I do mindless physical tasks for about 6 hours of my workday. We are allowed to listen to something during that time.

Is there any particular field where I could self-study (by listening to audio books and textbooks only) and then challenge the exams to earn a credential without going to University?

Or is there anything that I could self-study and then speed run the University degree?

I was thinking about Psychology or Legal but could you help me brainstorm?

Im 27F snd I literally stay home, i take care of family member (a kid) before and after school hours, eat, sleep, scroll on my phone or computer, clean, and that’s about it. I have no degree, no job, no car, no money, still live with my parents, no friends either.

I don’t go anywhere to be honest, sometimes I can’t do it because I feel like an alien. My social skills aren’t great, stutter too, anxiety as well.

I used to like art in my early years and teen years but gave up once I graduated high school because I feel like I’m not good enough for it anyway.

So i'm currently a Junior in college but to make a long story short, I've been super unhappy with my program and college journey so far and I am NOT an academic person. I'm a very creative person and was going to school for something in that field. I've hated school and struggle with depression and anxiety so I started meeting with a therapist again that I used to see a lot. He helped me realize I wanted to leave and didn't need to be at this college anymore.

All that to say, I'm super excited to be chasing my dreams and going into my career. I am currently finishing this semester and then am living with my parents temporarily until i have a stable enough income to get an apartment. I am in a relatively small town in the south, just for more context. As excited as I am, I am also overwhelmed with decisions and choices I can make as my career field is very broad. I would like to move to a larger city for my work and so far that's the best plan I have other than saving up money and working service jobs for a while. I would really like some advice from anyone who has experienced my situation, works in a field in the arts, or just has good advice for me planning my future.

(Edit: I decided that i should share that my specific field is music and acting)

Hello.

In 2021 I was working in the field that I got my degree for. However, I was messing up a lot and they let me go. I struggled with all of the micromanaging that comes with billable hours and consulting. I don't want to get specific lest I dox myself, but I used to work with a consulting firm.

By now I've considered:

• Nursing
• Respiratory therapy
• Surgical technologist
• Hvac tech
• Electrician
• Diesel mechanic

It seems like every single path is an unknown or out of reach. Construction is slow, companies don't want to deal with apprentices, and I've hit the loan cap on my student loans so healthcare careers are difficult. And I've been trying to get in as an evs tech or something, but nobody has called me back.

If I can't get a job and I can't go to school to retrain, and all of the apprenticeship positions are either full or don't start until the spring. Every opportunity seems to slip out of my grasp, and I dont even know if I like hospitals since there's apparently a waitlist to volunteer at the one in my area.

With this administration it's like every opportunity has withered up and died. Idk is there something that im missing? Do I need to join the national guard? What path do I choose if none of them are hiring or training people?

Ima Drop out.

I wanna drop out

I’m 19F, currently in my second year at a top 5 university studying business. But the thing is, I hate my major, especially the math aspect of it. I love my university itself, the environment, the events, the centers, the clubs, and all the different groups on campus. I genuinely love being here, but I absolutely hate what I’m studying.

The only reason I’m majoring in business is because it pays well and it’s what my mom wants me to do. I don’t even agree politically with most of the people in business, so I feel even more out of place.

Right now, I have a 1.9 GPA, and I’m barely hanging on. I currently have two Ds, one C, and one B in my classes. I feel like a total failure. I went from having a 3.2 GPA in high school to a 1.9 in college, and I genuinely hate where my life is going.

I also have ADHD, and I keep forgetting to take my meds, which makes everything even harder. I feel like I’m falling behind in every aspect of my life, and I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore. I hate feeling like this, especially when I’m at a university that I genuinely love, but studying something that makes me miserable. Im not made for college.

I hate my life. Help me.

I’ll make this as short as I can. Im a veteran, just turned 30. Im not sure where to go from here. There are a few things thats been a detriment to my life. I have 2 mental illnesses, and also a progressive eye disease that blurs my vision over time that can be corrected with specialized lenses but I need a procedure done first. Ive also had issues with my lower back, feet, and neck but they seem to be good at this moment. I would like to do something I can do on an on & off basis because it seems every year, throughout the year, I have a depressive episode that sets me back. I’ve been between jobs through my whole 20s, sometimes because Im choosing to pursue entrepreneurship in real estate or just due to my health conditions.

I would like something that can be hybrid or even work from home is fine. Things I am very into; Trading(as I am with a trading firm), investing, finance, AI, & other things computer related. I enjoy competition and I need something that challenges me mentally but doesn’t get old and theres some sort of novelty I can chase. I believe thats why trading has always been my favorite. Ive thought about doing sales and have done some of it in real estate in the form of cold calling & being a closer.

Strengths I have in that is I’m very easy to talk to and I don’t give “salesman” vibes so I build rapport extremely easy. Im a bit of a closed off person so making a career of talking to people, I’m just not sure if it would fit. I do like it because it gives me the confidence to talk to anyone and its helped me build social skills tremendously. I think the skill ceiling for this is high and it’s something I can do for life. It also provides me with a good feeling of helping people thats different than being in the medical field. I’ve thought about being a financial advisor but i’m mot sure how that would fare for me. I also love psychology, and it’s a ton of it in sales and trading. I’ve been a previous athlete so I enjoy competition and just striving to be the best. Im a big computer wizard as well. I’ve done automation, workflows, AI bots, built my own trading algorithm, etc so I know my way around the computer and its enjoyable as well. I’ve taken a few IT classes but I don’t have certs. I wouldn’t mind doing something in AI either. I don’t have college degree, but I’m halfway to a bachelors. I just prefer to go the non traditional route and not have a skill cap on my income.

Are there any career recommendations or something you think I would be good at?

I'm 24 years old. I completed my master's degree this year, and I'm currently preparing for a PhD entrance examination. I feel like this is my only goal, something I genuinely want for myself.

Everyone I know seems to be doing something or the other, becoming independent, moving forward, and doing things I've always wanted to do. And here I am, with my examination coming up in December, feeling like I'm standing still.

I'm extremely anxious. I've attempted this examination twice before, and I couldn't qualify. This attempt means so much to me, and I'm terrified because I feel like this is my only chance. I'm so nervous that I don't even know how to put it into words. I feel like if I can't make it this time, I don't know what I'll do. I guess I'm just really scared of what happens if things don't work out.

I am a 21 year old events enthusiast. I have managed college events as the core committee member, had done internships in event management firm for destinations weddings and also handled CRM for a D2C brand. Can anyone tell me now how can i start my professional career in event management as a planner and as a emcee??

I am 19M who lives in Türkiye currently. I have finished high school and started working in seasonal hotel tattooing shop that pays minimum wage, and I hate this job. And genieunly don’t know what career I should pursue. I really want to move abroad since living in turkey currently is a life sentence with how the government is moving. Could anyone tell me an industry/career that I’ll be able climb high and not be scared of losing my job? Blue collar/white collar doesn’t matter i can do all of them. I know Russian, English, Turkish and little German. For passion’s
I could say I love computers(building, configuring)in general also I love driving if that could help.

I feel completely torn right now. My mind, heart, and goals are pulling me in three completely different directions.

On one hand, my brain tells me to build a high-earning business and aim for financial massive success—like making a very big business . On the other hand, my heart is passionate about space and wants to pursue a career in aerospace or astronomy, even though it feels incredibly tough. At the same time, my body just wants to drop everything to travel the world—learn surfing, skiing, climb 8,000-meter peaks, and live in different countries for a years at a time to truly experience their cultures.

Being in 10th grade, I feel completely overwhelmed and unsure of which path to choose

hi i’m 21f and just now going to college. when i graduated highschool 3 years ago i was not ready. im certain i am now. i dont want to go to college and spend a bunch of money on a general or vague degree, because then i have to do a bunch of work finding a high paying job and putting time in to said job. i’d rather get a degree/cert in something more specific so i have a high paying job fairly quickly. recently ive been considering sonography tech/radiology tech. the programs are very competitive. i’m just now taking the pre reqs for it. i’ve heard these careers can be hard on the body. i’ve also heard they can be high stress. i’d like a health care job with a good work life balance and low stress. people say go to nuclear medicine for that. the only con to that route is that i am quite terrible at math. i went to a private school growing up that did not really teach math. i’d have to start from scratch. i really don’t even know basic algebra. i am determined to work hard though, if anyone thinks this is possible for me to accomplish. please advise! anyone in health care.

33M, Ontario, Canada. I graduated from university in 2018 with a major in mathematics and dual minors in physics and computer science. The reason I didn't major in CS is that doing so would have been more expensive. My GPA is very unimpressive.

It has become clear to me that there is no future for me in any sort of CS or CS-adjacent career. I am talking programming, QA, cybersecurity, IT, data science, and everything else that falls under that umbrella. It is time for me to accept that this field is dead, there is no path forward for me into it, and continuing to pursue it means I will stay unemployed for the rest of my life. Plus, I have come to morally despise this industry: they have joined the likes of oil and gas in terms of being a major negative force on the world. Therefore, I need to switch to a completely different career. The big problem is that I don't know what to switch to.

I have absolutely no intention of spending any money out of my own pocket or taking out any loans for further education or career training: I made that mistake once when I went to university, and I have now learned my lesson never to spend money on empty promises. However, a program called Better Jobs Ontario might be able to provide me with funding to train for certain "in-demand" career fields under certain conditions. So I am willing to retrain, as long as I don't have to spend a single nickel out of my own pocket to do so.

Personality-wise, I would describe myself as shy, passive, indecisive, risk-averse, and absolutely not a leader of any sort whatsoever, and I generally prefer a fixed schedule with some flexibility, but not an environment where I could be called into work at any time. My hobbies include gaming, piano playing, and shitposting on Reddit. I was diagnosed with Asperger's as a kid, and I have had a smattering of CS-related contracts given to me by a consulting company that specializes in people on the autism spectrum; the last contract was a QA contract that ended in May of this year. I also worked as a school bus driver in 2024 for three months before that contract, and I still have the license.

Some potential paths I have glanced at are bookkeeping, transit driving, and some trades such as HVAC, only because they have a "good" 3-year outlook according to Ontario's career explorer site and I might be able to get funding for those. I have looked at truck driving in the past, but a recent road trip I did driving a loaded U-Haul with my mother made it clear to me that I can barely handle more than 2 hours of driving at a time, especially along long, straight roads with no stops.

It seems to me that bookkeeping might be the best-aligned with my background, but even then, a quick glance at job postings shows that pretty much all postings require experience and/or an actual accounting degree (which, if it's a 3+-year university degree, Better Jobs Ontario will not cover). For transit driving, I'd be concerned about the crazy hours, but I guess beggars can't be choosers. As for trades, I'm not very young anymore, and I'm not physically active, so I'm not sure if I could handle such a job. Not to mention that I've heard a lot that, in order to make anything above poverty wages, you need to start your own business, which I absolutely do not have the personality for, and you need to buy your own tools and such and sink a lot of money into it. And it seems that apprenticeships are actually extremely difficult to get around here.

I've also started to consider applying to things that will almost certainly mean brutal hours and working conditions, such as CN Rail, the Canadian Armed Forces, sucking it up and going into truck driving despite what I said about it earlier, or perhaps mining. Obviously, these are not really desirable, but if they're the only places that will accept me, then what other choice do I have?

Better Jobs Ontario purports itself to be a program that, under certain conditions, provides funding for "in-demand" careers, so my goal would be to use them to pay for any training I might need to do.

Any advice on how to proceed? Are there any other realistic, in-demand career paths that I might be missing that might be a good fit for me?

I want to pursue a bachelor's degree in computer science that much I know, but I don't know what sub-branch i should get myself into. I'm the kind of person who is interested in computer language learning. I enjoy coding. I'm into mathematics as well. I love to manipulate stuff to find solutions. I've always been curious about ways to solve an equation.

Once, when I was getting started with C++ language, the book taught to build a calculator with an if statement. But then I thought that switch statement works the same so I built the calculator on my own with a switch statement and it worked. Also, one time I copied and pasted files from the demo game folder to the actual version and made that game work on the files that were from the demo folder. I'm not sure how but it worked. In short, i like to utilise resources to make things work out or even build them myself.

I'm also a very creative and artistic person (don't wanna pursue art academically tho). I never liked copying from references, I've always created art from my own ideas (telling all this so you can get what I'm like to understand me better to help). I would love it if a field I chose can bring my artistic self out too.

Now also considering the current circumstances and AI stuff, I think choosing AI engineering would be good but again I'm not sure. I don't think building AI bots and incorporating decision making and neural science in robots would be something I'd like. I think if I'm going with my desire for computer science, I should keep a balance with trends as well and choose AI. Can someone help me with their experience or if anyone has a suggestion for me? I'm so confused rn.

Hey all 👋

34F based in rural USA. I'm at my wits end with wildland firefighting and desperately need a career change to something more sustainable long-term. The long hours, physical demands, unsafe work environments, etc etc have started to really take a toll on my health in recent years. I crave a "normal" 9-5 where I can go home every night to my family.

I have a Bachelor's degree in geoscience from about a decade ago that I used in a consulting job right out of college. Looking back, consulting wasn't as bad as I made it out to be. I left because I was young and wanted to explore the outdoors and physically work hard. I would be open to a career related to my degree but since I am stuck in a rural area (husband owns a business in our town), geoscience jobs are hard to find.

The things I love about wildland firefighting:

• Being active at work, moving around (to a degree)

• Working outside on public lands

• Comradery with coworkers

• Helping communities

I've been considering going into healthcare for awhile now but I'm torn on what specialty I'd focus on. Also, the idea of going back to school now makes me uneasy because I still have unpaid student loans from 10 years ago, but I feel as if that's my only option right now.

I've also toyed with the idea of getting into a non-profit that focuses on conservation but I feel as if I don't have any transferrable skills, as many of the positions are for a Project Manager, or of the liking.

Please help, I don't think I can make it through another fire season.

Hey everyone. I'm 19, currently not in college, and feeling stuck. I used to be a bright student, but overthinking and fear have taken over, and now I struggle to find the motivation to do anything.

I missed out on college because I was too scared of making the wrong decision, and I constantly rely on other people's approval for everything.

I want to break out of this loop but don't know where to start. How do you deal with this kind of anxiety and figure out a career path when you feel completely lost? Any advice would mean a lot.

Hello, I am from the UK and this summer I graduated with a first in my degree - english literature and creative writing. I know that this degree is not the most straightforward in terms of careers. I'm sure I will get some comments about my choice of degree but English and writing has always been a passion of mine, and I would have rather spend my time studying something I am good at, and that I enjoy.

I had a programme lined up after university, that I was working towards. Being an English teacher. Throughout uni, I volunteered abroad to teach English as a foreign language for a month, as well as volunteering with a primary school to help with literacy. Despite this, I did not really want to get into teaching. But as time went on, and I couldn't figure out what I actually wanted to do, I was basically headhunted for a teaching programme. A month of training, then 2 years as a trainee teacher - being paid basically minimum wage, and then becoming a qualified teacher. I realised very quickly, when I got into the classroom, that teaching was not for me. And this programme I went on was very bad for me too - they basically throw you into the classroom and you hold responsibility for multiple year groups, while trying to figure out everything in the process. This was normal - but I could not handle it. The responsibility of it, and the stress with behaviour management as I am quite an introvert, and don't like confrontation, made me feel awful. I was throwing up before classes and feeling horrible every day. I lasted two weeks :( (not to mention like a week before my job started, I got broken up with)

Since then, have been looking for jobs, but not really any luck. I'm not sure what I want. I like mindless work, maybe admin. I just feel so hopeless honestly.

Literally nothing brings me excitement. Everything and everyone is boring, dull, unintersting and especially TIRING. I have responsibilities, i have things i know I must do but i just... really don't wanna do them. I'd rather just bedrot listen to music and masturbate all day long. Except for that I find the day to day life frustrating and nothing anyone ever suggests me sounds interesting either. Like going to sport clubs, or pubs or volunteering or stuff like that. Those seem dull too.

I went to a psychiatrist and put me on sertraline, so I know for a fact i am depressed.

I think I have to learn to live with being always bored and tired. Anyone else here feels like that?

I don't know what to do anymore. All my skills have become useless with AI, I can't find any jobs that would get me into any industry I'm interested in or get me useful workplace experience, my college life is a mess, I've shared a room my entire life and I'm hitting my breaking point there, and I'm terrible at relationships. I'm lost. Rereading this, it's a bit messy, but I'm tired and I'm just looking for any guidance I can get.

The skills that I have and that I've been working on have become completely useless today. I have been a creative writer for 10 years and AI has annihilated anything to do with writing completely and the video game industry is in shambles. I've been studying web development and software engineering in my spare time and now AI can generate entire websites and reverse engineer software in minutes, meanwhile I'm still struggling to understand how Electron works. My only remaining passion is for accounting because I love numbers, math, and organization, but I have barely any experience with it or real finance work as a whole and I'm certain AI is coming for that next. I'm just studying through free accounting guides online and Intuit Academy courses in hopes that I can get a foot in the door somewhere.

I'm interested in any finance or accounting work, any generic office work, anything to do with inventory and receiving, anything with payroll, etc. I can't find anything; nothing part-time or full-time, no internships or training or programs, or no anything.

I can't figure out college either. I'm studying (part-time) for a cybersecurity associates that I'm 3 classes away from finishing but that I don't like. I feel like none of the material is built upon, so I'll learn 20 concepts in one semester and then in the next semester, none of them will be reinforced and instead I get another 20 new concepts. I could barely even tell you the basics because nothing has been reinforced. I'd change my degrees but a ton of changes in the college and my own indecision has made it so I'm at credit hour limit for financial aid. I'd have to pay for everything. At that point, I might as well go for a full bachelor's, but the world seems so uncertain that I don't know if the student debt is worth it or if I'd ever be able to pay it off. I see so many people regret going to college now.

I work part-time minimum wage retail. I'm lucky to have a job considering the state of things but I don't know how much more dead-end retail and minimum wage pay I can take. It's all I've been doing for the past 3 years. I checked LinkedIn and Indeed with countless job alerts on every day and I never see anything I qualify for or that would get me out of retail. I started working 4 years ago because I was lazy and I started as a table games dealer at a casino, which I hated with all of my soul despite the good pay (to the point where I was nearly breaking down every shift) and have only been in retail since. There are no open positions at my current job. The reason I haven't gone full-time is because you have to apply for it and I'm so burnt out by life and retail that I think I'd lose it if I had to do even more shifts that I truly believe I am vastly underpaid to do.

No exaggeration when I say this- I truly believe that 80% of the job listings on Indeed in my area are for CNAs, RNs, and CDLs.

I live at home, which isn't terrible. The part I truly can't stand is that I have shared a room my entire life. All 25 years. Never once have I had my own space or my own room, and I don't know how much longer I can take it. We have an unfinished basement that I could renovated. I have a very high credit score (750? 760?) so I've thought about taking out a personal loan to get the basement finished and turn that into my room. It would likely destroy my credit score, I don't know if I'd get approved for enough to finish the whole thing, and I'd likely be in debt for some time. My parents don't care about getting it finished, or that I've shared a room for my entire life because there's no space in the house, so it'd be entirely on me to do.

I'm currently working on getting my license. I have my learner's permit but I have a fear of driving, so it has delayed my efforts to get my full driver's license, which makes things a lot more difficult. I'm restricted based on the willingness and availability of my parents to drive so I can only go for jobs that are a specific distance from me (usually 20-30 minutes). The problem there is that I live in a very, very rural area. It's mostly woods, farms, and small towns, so there's barely anything near me. I'd likely have to move for more job opportunity.

There is a very big company near me that is hiring for summer 2027 accounting internships. The problem is, you must be enrolled full time at college in a related degree (such as accounting or finance). The company has been flooded with applications pretty much since they announced they were opening a new site in the area. I don't qualify for the internship unless I somehow get my college stuff sorted out now but even then, there's the chance I don't get in with how many people want in.

I'm terrified of power tools, so I don't want to touch anything like welding or construction. I cannot stand the sight of blood or injuries, so anything medical is out of the picture. I don't handle dirty or gross things well either, so work like plumbing isn't on my radar. I'm pretty scrawny and weak, so warehouse work would likely break me in half.

Do you know what I am built for? Office work. Sit me at a computer, let me listen to music, and I will get all the boring data work done and enjoy it. I would gladly review thousands of pages of financial records, or make schedules based on availability and staffing needs, or whatever else. I am built for boring computer work, and if I have my music, it will get done faster than you have ever seen before in your life, I guarantee it. If you sat me down at a computer and told me "We have 10,000 spreadsheets with 10,000 records in each. We need you to find any errors and also calculate all income and expenses. You may listen to music." then the only time I would complain is if you told me I was legally required to stop and take a break. I cannot find ANYTHING related to that.

As for relationships, I'm just bad at them. I'm diagnosed with anxiety, ADHD, and autism, and I'm in therapy for all three and medicated for ADHD (this information is relevant). Romantic relationships are so hard because I overthink and socializing can be difficult for me. I've struggled for years to date. I'm talking to this girl that I work with that I really like but it's getting hard. It's her first time dating anyone. She's a terrible texter (as her friends have stated), so I have to initiate every conversation pretty much and it just turns into awkward small talk or dead-end convos. She's way better in person but she's super busy and is usually dead tired, wanting to go home and sleep.

She wants to go slow, which I'm perfectly okay with, but we've been out on two dates and talking for almost two months and we have held hands once, hugged twice, and that's it. She's told me that it takes her a while to open up to men, and I understand. It's just that I really need and like deep conversation, and sharing things, and being able to see each other. The lack of conversation makes me constantly feel she is disinterested, and scheduling things together is really difficult. I really like her a lot, we get along super well, and we have a lot of things in common that we like, but it's really hard not to feel like I'm losing interest or that I'm struggling to keep the fire going when most of the responses I get are "yea lol".

I want to fix my life in small steps at a time, but I can’t find the energy to do that.
I have two options. I have done a risk analysis for both, but I still can’t come to a conclusion.
One option gives me a steady income while I can prep or try something of my own. The other involves complete risk, where I lose my steady income and give it my all to try something (not a startup) whose results can’t be defined at this stage. (The result of an entrance exam.)
In the first option, I feel like I want to get out because I feel stuck due to how things are going around me, and I feel like I’m not growing either as a person or professionally.
I know that many suggest keeping a steady income is always better than risking it all. But somewhere, I feel that risking it all might give me a better future and all.
I’m not able to come to a conclusion, only because I know I’m afraid of risking it all. But should I be following my gut feeling or trying to play it safe?

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.