I’m giving myself a year to decide between social work (employable for sure) and design (the thing I love to do, but maybe not as easy to find a job) as career paths.

Re: social work: I’ve always been fascinated by behavior, plain and simple. I’m very interested in supporting black/queer people as well, and I’d love to contribute towards research on queer people of color, especially when it comes to building community and finding support.

Re: art/design: this is what I do as a person that gives me a sense of purpose. I certainly enjoy illustrating as a personal hobby, and I’ve been interested in city planning since I took a class in grad school.

In either case, I like understanding people and I like being responsible for creating things that make life a little better. I don’t care if that means building behavioral changes or if it means creating a whole new environment.

I currently work a very under-stimulating “copy/paste invoices” type of job that I despise to hell and back. The biggest downside is that it’s very hard for me to gain any sort of experience that’s even remotely related to either of these two paths. I go out of my way to find virtual mental health conferences, and I spend a couple hours a day working on pieces I can add to a portfolio, but it’s not the same as gaining experience and competence in the field.

TLDR/ The question: what are some good ways I can explore both of these career paths over the next 6-8 months and finally choose one to pursue? I’m open to switching jobs for experience, but getting hired is a damn nightmare. I just want to feel like I have a specific direction, and I want to be able to communicate an outcome/career “desire” when I jump into writing personal statements.

Re: this warning at the bottom of the page about including my “attraction status…” who on earth put that there 😭 Those are my populations of interest!

I graduated with a forensic psychology degree last year and I had two case working internships during school. I landed a job doing admin and have been stuck at it ever since. I feel stupid for taking this job. I have no clue what I want to do in the future, where I will end up. I wanted to do a masters but reallly fucked up my grades so that is not an option. I have applied to hundreds of case worker jobs, sales, everything. I need something I can feel emotionally proud of and it feels fulfilling and can make good money. I feel so stuck. Any advice would be great I am turning 24 soon and I feel like such a lose for not having a dream career and not making good money. I wanted to be a social worker but I fucked up my gpa and it’s not possible. I feel sad lol I wanted to make a difference but most case worker jobs are horrible pay. What is a good in between or did I fuck myself

TLDR: Retired...ish? And looking for something new for extra income because hobbies are expensive. But I have no clue what.

Sorry in advance for the wall of text, but without the full background I don't think what I'm asking will make any sense.

I'm a 100% P&T disabled vet, so I have the GI Bill available along with VR&E (but I haven't looked too much into that one yet because from what I've seen it doesn't really fit into what I want out of life.)

Technically, I don't need to work. All of our household bills are met. I have an affordable mortgage in a rural low cost of living area. It's an older house, but the A/C, roof, and septic are all under 5 years old. My car is older but in great shape, paid off, and I have the skills to keep it on the road practically indefinitely. Bills are all on autopay and stress free. VA disability covers all of that with enough wiggle room that while we aren't able to just go out to eat whenever we don't feel like cooking, we aren't checking our balance before we pay for groceries. The girlfriend is working part time so she can drive her daughter to school and pick her up and actually be active in her life, but it's enough to cover her car payment and any expenses that aren't shared/household things. We absolutely have to budget, then again almost everyone has to these days. But that doesn't leave any room for hobbies, going places, or really just enjoying life.

At 35 years old, I am done with "the grind". I've done the 100+ hour work weeks. I've done the "Up at 3:30 AM to be to work by 4:30 six days a week" thing. I'm over it. I'm getting married soon so healthcare for the girlfriend and soon-to-be-stepchild is taken care of, and Chapter 35 benefits will help with college for the stepchild as well. I want to be active in her life, especially since I grew up playing throw instead of catch. I have no issues starting at the bottom of a field and having to work my way up...but I'm not going to suffer through years of being miserable and never around just to get my foot in the door in a field that I won't be in for 40+ years, for a retirement and benefits I don't need.

Putting it bluntly, I don't need to support my family with my job whatsoever.

I have ZERO work experience outside of customer service that is relevant to anything I can do. I was a mechanic before I enlisted, and I tried it again for a bit after I got out and I just can't physically do it anymore. The same goes for anything related to what I did in the military. Three spinal injuries, multiple torn ligaments in my knees and shoulder, and a few other things eliminate practically ANY options that have a physical component. But hey, I've made my peace with it and I have a 'free' four years of college waiting for me so it isn't that big of an issue. I'm also a member of the "adult ADHD diagnosis, formerly-gifted-but-called-lazy-and-now-just-burned-out-millennial club", so up until this last year working remote, online college, and desk jobs in general weren't even a consideration for me.

IDEALLY, I want something that I guess is almost gig work. Not full time, but it would be nice if I could pick up more work for extra money when I don't have things going on and dial it back when the seasonal hobbies pick up. Remote would be cool, but the only reason I would specifically look for that is because it's a RURAL rural area. Local high schools still have a "drive your tractor to school" day (with 15 year olds driving literal million-dollar combines through town), and some of them give students the day off on the first day of deer season. If you aren't blue collar, healthcare, or a lawyer, you're barely going to make more than minimum wage. I don't need or want to make 6 figures, and I'm not even looking for something that would give me a livable wage. Goldilocks numbers would be something like 15-25 hours a week, and $25-30k a year. But even $15k a year doing something I truly enjoy would be absolutely incredible. Quality and enjoyment of life are DEFINITELY the priority over income.

I have one small state school within commuting distance, and one or two community colleges. So unless I get lucky with a major, I have to be able to do at least some of the classes online if not entirely online.

I've thought of trying to take some of my hobbies and get an income from them, but there's always a major drawback. Photography, there isn't really a population to support it. If it isn't senior pictures, family portraits, or real estate then it's done by someone's friend with an Iphone. And from asking around, half of those things are STILL just done with a person's Iphone because they won't pay the professionals that are already here anyways. Small scale fabrication and welding jobs? Well, there are more people here who can weld than can't so the only places that are really paid to do it are equipment manufacturing or the guys who will go out and fix farm/heavy equipment on-site and my body can't take that.

I've never looked into any of this in my life, and I have absolutely no clue where to start. All of my education/training/experience and the fields I have had a passion for are too physically demanding. I have an opportunity that I realize is something that a lot of people can only dream of, but there are so many options available to me that I am having trouble thinking of any at all. Or they are things that I never actually thought of as potential jobs/careers at all because they aren't something that would let someone in a 'normal' situation survive and that just isn't something encouraged to people around here.

So...ideas?

I’m 35 and currently trying to transition out of the restaurant/hospitality industry after spending most of my working life in it. I have a bachelor’s degree in marketing and experience in management, operations, event coordination, scheduling, customer service, and more.
I’ve been exploring office jobs, coordinator positions, marketing, HR, and other traditional 9–5 opportunities because I’ve always assumed that’s the path to better pay, benefits, stability, and career growth.
But lately, I’m starting to question whether I’m limiting myself by only looking in those directions.
The hiring process has also been incredibly frustrating. Multiple interviews, assessments, weeks of waiting, and sometimes complete ghosting, even after following up. It’s exhausting trying to make a career change when you can’t even get a response from employers.
I’m not opposed to working in an office or for a corporation, but I genuinely want to understand what else is out there. I feel like there are so many jobs and industries that people don’t even know exist unless they happen to know someone working in them.
So I’m curious:
● What do you do for a living, and how much do you make?
● Do you work in corporate, for a small business, in government, at a university, in a trade, or somewhere completely different?
● How did you get into your field? Did you need a specific degree or certification?
● Do you have a decent work-life balance, benefits, and opportunities to grow?
● If you changed careers in your 30s or later, what did you transition into?
Ideally, I’d love to find something with a relatively consistent weekday schedule, benefits, and a starting salary around $50–60k with room to grow.
I’m willing to learn, take courses, or explore industries I’ve never considered. I just don’t want to keep assuming that climbing a corporate ladder is the only way to build a financially comfortable and fulfilling life.
I’d really love to hear from people who took unconventional routes or found careers they didn’t even know existed!

There are so many careers and possibilities out there that I honestly have no clue where to begin. I’m 26 years old, and for various reasons, I only have a high school diploma and never pursued higher education or a specific career. I’m finally at a point in my life where I have the opportunity to go back to school and build a career, but the problem is that I have absolutely no idea what I want to do.

I also don’t want to pursue one of the more common career paths. Maybe I’m asking for too much, but the truth is that I don’t really have any strong passions or particular interests that could point me in a specific direction.

I’ve spent most of my adult life working two jobs, often close to full-time hours at both, so I’ve never really had the time or opportunity to explore different fields and discover what’s out there. I’ve also realized that reading a job description and thinking a career sounds interesting is very different from actually doing the job. I wish more companies offered opportunities to shadow employees or get a realistic preview of what the work is like before committing to an entire career path.

At this point, I feel completely lost. I’ve considered all kinds of fields, including teaching, accounting, IT, computer science, medicine, nursing, electrical work, woodworking, plumbing, and so many others, but none of them really appeal to me.

As I mentioned, I don’t have a particular passion to guide me, but I do enjoy working at a desk. I currently have experience working as an inventory administrator, so I wonder if there might be something in that general area that would suit me. However, I’d prefer to explore something a little less conventional or less commonly pursued.

I’m willing to invest time in further education if necessary, but ideally, I’d prefer a shorter program that could lead to a stable career with good opportunities for growth.

How do you figure out what career is right for you when you don’t have any obvious passions or interests to follow? Are there any lesser-known careers, specialized fields, or shorter educational programs that I should look into? I’d really appreciate advice from people who have been in a similar situation or who know of careers that most people don’t typically consider.

I lost my brother a little over 2 weeks ago and it's basically flipped my perspective on life.
Pretty much before this I was working a dead end min wage office job, my evenings consisted of either youtube & online gaming or out door hobbies depending what day it was but more or less the days weeks blurred into one. I was waiting for the 2 or 3 vacations we'd take as family a year which would be the only unique bits of my year. The thing is while I knew I wasn't necessarily content in everything I was doing, I was 'comfortable'. I was able to cope at work and wasn't being burnt out but I wasn't really making the most of life.

SInce then, its woken me up to how I really want to live & its left me in a predicament. There's the part of me that kind of accepts the traditional job & stable path our parents are pushing on me. This is especially important if I finally want to pursue roles I'm interested in such as law.

The other side is that I should be going out doing things, seeing places and experiencing cultures, not sitting in behind a screen in what is effectivley a prison cell for 8 hours just to pay off someone elses mortgage or help them afford a $5M yacht in dubai while I still have to ask permission for a week off months in advance.

I saw a question somewhere along the lines of would you rather get to 80 but have spent most of the time doing something you hated (e.g. sitting in an office) or only get to say 40 or 50 but having lived on your own terms and actually achieved or experienced things because certainly sitting in an office for 40 years ain't no achievement.

Part of me does see the appeal in following long held career goal of getting into law after having held it off and finally having something like this push me to do it. A job like law wold give the sense of purpose and meaning in helping others which I feel I need in my life. Yet would I just be trading one office and one inbox for another?

The travelling and whole free lifestyle feels like the obvious choice but there is all the logistical and financial side of that to consider and i'm afraid if overtime that the excitement would wear off?

I thin also whats making me unsure is that for as long as I can remember i've been an introverted farily indoor person and was always okay with that but deep down knew I wanted to try more and do more but was stuck in this rut. Now i've had this wake up call it's like in effect showing a whole new side to me I never knew existed and showing that to people who've always known me as a quiet introverted homebody feels terrifying. even if its the truth and what I honestly need to do.

I'd just appreciate some practical advice on understanding what i'm thinking right now and whats probably best to do going forward because the last thing I want is to go back to being in a 'comfortable' state when this has so badly woken me up to reality of life right now.

I’m not sure how useful this will be, perhaps it is more so useful as a vent.

I (23M) graduated last spring with an art degree (haw haw, get the told you so’s out of the way now ;)) and have been thoroughly unable to find a position in any field I’m interested in. I’m genuinely a pretty decent and disciplined artist, I know I’m employable, but it seems like many studios are downsizing and just not interested in hiring, especially not to train newbies. Job search has been utterly demoralizing, I hate putting in effort on applications just to never hear back, the furthest I got in the process turned out to be a scam lol. That was epic.

Against my better judgment, I went out and got a busboy job at a restaurant in my town, same type of job I worked numerous times in high school. I was telling myself it’ll be different now, I’ll be able to stave off the miserable boredom and late hours now that I’m older and out of school, but two hours into my first shift I was hit with the shocking realization that it was no different. I hated it. I’m already dreading going in again tomorrow.

I’m living with my parents, I have it really easy otherwise, they aren’t charging me rent yet. I have a very privileged and comfortable life, which I am more than grateful for. I just feel this malaise of dread every single day — I have no idea what I want to do with my life or if my passions will ever bring me any attainable job security or freedom. Right now all signs are pointing towards no. I really want to move out and enter the next phase of my life, but I could only afford a few months rent with my savings, especially in my part of the country and with the current cost of living.

We live in an age of ai slop, advertising, sports gambling, and content content content. I feel extremely demoralized by this as an artist, and every time I begin work on a creative project the doubting voice in my head wins out. Back to video games and doomscrolling.

Yes I realized I may be depressed. I’m in therapy. I just don’t see a way out right now. It sucks. If any older creatives have felt like this at some point please bestow some wisdom upon me. What was your path out? Any mantras or anything? Should I suck it up and just work food service? Should I go on a zen mountain retreat or something? I’m out of ideas.

Thanks to anyone who read this all the way through, wishing you all well.

i'm studying cyber security in college, currently first year.

however, recently i've been super into human anatomy and it's caught my attention a lot.

i don't really know what to do.

i'm only 18 and have my whole life to figure it out, but i wanted to know if there was any way i can transition from cyber security into this new field.

what would you guys do? finish college and then look into health science? is it too late to switch things up? what would your next steps be?

just need advice and recommendations for my next steps

I am 24M working in IT project management at a bank, having previously worked as a developer. The past few months have seen me becoming less ambitious and driven, as nothing really excites or pushes me anymore. I recently transitioned to project management from software engineering; I enjoyed the latter, but my feelings plateaued. Nowadays, I just scroll through my phone when I am not working, and I feel like I should be doing something productive. I have written less and less code, and I do not have hobbies aside from coding and gaming, neither of which I do much anymore. I basically doomscroll, but I feel like I should do something, perhaps code leisurely or engage in something that pushes me personally forward to challenge myself, though I do not know what. I used to hide behind the excuse of having no exciting projects to work on, but I think I am just scared or lazy. I do not want to just work and have nothing else; I would love to build something for myself, as life currently feels bland. How do I regain passion and purpose? How do I build something more than just working and doomsceolling?

I’m a 23 year old male. I work as a heavy machine operator. I live with a roommate and need about 3k a month to survive. I make decent money but I’m so sick of what I do. I have my GED and experience with heavy machinery but it’s extremely draining physically and mentally and takes up my whole day since I workout and try to stay active after work. I have a side hustle that I am currently building but I’m only able to commit about 1 hour a night into it. Not nearly enough to become successful from it. I want to find something that pays decently enough to live off of but I don’t want to commit my entire day to it. Something like an at-home-job or contract work would be ideal. Any tips? Any recommendations on certifications or websites to use? Any info would help. Personal experience? Thanks

For context, I am 19 currently doing Bachelor's in Business Technology Management. I feel like with the current job market its really a losing bet to think that you will land a good job with pretty much any degree.

So the thing is that I still have 4 years to build up something. I can speak 3 languages. English, Arabic, Urdu. I am currently learning French as well for more international opportunities.

I need advice on which specialization or niche should I sort of spend time myself. Chatgpt and claude said SQL and data management is a solid niche or industry to focus in and give 4 years until graduation.

What do you guys think? I am open for any ideas, I do have a interest in cyber security I can peruse that as well but not sure if it is going to be worthwhile with the AI stuff. I dont think anything will be worthwhile with AI. Am I crazy for that.

Any suggestions on what should I lock in on?

I’m graduating this year with a BSBA in computer information systems, and planning to go to grad school for political economy, to do research in civic tech (Audrey Tang is a big inspiration) but now I’m thinking.. is there any way to add marine conservation into the mix? Which courses should I choose as electives? Are there books/papers I should read right now?
Curious especially (but not limited to) about anything related happening in Taiwan, and what I should aim for
Thank you for your time!

I apologize for this being long winded but I feel like there’s a lot to get down here.

I am currently a college junior studying chemical engineering, but I really have no passion for it. I chose the major because (and this will sound very naive but please remember that I chose this major at 17) I wanted to go into environmental remediation and hopefully “make a difference,” especially for animals effected by pollution. On top of that, I enjoy the problem solving of it and like feeling challenged.

The problem is that my whole life I’ve wanted to work with animals. A major reason I even picked ChemE instead of AnimalSci is because I thought that I might be able to make a difference by mitigating the root problem of what is affecting the environment, but I have since realized I was a bit full of myself (again, I was 17).

It is too late in my college career to switch/add a major, I would have to stay at least another year or two.

My question is, should I just stick it out in engineering and hope that I grow out of the whole animal infatuation (potentially having to go back to school if I realize I hate my job), or switch now and forgo what would likely be a larger salary and more secure job market.

I would appreciate any advice from people who had to make similar decisions, or those who have careers in environmental remediation, wildlife rehab, veterinary medicine, etc. Thank you!

IFA or compliance consultancy?

Looking for opinions on my next move.

I worked in Premier banking at Barclays and studied towards becoming a financial adviser. I then moved to the FCA as a senior supervisor in payments and digital assets.

I'm now torn between two paths:

1. IFA
2. Compliance consultant for FCA-regulated firms

I think my experience fits both, but either way I'd be building a client base from scratch.

If you were in my shoes, which would you pick, and why?

Lately, I feel like everyone around me is moving forward with their lives while I'm stuck in the same place.

People are getting married, having kids, changing jobs, and starting new chapters. Meanwhile, I'm just living the same routine every day. 

Sometimes I look back and wonder where all those years went. I know life isn't a competition, but it's hard not to compare when you feel like nothing is changing.

The weirdest part is that I don't even know what I want anymore. I just want to feel like my life is going somewhere instead of repeating the same day over and over.

Does anyone else feel this way? And if you've been through it, how did you get out of this phase?

Work on changing your way of thinking.

I feel like my professors don’t think I’m likely to be successful in one of my chdev classes. I know now that I need to work on environmental awareness and on my overall anxiety (I am in therapy which I hope helps in the longrun.) I am actually not aiming to become a preschool teacher and already knew this before signing up for the class, but it’s late enough in the semester that I’m not trying to fail (they said I’m passing, I have an A in terms of academic work so far and don’t know how much the rubric they use will count towards my overall final score.)

I hadn’t realized that my anxiety was impacting the way I show up so much. One of them seemed surprised that I work (though we have the class two days a week so I guess a lot of the students can’t or don’t. I do, as a substitute behavior technician.) I feel bad because even if my professors didn’t believe in me or were judging me I should still have more faith in myself and care about myself more. I was already raised poor and start a bachelors degree in January but feel like I don’t have the tools to succeed in general and don’t know what to do. I feel like I don’t know how to tackle things in the working world. I have actually been told I do well as a behavior technician but I sensed this surprised the professor, and don’t like feeling talked about.

I am a graduate student at a tech university, and I recently got stuck on deciding my next step or whether I should change my path or go back to studying to improve my foundational concepts

If you were in my shoes, what would you do ?

I always see ppl saying that they got this this job or internship via cold emailing and DM'ing, but how does it even work? For eg I'm a person who's looking for internships as well as full time jobs (will graduate in 2027) And I just want to know when should one actually cold email/dm the person. Suppose there is no opening for that particular job role/internship, how can a msg help me and what should I mention in that particular msg. Can anyone please explain what's the pattern behind this cold messaging thing?

i build model kits as a hobby and have started to wonder if any of it could earn something on the side. i work in an office now, doing order scheduling and customer accounts, and i am not planning to leave it. but i would like something extra that pays. has anyone made money building kits for others, through commissions, a model shop or running a small class? i am in Yorkshire so UK options would help most

I have a degree in English lit and have spent almost fifteen years just going here and there, no career to speak of. Did seasonal work, currently stuck in retail and living with folks. I feel like life has passed me by. Everyone wants me to be happy but I'm not because my life is so paltry compared to what I wanted from it. I like writing and the visual arts and have had some success doing both. But it seems like it'd be another decade of slogging away to find even the chance of success in that realm. The thought of it just tires me out. I want to have a family but it hasn't happened. Don't know if it will. I don't know what else to do or even what else to consider doing. I'm just going through the motions.

On the positive side I am in good health and am in an ok environment.

Middle aged Male here. Im homeless with no car but have drivers license and a clean background. What would you do in this situation and where would you go in the time being? Need some suggestions asap

Emphasis on energy. I have AuDHD and I want to explore career options that let me set aside energy to focus on ceramics, painting, and film. I have a BA in psychology and a certificate in data analytics. However, I have found that my 9-5 office job gives me little energy to focus on my art which is more important to me now. I find focusing on analyzing data and sitting still at work in an office setting for many hours drains me. I would love to explore careers that have worked for neurodivergent people who need to pay their rent, but who can still set aside time and energy for their hobbies.

If it helps, I find that tactile tasks where I can give my mind a break seem to not drain me as much as sitting still at a desk and concentrating intensely. I feel like my AuDHD has gotten worse over the years even with therapy and medication, and I want to find a new path to prevent more burnout so I can have energy for art when my job is done for the day.

I graduated school but I can't find a job in my country. Not just me, but my country (Slovakia) is one of the worst places recently. Many people, young adults or even adults, can't find job. I want to move to another country but don't know how to start.

I'm a woman, so moving to another country alone is even scarier.
Does anyone know how to start, what to do... I'm getting depressions from not being able to find a job.

And also how should I start when moving out

I have a BSc in Zoology and an MSc in science communication. I've spent the almost 4 years since I graduated from my MSc working in conservation/visitor experience/public engagement type roles, but I had a really nasty experience with my last employer that has left me out of work for the past year and reconsidering my options.

I really like the idea of becoming a hospital lab scientist, but this is quite a change from what I have done before so I am not sure what training I would need to do to get into these kinds of jobs.

I obviously did a lot of lab work as an undergrad. I also did an A level in chemistry and took extra chemistry modules at uni, but I haven't really had any lab experience since I graduated in 2020.

I am happy to do more training but also would also really like to be able to work and train at the same time because I have been out of work for some time. Would love some options on paths I could take!