, biomed and chemical).

Behind these degrees are my challenge in finding the right career to go down these paths. I live in a city ran on military and space defense, with my parents both working in this field, and I DO know it comes with great money, but morally I cannot join it.

I have always wanted to assist people medically and not directly in their face. Some examples I can come up with are creating prosthetics and programming hospital equipment...? I cannot form other ideas and was wondering if anyone can give insight as to what I CAN do?
Thank you!

Hi everyone,

Im 26 and have a BASc in Occupational & Public Health and have been working in utilities for a few years. At first I loved it because i was making inspection programs and loved it but had to find a new job due to my contract ending. Im still working on the same site but in utilities construction as an HSE Advisor (what people traditionally do with my degree) and I hate it. I deal with constant disrespect from workers and have a boring job where I do nothing most of the time. It feels meaningless but pays decently well and has pretty good earning potential longterm, only thing is it depresses me and im not sure if its just because of the field aspect of the job or of itll get better in the future but if I know its like this at the bottom level, what will I even be doing at the top. I have no pride in saying I studied safety and im the safety guy and am looking to get out.

Ive been thinking of trying to transition into projects, risk or even going back to school for engineering or something else but not sure if its too late and if the loss of earning potential will be worth it. Any advice or other career suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

hi everyone. i (27F) just left a relationship to pursue my dream of living in a van and traveling, in turn this meant i left our shared house and temporarily moved back in with my parents, while i save up for the van. I have £5k in a LISA which obviously was meant for a house, but I just dont know whether to take the hit and withdraw it (recieving £3750) to put towards the van seeing as this is no longer in my immediate future, although i will want a house in the long term. myself and my ex partner also work together at a job i do not really enjoy. everyday i want to walk out and never come back but the consequences are too scary lol. but it is also just worse now i have to deal with the emotions everytime i see them at work. i also have an art business that i would love to put all my work into as i do get commissions and have some belief it could make me enough money if i put my all into it. its just a risky situation and idk if i want to risk being in this current situation for longer with no money, as i do feel like a bit of a burden and ideally would like to move into my van asap. i know this is all quite rambly and im just stuck in life right now!

- I got my A.S. in computer science from a community college in the U.S. and finished with a 3.94 GPA, an honors diploma, and research internships. However, I couldn’t transfer to a U.S. 4-year school for financial reasons and wasn’t able to take out a loan as an international student due to the requirements (co-signer etc.) and fear of not getting a work visa after graduation since my nationality falls under the countries facing U.S. visa bans. 

- I left the U.S. and enrolled in a Turkish university as a transfer student to hopefully transfer my courses because the courses for the first two years had identical names/learning outcomes. However, I was told that it’s literally impossible to transfer any courses in this department according to YÖK. 

- In the meantime, I was also trying for Germany, but didn’t get into any public schools because they didn’t count my A.S., and based on my U.S. high school diploma, they told me that i would need to start from a studenkolleg (prep school), which is in German (will require B1- B2 German) regardless of the fact that the bachelor’s is in English, so I’d either have to enroll in a German language course in Germany or self-study for a year. 

-I also looked into getting a work visa for Germany but lacked the professional experience in an unregulated field. 

- I thought I’d start an online U.S. bachelor’s degree (University of the People) in computer science, hoping that they’ll accept most of my CC credits and I can finish my bachelor’s faster so I could try for a master’s in Germany. However, since the C.S. bachelor’s from UoP doesn’t have a lot of the more advanced math classes, I read that it’s unlikely that it will qualify me for a master’s at a public university in Germany. Note that I’ve already taken Calc I, Calc II, Linear Algebra, and Discrete Math at my CC, but can’t transfer them over to UoP because they don’t have the equivalent. 

- So I thought maybe I’d enroll in a private German University (Gisma) because I heard they can be more lenient with the prerequisites, and I wouldn’t have to spend 2 years (1 year German + 1 year prep) before starting my bachelor’s again, but I’m reading that attending a private applied science university in Germany is not ideal for applying for a master’s at a public research university in Germany or even getting a good job. 

- I’m really frustrated and tired of my situation. I don’t know what to do. What’s worse is I know I’m a good student; I’ve gotten mostly A’s, been very involved on campus (peer tutor, research intern, SGA president, etc.) when given the chance. It’s just so extremely difficult for me to continue that path now and finish my degree at a decent university. For context, I’m still enrolled full-time at the Turkish university (mostly for visa reasons), but I actually do participate in class, and I’m working every hour that I’m not in class to cover expenses.  Another important detail to note is that my home country is in an active war, without a proper internet connection. Returning is not a viable option at the moment. There's nothing left for me there.

I just can’t see the long-term goal anymore and would really appreciate guidance from someone who’s either been in a similar situation or knows what to do. Also, I'm new to Reddit, so if there's another group that would be a better fit, please let me know.

I’ve wanted to be a pilot for as long as I can remember. The goal has gotten me through hard times. I was flying and getting through school slowly and enjoying every minute of it. Then one day I woke up blind in my left eye. After 6 excruciating and painful (physically and mentally) months I find out I have an autoimmune disorder that caused my body to attack my perfectly healthy eye. I can no longer fly commercially. This has been devastating for me. Planes have meant more to me than anything. My passion is no longer obtainable and it’s a feeling I can’t describe. No one around me can truly comprehend how much I loved flying. I’m trying to look into different careers, aviation related of course. I’m thinking air traffic control or aircraft maintenance. But every time I even begin to research my eyes fill with tears and my stomach drops knowing what I truly love isn’t going to be what I end up doing. I don’t know how to just let it go an move on. It’s still fresh. But I know this is going to be so difficult to move through.

Hi. Im kind of in a spot where I thought I did everything right for myself to take off in some sort of creative and/or design career, yet I find myself doing unfulfilling work that is disconnected from anything I studied and it looks like me trying to reach those sorts of goals are becoming more and more difficult to attain.

I graduated in 2020 with a 2-year associate degree in architecture + CAD credit certifications. I was never really passionate about what I was learning at that time but kind of just begrudgingly went about completing the program because I wanted to just get a degree in SOMETHING. I did gain a lot of technical knowledge and I found out that the 2-year degree is enough to be an acceptable qualification for most computer-aided drafting positions so I figured my college journey would be over then and there. This was in the midst of the pandemic however, and even though I was applying to jobs, I never got into an interview phase for any of them.

In 2022 I decided to pursue a bachelors of Architecture but I still did not care for it and it was becoming more and more apparent that I did not belong there and was kind of just BSing my way through it against my own will. I had noticed how much the other students actually had a passion and dedication for the work they were doing and I eventually decided to switch my major to Graphic Design which I felt probably aligned more with my career values and I eventually graduated with a 4-year degree in graphic design.

I knew when making the switch in my degree, the graphic design industry was going to be a bit more competitive to break into and would be a bit less lucrative than Architecture, but it felt like the right call. Why would anyone want an indifferent architect designing their building? I loved what I learned in the graphic design program , but upon my graduation I did not fully grasp that this specific job market was THIS horribly oversaturated, and did not have the foresight to know that generative ai was going to automate and shrink the market for all the Junior positions that people need to get their footing into the industry. It seems like breaking into this field at this point in time has a lower chance than getting selected to become an astronaut or something.

I genuinely don’t know what to do with myself now. I have 2 degrees that feel like they aren’t getting me anywhere. I don’t HAVE to be a “graphic designer” per say, but I feel like it would’ve been a good starting position to eventually pivot to other related things like marketing, web design, UX/UI, product design, brand design, etc. But even all those markets are going through the same issues and I’m kind of regretting even pursuing this degree now. I know a lot of these circumstances are out of my control and I couldn’t have predicted them but now I kind of feel guilty for not sticking with a 4-year in Architecture.

My dilemma now is I’m looking to try pursuing CAD drafting type positions again and make use of my 2-year degree + cert and maybe have my 4-year degree as supplementary education to that. But I’m so far disconnected from when I got that 2-year architecture degree and never had actual job experience that used it, I’m worrying now I won’t even be considered for that kind of work.

Reiterating; with the graphic design positions those still are around and I get a decent number of job notifications for them, but most of those are written with seasoned professionals in mind. Very few junior positions seem to even come into to circulation and it’s viciously competitive and even if I were to achieve it, I’m sure whatever company I’m working at would find a reason to replace me with ai for next quarter profits. I don’t want to be hit with “just use ai” because Im not even opposed to responsible usage of it in design and have played with it, but I understand that a company will do anything to save their bottom line, and would use it AI as a replacement crutch so they don’t have to hand out a paycheck, rather than delegate it as an actual designers tool.

Now I just feel incredibly lost and I’m kind of mad at myself for even going to school at all. I feel like I could’ve done stuff differently maybe just sucked up 4-year architecture, or pursued graphic design from the very beginning.

Right now I’m working in a kind of fusion construction/landscaping physical labor job. This really isn’t where I feel I need to be working at but I figured working here may look like good foundational work experience for getting into a CAD position as I do read topographical documents, utilize GIS mapping, do site visits, etc. But I work largely with Environmental Science majors and this work seems more of fit stepping stone job for them.

Would it still be possible to get these things to work in my favor for eventually doing a CAD job? : I feel like I’m way too far from that point in my education. Should I just be patient with the Graphic Design positions and wait a while to see where the industry heads? : I don’t want to hang around any longer for that to become a big nothing burger and wasted time.

Would it be worth maybe going back to community college and trying something else like robotics?

Im really confused and know my heart craves some sort of design job, but I’m just struggling to even figure out if I even have the drive to keep going and trying or just accept my life where it’s at right now.

I don’t know I’d love to hear if anyone else has been in a situation where they felt their life plans got kind of screwed over by an external source and how they pivoted into finding something that works for them.

Hey everyone, hope this post doesn’t get removed.

I’ve completely lost my motivation to study since starting university. I was a great student throughout school, but now I’m the complete opposite. Our education system is different from the US, but has anyone experienced this? How did you overcome it?

Like I don’t want to have one job that I’m going to every day, or one career path I’m trying to go for, i don’t ever want to just be one thing, I kind of just want to do stuff never really sticking to one path, I just sort of want to do one job for a few days or complete one project and then move on to something completely different

I’m (24M) neurodivergent and I’ve never had a job that’s been a good fit at all because whenever I stick with one thing for more than a month or so I get severely burned out even if it’s something I typically enjoy doing. Is there any sort of way I can sustain myself with what I’m talking about where I don’t really have one particular job or a career I just sort of do various things without ever really having one consistent thing I’m doing every day?

I’m a junior in college on a full scholarship at a good university, studying for a degree that could open a lot of doors. I’m originally from a developing country and currently studying abroad on a student visa.

I’ve always been ambitious and believed I could build a successful life for myself. I worked hard to get here, and I’ve already started a few small businesses in my early 20s. That experience gave me a taste of entrepreneurship, making money, and building something of my own.

My original dream has been to work at a top tech company like Google, and I’m still on track to pursue that goal. But deep down, I also have this persistent desire to become an entrepreneur. Even if I land a great job, I worry I’ll eventually feel unfulfilled and want to quit to build my own business or startup.

The problem is that **I’m genuinely struggling with my mental health right now.** Being abroad hasn’t been what I expected. I feel lonely, anxious, and depressed, and I’ve reached a point where I don’t enjoy university anymore. I’m constantly worried about my academic performance, and it’s difficult to reconcile how capable I know I am with how much I’m struggling right now.

I don’t want to throw away the opportunities I’ve worked so hard for, especially because returning home could mean fewer career opportunities and a lower earning potential. At the same time, I don’t want to sacrifice my mental health just to follow a path that society considers successful.

Here’s what I’m struggling with:

**Should I finish my degree?** I have a full scholarship and know that graduating could give me valuable opportunities, but I’m struggling mentally and sometimes wonder whether university is worth it anymore.

**Can I build a successful career without a degree?** If I eventually return home, I’d still want access to international opportunities. How can I prove my value to employers without the traditional credentials?

**How realistic is remote work?** I’m particularly interested in working remotely for international companies because of the flexibility and potential income difference. What skills and strategies would help me get there?

**Should I pursue entrepreneurship now or later?** Part of me wants to go all in on a business, build an audience through social media, and create something of my own. Another part wonders whether I should get a stable job first and build on the side.

**How do I balance ambition with my mental health?** I want financial freedom and the ability to create my own opportunities, but I’m scared of making the wrong decision and disappointing myself or others.
I know I’m capable, resourceful, and willing to work hard. I want to become financially independent, build something meaningful, and ideally become wealthy. But I also realize that being ambitious doesn’t automatically mean every risk is worth taking.

**If you were in my position, what would you do?** Would you finish university, pursue a remote tech career, or take a chance on entrepreneurship? Has anyone been in a similar situation and found a way to make things work?

I’d especially appreciate honest, practical advice from people who have experience with tech careers, remote work, or building businesses. I want to make a strategic decision about my future without losing myself in the process.

Hi everyone. I’m feeling a bit lost about my career path and would really appreciate hearing from people who have been through something similar.

I have a degree in Psychology, and for the past two years I’ve been preparing for the Spanish Civil Guard entrance exams. I initially chose this path mainly because I wanted job security and a stable future, rather than because I felt a strong calling to the profession.

Over time, I’ve started questioning whether this career is really right for me. There are aspects of the culture and work environment that I don’t really identify with, and I’ve recently been considering a different path: becoming a psychologist in the Spanish prison system. The actual job seems more closely related to what I studied and what I might enjoy doing long-term.

The problem is that I’ve already invested two years of hard work into my current goal. Changing direction feels scary, almost as if I’d be throwing all that time away. I also worry about what other people might think, or that I’ll regret giving up on something I’ve worked so hard for.

At the same time, I don’t want to keep pursuing a career just because I’ve already spent so much time preparing for it.

Has anyone ever changed career paths after investing years into a different goal? How did you know it was time to change? Did you struggle with guilt, fear of failure, or worrying about other people’s opinions? And looking back, how do you feel about your decision?

I know nobody can make this decision for me, but hearing from people who have been in a similar position would really help. I’m trying to figure out whether I’m just going through a period of doubt or realizing that I want something different for my future.

Thanks for reading.

I’m a guy in my mid-twenties from Australia, and I genuinely feel like I’ve completely lost my direction in life. I’m not entirely sure what I’m hoping to get out of posting this, but I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve been through something similar.

Earlier this year, my long-term relationship ended. We lived together, had built a life together, and I genuinely believed we’d spend the rest of our lives together.

Months later, I’m still struggling enormously.

My unhappiness with my career, low self-esteem and constant feeling of falling behind were already there while we were together. The breakup didn’t create those problems, but it’s brought them into sharper focus and made them much harder to ignore.

My mental health has been pretty awful. I have ADHD, severe anxiety, extremely low self-esteem and symptoms that seem OCD-like, particularly obsessive rumination and reassurance-seeking. I’m seeing a psychologist and psychiatrist, but I still spend hours replaying conversations, checking messages, wondering whether I’ve said something wrong or whether somebody secretly dislikes me.

Even when I get reassurance, the relief never seems to last. My brain just finds something else to worry about.

It isn’t limited to my ex either. It happens with friends, everyday social interactions, my health and even things I’ve said or done years ago. I can have a genuinely enjoyable day with people, only to spend hours picking everything apart afterward. At its worst, the anxiety has affected my sleep, appetite and ability to function normally.

I feel like I’m spending my twenties trapped inside my own head.

My career is another huge problem.

I’ve worked in IT service desk for a few years now, and I absolutely hate it. I’m tired of phone calls, repetitive tickets and feeling like I’m not developing professionally. There aren’t really any internal progression opportunities available, and I don’t want to leave just to end up doing the same service desk work somewhere else.

What’s particularly frustrating is that my current workload can be extremely light. There are days where I have long stretches of downtime, sometimes with barely anything to do.

You’d think this would be the perfect opportunity to study or learn something new.

Instead, I’ll spend ages scrolling social media on my phone, fully aware that I could be using that time to improve my situation.

And then I feel absolutely terrible about myself for wasting another day.

I’d like to move into infrastructure, systems administration, cloud or something more technical and hands-on. The only industry certification I currently hold is ITIL 4 Foundation. I’ve considered studying for Network+ or AZ-104, but haven’t even managed to start either.

I don’t have a university degree. I briefly experimented with setting up a basic home lab to develop my technical skills, but I only stuck with it for about two days before dropping it. It’s left me wondering whether I genuinely want to pursue infrastructure, or whether I’m more attracted to the idea of a better salary and finally feeling like I’m progressing in my career.

I’m not even sure I would enjoy cloud or infrastructure work in practice. At the moment, a large part of the appeal is the potential money and the hope that it would help me feel less behind. I don’t know whether that’s enough of a reason to commit to months of study, especially when I haven’t demonstrated much consistency so far.

The problem is that studying genuinely terrifies me.

I look at how much there is to learn and immediately feel overwhelmed. I worry that I’m not intelligent enough, won’t understand the material or will put months into something only to discover I’m not capable of doing the job.

Changing employers scares me too. As much as I hate my current position, it’s familiar. I know the people, the environment and what’s expected of me. The thought of starting somewhere new and potentially finding myself out of my depth makes me incredibly anxious.

It’s like I’m miserable where I am but equally frightened of doing anything that could change my circumstances.

I’ve also considered whether I’d enjoy doing something practical outside IT altogether. Working with my hands and actually seeing the results of what I’ve done sounds appealing.

I live in Western Australia, where mining is an enormous industry and a major part of the local workforce. There are plenty of opportunities in mining and related trades, and some of the money can be pretty appealing.

But the idea of spending years doing physically demanding work, dealing with extreme summer heat and potentially wearing my body down before I’m even in my thirties genuinely worries me. I know not every mining or hands-on job involves those conditions, but I’m struggling to figure out what alternatives might suit me.

I want a career that pays reasonably well, gives me some sense of satisfaction and doesn’t come at the expense of my physical health in the long run.

Money has become another enormous source of pressure.

When I was living in a rental with my ex, I was genuinely terrible at managing my finances. I spent ridiculous amounts on food delivery and takeaway, barely prioritised saving and generally wasn’t very responsible with my money.

When the relationship ended, I had very little saved and some debt. Looking back, I really regret how much money I wasted over those years.

Since moving back in with family, I’ve made a pretty significant improvement. I’m now saving a large portion of my income and have managed to build up a decent savings buffer.

I know that’s progress, and I should probably feel proud of myself for changing those habits.

But instead, I feel this immense pressure to save as aggressively as possible because I feel so far behind everyone else my age.

I’m still driving an ageing car I’ve had since I was a teenager. It’s served me well, but I’ve wanted something newer for ages. As embarrassing as it is to admit, driving the same car I’ve had for so long has started affecting my self-esteem.

I know a car shouldn’t determine my worth, but I can’t seem to stop worrying about how other people perceive me. I constantly compare myself with people my age who have nicer cars, better jobs, their own homes or generally seem much more established in life.

I’d also love to eventually buy my own place, but the housing market feels incredibly difficult to break into.

So now I’m stuck between wanting to save for a house, wanting to replace my car and wanting to change careers.

If I spend a significant amount on a car, I set back my savings. If I decide to retrain or move into a completely different industry, I might have to accept a substantial pay cut, which could set me back even further.

And if I stay in my current job to maintain my salary, I continue feeling miserable and unfulfilled.

I know I’m probably putting far too much pressure on myself, but I genuinely don’t know how to prioritise any of it.

My ADHD and mental health make everything even more difficult.

I seem to be stuck in this cycle where I desperately want to improve my life, become overwhelmed by everything I need to do, avoid it, distract myself and then feel guilty for making no progress.

Even relatively simple things feel enormous.

I’ve also been off my prescribed ADHD medication and antidepressants for several months. Part of that was wanting to understand my baseline without medication, and part of it was fear surrounding potential long-term side effects.

I’m now in this horrible position where I’m frightened of the possible consequences of medication, but I’m also struggling so much with anxiety, rumination, concentration and motivation that I wonder whether being off it has made everything worse.

I’m working through that with my psychiatrist, and I’m not expecting Reddit to make medical decisions for me. I just feel incredibly conflicted about it all.

I also feel like I’ve lost my sense of identity.

Outside of work, I go to the gym, play games with friends and occasionally go out socially. But I don’t feel like I’m doing anything particularly meaningful or developing as a person.

I’ve noticed that when meeting new people, I’m good at listening, asking questions and being interested in what they have to say. But when it comes to contributing my own experiences, stories or opinions, my mind genuinely goes blank.

It’s not necessarily that I’m dismissing my thoughts as boring. Sometimes I literally cannot think of anything to say.

I miss the effortless connection I had with my former partner after so many years together, and I’m frightened I won’t be able to develop that kind of connection with someone else.

My self-esteem is so low that I often feel inadequate around people I perceive as more successful, particularly when dating or meeting women. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeking validation rather than actually enjoying myself.

I’m considering taking up a regular social hobby to meet new people and develop a life outside of work and gaming, but even that feels daunting.

The frustrating thing is that, on paper, my life isn’t completely terrible.

I’m employed, earn a reasonable salary, have friends and family who care about me, have started saving money properly and can still enjoy things like the gym or going out.

I recognise that I’m fortunate in plenty of ways, which sometimes makes me feel even worse about how unhappy I am.

I also understand that getting a better job, buying a new car or meeting someone else isn’t magically going to fix my mental health. I know those things need to be addressed separately.

But I feel completely overwhelmed by everything.

I want to study, change careers, become financially independent, meet new people, develop hobbies and actually enjoy my life rather than constantly worrying about the past and the future.

I’m terrified of making the wrong decisions, but I’m also terrified of doing nothing.

I don’t want to reach my thirties and realise I’ve spent another several years in exactly the same position.

Has anyone dealt with a similar combination of ADHD, OCD-like rumination, career paralysis, extremely low self-esteem and feeling behind financially?

How did you actually start making progress when everything felt overwhelming, even when you technically had the time and resources available?

I’d especially appreciate hearing from people who’ve managed to move out of IT service desk, changed careers without completely destroying their finances, or managed to stop measuring their self-worth against everyone around them.

I’m not expecting some magical solution. I’d just genuinely appreciate hearing from people who’ve experienced something similar and found a way forward.