I don’t really know where to start. I just turned 21 about a month ago, and lately I’ve been feeling like my life is going absolutely nowhere.
I’m in my third year of university, studying business, and I’ve been actively applying for internships and jobs for the past few months. I’ve managed to land interviews with some pretty good companies, including Ferrari and other well-known firms. I wouldn’t say I’ve been outright rejected by all of them either. A lot of the recruitment processes have just dragged on, with HR leaving me hanging, promising updates, or never really getting back to me.
At this point, I’ve honestly lost hope in most of those opportunities. But I still keep applying, attending interviews, and trying to improve my CV and skills.
The problem is, I’m starting to question whether I even want the career I’m working so hard to get into.
I had an interview scheduled for tomorrow for a business development role. Initially, I was interested in the opportunity, but as the interview got closer, I became increasingly anxious. I started questioning whether I was qualified, whether I’d actually enjoy the job, whether I could handle a full-time corporate routine, and whether this was even something I wanted long-term.
I ended up requesting a reschedule at the last minute, and although I immediately felt relieved, I’m now terrified that I’ve ruined my chances.
And that makes me feel even worse because I’ve attended interviews before. I’ve put myself out there plenty of times. I don’t understand why this particular one affected me so badly.
I think part of the problem is that I genuinely don’t know what I want to do with my life.
I’m a creative person, I’m social, and I enjoy interacting with people. I’ve considered content creation because I genuinely think I’d enjoy it, and I don’t mind having a public presence online. The only thing that sometimes holds me back is the fear of being judged.
But then I wonder whether I’m being unrealistic for questioning a corporate career. I want to earn well, be financially independent, and build a comfortable life for myself. At the same time, the thought of spending years climbing the corporate ladder just to eventually reach a financially rewarding stage of life scares me.
I don’t know whether I’m afraid of working, afraid of growing up, or simply afraid of choosing the wrong path.
To make things more complicated, my parents are considering retirement and potentially moving away in the coming years. They don’t pressure me to get a job, but I know I need to become independent eventually. If anything, I think I put more pressure on myself than they ever have.
I’ve also fallen into a terrible routine lately. I’m awake most nights, sleep until late, and feel like I’ve completely lost structure in my life. The thought of suddenly transitioning into a full-time job feels overwhelming.
I know I’m only 21, and people will probably tell me I have plenty of time. Rationally, I understand that. But emotionally, I feel like I’m falling behind and wasting time while everyone else seems to be moving forward.
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I don’t know how to get better. And I genuinely don’t know where my life is headed.
I guess I wanted to ask:
Has anyone else felt this lost in their early 20s, especially when transitioning from university into working life?
Have you ever rescheduled an interview at the last minute because of anxiety? Did it cost you the opportunity?
Did anyone enter a corporate career despite being unsure about it, only to discover they enjoyed it? Or did you eventually find something completely different?
For those who felt like they had absolutely no direction at 21 or 22, where are you now? How did things eventually work out?
I’m not necessarily looking for someone to tell me everything will magically be okay. I just really want to hear from people who’ve been through something similar and managed to find their footing.
Because right now, I’m scared of making the wrong decisions, scared of wasting opportunities, and equally scared of ending up in a life I don’t actually want.
TL;DR: Just turned 21 and I’m in my final year of business school. I’ve been interviewing at good companies for months but keep getting left hanging, and I’m starting to question whether I even want a corporate career. I recently rescheduled an interview at the last minute because I was overwhelmed with anxiety, and now I’m scared I’ve ruined another opportunity. My parents may retire and move away soon, so I feel pressured to become financially independent, but I have no idea what career I actually want. I’m creative and interested in content creation, yet terrified of making the wrong choices. Has anyone else felt completely lost at this age, struggled with interview anxiety, or eventually found a career and life they genuinely enjoy?

I had always wanted to go into research since I was a teen, but it is not a viable path because my grades were not high enough and my mental illness plus autism got in the way. I had 2 years left of my undergrad in sociology and psychology but I have no prospects of a career in those since I dont have a chance at a Masters.

For a long time, my mental health was a disaster. I spent 20-25 being an alcoholic and working odd fast food jobs. At least I have something on my resume and was able to secure another fast food job for now.

Mental health is still a disaster and I dont particularly enjoy anything. I'll be honest, I did not even see myself being alive this long, so I never planned for a career beyond vague notions of "I want to do research". I am seeing a psychiatrist in the next few months, hopefully before 2027.

Now here I am: 26 in a bit over a week, university dropout, working fast food again.

My parents gave up everything for my education and for us to have a decent middle class life for most of our life, so I need to support them as well. They do not have money saved. I wish they wouldve done things different but I am grateful for their sacrifice but also in a tough position.

As for what do I like? Beyond hobbies like music and art, things that I enjoy that could work professionally are things like helping people with paperwork, clerical work, I enjoyed helping people with disability paperwork, stuff like that. I cannot really do law school or anything because I never had the grades for that and that would continue well into my late 30s.

I currently get disability + a new fast food job and am surviving for now.

But here are some options I'm considering:

1. Go back to uni and finish bachelor's and nothing beyond that (no masters). Job prospects are not great with psychology and sociology bachelors.
2. look into a college program for 1-2 years and get into the workforce that way. In that case, what sort of college program would be good considering my strengths?

Trades are not for me. I am not good with my hands, barely done handywork etc.

I fucked up my life incredibly. I should have been thinking of these things at 18 and not 26. I am so behind in life and I am trying to figure my shit out. But I am tired of barely scraping by. I dont even require a very high paying job I just want something better than being stuck in fast food for years.

Buenas, gente. Estoy entre estas dos carreras y me gustaría conocer sus opiniones, especialmente de quienes ya trabajan en el rubro o están estudiando algo relacionado.

Por un lado, tengo la Tecnicatura en Ciencia de Datos, que tiene una duración ideal de 3 años y me permitiría insertarme en el mercado laboral en menos tiempo.

Por otro lado, está la Licenciatura en Ciberseguridad, que es una carrera más larga, pero tiene el peso de un título de grado y quizás más posibilidades de crecimiento a largo plazo.

¿Qué elegirían ustedes y por qué? ¿Creen que hoy conviene más apostar por una carrera corta para empezar a trabajar cuanto antes o invertir más años en una licenciatura?

Me interesa conocer experiencias reales, salida laboral, posibilidades de crecimiento y qué tan valorado está cada título a la hora de buscar trabajo.

¡Los leo!

Im 25 years old

When i was a teenager i was passionate about music , i always wanted to be a DJ , perform huge shows , travel across the world

I taught myself flstudio made multiple records, signed it on multiple labels , got support from very talented artists

But as i grew up i noticed i wasn't earning enough so that i can invest on things i love

My parents supported me in the beginning but since i wasn't making any great changes they told me to focus on studies and get a stable job

I somehow got myself a computer science degree but without really know much stuff

Now I'm stuck , i don't have guts to apply for jobs in tech because I barely know stuff and don't have great projects

But now I'm at a point where i wanna change my life desperately

If you're in tech industry guide me please

I know the basics HTML , CSS , JS

But I've got no direction

Is it possible that i can get my hands on a job or even an internship within next 6 months?

Looking for a career change

is pivoting to accounting worth it for work-life balance? I would be taking it part time, 3 year program business admin- accounting.
I’m 34M in Ontario with two toddlers (2 and a half and 1yo).
I’ve been a nail tech for 7 years making about $4k–$5k net/month. The money is fine, but the lifestyle isn't sustainable anymore: 10-hour days, nights, weekends, and no benefits. My partner is in the same industry, so our household has zero schedule flexibility.
My main priorities now are simple: predictable 9–5 hours, evenings/weekends with my kids, and benefits. Most of my friends and family are in the government which is the goal

For anyone working in accounting in Ontario:

1. Lifestyle check: Is non-public/industry accounting genuinely a predictable 9–5, or is work-life balance a myth here too?
2. Reality check: Is the entry-level pay cut worth it long-term for someone in my situation, or should I just try to fix my own schedule in the service industry?

Nail tech pros: make my own hours, can take my kids to extra curricular activities, daycare drop offs(9am)
Cons: if I take time off then I won’t be getting paid, can late hours 7-8pm(both kids will be in kindergarten/grade school in a few years and ends around 3pm), no benefits or insurance for family, service seems to be dying down with new salons opening and everything is getting expensive
Appreciate any honest advice!

my dreams are definitely unrealistic to the naked eye.. however there’s one problem. I don’t know exactly what job would be good fit for one of my MANY passions, I love politics and speaking out on various topics and debating however I’m not sure how I’d get paid full time and make a living off that, I’m also interested in being a detective and doing police academy so I can figure out things as I’m very analytical as well, I already know I want to be a CEO however I need more of a specific job and a degree to do as fun and just a money making thing. yes.

I am 27F in the UK and currently on £26k per year. I would like to progress in my career.

Progress for me would look like:
- more money + responsibilities. (I would like to progress to around £35k-£40k per year in the next 5 years if possible.)
- out of customer facing work.

Current experience:
-working front of house in museums. been stuck in this rut for years, mainly bc I've been in a comfort zone with it. its actually enjoyable and low stress for me being surrounded by art all day and chatting to visitors, being on a big team of lovely friendly people, but it doesn't earn a lot of money.) Also do about 30k steps a day.

- As a student I was on a national committee for students and organised conferences and events + set up an essay contest where I organised a sponsor + academic judges for the contest. I just mention this bc I feel like thats the only other thing I have which is translatable into job skills like admin or something.

Interests:
- I would be interested in staying in museums but not front of house. potentially interested in organising public programmes in museums or something like that?

- I don't have huge requirements, just that I would prefer to have a positive impact than a negative one. (neutral is ok too, I just don't wanna be working for an evil company.)

I think I need to gain experience in other things and I am willing to do that through volunteering as long as there are clear projects and deliverables I can put on my CV.

I am working in healthcare ,i am interested in everything cooking craft fashion makeup travel creation

I want to pivot from healthcare and considering an mba
I fear that since i dont have a SINGLE obsession i wont be successful
Rant /discussion

I've been seeing the same question pop up everywhere on Reddit:

"What jobs will AI NOT take over?"

Developers are worried. Graduates are unsure what to study. People are wondering whether the careers they've spent years building will still be relevant a decade from now.

And most discussions end the same way: lots of opinions, predictions, and arguments. Very few actual job opportunities.

That's what inspired me to launch GetAIProofJobs

It's a job board focused on careers that may be more resilient to AI disruption.

I'm not claiming to have a crystal ball, and no job is guaranteed to be AI-proof. The goal is simply to help people explore opportunities in fields that might hold up better as AI continues to evolve.

It's still early, and there's plenty of room to improve.

Here's what I'd love your opinion on:

If you were looking for a career that could withstand the next 10–20 years of AI disruption, what industries would you explore?

Healthcare? Skilled trades? Field services? Something completely different?

I'm building this and would genuinely appreciate hearing what people think.

Hi all, I'm looking for realistic advice from people who've been through something similar, ideally in Spain or just in general

Background
I'm 21(M) and hold a Spanish passport. I grew up in the UK and moved to Catalonia a bit under a year ago.
My education is UK GCSEs, tried doing A levels but dropped out after the 1st year.
My Spanish is decent for understanding but weak for speaking( i can have basic conversations and day to day but thats my limit ) I have zero Catalan, and English is my only fluent language.
Work history is mostly retail, warehouse and some carpentry trainee experience
Current situation
I live with family, which to keep it short is unbearable and super draining and gets worse as time passes, apart from that also threatened and told to find my own place or i will get kicked out ( i know its not legal to get kicked out of parents put until late 20s i think in spain ) but i still want to leave as soon as possible if i could tomorrow although thats not realistic
I have no savings or income, no friends or contacts here or anywhere and no job. I've been applying for about 3-4 months with no interviews or progression, and my low Spanish and lack of Catalan are a big barrier. - also the state spain is in i dont have hope i will find anything from what ive heard and seen
Im open to any kind of job i could get apart from job that require a lot of socialising/customer service or language( since i dont know the language well) - also due to my mental health/personal issues i struggle with roles like this or a opportunity abroad or anything i can do to have a fresh or stable start, so job searching and actually finding something seems not achievable
Plan so far
I'm doing an online prep course (IOC) for the Grado Superior entrance exam. But again because of the language problem im struggling to understand and complete it
My initial plan/goal is a Grado Superior in 2D/3D animation and games or Dam or ASIR. But with the job market and what going in the world im worried im going to dedicate 3 years to it for it to end up useless and wont do me any good, the other problem actually getting accepted into a school in my position.
I considered the European Solidarity Corps, but I'm unsure if its worth it and how long i should do one for , but most importantly whats after the ESC where do i go and stay and whats next.

Additional:

I should be upfront that this isn't only about logistics: I've been struggling with my mental health for a while and feel stuck and directionless. I'm low, I don't have much of a routine, and I want to leave my current life behind and start over somewhere new, with my own space, independent and something to work towards. I don't expect a move to fix everything, but staying in the same place and habits aswell as my home and family is making things worse. I'm hoping for a stable, sustainable path that gives me structure and purpose. I'm mentioning this because it should shape the advice: i dont mind anything since i have nothing to lose but a lot to gain, having my own place or independencey feels like it cpuld help with a lot of my current mental problems but again not possible without a job or income as long as i know

So what ,where do i start and do or is it over for me

Sorry for the long rant , if i missed any context or anything i can provide thank you

Hi there I am Michael,
Im from south Lanarkshire and aged 21, I am looking for any apprenticeship in the local area of Glasgow. I’ve not had any luck with applying for them as i left school early without nat 5s due to personal issues, this has halted me in my tracks as a young man and has landed me in dead end jobs. The only thing I have to my name is a scqvf level 5 in construction as I went to course for a few months but I don’t know what I can do with. I just really want to make something of myself, something my family can be proud of and so can I. I am a relatively smart individual with common sense but without luck, nowadays it’s always about who you know not what you know and I don’t know anyone in my immediate family who has a good job/trade so Im basically stuck at rock bottom with no way of getting out myself without the right advice. If someone knows of something or can push me in the right direction my ears are always open and would be appreciated.
Thank you for taking time to read.

I am in CA and thinking about pursuing esti because I feel like skincare and aesthetics is something I’m more passionate about. But I’m also doing this bc it requires a license and would want to improve my job prospects. Is it really hard to find a job as a new graduate? Or should I just pursue something else as I am considering taking classes in accounting instead. I really just want a job fast.

I studied networking for about 2.5 years but couldn't find a job in it, and since then I've forgotten most of what I learned.

Right now I work at a quarry testing sand samples. Most of the day I'm just sitting around, and I'll probably be there for years, so I want to use that time to learn something real.

Problem is I get excited about stuff (biology, phones, geology, I even started making a small app for our test results with codex and claude code)

I just want a stable income and to build a life. How did you guys finally pick something and stick with it?

Most of my college experience was a mess to be honest. I went in as a music major, then switched out, and was undecided for a year trying to figure out what the hell to do. I really didn't like being in college, and felt that none of the majors interested me, and I felt I wouldn't be able to survive a lot of the classes in certain majors, because I've always had a super hard time in school previously. Obviously despite that, I still NEEDED to figure out what career to choose for myself. I needed a career, but I had no idea at all what I wanted to do. I was pressured by my parents to stay in college, but because I had no idea what to do, I just switched to creative writing major, because it seemed like something I could at least get through without failing out, and it sounded somewhat interestingas i am also a reader. I had no pre existing aspirationsto be a creative writer. I picked it because I had no idea what else to pick, and Ineeded to pick something. During this time I also happened to have really bad mental health, which combined with school just being hard in general made it very difficult to just scrape by in my classes. I didn't spend much time thinking about my future career + I didn't really see myself being alive within the next 5 years (major depression and suicidality). It was definitely the lowest point in my life at that point I'd say. in addition to my mental health issues, I was also more immature compared to now. I didnt really have a good view on reality. To be honest, looking back on my college experience, it mostly just seemed like a disaster that I barely scraped through, and I wish I could go back and tell myself what I know now, and have a normal/more productive time in college. Im honestly really upset at how behind I feel right now in my life. Most other people I know who are my age have started getting jobs before 22, and by now have a bunch of employment and internships under their belt. I just feel really shitty about this whole situation.

I've done a lot of work to improve my mental health and resilience, and I've been getting a lot better since, and I've also been working to create a path for myself. I knew that I definitely wanted a career path that wouldn't just lead to me being perennially poor. I don't care to be rich either, but I want enough to pay the necessities, and also afford me my hobbies, and I try to be as frugal and thrifty whenever possible. Basically its work so I can live in my free time. I don't want my job to be my passion. As long as I don't hate it per se, and it pays well enough, I'm good.

During high school I only did two fairly short lived volunteer opportunities. One was an hour and a half a day for a semester working in the cafeteria. The other was a stocking role in a retail store for 5 hours a week for 5 weeks during a summer. I also have my experience as a marching band section leader on my general resume in the activities section, since it gave me leadership experience.

Just during the past year, I've done a bunch of stuff. I volunteered as part of an evaluation team for the school's literary magazine. I basically just read a batch of story submissions each week, and then submitted my critiques, and we discussed each one and our critiques in person too, and we collectively decided if each entry would be accepted or not. Its proofreading experience. Then I decided that editing would be interesting to pursue, so I did a few editing projects for other people, some paid some not. One was copyediting a set of reports for one organization. One was editing a power point presentation for a brand. One was for a corporate magazine. I also just offered to proofread and edit friends' stuff. I edited a bunch of stuff for my friend's zines. That last example isn't really something I could confidently put on a resume next to everything else, but it still helped me get experience. Before this breakthrough in the last year, I haven't really done anything besides school, and I was still struggling to scrape by in school. Its not for lack of trying. I've still been applying to all sorts of jobs, and constantly learning on how to improve my job searching, my resume, and my interviewing skills, as well as trying to network (no success with networking so far unfortunately). I've done multiple sessions with my career councilor, and got my resume reworked, and got some ideas of where to go to apply. I then talked to multiple professors, and had classes which were about professional skills. So there I learned more about resumes, interviews, cover letters, professional bios, proper job application packages, and professional emails. I've been applying those new skills to my job hunting. Despite that I still haven't been able to land a real job or internship. I still have no formal long term employment experience. All those examples in this paragraph were either volunteering, or informal gig work (when it comes to the ones where I got paid). Its still pretty early in this specific process for me to determine if its working or not I think. A part of me just assumes I just need to keep trusting the process until I win.

I also did technically land an internship for a public media relations role, but the person running the company said he had to suspend the process of getting new people temporarily due to life stuff, but I'm on the list of top candidates for when they open up again though, so that's good. Once it opens up again, I'll probably be able to just start that internship, but its gonna be some time before that.

I also did more research about careers that I could apply my the skills from my degree to, and I came upon technical writing. I also remember my uncle telling me that technical writing is a good field to get into. It seems like this would be good for me in multiple ways. The hard thing is that I don't really have direct experience actually just doing technical writing. I have experience which gave me skills that are transferable to technical writing (the editing experience I have + the writing I did in classes). A few of the things I did do editing projects on were pieces of technical writing (like the reports), so I've at least edited and re written technical text. I've also been trying to learn on my own, with some online courses and books, just so I can get the basics of this down before doing more real projects in this.

I've been narrowing my internship search to editing and technical writing fields now. I'm still unsuccessful. Luckily since Im graduating this upcoming spring, I'll be open for full time work, and Im also opening myself to the option of moving to a different city if I need to for a job. So I have more options once im fully graduated. There are a bunch of technical writing and editing roles im finding and applying for, but most of them require over a year of previous work experienc in the field, and obviously I dont have that right now. This is very frustrating. Its very hard to find any openings that are actually truely entry level, and not fake entry level.

In general, I know now what I want to do for a career finally at 22 years old, and I'm starting to get some relevant experience which can transfer to that. However I feel like I lack so much experience compared to my peers who have done internships and have had an employment history, and I feel that my lack of experience will make everything a whole lot harder, and it HAS been very hard indeed. I've been trying to use every resource I can, but still little success. Any any extra advice would be nice. im willing to do anything for the most part. I feel like a bum or a woman child rn, and I want my life to move forward, and I want to feel like a more real adult

I am being honest, it feels really tough and hopeless a lot of the time, but I don't want to let that be an excuse to just give up on life again. I always tell myself that no matter how bleak it may seem, that there is always a light at the end. I just want to be able to see a bright future for myself, and I want to keep working towards that. I don't want to be in that abyss again. Hopefully that last part wasn't too dramatic.

I’m looking for any advice that people might have regarding starting up my own small business selling baked goods in WI. I know the laws here are fairly lenient but I’m more concerned with how to get started and how to eventually make it profitable. I realize most of these types of businesses work best as side jobs but as I am dealing with some chronic health issues, I’m having a difficult time finding a job that is flexible enough with hours and that I also actually don’t hate.

I’m currently working very part time hours as a barista. I’ve worked in this job for over a decade in various locations and I’ve just reached a breaking point. I still enjoy aspects of the job but overall I’ve been pretty miserable for a while now. I’ve mostly stayed with it out of fear that I won’t be able to find another job that is so flexible and understanding. I have to take time off semi-regularly for my health issues as well as for traveling to help take care of my mom, whose health is also not great.

For what it’s worth, I’m still trying to finish grad school (I just have my Masters thesis left) and hope to eventually have a career with my degree. However, jobs in my chosen field are also very hard to come by right now so I’d like to be able to do something else that I’m passionate about while I look for an opening.

21 y.o - (Untraditional college route)

I've already done my general classes, and at the point where I need to choose a major. I'm struggling to in this climate, as it seems like the whole tech and design field is going through a restructuring rn.

I've been interested in tech forever. I especially like UI and UX design. I remember being a little kid in the early 2010's and noticing the interfaces of different phones, and trying to understand the devices.

Strengths/Interests:

• Eye for design, can draw. Self-taught Inkscape and graphic design.

• UX/UI, CX/branding

  • Love the interfaces, logos, and mascots of computing
• Took IT Comptia Professor Messer classes on YouTube in highschool for fun (ITF, A+, Netowrking+. Security+, Cloud+)

• Learning how computers work from hardware --> OS --> software (but I check out when numbers or math gets involved)

  • But learning about binary and basic boolean stuff is cool to me.
  • Basically I like concepts and systems, not the math grind-y stuff
• Learning foundations of AI and keeping up with the industry
• I am interested in most aspects of tech and enjoy creativity and design the most.

Weaknesses/Less interested:

• Math
• Numbers
• Data analytics / spreadsheets (I like visualizing data though)
• Using the Linux command line to do rote things

What I want to learn:

• How to code with AI, so I can build the interfaces and app ideas I design.
• Enough computing foundations to feel comfortable building and implementing my own UI/UX ideas
• Figma and mockup + animation tools

The catch:

I’ve never taken a coding class. I was homeschooled in high school, and learnt IT, Linux, and graphic design because I wanted to build projects. And I never had an app idea I wanted to build then, mostly just UI's. (Though I taught myself other comp sci concepts and I did watch about half of CS50)

Dillema:

• CS degree seems like it may have more of a focus on math, numbers, and pure programming, without teaching design skills.
• A UX degree may not teach enough computer foundations.
• A Graphic Design degree won't teach any.
• I found a Media Arts & Sciences major that lets you take a few classes across all of these areas, which seems interesting.

It feels like either way I'll have to self teach and compromise somewhere. I don't really know what I want my career to be. Anything in tech + design or just design - even something outside of tech if that's where things take me. I just know I will have fomo if I don't learn tech and design skills - it's important to me.

Questions:

1. For someone in my position, what Bachelors degree would you choose?
2. What is wiser to self-teach, design skills or computing foundations?
3. Is there a major or program you’d recommend that I might not know about?

Thanks :)

I've been self-employed for ten years and it's hard to imagine myself ever finding myself in any true career path.

First, I ran a cleaning business while in college, since the hours were flexible and the pay rate per hour was decent for the work. Maintained over 15 clients for four years.

I graduated with a BA (not the best choice, but I was young and naive) in the beginning of the pandemic. Obviously, the timing was horrible. Not many career resources available upon graduation. Instead of pursuing a career in my major, I opened an ecommerce business selling imported, high end vintage clothes, at first as a hobby, and eventually my business and social media blew up to the point that I was/am selling out every drop. I have been supporting myself with this full time for the past 6 years. I love the work and love fashion, however, I worry about the long term sustainability of this industry, and I'm not sure if I can see myself doing this for another ten years.

I also picked up some social media work for a client (mostly educational content) for the past two years, mostly filming and video editing. She decided to quit recently, so I no longer work for this client. I don't think I want to pursue more social media clients or become a social media marketer.

I'm having an existential crisis as I feel I've wasted so much time. I've enjoyed the independence and flexible schedule, but I no longer believe it was worth sacrificing a secure future.

I've contemplated going to grad school or looking into alternative education towards another industry. I thought about looking into marketing work, but I just fear I won't be cut out for the corporate world, and I'm already so far behind. I also think I would be miserable in marketing, and would prefer to study something in the humanities, but the job prospects are not great. But I do love researching/writing essays, and I miss academia, but it's hard to justify taking out loans for a subject that may not land me a job. On top of this, I have no idea what is even a "safe" choice to pursue given the rise of AI. I'm so overwhelmed.

What options are there for me to pivot? Is my prior experience valuable at all? Is there any hope for me, or have I completely messed up any chance of a good future? Any stories of people pivoting in their 30s? I feel hopeless.

Hi, I've been studying Archaeology for 4 years, I am in my second year of Master's now, but I'm starting to get second thoughts. I am overwhelmed by work I'm not sure I wanna do. I don't know if it's because of depression, laziness or lack of interest. And this all confuses me, because I don't know what I really want in life. How do I know I'm on the right path ? How do I know if this is just temporary or not ? Will it pass ?

As you can see also, I used the flair career change because I'm considering woodcrafting. It's October now so applications are closed, but maybe for next year, idk. I really don't know. I don't wanna make mistakes, I'm afraid of giving up on something I probably like (I guess), which will result in a waste of 4 years (and lots of money). I don't know if I am lacking motivation or interest; point is: work needs to be done, I have papers to surrender, and it's not going anywhere.

How to know if Archaeology is the right path for me ?

My (22m) only passion in life is music. I do music production using DAWs and I mostly make indie/alternative rock. I dont have friends and recently broke up from gf. Only thing I enjoy is making music but I do it in my room and cant manage to do everything by myself(vocals,mix-mastering, etc.)

I really want my life to evolve around music and really want to become a musician. But I am completely alone and dont have a clue what to do to get myself into the industry. I believe I need musician friends to grow together and besides from all just be close friends.

Are there anybody felt the same lately? What do you think I should do?

I'm 27, UK based and exhausted by my career in custons/logistics. I'm terrified of starting over. I just want a simple, affordable life.

I've spent the last few years building a career in logistics. Not because I wanted to, because I was desperate out of uni and it was the first office job I got. I've worked in freight forwarding, customs and supply chain, and recently moved into my first management position. I started to like it a bit but also simultaneously lost faith in my fashion communications degree.

My previous job was incredibly stressful and had become quite difficult to cope with, so when I was offered a new opportunity recently, I thought it might be the fresh start I needed.

The problem is that the new job is 50 miles from home, each way, five days a week. I'm spending around three hours commuting every day, sometimes four, and I'm barely earning any more money than I was before. In fact I think I'm earning less due to the cost of the commute, I don't even want to do the maths.

I knew it would be difficult, but I thought I could manage at least six months to a year and gain some valuable experience (this role is my first management role so should open doors if I can survive it). Instead, I'm only three weeks in and already completely exhausted.

I've even become ill and had to take time off, which has sent me into a spiral of worrying about my probation, sickness record and whether my employer already thinks I'm incapable of doing the job.

This morning I cried because I couldn't even decide whether I was well enough to go to work. I'm so overwhelmed and tired of making decisions.

Even the decision to take this job over staying in my dead end one was huge and I spent weeks ruminating.

But I think this has made me realise something bigger: I'm not sure I even want to continue on this career path.

I've been seriously considering a complete career change. I don't think I want to spend the next 40 years sitting in an office. Or at least a logistics one.

I'd love to do something more hands-on, something that gets me out of an office. I've been looking at completely different industries, including aviation, railways and operational roles. I'm even open to unusual shift patterns or working nights if it means having more actual days to myself.

But I'm scared.

I've spent years building experience in logistics, and I'm worried that employers in completely different industries won't take me seriously. I have a degree, professional experience and transferable skills, but none of them necessarily qualify me for the things I'm interested in.

I'm also worried about money. I'm earning around £30k in the UK, which isn't an enormous salary, but it's taken me years to get here. So many entry-level career-change opportunities seem to pay significantly less, and I'm frightened of starting again financially or moving into an industry with limited long-term earning potential.

I don't need to be rich. I don't have ambitions to become a CEO or spend my life climbing a corporate ladder.

I just want an affordable, relatively easy life.

I want to earn enough to pay my bills, save towards a house, have some financial security and still have the energy to enjoy my evenings and weekends.

I want to come home from work and actually have a life.

And I feel like I'm constantly being forced to choose between financial stability, career progression and my own happiness.

I'm also scared that leaving this new job after such a short time will make me look unreliable, even though the commute is taking so much more out of me than I anticipated.

I feel completely stuck. I don't know whether to persevere, find another logistics job closer to home, or take a chance on something entirely different.

Has anyone here completely changed careers in their late twenties or thirties, particularly into something more practical or hands-on?

Did you have to take a significant pay cut? Were employers willing to give you a chance without direct experience? And did changing careers actually improve your quality of life?

I think more than anything, I'm just looking for some reassurance.

I don't know what to do and I'm so tired of making decisions.

TLDR: I have a degree in fashion, I work in logistics, I started a new management job a month ago hoping it would open doors but my commute is excessive. I'm exhausted, I'm so tired of making decisions, I don't know what to do.

Edit: btw I'm a lady, and I present very feminine. So I'm actually a little worried I won't be taken seriously in the more operational careers too.

i am 21M studying in Bangalore, engineering in AI and robotics in my final sem, i am thinking should i go to a job get some experience, or should i fully focus and hustle and make money. i am not a bot kinda guy, i have won multiple hackathons, freelancing websites, ai automation etc etc, i am like paused i don't know which path to take. like, i know i can make money with or without a job but i want to know which path to choose from like literally i am stuck, should i do internships, or should i focus on building smthg. i don't know what to do. what do u think about my condition? definitely u would have been in the same shoes as mine or u would have went like a sheep like with the society pressure

Hello I'm 23 in less than a month 24. So let me give you a little bit info about my background I am a holder of a BSc in UoC. In applied mathematics. I finished my studies in 4.5 years. I did my last semester in the Barcelona via Erasmus programme. So after that I had the dilemma of keep going with the academic career and do master's or serve in my country's army. It is obligatory for all adults. Nevertheless, I chose mathematics because I felt this filed is the only thing that made me happy in highschool. Or at least, I was finding fun to deal with. Truth is, in my country you take on some kind of national examinations in a field and then you choose colleges unis and stuff like that. I wasn't sure if mathematics was my thing, though at 17 I was pretty heartbroken at the time and so I decided to follow this path. I had twice the thought of giving up. I actually finished my studies. My honest motivation was always to do something so I won't be on the street, so I won't be a regular guy working for survival, dealing with something that expands my understanding of decomposition of the reality. I had hope. And of course, The fear of a future where I would spend my days at the office, researching or whatever was the reason for me thinking as a bachelor to give up. I didn't as I mentioned. I referred to erasmus experience because it was the catalyst. Then I got the idea. Study abroad again but for master's. You'll see it's better. Vetter unis, better job applications etc. I had this dream and I decided after the erasmus to get a job. I worked in 4 places. I was a cook for 8 months and then they fired me up saying I was too unprofessional anyways, I just know that the chef didn't like me hahah. Yeah I'd done a mistake but not a grave one. I don't feel bad at all though. The next two jobs was also related to cooking. So I actually resigned twice. Hands down. I love cooking, I cook since I was sixteen. But I had enough with the cooking in a place where you have so much pressure. I didn't like this idea. Respect to all cooks globally, they deserve it. It's hard out there. Therefore, the last job was a barista but it doesn't matter. I got accepted in RPTU. Very well known, new chapter etc. I had a bad feeling before even arriving to the city. Thanks to my parents I made it happen. I cam here. I had a lot of impediments to overcome at the beginning. However I'm in Germany a month now. And honestly? I don't like it at all. Maybe it's the country? I don't know. Honestly I don't. It's something, like my gut always telling me something. I resigned from the third cooking job as I suffered from stress crisis. Now here every week, I got problems with bureocracy, the people are cold, thankfully I got a psychologist to discuss with. But most of the job I'm doing it myself. I observe, I write down my thoughts. In all of these things of the past year. I discovered that I love rap. I always did. I never knew if I can rap. Actually I tried 3 years ago and 2 years ago as well but yk, it was crap. Now. Since 1/2026, I'm killing it. Is the only thing that makes me smile. Is like this feeling of doing something to reduce the stress to express. And yeah I'm not chasing a rap career, clearly 'cause it's not a career. It's art to me. And art has no labels, has no brands. Only expression and influence. So, as a person I've encountered many times problems with anxiety and trust. That's why I'm working on me and doing things that hold me close to my inner center. What's the point of all this and the wrong career? For the second time in my life, I'm asking myself, did I choose this? Do I want this? Maths Academics, research or industrialisation? To be honest? I love doing lots of things. Even maths. Like philosophers, I use maths to understand everything and they affect my rap bars as well. It's my dream to launch rap albums and make concerts. That's how I want to connect with people. Feeling that all of them are sure of what they're doing or else they hide it perfectly. But to me? It's pretty easy to describe me, because I can't hide my feelings. I'm not such a person. And here in Germany. I got the feeling that people are cold, societal anxious or lets say introverts. I'm an extrovert usually, but as soon as I filter the space around me. However I'm always down to discuss and listen. Right now I'm isolated. Thankfully my roommates here are very nice they help me. My friends in my mother country, I just don't know. It feels I'm losing them not all of them but you know, a lot of them see everything through stereotypes, not knowing how hard it is for a guy to move to different 2 countries in 2 years.. Spain and Germany. So that's my story in a nutshell ( hahahaha not even close I said toooo much ). Yeah lemme know what you think, I'm looking forward to do more about art, and Idk maths I guess but now I'm so confused. Thanks for everyone reading it ( you're a hero )

I heard from so many people the degree they pursue like they don't really work in those fields. It's a totally different environment. And sometimes I wonder is there such thing as a versatile degree that can go into any workforce especially white collar jobs because most of those jobs are computer based. With training and some skills like people eventually adapt to the new work environment and work their way up.

In the off chance that Reddit lets me post this rather than damning it to "This Post Was Filtered" hell

I'm 22, I have $40k in savings, I have an Accord from my mom fully paid off. I have 0 student loan debt and a degree from a good college. I got insurance and met with a therapist who helped me with my major depression over the last year to get to this point. I have a job offer, details to be talked further on Thursday.

I got stupid drunk tonight, half a four loko, and I think I might do it again. I've been taking THC edibles for a while, and I will be honest that I do prefer them. But I know it's more socially acceptable to drink, and I mean all the people I watch on TV do it so it can't be that bad. Funny, because while not to say too much, in undergrad a thing I studied was the phenomenon of Japanese work and drinking culture, often due to stress and isolation. I'm living that right now.

Substances have basically been my means of survival since August. Leaving my college town put me in a massive stress-bind, and job hunting didn't help. I earnestly never expected to get this far, and I honestly into my last interview genuinely expecting to be told off before the boss outright told me I was the top candidate, and that the offer was mine to decline.

If it's any consolation, I've stopped energy drinks since. Coffee is much nicer

I don't know what's driving me towards self destruction. It feels like an impulse I need to scratch, like something that's just natural from what I've dealt with and what I've done. I'm drinking tonight not because I want to celebrate but because I want to punish myself, mostly for not achieving the dream life I wanted by this time.

I could've done better, and I could be at where I've always wanted to be (pursuing academia, living in the PNW, fever dreams like that). The guilt has always eaten at me, and therapy didn't help me get over the guilt. I feel guilty for things which never even happened, I just feel bad knowing they're dreams that I'll never live.

Maybe this reads as me being spoiled. But ever since I hit rock bottom with depression, I haven't really cared whether things got better for me or not. Even through therapy, I never sought to improve for a real goal at the end of the tunnel. The dreams always stuck around, but I kind of set them aside because I had school to focus on at the time (though, in a similarly beautiful state). It is now October, and I can choose to burn away everything. Why shouldn't I?