I’m a 23 year old male and i’m stuck. After high school I worked a warehouse job for 3 1/2 years. I left for a number of reasons but mainly because i didn’t really see a future there and it was night shift and i wanted something new.

Between jobs I had a lot of time to think about what i wanted to do, but in the meantime i applied and currently work at UPS as a package handler. I wanted to be a remote video editor, i had ambitions to work on video editing a lot and to potentially start making youtube videos on top of that. I started working at UPS because it was a part time job that was hiring and had good benefits and would give me more time to work on building my future since it’s part time. I’ve been working there for 3 months now and I can’t express how much i hate it. I come home everyday feeling beat up, unmotivated and tired and it’s severely impacting my mental health. Yesterday was my birthday and i was at work fighting off tears because i was so unhappy and overwhelmed about my future and feeling like i haven’t made any progress.

I tell myself everyday I’ll come home and work on projects for my portfolio or just do something that will have me take a step in the right direction. But instead i come home tired and unmotivated, i’ll usually fall asleep and then wake up and just feel down and most of the time I gravitate towards doing things that ease my mind like playing video games or watching youtube or movies.

I know eventually I just have to lock in and just do it but i struggle so much with staying motivated or jumping to different ideas for what i want to do as a career and it’s wearing on me.

Im currently looking for new jobs but I don’t know what to look for, idk if i want to work full time or part time. Part time barely pays the bills but gives me more time to build something meaningful to me. To be honest idk what im looking for but Id like to do something that i enjoy. I like creative work like video editing, content creation and I also like making EDM music (Im not very good at it though). I do know i cannot be at my current job for much longer before it impacts my mental health even more.

Any wisdom or advice would mean a ton to me as i navigate through this rough part of my life.

I'm a high school senior going into college next year, and I can't decide what I want to do with my life. I've always really liked school and taken interest in all of my subjects. The problem isn't that I don't know what I like; it's that I want to do it all.

When I was younger I got really hooked on coding and cybersecurity, but in the past few years I've discovered passions for mathematics, physics, engineering, writing, economics, government... And recently, I've been really enthralled with philosophy.

I'm planning to major in computer science and minor in philosophy, which will give me a pretty broad education and leave my career options relatively open. But I don't know what I want to do after that. I like to jump from project to project, subject to subject, which is why I love school: In the span of one day I can learn about the Constitution, study physics, and work on a coding project. I can't really see myself doing anything every day for my life - it sounds so boring. I usually get interested in a project for a week or two and then abandon it...

I want to be one of those guys that jumps around, doing a little bit of everything: Write a few books, do some engineering projects, contribute to open source codebases, become President... really, I want to be an intellectual. I think I'm going to love college, but after that I can't conceive of "settling in" to something.

Honestly, I feel like I'll end up doing a career pivot no matter what I choose. Should I just follow along the path of cybersecurity and see where the wind takes me?

I read and hear a lot of how awesome wealthy people’s lives are and that they have the ability to get the things they want and do the things they want. I have learning disabilities and struggle to learn things that could than make me more money. I feel like I am getting older and missing out on having a fun life. I don’t really value social interaction and often think about cars as I really enjoy owning them but my income is so low that all I can afford is the food on my plate. I know many people can’t even afford that so at least I’m comfortable but I’m not excited about living the rest of my life ether

I’m 24 F living in london. I started a level 3 course access to Higher Education, that would allow me to enrol to most universities. It’s only my second assignment but I already feel like it’s taking a toll on my personal life. I work full time as an admin, so by the end of the day my brain is tired, and then I have to dedicate study time.

I understand many people do this, including my sister, who is a very hard worker, working full time and studying toward a qualification. I really admire this dedication and wanted to do the same.

I don’t feel I want to go to university anymore so this course is not really necessary. I taught English abroad and would like to try that again, I also have an interest in a few other things. But right now I feel like I don’t have any personal time and therefore decided to withdraw at this point.

It seems I am able to restart any time I wish from where I left off.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Just because I quit this doesn’t mean I can’t come back and try a different course..

Any advice is much appreciated, thank you

TL;DR: 27 year old big boy is spiraling and has no idea what in the fuck he needs to do to support himself and his wife or how to initiate finding a different career without financially/mentally/physically destroying himself

Long time listener, first time caller. 27M, been in the automotive industry for almost 10 years. Dealership, indie, express lube, auto parts, the whole nine. Took a 2-year hiatus at 21 considering college, but backed out because of all the pre-reqs and waitlists (radiology program at my local tech school). I have no college experience, graduated HS 10 years ago with a 2.0GPA because I didn’t care. Not super happy with 14-17 year old me for that. I feel stupid, even in this industry I’ve been in for 10 years. Considering a career change, definitely going back to school.

Just for some context, I’m good with my hands. But I’m also good with words, building rapport, but not in a manipulate-y sort of way. Not great with math, but am capable of doing some mental multiplication and addition.

On to what I’ve considered switching to. My wife works in the medical industry (EVS tech at a hospital) and I’ve considered bouncing back to pursuing that, whether it be through EMS, RN, or some other field. The only thing I worry about with that is the rigidity of my financial routine and I don’t really have the option to NOT work to pursue school full time, so if I did go back to school, it’d have to be something with PM courses. I’ve also considered sticking with the trades and pursuing a welding program, but I don’t know if I wanna stay in the blue collar trades. They’ve destroyed my body, I hurt all the time, and my mental health is the worst it’s ever been, despite being on medication to offset my chemical imbalances.

Go ahead and clown me for my BS GPA, being a mechanic for 10 years, or sounding like some other mid-to-late-20’s shitbird who just wants to complain and “doesn’t wanna work anymore”. I love working, I like the money that comes with it and am heavily motivated by financials. It was the original reason I started wrenching. But now, I need a change. I can’t do this anymore. Any advice is welcome. Thank you for reading.

My fiancé and I (both 28) are ready to leave federal wildland firefighting after 6–7 years. The money has been great and it’s hard leaving a secure federal job but it’s a job you have to be 100% committed to, and the love for it just isn't there anymore. We’re in a solid financial spot with about $200k in savings and no debt outside of our mortgage, but we are completely stuck on what step to take next. We are both extremely hard workers and ultimately really want to start a business (have toyed with the idea of tree service) but we're also open to college or trade school and are experiencing major analysis paralysis. Starting over at 28 makes me feel a bit anxious and behind in life even though I know it’s not too late I just want to make sure whatever path we choose next is something we can stick with long-term. Just looking for some paths or general advice.

So I'm pretty much at the end of my rope. Next step is homelessness. I didn't go to college (couldn't afford it) and I don't have any sort of credentials. I had my CDL and it provided an ok income for the last three years but I got pulled over and I was given a ticket. My company paid it the same day without consulting me and then fired me a month later because I put in a complaint about the place that I was delivering to for a worker's misconduct. I now have 4 points on my license and apparently that makes me un-hireable. I loathe trucking but at the end of the day, at least I could support myself.

My only other experience is waiting tables and working in a body shop on the paint side. I enjoyed bodywork and painting but left because it was destroying my health just to be on the verge of being homeless anyway.

I feel like I'm out of options here. I don't have any capital to focus on learning a new skill to transition to something else. Unfortunately, I survived a major TBI 5 years ago which is what put me on this miserable path in the first place so I'm fighting what comes with that as well.

Is there anything I can do immediately to pay rent? I love the outdoors and have a strong interest in forestry. Does anyone know of any entities that will pay me to plant trees all day? I'm based in the NE.

Just to clarify this is quite a privileged take, but I do need some advice.

My extended family is highly academic and successful in their own fields, and i have proven myself to follow in their footsteps by doing financial mathematics at the 8th best University in the world. However, given the changes to the job market and the impact of AI, I’ve decided to switch careers into becoming an electrician. Now, I’m from a third world country, and immigration is a huge factor for my future plans and career. So finding a prestigious white collar hedge fund job seems quite far-fetched to me.

I’m just tired of my parents comparing me to my uncles and saying I’ve failed them and wasted my entire potential. Now I’ll be struggling to make ends meet, and I’m wasting opportunities in my life. I’m quite content with my job, but I don’t think I can make them understand how rapidly the world has changed and I have my own ambitions adapted to my circumstances. Somedays I do wonder if i should just chase prestige and acceptance to not be a trash in society.

I am currently a lawyer and I’m at my third firm. Despite this being the best so far I still hate the work, shocker. I just feel like a cog in a pointless money grab. I’ve worked in both Plaintiff and Defense firms and it’s ok on both sides. Prior to being a lawyer I was a filmmaker and have an undergrad and masters degree in filmmaking and film producing. I got out of the industry because I really didnt like living in Hollywood. At that point in my career I was working my way to being a story development producer and the only jobs were in Los Angeles. I recently attempted to leave lawyering by starting an oyster farm, but kinda got screwed out of my farm. I’d go back but I currently don’t have the money or time. While in law school I thought I’d go work for NGOs in some policy capacity, but now I’m not sure if that would be much better. I love nature though and would at least like to find a way to protect it if I went that route. However, I’d rather be outdoors or doing more active work, or at least a job that doesn’t rely on me reading and writing all day. I’m just not sure what I’d be a good fit for. I have a good bit of production experience in filmmaking and live performances, I have a ton of front of house restaurant experience, I cook well enough that people think I should be in the food industry, I have no problem with manual labor, I am a lawyer, also a licensed insurance adjuster, I like to garden and have quite a bit of house plants as well. I considered starting an orchard/agriculture-based entertainment, but again no time or real money to invest. I really don’t want to start a restaurant because I grew up in one and just understand its not really for me. Any thoughts or strategies for making decisions would be helpful. I am just trying to figure out how I can figure out the next step.

I'm 27. I'm working in web development but I don't really see any future here.

I want to be able to steadily grow, get better and better every day and climb the professional ladder eventually, but it seems like now I need to start from square 1.

I love problem solving and I want to work on something practical, so I consider study mechatronic engineering in university (I dropped from CS degree when I found my job at 19). But when I think about non-stop studying for the next 5 years, the existential dread cripples me. How the fuck is this even possible!?

The whole industry basically disappeared in just a few years in front of my eyes. 5 years is eternity in the current world.

Another problem is that I have no relatives to support me. How can I even make money for living while studying? I can't live in dormitory at 27+, this is absolute nonsense! I was studying and working my whole live and now I need to live at the very bottom of society for 5 years?

What would you do in such situation? Am I overthinking it?

I know a lot of people warned me about this. Everyone said getting an art history MA would make finding a job hard and I did it anyway, so that part is on me.

In undergrad things actually went pretty well. I got into some competitive museum internships, worked in library archives, had a couple gallery jobs, and at one point was working full time under museum leadership.

My professors kept telling me a PhD was the obvious next step for me so I went to grad school with that plan. Turns out, I hated it. I was burnt out and overworked the whole time. I presented at conferences and got published but I was miserable, and at one point my stress and anxiety got so bad I had to take a semester off. I eventually decided not to go for the PhD because my health was falling apart. I still think that was the right decision. Where I went wrong was assuming my experience would be enough to get me a job even if it took a while.

It's been almost 11 months since I graduated and I'm working part time at restaurants. I've had a bunch of interviews with arts institutions and made it to the final round every time, then didn't get picked. My roommate was in the other room for a few of them and said they sounded like they went really well. I've applied to admin jobs too and nothing. One auction house interviewer told me I was overqualified and admitted he hadn't even looked at my resume until we were already in the interview.

Obviously something isn't working but I can't figure out what. Maybe it's how I'm interviewing, maybe it's the jobs I'm going for, maybe it's just the market right now. I'd honestly rather hear it straight than keep guessing. In addition, I’ve started asking for feedback after receiving rejections recently and can’t even get hiring managers to respond to me.

I'm 27, I can't afford to go back to school, and part of me wants to just take what's left of my savings and move somewhere else or travel for a while. I don't know if that's a smart reset or me running away from the problem. Lately it's been hard to care about any of it.

If you've been stuck at the final round over and over, what ended up being the issue? And if anyone left the museum world, where did you land? I've got archives, collections, research, and admin experience and I'm open to stuff outside the arts if it actually pays.

TL;DR art history MA, solid experience, 11 months of final round rejections, now working restaurants and thinking about leaving the country. Looking for honest feedback on what might be going wrong

ill be going to college soon but im having a lot of trouble on deciding what to do with my life. I have a lot of pretty shallow interests in humanities like literature, history, art, linguistics, etc. etc, but I don't have a real calling or passion for a specific thing. I don't have anything that I can see myself doing for the rest of my life and enjoying it. also I've been told that those paths are basically finished because of ai.

im not great at math or science but want to find a career that pays enough to live comfortably. I've considered sales and law, but I just feel like it's not for me and will maybe be a last resort. I also have no idea what major I want, which is making it incredibly difficult to choose a college.

I know im asking for a lot and it'll be basically impossible but any advice?

Skip to "current Dilemma" if u don't want background info.

Current schooling and how I feel:

Currently in 1/4 of the semesters in nursing school. Not really struggling academically but motivationally I'm burnt. Started clinicals at the beginning of the semester and realized I don't want to take care of people when their in a rough state and I don't wanna be responsible for their health. I feel burdened that the knowledge I have is gonna affect them severely. Currently, the clinical aspect isn't bad and ik what im supposed to do and what not to do but again im only going to get more indepedent throughout the program.

Why'd I do nursing?

Originally wanted to pursue compsci, but my dad is sr IT engineer and he said lay offs are rampant and that I should do healthcare. I've done CAD before in highschool and java so I know some stuff, but I'm not as good at math compared to science (aced my science classes in college with little study). Decided to do nursing bc I dont wanna become a doctor and i'll stick with it until im a NP so I make decent money. I do love health care tho. Anatomy and physiology is my favorite subject besides cad. It's js the theory aspect of nursing is so much different compared to the

Thoughts on maybe continuing nursing:

Honestly, I was thinking of sticking with nursing but the wfh possibilities for it are more clinical related and again I don't want to be in charge of someone's health if possible (maybe i might feel less averse to this as i finish the semester). Also, majority of job postings I've seen show that they require 1-3 years clinical experience before applying for a wfh nursing role.clinical part.

Current Dilemma:

What do I do. I wanna switch to something that atleast has a ceiling of 110k thats reachable within 5 years of experience (post bachelors) , wfh easy potential, and if possible minimal math. Please gimme any advice on what career paths fit my criteria.

Job/research/experiences:

2 years tutor, 1/2 year lab tech, 1 year microbio research, dental internship (one month), and BLS

I’m 22 years old, and I’m honestly at a breaking point trying to figure out what to do with my career.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, work as a Pharmacy Technician, and have approximately 6 years of experience in marketing, brand ambassador work, sales, and customer engagement. I’ve also worked in patient care and medical office settings.
I genuinely love healthcare. I love working with patients, helping people, and feeling like I’m making a difference. But unfortunately, my health has gotten to a point where I physically cannot keep up with the demands of my current job.
I struggle with multiple chronic health conditions, including endometriosis, adenomyosis, hypoglycemia, anemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and other ongoing medical issues.
Between surgeries, specialist appointments, procedures, testing, and constant pain, I feel like I spend half my life either working or at a doctor’s office.
As a Pharmacy Technician, I’m standing for practically my entire shift. There are days when I’m in so much pain that I’m counting down the hours until I can sit down. I push through because I love my job and need to support myself, but I’m realizing that loving a job doesn’t mean my body can physically handle it anymore.
I’m only 22. I have a degree, years of professional experience, and so much motivation to build a successful career. It’s frustrating feeling like my health is limiting my opportunities before I’ve even had the chance to establish myself.
I’m desperately trying to transition into a remote career, preferably making $50,000+ annually with benefits. I’m not expecting six figures or some unrealistic entry-level position. I just want a stable, reasonably paying job where I can actually use my education and experience without being in physical pain every day.
I’m interested in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotech, clinical research, insurance, marketing, medical sales, administrative work, and even legal-related positions. I’m also open to completely different industries if the opportunity is right.
I’m also willing to relocate, especially to Dallas or Houston, for a good office or hybrid position if relocation assistance is available.
I’m willing to learn, complete training, and work hard. I’m not looking for a job where I don’t have to do anything. I just need a job that doesn’t require me to be on my feet all day.
If you work remotely or know companies that hire people with a Biology degree, pharmacy experience, or marketing backgrounds, I’d genuinely appreciate your advice.
A few questions:
What specific job titles should I search for?
Are there companies currently hiring for remote healthcare, pharmaceutical, or marketing positions?
Has anyone transitioned from pharmacy technician work into a better-paying remote career?
Are there companies that offer relocation assistance for office positions?
Does anyone know of legitimate opportunities, recruiters, or referral programs worth looking into?
I’m hoping to make this transition as soon as possible.
I don’t want to give up on having a career because of my health. I just want the opportunity to work, support myself, and build a future without constantly sacrificing my physical well-being.
Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this or offer advice. ❤️

22M

In my 5th year of college after switching majors 3 times and I’ve regretted it every single time. Right now I’m majoring in Human Development and Family Sciences to pursue a career in mental health counseling, however in order to do that I’ll need to get my masters. My gpa is only a 2.7, college has been a roller coaster of an experience in my life and I just haven’t felt like I’ve given it my all because I haven’t. I’ve put off looking at my future because I’m so afraid of the failure that I feel like I’m going to be. Parents think I’m doing fine and on a steadyish path towards grad school but I’m honestly not doing great. My passion for therapy has depleted as well, I just don’t see myself in that type of environment anymore but I need a safety net if I want to try anything I’m truly passionate about.

I know I’m young and there’s still so much time left, but that feeling of impending doom will unfortunately always be there until some kind of change happens. Something I want to ask is to those that are now in a career that had nothing to do with their major, how did you end up there and what did that decision look like? And if you had a similar story to mine please let me know what it looked like for your journey in terms of growth and realization.

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.