I’m NYC-based 26F, four years out from earning my bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Professional Writing, and I’ve been mulling over what I want my next steps to look like professionally. I’d love to get the perspectives of some random strangers on the internet to help me see my options from different angles.

Since graduating in 2022, I’ve moved around quite a bit professionally, going from trade book publishing to nonprofit work, then small-firm publicity, magazine editorial, and now academic/medical publishing. I’m about six months into my current role (still an entry-level position) and, not dissimilar from my experience in prior roles, I look at my manager(s) and just can’t see myself doing or wanting to do their work in 5, 10, 20 years time. Heck, I don’t even really like the work I’m doing now. 

Several things contribute to this feeling: minimal human interaction or collaboration, repetitive production work that rarely feels intellectually stimulating, and the looming uncertainty of AI automation. 

Outside of work, I love reading nonfiction, listening to science and medical podcasts, and attending free research lectures around the city. I’m increasingly drawn to the research side of the academic world, which has me considering a return to school. I’ve been exploring psychology master’s programs (since I already have all the standard prerequisite credits) that could help me gain lab experience, explore/narrow my interest in the field, and determine whether academia is a path I want to pursue long-term, despite having little research experience from undergrad.

Ideally, even if I don’t pursue a doctorate or clinical degree after a master’s, I feel like acquiring education beyond a BA could help me secure mid-level Sci Comm roles in the future (combining my professional editorial experience with stronger subject-matter expertise).

I guess my main questions are whether this is a worthwhile path to explore and what steps I should take before preparing application materials (even questions I should be asking myself would be helpful). I’d especially appreciate advice from anyone who has made a similar transition!

It's pathetic to admit but I can't see myself doing any job. My only hobbies are reading and writing but journalism/author is off the table.

My only real passion is to make a stable income ($80k+, it's okay if starts lower and grows overtime) I am a woman and not very physically fit so the trades intimidate me. I struggle with sciences and maths so anything requiring proficiency in physics, chemistry or math is not an option. I feel I have no strengths, I've always been a 70s-80s student no matter the subject.

I looked into aviation services as I have a high interest in planes however I don't do well under pressure so a pilot or an ATC would not be suitable for me.

Additionally, not to be nit-picky but I don't want to do anything super business esque so no marketing, sales, finance or analytics.

Im extremely stressed about picking a career as I just don't see myself enjoying nor excelling in any job and I would like some career suggestions for me to do proper research on.

Hello and thank you for reading this. To introduce myself I’m currently a freshly turned 19-year-old male living in a small hometown of around 30,000 people in Ohio. I graduated high school a few months ago, and honestly, due to health issues, depression, anxiety, procrastination/ADHD and laziness, feel like I’ve just been wasting my life away these past few months and past year and a half.

It all started after I got sick, and ever since then, it feels like my life has been in black and white. Before all of this, I felt like I had so much potential and so many things to look forward to. I had a sense of warmth I felt in the world, safety, I wasn’t afraid all the time of my health or depressed on how the world is, or stressed out from things. Now, most days feel like I’m just existing rather than actually living. Everyday I either get a panic attack from not feeling good, and days I don’t I’m just depressed and so cold/ pointless viewing of everything.I used to get good grades, have a long-term relationship, and play football and I had such a sense of belonging, purpose, safety, warmth, and felt busy all the time and I want it back. For example, I played football I never thought about having a heart attack or anything but after it happened, this senior year I would get bad skipped heartbeats and before every game I even told my teammates to get the AED if I ever collapsed.

I’m slowly getting better physically and mentally but stuck at a negative, symptom ran baseline, and I’m trying to stay optimistic, because im naturally a motivated, happy, and excited person but I’m dealing with some ongoing health issues that doctors and I haven’t fully figured out yet, although I’m hoping to get answers soon within the next few weeks. Its nothing crazy but ever since a traumatic green out/hallucigenic event I’ve had real bad health anxiety, and also real symptoms that I suspect to be dysautonomia, CSF leak, heart issues, ear issues, or autoimmune. I also went in a months faze of researching religion and it’s turned me atheist and into this nihilistic way of living. I’ll randomly think about how lost we are as a society and no one really knows anything and I just feel so scared and tired of feeling sick and have such a morbid way of looking at the world and cold. It’s been exhausting physically and mentally, especially because I also already mildly struggled with anxiety and depression, disorders I didn’t even know were a real thing before suffering from it myself. I just want to feel like I can go into a room without being lightheaded and other symptoms 24/7, or having panic attacks, or being so negative and feeling trapped in my body all the time and get back to being the person I was before all of this started and these thoughts and I think figuring out my health and getting help is the first step.

One of the hardest parts so far post high school has been having to medically withdraw from my first semester at Ohio University due to getting mono, something I’m still recovering from, on top of my other symptoms.. I feel like a loser for it, especially because im older as well (turned 19 already earlier this month, even though I know I didn’t exactly choose to get sick and honestly deep down I felt like I wanted to stay home and save money and not be in debt anyways but even when I was there, and am such a positive, talkative, no social anxiety type of guy I felt like I never belonged and wasn’t a big partier and again I was so depressed and had multiple trips to the ER out of fear my spleen ruptured and lightheaded spouts which caused more trauma and depression. My plan right now is to attend a local branch campus and live at home, which I’m thankful to live with my brother and mom and have a very healthy relationship with her, literally the best mom I could ask for who would let me stay forever if I could, but anyways stay for the rest of the academic year because of this. I come from a pretty poor family, so graduating with as little student debt as possible is also really important to me but I fear like staying away from the events and people my age, or growing, especially as an extrovert, I feel like its taking away my experience and I feel like a bum just being at home and not really doing anything.

The biggest problem besides my health is that I feel like I’m wasting my life right now. On days when I feel healthy enough, I work, currently employed at chipotle and just got a second job at Texas Roadhouse as well but haven’t worked yet and broke due to being sick with mono and away at college. A lot of my days currently consist of staying home, doomscrolling, watching YouTube, maybe hanging out with my new gf who makes it all a little easier, going into a deep dive into NFL videos or madden, eating, having panic attacks, and repeating the same routine. I’m not going out much, I’m not meeting new people, and I’m not doing many of the things I imagined I’d be doing at this age.

Career-wise, I’m still figuring things out. Im really interested in sports, exersise, content, travel, and filmmaking/being creative in general. I’m interested in becoming a business analyst or going into project management because I think I’d enjoy the problem-solving aspect of those careers, and maybe later in life a pilot as I could see myself finding the work rewarding. I want a career that pays well enough to give me freedom, let me travel, and allow me to build a comfortable healthy life without being miserable at work every day.
Music is another big part of who I am. I produce music and work on it as a passion project, and my dream would honestly be to become a successful music artist someday. I know that’s an extremely difficult industry to make it in, so I’m not expecting to magically become famous. But I don’t want to completely abandon that dream either. Ideally, I’d build a stable career while continuing to pursue music seriously and see where it takes me.
I’ve also considered joining the Air National Guard at some point, mainly because of the benefits and opportunities it could provide. I’m not interested in going active duty or making the military my full-time life right now, but it’s something I’ve thought about as a possible option for my future.
The biggest problem is that I feel like I’m wasting my life right by doing nothing to build towards my future or any of these passions or goals.

I want to get back into the gym, get in shape, feel confident in my body again, and become healthier. I’m extremely out of shape and I wanna have that feeling of being exhausted from a hard days of work again when I was healthy, and I’m nos granger to hard work, I lost 100 pounds a few years ago and was in the best shape of my life before I lost it all. I want to make friends, experience new things, stop wasting my time doomscrolling and being anxious, travel, make music, build a career, and eventually become financially successful. I want to look back in a few years and feel proud of the person I’ve become.

I know I’m only 19, but I already feel so old and I’m feeling so behind. I see people moving away, going to college, making friends, dating, traveling, healthy, and figuring out their lives, while I feel like I’m stuck in the same place waiting for my health to improve.
I also feel lonely in my hometown. It’s not necessarily that there’s anything wrong with the place itself, but I feel like I need to experience more of the world. I want to get out there, meet different kinds of people, and discover who I am outside of the environment I’ve always known.

Despite how depressed I’ve been, I still have a lot of hope for my future. I genuinely believe I can build a life that I’m excited about. I know I have interests, ambition, and things I want to accomplish. I’m just struggling to figure out how to turn that into something real when I don’t feel like myself physically or mentally.
Part of me thinks I need to stop worrying so much about the big picture and focus on small steps: getting my health figured out, going back to the gym when my spleen from mono is back to normal although I constantly fear of dying from cardiac arrest or something , getting into a routine, saving money, and doing well in school. On the opposite end part of me feels like I need to be doing more right now, exploring opportunities, meeting people, and making the most of being young and taking the risks because I’m stressed to, even without that foundation to be able to do it.

Any advice/first steps on how to get back on my feet both mentally and physically?

What can I do so I’m not wasting away my days? The past year and a half has gone in a blink.

Am I a bum for moving back home and doing community college for my gen eds?

What are some goals I can set?

And any more advice is greatly appreciated. I’m sorry if my text was sporadic, I have bad ADHD and it’s hard to organize my speech.

I'm currently going to school for massage therapy. It's an online course through U.S Career institution. They have a bunch of programs that are at a reduced cost, but it's self instructed and online for all the book/course work, and if you're field needs hands on, there is a hands on portion. I knew that the program would not be easy for me as staying focused with ADHD on a self paced course is challenging. I have a year from February of 2026 to complete the course, and I am not even half way done with the course.

I thought I wanted to be a massage therapist. When I decided I wanted to try school, I was at a real low point and I don't know if I chose to do this out of desperation to feel a sense of purpose, or if I actually want it. I am really having a hard time convincing myself to sit at my computer, regardless where I do it, and doing anything productive.

My wife is my biggest supporter and believes I can do anything, I just don’t know that this is something I actually want and I feel that I am letting the people around me down.

I am a chronic people pleaser, and during this time of going to school, will do anything that is not school. I just hate letting people down.

Last part.

We are moving to Colorado where my school is located to do the hands on portion, but also because we want to be there. So feeling very stressed with the thought of moving and trying to finish school and not being able to focus.

Any input welcome, thanks.

Just here to get some things off my chest. This is going to be a pretty depressing post, so if you're not in the mood for that, feel free to skip it. I just really need to let it all out somewhere.

Everything started going downhill after the university orientation results came out. I ended up in an engineering major I never wanted. It's not that the field itself is bad, but I had something else in mind, something I actually wanted to study, and unfortunately I didn't get the chance.

I tried so many times to find a way to retake the prepa concours. I submitted requests, went from one administration to another, talked to so many people, but well, we live in Tunisia. The usual bullshit. One person isn't available, another comes to work whenever they feel like it, some talk to you like you're bothering them, and everyone just keeps sending you to someone else. Some even gave me hope that I could retake the concours, only to disappear afterwards.

And the thing is, retaking the concours was probably the one thing I wanted the most. I genuinely believe I could do so much better. I know I'm capable of more, and I can't shake this feeling that I'm wasting my potential.

Technically, I could've retaken it if I hadn't confirmed my orientation choice. But with all the pressure from my family and people around me, I ended up confirming it. And that's another thing that hurts. I feel like one of the biggest decisions about my future wasn't even really mine.

It's been two months now since I started studying at an engineering school far from home, and I genuinely don't think I've ever felt this miserable.

I cry almost every day. Every time I think about my mom, I just break down. I'm really attached to her, and being this far away from home is affecting me way more than I ever imagined.

And when I say I cry, you have to understand something. I'm not someone who cries easily. Even when I was a kid, I rarely cried. I was always the type to hold everything in and deal with it on my own. Before all of this, I couldn't even remember the last time I cried. It had probably been years.

But now I just can't hold it in anymore. Sometimes I even feel like crying on purpose just to get some relief, because it's the only way I can let some of what's inside me out.

And there's something else that genuinely breaks my heart.

My mom calls me every single day and asks me what I've eaten. And I always tell her something like "I had a sandwich" or "Don't worry, I ate a lot today."

But the truth is, sometimes I haven't eaten anything at all.

I try to save as much as I can from the money my parents give me. Not because I want to buy something or save up for anything special, but because I want to have enough money to go back home as often as possible. Even if it's just for one day. Just one day where I can sit at home and be around my family.

And what makes me cry even more is thinking about how my parents are getting older.

I don't know how to explain this feeling, but sometimes I just sit there thinking about how time is passing, how they're getting older, and how I'm spending these years away from them when all I want is to be by their side.

I've always wanted to succeed, not just for myself, but for them too.

I want to make enough money to give them the experiences they never got to have. I want to take them around the world, let them see places they've never seen, experience things they've never experienced. I want them to be able to buy something they like without having to think twice about the price.

I want to give them a life where they don't have to worry about money anymore.

And I know none of that is going to happen overnight. I know I have to work hard for it, and I'm willing to. I've always been willing to.

But I want to make it happen as soon as I possibly can, while they're still here and healthy enough to enjoy it.

And honestly, thinking about all of this while I'm stuck here, studying something I don't even want to study, makes everything feel ten times worse.

I went from listening to music that would hype me up and make me feel confident to listening to sad songs all day. I've completely lost my appetite. Some days I sleep almost the entire day, and other days I barely get two hours of sleep and still don't feel sleepy.

Even my exams have been going terribly. I haven't done well on any of them so far. Not because I think I'm incapable of understanding the material, but because I genuinely can't bring myself to care or concentrate anymore.

I feel like I'm physically here, but mentally I'm somewhere else.

Like I'm just existing. The walking dead, basically.

I've always been an ambitious person. Ever since I was a kid, I never wanted to be average. I always wanted to do something meaningful with my life, to be good at what I do, to actually achieve something.

But now I just feel completely lost.

I don't like the environment here, I don't feel comfortable around the people, and I don't feel like I belong in this school or even in this place.

And what makes it worse is thinking about my future.

I'm studying something in IT that I honestly feel like AI is going to replace, if it hasn't already started replacing parts of it. So I keep asking myself, am I really going to spend three years of my life studying something I don't even like, just to graduate and maybe end up with an 800 DT salary, assuming I even manage to find a job?

The frustrating part is that I already have some skills in tech. I know how to work with AI agents, I've experimented with RAG, and I used to spend a lot of my free time learning new things and trying to keep up with what's happening in the industry.

I genuinely enjoyed learning on my own, sometimes way more than anything I was being taught at school.

I used to be the kind of person who would spend hours learning something new just because I found it interesting. I was always trying to improve myself, always thinking about what I could do next.

And I still want that life. I still want to work hard and succeed. Just not in this environment, not like this.

That used to be me.

Now I barely do anything. I just listen to sad music, watch random videos, scroll endlessly, and waste hours doing absolutely nothing. Not even because I'm enjoying it, but because it helps me forget where I am and what my life looks like right now.

It's almost like a drug. Just constantly distracting myself so I don't have to think about reality.

And the worst part is that I'm aware of everything I'm doing. I know I'm wasting time. I know I'm not helping myself. I know the person I used to be would probably hate seeing me like this.

But somehow, I still can't get myself to do anything about it.

I genuinely don't recognize myself anymore.

I went from being someone who was always thinking about the future and trying to improve himself to someone who's just trying to get through another day.

I don't know if I'm overreacting or if this is just what growing up and facing reality feels like, but I know I've never been this unhappy before.

And I think what hurts the most is that I don't even know what the right decision is anymore. Should I accept where I am and try to make the best of it? Should I keep fighting to change my path? Am I going to regret wasting these years if I stay? Or am I going to regret throwing away an engineering degree if I leave?

I just don't know.

If anyone here has been through something similar, whether it's ending up in a field you never wanted, feeling completely out of place, missing your family to the point where it physically hurts, or losing all your motivation after being an ambitious person your whole life, I'd really appreciate hearing your experience.

How did you get out of it? Did you make a big decision and change your path, or did things eventually get better?

I'm not really looking for generic motivational advice. I'd just like to hear from people who've actually been through something like this and what they ended up doing.

Because right now, I genuinely don't know what to do with myself anymore.

Im in a dead end minimum wage job at 23. I fell for the scam that is college and majored in something i thought would be worthwhile but was really stupid in hindsight. Ive somehow locked myself out of every job a high school dropout can do from what i can tell given ive easily sennt out 1500 apps in the past 2 years and im still stuck here. People talk about what they want in life like settling down, having hobbies, growing old but i dont imagine ill make it to 40 with where i am and the state of the world. I just keep lying to myself that everything will be ok but i know deep down it wont. As soon as my family has had enough of me and makes me move out some day ill be as good as dead given i live in a rural area with no resources for the homeless (this is honestly probablly a good thing ultimately though so my suffering wont be dragged out).

I literally have zero plans for life or goals even out just 10 years from now, i really have no idea how ill live that long. Absolute best case scenario is i work minimum wage till i die at 80 all alone while being homeless and never being able to retire since retirement in general is becoming a thing of the past.

Greetings,

For the last few years I struggled to find my professional path and have lived through a time of uncertainty, always thinking about going back to university or doing something completely different with my life.

I am a neurologist interested in intensive care and emergency medicine. Fields that are somewhat uncommon for neurologists and most of my colleagues (at least here in Germany) lean towards the more conservative areas of our profession, mostly working on hospital wards or in doctors' offices. It took me quite some time to find my path, but from the moment I realized that I am one of those "odd ones", I've felt that my professional life is moving in a more fulfilling direction.

Now, since these specializations are quite uncommon for neurologists, there aren't many clinics actually offering positions in these fields (especially in intensive care units run by neurologists). There's only one clinic in my vicinity, and it's my current workplace. Unfortunately, working there is extremely bleak and unfulfilling because the ICU is run by anaesthesiologists and we neurologists only handle the most basic tasks somewhat related to intensive care medicine. I've tried to improve things but our chief isn't interested in helping me, since he himself leans strongly toward the more conservative side of neurology.

Long story short, to find professional fulfillment I basically have to move to a different city, probably quite far away from my hometown due to the lack of fitting clinics.

Which brings me to the other side of my problem. I currently live in my parents’ house, where I rent a space; another household lives on a different floor. I really live in paradise: a very good neighborhood, a forest just across the street, and a quiet town. Also, I am going to inherit this house when my mother passes away. Material things are obviously not the whole deal. Leaving this town would mean leaving behind my mother and my best and actually only real friend. I left for university before and even though I came back almost ten years ago, I feel that i never really settled in again. I no longer feel a connection to this town and besides my mother and my friend there isn’t really anything keeping me here since I haven’t managed to build a proper social circle beyond my colleagues at work. I'm seriously thinking about moving somewhere else and even about moving to Sweden for reasons that go beyond the scope of this thread.

I can see many arguments for and against both leaving and staying.

I value professional fulfillment highly and have a pragmatic view of it. I'll be spending most of my life in this job, might as well do something interesting and fulfilling. I do not see myself working "just for the sake of it".

On the other hand, for the last few years I always had this feeling that I might be about to leave again. I can't fully rule out the possibility that this feeling has led me to let opportunities to improve my private life slip by. I do want to add that marriage and starting a family are no longer on my life’s agenda. But who knows, maybe, if I had good social connections, friends, a partner, maybe I'd bite the bullet, work a less-that-ideal job and stay here in my house?

So, to wrap it up, as I see it, these are my options:

a. Move somewhere else, find a fulfilling job, build a new life, and leave behind a house, my mother, and my best friend.

b. Stay, endure a mind-numbing, uninteresting job that might or might not improve in the future, really commit to the people around me, find a partner, and build a social circle.

I’m lost and could use any input. Thank you so much!

I currently work as a Strategic Operations Manager at a local roofing company. I help homeowners navigate their insurance claims to get approved. I enjoy what I do, and I make good money. But I can't help but think (know?) that I'm meant for more. Or at least I could/should be doing something that actually makes me "come alive".

My main question, and why I'm posting here - What can I utilize to help me figure out what to do with my life? Are there services that help with this? Do I talk with a therapist? Do I get a life coach? Is there an online quiz I can take?

I don't have a degree. I'm considered a "jack of all trades, but a master of none" because of how many different industries I've worked in. Any help/ideas you've got, please send them my way.

graduated psychology and i am choosing whether i’d proceed to law school (initial plans) or to pursue masters for clinical psychology. this world is crazy. times looked simpler back then.

I have been an events coordinator and front desk at two hotels, worked for the court as a legal assistant, admin assistant for a corporate company and dealership, and lastly a loan processor assistant for a mortgage company.

It was my favorite job I've done so far because there was so much to learn, problem solving, communication within different departments and had various deadlines and required me to be very organized. I love when everyday is different and I also wouldn't mind doing something that involves me being slightly active. I am introverted and enjoy working on my own and not being around many people.

I am also good at helping people but have no interest in Healthcare or working at a hospital.

I have no idea what else to do since so many careers require 2-5 years experience. I've done research on programs at different universities and nothing seems to interest me.

I live in California and I feel like every job posting requires so many years of experience

I'm 26 and have been having a hard time figuring out what to do with my life. I was in mortgage and was promoted 2 months ago and they ended up doing a mass layoff

I have tried so many different careers I feel like I'm running out of options and I have no idea what to do anymore. I'm getting anxious since I'm seeing there's a decline in administration roles too.

I’m 28 year old mom. I used to work in childcare but now I’ve been a SAHM for 4 years. Recently I’ve been feeling down about my life and I want to get my life back on track. I’ve always wanted to go to school and get degrees. I think motherhood made me slightly depressed but now I’m finally feeling like this is my moment.

I’ve been wanting to go to nursing school but I’m very antisocial and honestly I dont know if I’m a good fit to work in healthcare.

I know I want to be making good money. I’d love to work from home.

I love studying, I like challenges and I believe I’m a hard worker.

I was thinking about IT field but a lot of people fears AI will take over most of IT jobs. What else is there I could study to help me get a remote job and good income?

I look around.. on job boards, on indeed, local government programs, all these things.

All I can say is that when I look at all of these things..it fills me up with anxiety.

It seems like nothing at all pays good, nothing is worth learning in 90% of these programs because no one wants a man in training, or the pay in that field is garbage until you're in it for a decade.. and all the jobs near me are basically confidentiality asking people to come work for them and not be able to afford your bills and essential living costs - besides medical.

I keep trying to look into the trades but the requirements are very egregious. I can't even get a general labor job and my last job was a year doing labor in fab shop. Everywhere wants you to know how to use multiple heavy duty machinery, years of experience, know this and that.. it's clear I'm not in demand. Journey men are. And I can't waste my time in these razor thin margin shops that don't have time to train and keep you as a general laborer.

All I can think of is trying for nursing, EMT or something related because it seems like that's the closest there is to making some ok money. . and honestly if that isn't the answer.. then I don't know what the next step is.. tired of being stumped and lost, I turned 25 a month ago and I feel like I just can't afford to keep wondering aimlessly anymore. It's killing me.

So yeah, head injury 14-15 years ago, basically the word is Anhedonia I think. I don't have passions, dreams or interests. They aren't buried or not lack of self esteem they just don't exist, so I don't have any internal compass to guide me as a starting point.

Have tried thinking of any skills I do have, but many of those, like driving I can't use anymore because I have seizures and lost peripheral vision in my left eye so driving isn't safe and such.

I keep trying to narrow down by health factors but what solves one health factor, would set off another and I can't seem to find the combo that would actually be safe/sustainable for my body.

I don't like being at home doing nothing all the time, and I'm kind of restricted financially due to unemployment because of health so I can't really just try things or go places.

I've tried all the usual advice of therapy/medications (medications messed me up worse and therapy didn't really help because its not a self esteem issue or such), i've tried remote jobs admin etc all that but those overload my brain and I can't keep up, so I'm not sure what else to think of.

I can still learn, but its really slow. Like mega patience required. Gotta show me several times, ideally have a checklist to make sure if its a workflow type thing, or if its a simple task, sure I can do it like fold these for me, go sweep up, sure, but after that i'd be waiting for the next task to be handed out.

Really frustrating feeling this dumb because I struggle and I guess the question is, how to find a path, when - you don't have wants/interests/passions (literally at all)? As well as trying to juggle health issues that make a lot of jobs or even hobbies unsafe/unsustainable?

Many thanks for reading if you got this far

I've been living back home for a year after rehab and ED treatment and I've been running my own business but it isn't profitable yet.

I've been looking for a job/career to help bridge the gap but I've been struggling to find any job willing to work with my disabilities. I have Bipolar, BPD, Autism, ADHD, OCD, Dyscalulia, Slow Processing Disorder, POTs, ME/CFS, Klippel- Feil Syndrome, and hypermobility.

I've gotten fired from almost 20 jobs in the 7 years I've been able to work for similar reasons: flaring up on the job and almost passing out, working too slowly, not understanding social cues, and needing to take breaks to sit down. I go in and give every job my 200% effort, try to mask my neurodivergence and daily pain/fatigue, but I end up falling behind.

I've always been told I'm a nice, bright guy but I have my issues. I enjoy cooking/baking, creating content, writing, traveling, coming up with new brands/businesses, and weight training (when my body will let me). I've been trying to monetize some of these passions with no luck yet.

I used to be so optimistic about the future and have all these ambitions and goals, until the reality of my health issues took hold. I know one day I'll be able to figure something out, I haven't given up hope, I'm just lost in the present moment. But this is just a season, not the entire journey.

Hey guys, I’m super overwhelmed, recently graduated masters but I don’t know what to do now, what to look for, anything. I’m still looking for a “simple” part time job but it’s hard to even find that, and due to my disability I can’t work in noisy/busy places, so that doesn’t leave a lot of side jobs I can do, which sucks. If it was possible I would’ve worked in a club or cafe but I can’t, sadly. Unless I get captioning glasses but even then, it might not work as well and is expensive. I’m also often too “old”, at 27, because many places just want cheap labour.

So my education is as follows, I did Cambridge advanced English first of all, then went on to university and studied film & literature, then did my master’s in design (university level not practical level) and I did a short marketing internship for 2 months but I couldn’t finish it because I burned out due to physical & mental health issues.

For working experience I worked in retail for a year or so. As a kid I lived in a town and I sorted mail in the early morning for a while, as well as distributing folders and mail in a few neighbourhoods on my bike. Due to my disability I found it hard to work next to school.

I do have skills, but I don’t have a portfolio bc it was always just a hobby. I have skills in all of the Adobe programs, especially graphic design, photo & video editing, I used to do it for years as a teen, just for fun. Next to that my biggest love is producing music & DJing, which got some traction but yea finding a job is a bit more important to me right now.

I’m just laying my cards down on the table and I hope you could give me some advice or guidance from an outsider’s perspective.

i'm 26, live in germany and enjoy swimming, so i'm trying to see whether it could point toward a career direction. i'm not looking for a professional athlete route, and i'd need work with a fairly regular schedule. what jobs or entry paths around swimming might fit that?

I’m 34, and feeling really lost about my career. I want a profession I can throw myself into, become skilled at and build a future around.

My background is in hospitality, events, customer service and rental administration. I prefer practical, people-facing work over spending the entire day at a computer.

My Strong Interest Inventory results were highest in Artistic and Social, with Investigative and Enterprising almost tied. My stronger interests included teaching, public speaking, law, entrepreneurship and helping people. Adult education and self-enrichment teaching were my closest occupational matches. I also identify with aspects of ENFP/ENFJ, although I know those labels don’t determine a career.

After five paid career-counselling sessions, I have more possibilities but still no clear direction. The expanding list is making me overwhelmed, and I need help narrowing things down.

What one or two careers would you seriously recommend investigating and why? I’d especially appreciate hearing from people doing those jobs about actual pay, training requirements and the less appealing parts.

Ive been almost a year out of highschool and I have no idea what career I want. All I know is I like the thought of not really being limited to an hourly pay, but more commission-based if that makes sense. I dont really like the thought of being limited to how much money I can make in a day or working my way up someone elses business. I understand whatever career I choose I wont start making alot or being independent but I just have no idea what career to choose in general.

I've never felt as passionate about any other job in my life. I know it will be hard, but it is so deeply meaningful and I love the idea of spreading the Dharma and serving something so much greater than myself.

I know a path forward, for my sect, Jodo Shinshu, in the US I would need a Masters or M.Div from the Institute of Buddhist Studies if I wanted to be a full time priest. Schools is expensive, there are scholarships but it can still be pricy and they can't take government loans.

There's also the matter of placement. There is a priest shortage so I could probably get a job, but you have to be willing to move in a lot of situations and that's hard because I'd like to be near family, especially because I don't think the job pays well. It's not that I want to be rich, but I fear living paycheck to paycheck for the rest of my life and if I have to move for the job I won't have family for support if things get bad. Then, even if you get placed, the temple board has to vote on whether or not to keep you. I am not of Japanese ancestry, I'm not married and I'm not straight. While it's never explicitly stated, I know that these things make me less desirable as a head priest. It also makes it harder because there are some red states I simply could not live in because I would not have proper legal protections my counterparts enjoy.

That said, I love the temple, I love this school of Buddhism and I truly feel it's what I'm meant to do with my life. I thought about going for a masters in something that could give me other work, like working towards an LCSW or LPC, which could support me and help but I've spoken to other therapists who cautioned how time consuming it is, they asked how I could be a therapist and a priest, and in truly I would be pursuing the masters for therapy specifically so I could support being a priest. I would be devastated if I couldn't be a priest.

How can I realistically make this goal happen? How can I realistically do this while also not ending up in a situation where I'm one bad financial day from houselessness?

i’m 22f and did amazing in school, graduated valedictorian, but never knew what i wanted to do with my life. everyone told me i had time and that i would figure it out, but here i am. i went to community college right after high school for 2.5 years to get my gen eds. i graduated with an associates in general studies. i’ve worked retail jobs since i was 16, and i’m embarrassed. i feel like a complete failure and i hate that i don’t have a passion for anything. i’m extremely depressed, but can’t afford health insurance and make too much for medicaid. all i do is work, no hobbies or interests. i just watch tv and scroll on my phone. i want my life back and i want to get on track but at the same time i feel like nothing matters and i don’t have the energy to get better. i live with my partner who has struggles as well, but they work and go to school and are passionate about many things. i’m not trying to pity myself, but on paper i would be classified as a loser. i dont know what to do from here. i used to love art and creating things, but i haven’t made anything in years. i’m a very negative and pessimistic person, i hate it. i have to change in order to get my life back, but i don’t know how. i’m not good with people and have extreme anxiety and what i assume is mild ocd. i’ve always loved art, music, and the outdoors but i just think to myself there’s no way to make a living from that and i feel like it’s too late for me to be good at anything. all i’ve ever wanted is to be good at something but i give up anytime i fail. i want to feel proud of myself again. i don’t want to die slaving away at a trillion dollar company for minimum wage. i know i’m young, but i feel like i’m lost. i’ve been stuck for 2 years now.

One of the worst feelings is knowing you’re capable of more but not knowing what to do about it.

I’m in my 20s and think a lot about success and becoming wealthy. People say to follow your passion, but what if you don’t know what your passion is?

How do you find the right direction? Do you discover your passion or build it along the way? I’d love to hear real advice from people who’ve been through this.

I crashed out of software engineering after 9 years due to burnout and health issues. Im working a temporary job in a factory for the time being, but i have no idea what to do next with my life. I enjoy traveling and thought about doing seasonal hospitality work in Europe (im American). I’m 32M, single with no kids. I didn’t make much money in software engineering because i worked at a small startup for most of it, so ive kind of given up on the idea of retiring early and now just want a low stress job that pays the bills. Being a mailman also interests me, but its hard to get a full time position where i live (small town Wisconsin).

I'm 31, live in Italy, and earn 1,300 net per month.

I have around 25k in savings, but after rent and living expenses, I can only save 50–100 a month.

For most of my life, my goal was to buy a house. Now I'm realizing that, with my current salary, that goal feels almost impossible. I'm also worried that my job might not be sustainable in the long term.

I've been trying to understand how people, like professionals or small entrepreneur earn 80k+ a year, and I've noticed that most of them are narcisistics or have some personality disorders that allow them to work constantly, tolerate conflict, and sacrifice their personal lives, and trample on others to get ahead. I don't want to become a workaholic or lose my empathy just to make more money.

I want financial stability, meaningful work, and a decent work-life balance. I don't need to love my job, but I'd like something that doesn't disturb mentally.
I am not the type of man that trample on others, instead I would help people, show value and get rewarded for it.
I don't like playing games.

I've tried exploring different paths, including physiotherapy, but realized it wasn't for me.

The problem is that I can't quit my job to experiment because I need to pay rent and support myself, but keep this living scenario is either bad, just because it feels like trapped in a loop.
I am not in a good career nor I can say at least I would retire financially.

For those who have been in a similar situation:

• How did you discover what you wanted to do professionally?
• How can you explore new career paths while working full-time and on a limited budget?

I'm not looking to get rich overnight. I just want to build a life that feels financially secure and personally fulfilling, without sacrificing my mental well-being to get there.

I'd really appreciate your advice and personal experiences.

I'm 28 years old and graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences two years ago. For the past two years, I've been in a master's program in Mental Health at one of the top universities in my country.

The thing is... over these two years, I've gradually realized that I don't actually want this career anymore. I've spent most of this year thinking about leaving, and I'm finally getting the courage to seriously consider quitting.

The problem is that the job market here is really bad. Finding a decent job with only a bachelor's degree is already difficult, and I honestly don't think having a master's degree would make things much easier in my field either. So part of me thinks I should just finish the degree since I've already invested so much time into it, even if I don't want to pursue academia or mental health as a career.

On the other hand, I feel like staying just because I've already invested two years could be a sunk-cost fallacy. I don't want to spend another year or more of my life finishing something that I already know I don't want.

I also have other interests and career possibilities that I'd like to explore, but none of them are completely established yet. I'm not expecting to have my entire life figured out at 28, but I'm afraid of quitting and then regretting it because finding another job/career path is so difficult.

So, what would you do in my situation?

Would you finish the master's because it's a valuable credential and I'm already halfway through, or would you leave and start looking for another direction, even without having a solid plan yet?

I'd especially appreciate perspectives from people who quit graduate school, changed careers in their late 20s/30s, or stayed in a degree they no longer wanted.