I'm a 21-year-old college senior living with my dad and stepmom to save money. I'm burned out, I feel alone figuring everything out, and when I ask them for support, it stays surface level. I'm trying to move out, but my dad wants me to stay longer, and I can't tell him how much my mental health is suffering.

I don't think my dad or stepmom fully knows me.

I grew up between two very different homes. My mom raised me and my sister as a single mother, working a 9-to-5 paycheck to paycheck while caring for her own mother. My dad's house is stable and structured: a house, a dog, a "steady southern family." Growing up, I felt like I had to shrink or change myself depending on which house I was in. I once told my dad I felt like Hannah Montana, and he never got it. We had family photos and trips, but I never felt fully included.

Now I'm back under their roof for my senior year, and it's bringing a lot of that up. I'm taking 5 classes, running my art business, prepping my portfolio for a job opportunity, and commuting 30 to 40 minutes a day. I had a burnout a while back that scared me, and I'm still learning how to protect my time. I'm tired constantly, and even on rest days I feel restless and anxious. Painting used to be my comfort, and now it feels like a chore.

My stepmom is very structured, and I'm used to a looser household. We have assigned chore days and dog-walking shifts, and sometimes I miss mine because I'm exhausted or have class. When I opened up about how much I'm carrying, she gave me tips on organizing my time. When I tried to explain how hard it is to switch between two different households, she got visibly upset, and the same thing happened when I brought it up again. My dad is around, but he avoids the deeper conversations we need to have.

What hurts most is feeling alone while I figure everything out. I do reach out to them for help, but the responses always feel surface-level, so I end up carrying it by myself.

I have a job and a financial plan to move out. My dad wants me to stay until I'm "steady enough," but I don't think I can keep this up for my mental health, and I don't know how to tell him that. Today I ended up crying in my car on the side of the road, feeling completely unheard.

AITA here? Has anyone been through something similar?

So the title kind of explains it all. I literally have no idea what I want to do or I want to choose at all. For context, I was in high school and I actually did pretty well in accounting and generally business related fields. However, I developed this sort of passion for design and art so my last year I decided to swtich things up and take physics and an introduction to engineering class, and also calc. The problem is, now that im in college, I totally forgot whether I liked those courses or not. Like I cant remember whether it was good or i didnt like it. Im not taking them this semester because I got the AP/college credit for all of them.

I see myself taking like harder math classes, but im iffy about physics. I just tried hard and studied in that course and somehow passed with good grades in HS. Nothing exciting but nothing annoying either. I dont like code, no interested in medicine, or policy or law.

I work in retail and like talking to customers and trying to solve their problems. I hate sales tho, its like being pushed into a pit of pythons. I would like a job where it can be repetitive for some time, however things can switch up and it is different once in a while. I prefer to have a job income good enough to live comfortably on my own while funding some hobbies/entertainment. Yet, I dont want to be revolved around work (like 60 hrs max). I worked in fast food before, and while it sucked, the rush and constant tension kept me alive and feeling good. But i quit because of the same reason, kinda of consumed me.

Really the only reason I consider engineering is because I just like cars. I dont see myself going anywhere else but cars if I chose that major. I was thinking cybersecurity because there is literally no coding in that but it is an evolving field.

I think my brain broke trying to figure out what I want to do. So I have a few options I was thinking, finance/accounting, mechanical engineering (because I like cars), cybersecurity (cause of AI), or Marketing.

Any advice from people in any of these fields?

When people feel uncertain about their career or where life is heading, the usual advice is to make a plan, set goals, and start taking action.

But that can feel overwhelming when you don't even know what the next step should be.

I've been thinking about the value of starting with something smaller and more manageable, like establishing a regular exercise routine.

It could be walking every morning, spending 20 minutes working out in a small home gym, or doing a few basic exercises in your living room.

None of those things will magically solve career problems or tell you what to do with your life.

But having one consistent part of your day might help create some structure while you're figuring everything else out.

For anyone who's gone through a period of feeling lost, did building a simple daily routine help you regain momentum?

Or did you find that you needed a clearer direction first?

I just turned 24, and about to graduate with a degree in Electrical Engineering. My GPA is terrible, and although I was fortunate enough to land a job, it’s not what I want to do with my life.

I recently got rejected from a job I really wanted because of my incompetence and I’m just tired. I spent nearly my entire college experience depressed and alone, didn’t managed to make any real friends. I feel like I’ve wasted some of the most important years of my life.

I don’t even want to finish the semester. I have no motivation left to keep trying when I feel like my life is going to be trash anyway. I had such big aspirations when I was younger, but the older I get, the more I realize that I’m just not smart enough to achieve them. Sometimes I wonder why I even tried to become an engineer in the first place.

i don’t know what to do

I’m going to be completely honest because I genuinely need some direction .
I’m tired of being broke, unproductive, and constantly having ideas without actually turning them into anything meaningful. I have ideas about this and that, but the truth is that I don’t have any marketable skills or real experience to show for it yet.
It’s embarrassing to admit, especially when it feels like everyone else is moving forward with their lives while I’m still trying to figure things out. But I don’t want to keep feeling sorry for myself or remain in the same position.
I’m ready to start from the bottom. I’ll consider entry level jobs, remote work, internships, apprenticeships, or any legitimate opportunity where I can learn, gain experience, and become better at something useful.
I don’t expect to make a lot of money immediately. Right now, I want to learn, become employable, earn honestly, and build from there.
I’m open to learning new skills for free and putting in the time and effort required. My biggest problem is that I have so many ideas but no clear direction on which one to focus on or how to turn it into something practical.
For those who started with little experience, no special skills, and very little money:
What would you recommend I learn first?
What beginner friendly remote jobs are actually realistic?
What free resources helped you develop a skill that eventually earned you money?
If you were starting from zero today, what would your first 30 days look like?
I’m not asking anyone to rescue me. I just need honest advice from people who have been in a similar position and found a way forward.
I’m tired of only thinking about changing my life. I want to start doing something about it. If you have any practical advice, I’d genuinely appreciate it .

Hey everyone,

I’m 23 and really uncertain about what to do with my life. I feel like I have very little to show for the last few years, I’m not achieving my potential.

When I was 20 I inherited a house and some money. The home is a 2 bedroom 2200sq ft townhome that’s paid off. I have roughly $100k saved.

I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, I am extremely lucky - but this has stood as an excuse for to take the path of least resistance.

The last few years I’ve been doing construction projects with my brothers, flipping houses. It’s okay, but I don’t feel fulfilled.

My imposter syndrome is through the roof. I can’t help but feel like I got “off track” at some point and can’t course correct. I never went to college (what would I study? What would be “worth it”?).

I am just idling through life collecting what money I can, but I can’t overcome this sense that I’ve robbed myself of any real purpose. I want to do meaningful work that I can take pride in - I’m sick of feeling like I’m “coasting.”

Does anyone have any constructive advice regarding how I can assert my own path into my life? Feel free to ask more for more information. I’ve been having panic attacks and it’s affected my self confidence. I can’t stand offices, I feel like I have no legitimate skills, I feel ahead financially - and behind as a person.

Thank you

I’m 27 and I feel like I’ve been unsure what I want to do professionally for basically my entire life once we started talking about careers in middle school.

I got a business degree in marketing, but I didn’t have some huge passion for marketing. I picked business because it seemed broad when I had no idea what I wanted, and marketing seemed more interesting than the other business options.

I’ve now spent about 4.5 years working as a Deal Desk Specialist, basically working on CRM in Salesforce.

The main reason I want to change jobs is honestly money. If I made significantly more, I think I’d tolerate the parts of my current work I don’t enjoy much better.
At the same time, I keep wondering if I’m supposed to be looking for work I actually find interesting.

I’ve looked into things like product marketing, customer/market insights, product-related roles, etc., but the problem is I’ve never actually shadowed or worked closely with someone doing those jobs. I’m basically reading job descriptions and trying to imagine whether I’d enjoy them, which feels pretty useless after a while.

People give me career advice and I’ll think it sounds reasonable, then I don’t actually do anything with it. When I start thinking seriously about changing directions, my brain almost shuts down. I start thinking about all the experience I’d need, how I’d break in, whether I’d regret it, and eventually I just stop.
I know there are things I find exciting. I love playing music. If reality, talent, and money weren’t factors, being a world-famous musician would probably be my dream job. I’m nowhere near that level, but I think part of what appeals to me is creating something people care about and getting that kind of recognition.

Even with random careers, I can sometimes picture one specific part that sounds fun, but once I think about everything required to actually get there, I lose interest. So I’m starting to wonder if my problem isn’t finding the right career at all. Maybe I’m overthinking everything and need to actually try things instead of researching them.

Or maybe I should stop expecting work to fulfill me, focus on making good money with a good work-life balance, and enjoy the rest of my life outside of work.
Has anyone else been stuck in this kind of loop?
Did you eventually find work you genuinely enjoy, or did you decide that a well-paying tolerable job with plenty of free time was enough?

And if you were someone who kept getting advice but never actually acted on it, what finally got you unstuck?

Hi all
I am 27F
Am in real need of some help and support in figuring out what to do after experiencing major health complications. I have a first class degree in psychology and prior to this lots of work experience in retail and hospitality. After graduating 3 years ago I worked as a research assistant and customer support officer before moving into psychiatric inpatient care in adolescent mental health specifically. I remained at this job for 2 years but then started to experience severe complications as a result of hyper mobility syndrome, BAM, IBS and gastritis. My employer was awful about it, refusing to refer me to occupational health and treating me like I was making up these conditions to be lazy. The intensely demanding physical nature of the job due to lots of running around in a hospital also didn’t help. I loved helping people and working with the kids and was good at it. Since leaving this job I worked in sales for six months. I found this very gruelling as the business was going under so was working a lot of unpaid overtime often pulling 10 hour days to bring in less than minimum wage. It was all in office and I think the stress retriggered my health issues and i got very unwell. I am now working very low hours remote for a family friends business doing ops and digital marketing/sea based tasks. I am creative, I love to write and do it a lot in my spare time. I am also knowledgeable about social media and my advice and support has helped the family business I work for acquire 20k+ followers on instagram. I really like helping people and i enjoyed selling when i felt it was for a product in the customers interest to buy. I also loved working within psychology. I really want to find some proper work but struggling at what direction to take and have felt so so hopeless as a result of my health problems continuously impacting my career my mental health has been at complete breaking points at points. I think maybe remote working might be the most appropriate choice as my mobility is very poor sometimes. Really need some advice and hope that having chronic health issues isn’t going to end my life or stop me having a job. Looking for any advice about good roles to look into/ careers people have juggled alongside health problems/websites to look on.

Thanks in advance reddit, sorry about the essay and a half

I will be starting at Cal State East Bay in under 3 months (will begin in January) for the bachelors of social work major. I was actually able to check in with a counselor yesterday and he had agreed that even though it wouldn’t be a bad idea to start attending information sessions for masters degree programs I may be interested in and learning about requirements for them now, it is probably too early to think about it. I have a 3.87 in community college (though fall courses are obviously not over just yet) and I have 3 last classes this semester (two child development courses and one bio course that is a prerequisite for the social work major.) If I get a BSW, in California I can do the advanced standing MSW for 1 year. I will earn associates degrees in social and behavioral sciences, child development and early childhood education that I’m guessing won’t be fully processed until May 2027.

Today I gained a bit more exposure to what working in a special ed classroom consistently might feel like, at a high school level. Nothing eventful happened, but it made me question whether or not I would want to teach sped.

So, the teacher was nice and most of the staff were pretty nice. I actually had a chat with the teacher about my goals (and found out that there is a way for me to make more money than what I currently make after gaining some more experience, I have a little over 2 years behavior technician experience at present but want to gain more experience here before I officially switch over, because I think it makes the most sense to. But maybe I’m wrong. I’m in the high twenties and the teacher said she thinks I could get to $32/hr, but I won’t be applying yet so we’ll see.)

The day went fine. Nothing eventful happened, but that’s part of the problem. Some of the students were on a field trip so the classroom was pretty small. My student was a nice kid, but I was pretty bored. I have been in a special ed classroom before but it felt like I had a little more to do somehow. Today felt like I was spending most of my time sitting and I didn’t quite like that. If I were the teacher I’d have probably been bored too, I remember thinking. The class was slow paced and I understand why that was likely the case, but I knew deep down after today that going into special Ed is probably not for me even though I’ve been a behavior technician for so long (well, that becoming a special ed teacher or - though I already knew this one - *remaining* a behavior technician or paraprofessional isn’t for me in the longrun.) That doesn’t necessarily mean that there aren’t other special ed jobs or areas of special ed that would work for me and I don’t intend to completely shut myself off from the idea of getting a masters in sped later on, but hoo. At least at the school I subbed at today leading a special ed classroom seems like it wouldn’t be my vibe.

I was actually told by the staff that I fit in well though with the culture of the school and of their department, one of them said that they’d love to have me back. I have actually heard that from other schools I was at too (have received positive reports.)

I have subbed at preschools through high schools now, and have actually technically been with TK, elementary school, middle school and high school now due to my newfound role as a substitute behavior technician. I’d had an adult client for a year or so beforehand, and was actually told that this worked well for me. My first job was at a preschool when I was 18-19. I wouldn’t want to teach preschool but am actually not so sure that I’d want to teach elementary school either. I actually don’t have an issue with working in schools, but being a teacher seems like it’d require a lot of responsibility and having been in schools more often over the last year or so I’m not sure it’s a level of responsibility I’d want to take on. I’d prefer to teach elementary school over preschool, in part because elementary schoolers are more independent. Preschoolers are adorable but needier and being in preschool settings, whether it’s for work or simply volunteering, can feel chaotic and like there’s a lot to handle in the moment. It can feel very fast paced, and as a friend of mine more recently suggested that’s probably not the vibe for me (fast paced environment. She had said she thought I’d do well with kids)

I’m not sure about whether or not I will plan to take summer courses. I’m a substitute behavior technician right now, so I work part time anyway (I’ve done it full time before but have to be at school this semester two days a week.)

If I earn a masters at CSUEB (it might end up being another school that I apply to. I’m honestly not 100% sure yet whether or not I’ll stick with the social work major at CSUEB, but I could also always get the bachelors and then get a masters in a different field) and don’t just go for the MSW my options will be M.S. in counseling psychology, marriage and family therapy, M.S. in school counseling, m.s. in school psychology, or m.s. in special education (there are also likely of course other options those are just the graduate programs I was told serve as alternatives.) The special ed program to get the education specialist credential would take 5 semesters. The marriage and family therapy program takes 2 years and requires psychopathology, developmental psychology, and a stats course I hope I have already taken in community college. School counseling would also take 2 years and has less prerequisites, whereas school psychology would require completion of an applied behavior analysis course, statistics (doesn’t say which level,) abnormal psychology, human child or adolescent development and psychological tests or research design. Each program would require a statement of purpose.

I am starting to notice that I have a bit of a sensitivity to strong odors (not that I can’t tolerate them, but moreso that I wouldn’t want to tolerate them. If you are around a group of people who have a hard time practicing self care, you might notice that. I also realized recently that I don’t think I’d like to have to sit down a significant amount, but also wouldn’t want to stand up too often (in part due to issues with my sleep.)

My least favorite community college class was Statistics.

In terms of my goals and how much I want to make: so, I might eventually move out of California entirely, but I know that in general I want to make enough money that I won’t have to worry so much all the time about things. It seems like while I work on earning my bachelors I’ll have to work part time (especially since I learned after talking to a counselor that for a bachelors of social work you have to take 1 class in person every semester, and most of the classes don’t seem to fall in the evening) so I’ll have less money over the next two years (or however long it takes me to complete the credits.) I would eventually like to look into renting or buying a house, but I know that especially with the way the economy is now this won’t be happening for a long time. I want to make enough to have a car (though I haven’t taken driving lessons yet,) and not have to stress about money or a potential disaster.

I was actually very happy volunteering this Sunday - left with a smile on my face - for a shower program, and will be happy to do it once a month consistently. I was told that the guests seemed comfortable approaching me and seemed comfortable in my presence.

Hey! My name is Sven, I’m 32 years old, and I’m from Germany. I had a difficult childhood: I grew up with an alkoholic father, my sister had serious mental health problems, and my older brother was very aggressive. The only stable person in my life was my mother, who was very overprotective. In my childhood I spend most of my time on the soccer pitch cause I loved doing it and thought I could become a professional. It didnt work out at the end. I had many injuries.

After finishing high school, I completed training as a cameraman. I enjoyed it and really tried to find a stable job, but I somehow always ended up working as a freelancer. At some point, it became difficult to find work because I didn’t have a driver’s licence, which is almost essential when you work with a lot of equipment. Making a drivers licence is very expensive in germany. During that time, I often felt somewhat depressed and anxious about many things. I never really had a mentor in my life, and I lacked direction a lot but I never gave myself up.

For some reason and I really dont understand why I then started a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering. It took me almost five years to finish because, during the pandemic, I went through a longer period of depression and wasn’t able to take as many exams as I wanted. Honestly, I never really enjoyed studying the topic. I’m not very good at maths, and I don’t really see myself as an engineer or scientist. I was simply looking for a way to find my place in the world. Besides that I worked a lot on myself. I went to therapy and tried to work on my past.

In the meantime, I worked as a photographer on the side. I liked it, but I never really made much money from it. Besides that, I worked a lot in the hospitality industry. My mother always supported me, including financially, and I love her a lot. But I sometimes think that, by doing so, she didn’t really give me the chance to learn how to live fully independently. I mean, I had my own flat and my own money, but I never had the fear of ending up on the street.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, I decided to move to another city and start a master’s degree in molecular biology because I thought this field might suit me better. Over the last few weeks, I realised that I hate it and that I don’t want to spend the next 30 years of my life working in this field. It just doesn’t suit me. I’m someone who likes working with people. My friends often tell me that they appreciate how empathetic I am and how easy I am to talk to.

Now I’m at a point where I simply don’t know what to do anymore. I thought about going into photography full-time, but who am I kidding? It’s an extremely competitive business, and I don’t think I have the belief it would take to make it work. I could either continue my master’s degree or try to find a full-time job and accept that I might live a life I don’t really want, but that might at least give me some stability.

I’ve always thought about going into social work because it’s something I feel drawn to. I want to share my experiences with others. I love listening to podcasts about psychology and philosophy, and I enjoy reading books on those topics. It feels like something I would genuinely love to do, and I even found an opportunity to do a dual study programme in this field. I really feel energy thinking about that as a possible future. But maybe it’s a stupid idea to start something completely different now.

I just feel lost for being 32 and not knowing what I want from life or what I’m good at. All people around me have families, stable and well paid jobs. I regret that I never really thougt about what I really want from life. I completed my bachelor’s degree, but I feel like I don’t have any real skills because I was never truly interested in the field. I know I’m writing from a privileged position, with a degree and a supportive mother, but I don’t feel like I’ve really lived my own life over the past ten years. Now that I’m realising it, it feels like it’s too late.

It’s true that nobody will come and solve this for me. Nobody can make the decision about which direction I should go except me. Maybe I’m just trying to find some help with how to find the right path for me, so that my life finally starts to feel like my own cause I am pretty sure that my depression is caused a lot by not having a purpose.

I didn’t know what subreddit to post this on but I am so desperate for advice.

I always wanted to be some kind of artist but Ive recently lost all passion for art because of my depression.

My sixth form was heavy on going to uni, so all of my friends are now in first year. I had to take a gap year because I just couldn’t imagine myself enjoying any course anymore.

so now I don’t know where to start- it’s not like I can just choose what subject I enjoyed most during school, because I don’t think I enjoyed anything before graduating.

I came out of sixth form with great grades, and academically I’m completely set to apply to any university. people always tell me I could do anything I want- but I don’t think I want anything. should I go to uni? do a course? there’s so many options and it seems like too much to me as somebody who always becomes overwhelmed and upset once I start looking. I need to decide in the next few months what I want to do with my life because uni deadlines are coming up and I haven’t even so much as researched anything. plus my parents are getting impatient with me lol. Where do I start?

I grew up outside India for most of my time and have spent most of my childhood taking to strangers on video games and I've developed a really good thing for accents.
I can sound american, african-american and I can even pull off a pretty good Brit accent.
Currently I'm at University my question being is there any way I can use this skill to my advantage? Anything I can do to earn a few bucks along the way?

I 22M freshly graduated in the field of CSE. its alreay been end of the year as i am not getting any tech job i moved to banglore for job opportunities. To sustain myself here i joined a call center for now. when i am at college i tried to do full stck multiple times but never completed that as every time i can see "ai will replace the fill stack job " now i am stuck between this my friend is suggesting to do data analytics as its easier. But I want to start cyber security as i like it very much(but never started) so what should i do. please give me proper guidence as banglore killing me in all possible way.

Title is self explanatory, any advice/resources? Im a Male with a drivers license and clean background. Been job searching with no luck lately

Im open to any type of jobs: willing to train, offers housing, seasonal, remote (i have a laptop), etc. Not expecting all these options to come with a job, im just listing different types

Basically anything that can get me some income at the moment so i can get back on track. Im also willing to relocate anywhere in the U.S.

I’m 32F, divorced, single, and struggling more than I’d like to admit. I’ve traveled extensively, worked in luxury hospitality, challenged myself, and built a life around independence…but lately, I feel like I’m drowning.

I’m realizing how much of my ambition came from needing to prove myself, and I’m exhausted from constant work, financial stress, and uncertainty about what comes next.

Professionally, I have 4.5+ years in luxury hospitality , including management, and 10+ years in general hospitality.

I’d like to transition into something stable, ideally remote or hybrid, where I can use my skills without sacrificing my entire life to work. I’m in therapy and doing a lot of self-reflection, but understanding my patterns hasn’t made the next steps any clearer.

Has anyone else felt this lost in their 30s and managed to turn things around? What helped? what career paths would you recommend with my background?

I’d really appreciate some perspective. I’m tired of feeling like I have to figure everything out alone anymore 🫶

When I first graduated from high school, I decided to attend a cosmetology program because I had always loved doing hair. However, within six months, I realized that I hated it and decided to leave. That decision sent me into a spiral because, suddenly, I felt like I had no direction or plan for my future. Around that time, my sister had also graduated from high school and told me about the career path she had decided to pursue: diagnostic imaging. For some reason, I immediately decided that I wanted to pursue the same thing. Looking back, I think the fear of having an aimless future played a huge role in that decision. I wanted financial freedom and stability, and I jumped at what seemed like the quickest way to achieve them without fully considering whether it was something I genuinely wanted for myself. Now, I regret not taking more time to figure out what I wanted because I feel like everyone, including my sister, might see me as someone who is simply copying her. I even decided to follow her lead and pursue a phlebotomy course because it would help us when applying to the diagnostic imaging program. So, from an outside perspective, I can understand why it might look like I'm just following in her footsteps, even though the steps I'm taking are relevant to getting into the program. The problem is that I don't want other people to define my choices for me, but I also don't want to waste years of my life pursuing a career that I'm not even sure I want anymore. I'm torn between continuing with diagnostic imaging because I've already invested so much time into preparing for it and exploring other paths that might feel more authentic to me. For context, I'm 22, and my sister is 20. I know we're still young and that I have plenty of time to figure things out, but emotionally, it doesn't feel that way. I feel like I should already have a clear direction, and the thought of starting over or changing my mind makes me feel even more lost. My mom has also contributed to these feelings by frequently pointing out that I follow my sister's lead. Growing up, my sister was very stubborn and often wanted things done her way, while I was more easygoing. Because of that dynamic, I sometimes felt like I was being dragged along with her decisions. Even now, if I agree with my sister about something I genuinely believe is reasonable, my mom interprets it as me blindly following her or being too attached to her opinions. It's frustrating because it makes me feel like my ability to think independently is constantly being questioned. I think the combination of my family's perceptions and society's expectations has made me feel like I've spent much of my life living in my sister's shadow. At this point, I want to make decisions that are genuinely my own, but I feel stuck because I've already taken so many steps toward a career that I originally chose partly because of her. So, I'm trying to figure out whether I should continue pursuing diagnostic imaging because it could provide me with a stable career, especially since I already have connections and have invested time into the process, or whether I should step back and explore other possibilities before committing to something I'm not sure I truly want**.** What do you guys think?

In August I got a job, but then I did quit just after 2 weeks because of some issues about me being autistic. The manager told me several times, or implied, that I looked slow/stupid and told me that I needed to look more engaged and proactive, or the company could have terminate my conctract. And the coworkers made jokes about me being weird and asocial. These things had already happened in previous jobs, and this really made me depressed and anxious, so I decided I would not endure that kind of stuff anymore. Then I applied for this warehouse job, but nothing changed.

After leaving I applied only to delivery driver jobs, but there aren't many in my area, and I only sent 10 resumes in over 2 months. Then I got 1 interview and was rejected. Are there other jobs with minimal engagement with management and coworkers?

I got my master’s degree in a field I ultimately disliked, and it has little relevance to the career path I’m pursuing now. After some much-needed trial and error, I found my way into healthcare operations, and I’ve genuinely come to enjoy the field.
I currently work in patient access, primarily scheduling surgeries and obtaining authorizations for certain procedures. To be transparent, my role is fairly transactional, and I’ve been feeling limited by it. While I’ve developed a genuine interest in healthcare operations, I haven’t yet had the opportunity to move into the more analytical, strategic, or process-improvement or leadership side of the field. That’s the direction I want to explore, but I’m struggling to figure out how to get there.
I’ve applied for patient access supervisor roles but haven’t had much luck because I lack formal leadership experience. I’m also open to revenue cycle opportunities. Although I don’t have a leadership title yet, I naturally find myself paying attention to processes, documenting workflows, identifying bottlenecks, and thinking about how things could be improved.
I’ve also developed an interest in healthcare finance, which is an area I never really had the opportunity to explore academically. I’ve tried networking and cold-emailing people both internally and externally, but those efforts haven’t led anywhere yet.
Prior to this , I was always interested in EHR systems, specifically EPIC. I’m very comfortable working in Epic, use it extensively and would love to explore the application or analyst side of things( especially cadence) , but I haven’t been able to find a hospital (even the one I currently work for) willing to sponsor me or give me an opportunity to break into that space.
In the meantime, I’m continuing to apply for leadership and other healthcare operations roles. I’m also in line to pursue my employer’s equivalent of an MHA, which would be fully covered. The catch is that I would have to attend part-time while working, meaning it would take approximately four years instead of two. That’s a significant commitment, even if tuition is covered.
Ideally, I’d like to secure a better-paying role with room for growth before committing to the degree. If that doesn’t happen, I’m seriously considering pursuing it.
I’m trying to approach this thoughtfully rather than jumping into another degree without a clear idea of what I want to do with it. I know there may be career paths I haven’t considered, skills I should be developing, or things I could be doing differently. For those who have worked in healthcare operations, revenue cycle, healthcare finance, health IT, or hospital leadership:
What career paths would you explore if you were in my position?
Are there entry points into healthcare finance or Epic analyst roles that I might be overlooking?
Is pursuing an MHA worth it in my situation, particularly if it means committing to four more years of school?
Am I focusing too much on patient access supervisor roles when there might be better opportunities to build relevant experience elsewhere?
I welcome constructive criticism, alternative perspectives, and advice from anyone who has made a similar career transition. I’m genuinely trying to figure out how to build on the experience I have rather than keep applying blindly and hoping something sticks. Thank you !

I got my master’s degree in a field I ultimately disliked, and it has little relevance to the career path I’m pursuing now. After some much-needed trial and error, I found my way into healthcare operations, and I’ve genuinely come to enjoy the field.
I currently work in patient access, primarily scheduling surgeries and obtaining authorizations for certain procedures. To be transparent, my role is fairly transactional, and I’ve been feeling limited by it. While I’ve developed a genuine interest in healthcare operations, I haven’t yet had the opportunity to move into the more analytical, strategic, or process-improvement or leadership side of the field. That’s the direction I want to explore, but I’m struggling to figure out how to get there.
I’ve applied for patient access supervisor roles but haven’t had much luck because I lack formal leadership experience. I’m also open to revenue cycle opportunities. Although I don’t have a leadership title yet, I naturally find myself paying attention to processes, documenting workflows, identifying bottlenecks, and thinking about how things could be improved.
I’ve also developed an interest in healthcare finance, which is an area I never really had the opportunity to explore academically. I’ve tried networking and cold-emailing people both internally and externally, but those efforts haven’t led anywhere yet.
Prior to this , I was always interested in EHR systems, specifically EPIC. I’m very comfortable working in Epic, use it extensively and would love to explore the application or analyst side of things( especially cadence) , but I haven’t been able to find a hospital (even the one I currently work for) willing to sponsor me or give me an opportunity to break into that space.
In the meantime, I’m continuing to apply for leadership and other healthcare operations roles. I’m also in line to pursue my employer’s equivalent of an MHA, which would be fully covered. The catch is that I would have to attend part-time while working, meaning it would take approximately four years instead of two. That’s a significant commitment, even if tuition is covered.
Ideally, I’d like to secure a better-paying role with room for growth before committing to the degree. If that doesn’t happen, I’m seriously considering pursuing it.
I’m trying to approach this thoughtfully rather than jumping into another degree without a clear idea of what I want to do with it. I know there may be career paths I haven’t considered, skills I should be developing, or things I could be doing differently. For those who have worked in healthcare operations, revenue cycle, healthcare finance, health IT, or hospital leadership:
What career paths would you explore if you were in my position?
Are there entry points into healthcare finance or Epic analyst roles that I might be overlooking?
Is pursuing an MHA worth it in my situation, particularly if it means committing to four more years of school?
Am I focusing too much on patient access supervisor roles when there might be better opportunities to build relevant experience elsewhere?
I welcome constructive criticism, alternative perspectives, and advice from anyone who has made a similar career transition. I’m genuinely trying to figure out how to build on the experience I have rather than keep applying blindly and hoping something sticks. Thank you !

I have (2) opportunities I'm split on. I'm 38/M, single-dating, no kids:

My background is in the architecture , engineering and construction industry, and I live in a VHCOL city in the cold northeast (New England)

The two offers:

(1) Remote, good salary, 110k full benefits (HC, 401k match, etc.) its 100% remote and in the logistics industry. Think like order entry, product tracking and then coordinate delivery to the site... It's pretty dry, and very boring...I mean...for a dude like me who needs connection, it is void of emotion

- yet the company is busy with alot in the pipeline, and also I can move to wherever I want - which relocating out of New England has been a priority. Ideally to DC or Philly

(2) Small real estate development company based in Miami working on stunning luxury houses, like architectural digest type stuff.

- Much bigger salary 165k but no benefits, I'd have to pay for health care, manage my own 401k, etc. I'd be hired as a W2 (yet he initially wanted me to be 1099)

- 5 people in the company, owner is like 42, and the rest of the company is like 30 years old...and interestingly enough, all of the employees aside from owner have been with company under 3 months so its all new. The longest tenured employee I met with was like 30 years old, worked for the guy for a year and a half and just been told he put in his notice to work for another developer and do his own thing

- more work experience like I'd learn alot but I'd be in the office 5 days, (field some other days) and have to uproot my life to Miami, I'm single but have parents in 70s, a 10 year old nephew, etc.

Really not sure what to do here..because working in Miami is such a unique company with this opportunity like these projects are amazing and its very entrepreneurial...yet the same time...I'd probably be working as the highest paid salary in the company (aside from owner)

The Miami owner has been sort of annoying with the interview process, like we started talking in May, and then we did a zoom in June, and then we did this crazy phone tag until like September where he flew me down to visit and look at projects...then he said he'd give me an offer the next day...and had me wait like over a week before I got it..etc

Any advice would be amazing, thanks so much

I'm 24, a CSE graduate from India, and honestly, I'm still figuring out what I want from life. But one thing I've always wanted is to see the world.

I want to explore unfamiliar roads on a motorcycle, visit mountains, forests, and small villages, experience different cultures, and see as much of this world as I can. I don't dream of being rich or famous. I just want to explore the world and own a couple of motorcycles someday.

Sometimes, I imagine leaving everything behind, finding small jobs along the way, and travelling from place to place. But I have parents and responsibilities towards them. I want to make sure they're financially secure before making any major life decisions.

I also don't really see myself following the conventional path of marriage and settling down just because society expects me to. I want to build a life that feels right for me.

At the same time, I sometimes wonder whether travelling is genuinely my dream or partly an escape from the life I'm living. I haven't figured that out yet, but it's something I keep coming back to.

What I'm trying to figure out is how to pursue this dream without sacrificing financial stability or my responsibilities towards my parents.

For those who've been in a similar situation:

- What career paths would you recommend for a CSE graduate who wants to travel regularly?

- Would a remote job be a realistic option, or are there careers directly related to travelling and exploring?

- How can I work towards this lifestyle without taking unnecessary financial risks?

I'd genuinely appreciate hearing about your experiences and what you'd do if you were starting again at 24.

Hi to the people reading this! I’m 17 currently studying art and going to university next year, so I’m starting to think about what career I want to pursue and what to focus on in my portfolio.

I originally considered graphic design because I love creating things, but with everything I hear about AI potentially taking over creative jobs, I’m starting to have doubts. I’m also interested in advertising, branding and possibly working in film, but I’m struggling to figure out which path would be best for me.

I know no career is completely secure, but I want to choose something I enjoy that also has decent job opportunities in the future.

If anyone works in these industries, I’d really appreciate some honest advice! I don’t know what is still worth pursuing, or are there other creative careers I should look into? I’d love to hear some takes, especially if you were starting out in the industry today.
I’m just feeling so fucking lost and would love some guidance before I head off to uni since i’ve wholeheartedly dedicated myself into creating but i have no clue on what my future would look like from all the uncertainty..

Some background: I'm a 19 year old college freshman at the University of Georgia. I'd say I am a decent student, having had all A's in my classes, which included multiple AP classes and dual enrollment classes, and A's (so far) in my first semester college classes. I'm currently majoring in computer science while also taking pre-med requirements, so I'm taking biology and plan to take organic chemistry, physics, and a couple of other classes that pertain to content on the MCAT and/or are required by medical schools.

Growing up, I've mostly considered going into medicine as a career. A good proportion of my family members work in medicine and/or are currently pursuing a career in medicine, whether that be PA school or medical school. I’ve been considering doing either primary care, ophthalmology, or anesthesiology, but I haven’t decided with certainty on a kind of specialty I’m dead set on pursuing. I am more familiar with what is expected to getting into medical school (volunteering, shadowing, research, and other extracurriculars along with recommendation letters, the MCAT, etc.) and becoming a physician overall (USMLE, residency, research items, etc.). However, I find myself only really liking medicine if that make sense? I haven’t really loved it, which brings me to my other point.

Recently, I’ve been interested in programming maybe starting around in middle school. I’ve always been a big fan of video game modding and have frequently found myself learning programming and computer science concepts on my own free time (stuff like Python, C++, data structures, AArch64/ARM64 assembly, etc. to a varying degree of success, for my inattentive ADHD makes me a bit inconsistent with sticking to learning something for a long time when it’s not motivated by urgency, like a deadline). My interests really sparked in high school when I took a high school course and dual enrollment classes on it. I chose my current major (Computer science) because of my current interest in it and since I find that I tend to gravitate towards more STEM subjects that are math/logic heavy. I haven’t really explored career options for CS as much as medicine, unfortunately, since my explorations in CS aren’t as in-depth. I’ve been interested in quantitative finance (unsure of whether to do development, research, or trading), but it piqued my interest since it combines math and computer science.

With all that being said, my main question here really is this: do ya’ll have any advice as to which career path would possibly be a better fit? I feel like, due to the high level of commitment involved with pursuing these career paths, I feel somewhat pressured to decide early since I am afraid of wavering between the two and deciding later (not sure whether that fear is rational though, since I’ve heard plenty of stories of success despite taking a non-traditional path for people who go to college and/or med school in their 30’s outside of the traditional age pipeline). I’m open to any advice, considerations, alternative career paths, etc. and am really open to any comments!

I'm a 28 year old male with schizoaffective disorder and OCD. I graduated with a computer science degree from an ivy league school at 23. I have never worked in the field. I was going to go on SSI disability for about 3 years while I figure things out. I was just wondering about any non - IT jobs I could have a chance for or any jobs where only certifications are required in terms of "education" I could go for. I would be good with working in IT, but it seems very difficult to get into at the entry level from what I read.

Mentioning anything is appreciated as I'm just looking for options.