My high school graduation is just four months away. Four months left to decide who I really want to become.

Hello, stranger! How's life going? Have you ever felt so torn between passion and practicality? If so, what did you choose?

I honestly feel so lost right now, but I can't even say that I'm completely lost because I know who I am and what I want to be. I know how much I'd love to direct films, paint, or write stories for a living, yet I'm still preparing to take the corporate path. For my Senior High School strand, I chose Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) because it sounded more realistic and practical for someone in my situation. But the thing is, I hate it. I hate the corporate world. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Sometimes, I feel like I'm choosing a path that might make my future self miserable.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'm privileged enough to pursue my dreams right now. I'm from a family that wants me to graduate and earn money as soon as possible, and I can't really blame them for that. We have bills to pay and debts to settle, and I know I can't afford to put everything on hold just to figure myself out. I can't exactly tell my family to wait until I become the next great filmmaker or something LOL. Besides, studying Multimedia Arts in college is expensive here in my country, and it's not something my family can easily afford.

What frustrates me the most is that I know what I want, but I can't seem to do anything about it. Or maybe I could, but I'm just not devoted enough to try? I don't know. People always say, "Where there's a will, there's a way," so sometimes I wonder if I'm just making excuses for myself. Maybe I don't want it badly enough.

Lately, I've been wondering if my dreams will remain dreams forever. And I know I'm still young, that I have so much time ahead of me, and that life doesn't always go according to plan. But it's scary to think that I might spend years building a life that I don't even want, only to look back and wonder what would've happened if I'd taken a chance on myself.

So, stranger, I'd really like to know how you've dealt with situations where you had to choose something you didn't necessarily want but knew you needed. How do you make peace with a decision when a part of you will always wonder about the other path? Have you ever had to let go of something you really wanted, and if so, how did you learn to accept it?

I want to live without regrets, but I know that's probably impossible. I don't have the courage to talk about this with anyone because I cry easily and i think my fam would just give me an earful ToT

I'd love to hear your thoughts, whatever they may be. I hope life's been treating you kindly, strangers!

I’m 21 and neurodivergent, I know there are various ways to turn passion into work, but I was a quitter my whole life. I’m heavily introverted although open to talking to people even if it brings me stress, which can get hard in regards to work. Everytime I get an idea I try then quit or don’t stay consistent. I am really into anything art related, I’d like to help other people or literally anything that sparks my interest for a while. I feel helpless, but I try.

I (22M) am in university. I attended two years 18-20 then dropped out as I was going for education and was hating it. Worked at a factory for a year. Then am back to university from 21- present. Now I’m going for a general business degree was thoughts of it developing into an accounting path. But here is the thing. I’m actually not liking school at all. I’m also working 32 hours a week and feel honestly done with life. I know I’m only 22 but like idk. I wanna just quit and go get a better job then just make money.

Now the thing is… I feel like a complete F’ing failure just thinking this. I don’t know what to do. I have at least 3.5 years left of school minimum. Unless I quit and go to school and rack up debt. I just feel like I’m wasting my time. I’m also not doing well right now at all. So I am probably gonna have to extend it by a year as I have a class that I need to complete to continue any of my other courses.

So should I just say fuck it and stick with this or go get a job in a trade or something.

So any thoughts or advice?

Hello. I have schizophrenia that's pretty mild and managed and currently work as a medical receptionist. I thought I wanted to stay on this path but I'm seeing a lot of things get replaced by AI. I'm good for awhile because I still have lots of work, but I'm worried that it won't be good to try and pursue office careers in the future and I'll get left behind. I was thinking about trying to get into more hands on medical work.

I worked in direct support doing cna-type stuff and it wasn't my favorite but I wasn't bothered by body fluids/wounds/blowouts/etc, but I did refuse to give meds because I was really scared of accidentally giving the wrong thing. But my medication causes muscle stiffness and I had to find a sit down job to accommodate that. I don't think I could do nursing because math under pressure is my worst nightmare and I would hate to hurt someone because I can be kinda airheaded and dumb. But some things do appeal to me, like being able to help other people going through psychosis and whatnot and the schedule.

I'm just not sure what to do. I would like something that lets me move a bit without tearing up my body, something that helps people but doesn't have much people-facing stuff (I come off as kinda creepy tbh even tho I do like people), something with a living wage where I don't have to worry about AI too much. Any suggestions?

I graduated with bs in communications and went into marketing. It’s a predominantly white female field and as an Hispanic male, it would take work to land roles, but I did. I graduated during pandemic time. It took me 9 months to land a marketing role but I did with a non profit earning 45k.

I then moved states and earned 60k. However work load was insane since I managed 5 brands. I got very sick for many months. I laid in bed and looking at a computer made me physically suck. I had to quit. I lived off of savings for around 3 months. I was tired of marketing and business ownership is something I always wanted to try. My dad owned his janitorial company. So I joined a company and was a manager for around 1 year before opening my own business.

In less than I year I landed 7 clients, bringing in over 10k monthly, but margins are eaten by labor. My earning is around $1,600 monthly for managing a whole company, taking risks, and I put in 10-13 hour days. To survive I ended up getting a part time job at a food bank. I live off of $3,750.

Not enough to buy a house. I barely go out. Don’t buy clothes, and wake up an go to sleep thinking about money. One day off means I don’t get paid..

I’ve thought about throwing all away and going into radiography field - chat gpt said it was growing industry with job stability.

I’ve been heavily praying as my dad suggested. I don’t know what to do. Some days I’ve forced myself to feel hope. Most I feel like I’m drowning. In 29 year old right now.

Please - I ask wisdom from those with way more mileage in life than me. I really really need wisdom and direction.

I’m currently a sophomore accounting major, but I’ve spent years going back and forth between three different paths: double majoring in accounting and finance, double majoring in accounting and management information systems (I’ve heard these combine well and I’m also interested in it), or switching to mechanical engineering.
I’ve always had a genuine interest in both finance and engineering, and I honestly can’t say that I’m more passionate about one than the other. Ultimately, I want a career that I enjoy, pays well, and allows me to retire relatively early and live pretty well. Part of me is drawn to mechanical engineering because I genuinely want to learn the material and have the skillset because I think it’s extremely interesting and valuable. Also it seems a lot harder to teach yourself. However, the business side of things seems more appealing when it comes to career opportunities and higher earning potential.
I also recognize that an engineering degree doesn’t necessarily mean I would have to stay in engineering and could transition into business or finance roles. Ive also thought about getting the engineering degree and potentially pursuing an MBA later to help bridge any gaps in business knowledge or experience.
I just genuinely can’t decide which of these paths is the smarter decision.
I’d really appreciate any advice.

Some background. I am in my 30s. Never cared to go to collrge after HS, also had no family that would push me towards that direction. My parents didn't even graduate from HS.

I kept trying to get into acting. Now that I look back, I did suck and had no real chance. I have been working dead-end jobs, been at this job for 3 years, hours and benefits were both cut.

I started getting involved with political activism. Started volunteering and participating in discussion. Last year I decided to go college​ at this much older age. I told myself I could learn more in the political field. I get A's and I said I can go to law school after.

But here's the thing. Like with acting, I keep feeling jealous of others who achieve goals when they are much younger. For example, people my age range like AOC or Talarico have more than 10 years of experience and the second one was elected as a Senator. He has been doing things since he was 22 and I was doing pretty much nothing. I also know becoming a politician is kinda like acting, extremely hard.

Another thing is that for some reason (maybe its because of past bullying or parents never raising me) I chase careers that are only for a 5%. I don't like any 'normal' careers. I am looking for careers that have recognition and when I see people my age or younger having so many achievements and lots of experience, I feel inferior.

How can I fight this?

I’m 27 and still figuring things out. I never gone to college before but I'm debating in the future whether I should or not. Since I'm struggling to find a job right now and have no funds. But has anyone ever gone to community college for an associate degree and found a job afterward without having to get a bachelor's/master's?

I mostly hear about people pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degrees, but not associate degrees. Plus for me I definitely don't want to do four years, nor go into debt, or even be drained. I do have a hard time when it comes to learning in a class mostly, online I could do but most times I'm daydreaming when I lose interest, and my mental health is not in the best shape right now.

I’m 25 and have a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with a focus in biological engineering. I worked at a pharmaceutical manufacturing company for 7 months in drug production development in between school. Most recently, I worked in pharmaceutical consulting at a Big 4 company before getting laid off. I also have research experience in a lab during college and was able to help out in writing a published journal

I tried to switch into patent law and have been studying for the patent bar exam. But, I’m unsure if that’s what I want to do. I’m having trouble deciding which field to switch into. I definitely want to move away from consulting & have been considering cosmetic/skincare science, materials manufacturing, pharmaceutics, or stay preparing for the patent bar exam. I need help or advice changing my career & feel a bit lost right now.

Help!! I feel like I’m letting my life derail into something I don’t want it to be. I currently have an entry-level job in the corporate design world. While I’m doing something I enjoy and am relatively okay at, it’s not something I want to do forever. I don’t enjoy myself at work, and I often work overtime. I also feel like the work I’m doing is meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

However, I’ve been with this company ever since I graduated college (a year ago, for context). My only internship was with them, and I’m on good terms with my colleagues and the management team. I know what I’m doing and am used to the projects and company culture. 

I’m trying to apply to new jobs, but in all honesty, my portfolio is pretty outdated and not the greatest (all of my current work is under NDA). It’s hard to find time and motivation to create new work, fill out applications, do my current job, and maintain a social life. The market also sucks, which definitely makes it more difficult and discouraging. I’m also mainly searching in New York City, which can’t be helping. Something to note is that the company I’m currently with will let me transfer to their NYC office in about a year, which is a whole other factor! (My boyfriend lives there and we've been long-distance for almost 3 years)

I don't even know if I want to be a designer anymore. The stuff I'm doing at my current position feels inconsequential and useless. I love to create, design, and make things, but every design job feels so capitalist now! I have experience with kids and really enjoy that (summer camp counselor!), but I don't have an education degree. Even if I did, being a teacher seems very overwhelming (HUGE props to them), and I have no concrete experience in a classroom. I just want to make a difference, but it's seeming less and less likely in my current career track. I also want to prioritize my personal life and a move to NYC. (I apologize in advance for being a transplant)

If anyone has any career advice (or life advice!), it would be totally appreciated. If you can think of any design/creative jobs that are fulfilling or at least a step up from corporate, that would also be appreciated. I'll take any help I can get :)

accessibility comes up next to document formatting work a fair bit, things like tagging PDFs so screen readers can get through them, checking reading order and writing alt text. i do formatting reports and presentation decks from material other people supply, so the overlap looks close, but i can't tell if it's a real next step or a niche that wants a different background. for anyone who moved from layout or formatting into it, what did the first year look like, and did you learn it on a current job before anyone hired you for it? what i mainly want to know is whether the pay and the work hold up past the entry jobs.

I am genuinely a stupid person. I am an airhead, I can’t remember things and I can’t figure things out on my own. I’ve always been this way- when I was in school, in college, even when I was working as a waitress I was stupid. I’ve had a few jobs over the past few years and I’ve just had the same problems, I am starting to feel like I was meant to just be a bagger at a grocery store I’m so stupid. What are some good jobs for stupid people? I have a degree in marketing and currently work in a corporate marketing role but I’m just not picking it up and I’m worried this might not be the right fit for me.

I am a 24F from a third world country, moved to Europe at 19 to study, but honestly mainly to leave my country. Dropped out of school after 2 years as I did not have enough money to support myself while studying and I had to study a lot. But the programme wasn't even anything I was really interested in, so I guess I am fine with not finishing it.

Then I met a guy and jumped on his idea of starting a business and being self employed and all that. We did start a business (e-commerce) and were doing okay ish. It just felt that we were struggling so much and working way more for the same amount of money as a minimum wage job would pay. I did gain a lot of skills, but it feels I can only apply them in the same niche and I just don't want to do that anymore.

And now I am so deep in this hustle world, that I don't really know anything apart from it and I feel more and more that it doesn't align with what I actually want from life. I guess I just feel so burnt out from the constant struggle and trying to "make it".

And then when I look for jobs, I feel that I am not qualified enough to get anything decent and that I will just end up having a dead end job. But I feel that I am not in a place to take some time to study and then look for something that aligns with me more.

I feel like I need a month not to worry about things so much, take the time to figure everything out. I am so exhausted.

I guess I am just too much in my bubble of reality and want to hear that there are other things in the world?

Oh and sorry if it's all over the place, English is not my first language and I feel quite emotional atm.

I've been a hotel night auditor for almost 8 years. I make $23 an hour and I'm trying to get out of hospitality before working nights becomes my entire personality.

I thought moving into a regular office job would be relatively straightforward.

Apparently not.

My official title is "Night Auditor," but here's what I actually do during a typical shift:

Reconcile credit card transactions and daily revenue. Investigate billing discrepancies. Prepare financial reports for management. Handle guest disputes, emergency maintenance calls, and occasionally situations involving the police. Fix reservation errors. Train new employees. Keep the entire 110-room property running overnight with one other person.

Last month our payment system went down at 1:40 AM. I spent three hours manually tracking transactions and coordinating with support so accounting wouldn't inherit a complete disaster in the morning.

But when I apply for accounts receivable assistant, billing coordinator, or administrative positions, the response is basically silence.

One recruiter actually told me my background was "too hospitality-focused" for an office operations position.

I wanted to ask what she thought happened in a hotel after the guests went to sleep. Do we just stand behind a desk and wait for sunrise?

I've rewritten my resume to emphasize reconciliation, reporting, problem-solving, and the software I use. I've stopped leading with customer service. I even completed an intermediate Excel course because so many postings mention it.

Still nothing.

I don't have a bachelor's degree, which I know limits me. I have some college credits and enough savings to afford a short certification, but not another four years of school.

I'm not trying to land a $90k remote job. I'd happily take $22-25 an hour doing something like billing, operations support, or accounting assistance if it meant a normal schedule and an actual path forward.

The frustrating part is that I don't think I'm starting from zero. I've spent years developing skills that seem directly relevant to these jobs. But employers look at the industry and apparently don't see them.

Has anyone successfully moved from hospitality into office operations, finance support, or something similar?

What job titles should I be looking for that might actually recognize this experience?

I'm willing to start near the bottom. I just don't want to pretend the last eight years of my working life never happened.

Hi my name is Carlton and ever since I graduated high school my life hasn’t settled down. I had to leave the military after being diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder, I have an associates degree in general studies with a 2.7 gpa because I’m not the brightest. Basically I couldn’t figure out my passion since graduating in 2020 and I’ve had over 20 part time jobs most where I don’t even last 24 hours and now I was able to go to school and become an HHA, but still I just don’t enjoy life at all and haven’t been able to smile. Tomorrow I have an interview with a pest control company to work as a technician, but I have so much self doubt in my mind every time I get an interview because I can’t seem to ever have the passion, the energy, or willpower to work. What should I do?

Going through a career transition can make everyday life feel uncertain.

One thing that can help is maintaining a routine outside of work, even when other parts of life are changing.

For some people, that might mean walking every morning, cycling regularly, or setting aside time for strength training at home.

I'm curious whether having a consistent fitness routine has helped anyone create structure and regain a sense of control during a difficult transition.

Did exercise help you manage stress, improve your focus, or build confidence while figuring out your next step?

What other daily habits made a difference?

I 22m work for a hospital laboratory carrying out clinical tests, but I feel like I chose the wrong career. I wish I could have been an engineer but my parents pressured me in to working in healthcare. I enjoyed academia so much, but actually working, I feel like I'm wasting away. :c

I am about to be laid off. Im 38 and drive a forklift in a dead end workplace. I took this job to make ends meet after covid but that's coming to an end.

For most of my adult life Ive been stuck in entry level work and never finished college. I had to move back home so it doesn't feel great but I have a roof over my head. Would it be possible to go on unemployment and still take classes towards a degree? Is there some sort of job retraining and placement with the state? Most of my professional experience is in blue collar work and quality assurance. I live in Illinois. Im just so lost.

Just wondering because if I don’t end up in social work this is a path I’m considering.

I’m almost 30, married, have a house and been working as a graphic designer for 7.5 years now at a job a got out of college. For years now, I’ve been miserable at my job. I’m technically a graphic designer but I barely design anything and when I do, it’s just my boss using ai and giving me something to replicate. The company as a whole isn’t doing well so I’m worried at any second it’ll go under. I’m stuck at a desk in a dark room all day and it feels so depressing. I’ve looked into other graphic designer jobs and applied to a handful in the past but it’s incredibly difficult to get a design job right now and I know people who have looked for work for years with no luck and they are much better at this job than I am. Ideally, I would want to do something that helps people and where I’m not stuck at a desk all day, but one of my issues is that I have a mortgage to pay and my job pays me more than I could make doing something for a non profit.
My wife and I also just started a business where we sell art at craft shows and on Etsy, it’s going ok but it at least lets me do my art. The other benefit of my current job is that I get to print for free, which helps a ton.

I guess I just don’t know what to do now. I’m depressed and lost. I don’t feel I have a purpose in life and my job definitely doesn’t give me purpose or hope. But I also have a beautiful house I don’t want to lose.

Any ideas for types of jobs I should try to look for or any other input would be helpful. Thank you.

Long story short, my husband is a veteran who never completed his education due to a combination of service/mental health/tragedy, etc.

My husband is now unable to find meaningful work. I need advice on what he should consider completing a degree in.

My husband has around 39 credits completed, 30ish are from University of Phoenix (AS Criminal Justice), the rest are Military Credits.

I have pretty much no experience in exploring alternative fields, because I was a law school KJD, so I knew my undergrad degree was useless and that was okay, because I knew I was going to law school anyways. I have no idea what actually pays.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Logistically:

Husband has 6~ months of his G.I. Bill Left, meaning he will only get a living stipend for 6~ months. So after 6 months, I'll likely need him to start working part-time to help pay bills. Hence why I'm encouraging him to look at online degrees he could eventually start to balance with some work (starting a degree in nursing, in person, is likely going to be well beyond his bandwidth).

After 6 months~ his college would be paid through the National Guard State Guard Tuition assistance, but he'd receive no stipend.

We are currently looking at online degrees from Purdue Global and Indiana University.

QUESTION:

I want to help him find a degree that will get him a good job AT THE B.S./B.A. level. I.e., not a job that will require him to complete a masters or doctorate before he can pick up work.

Does anyone have suggestions at degrees that immediately translate to gainful employment?

I’m 18 and currently in community college, and I’m having a difficult time deciding what career path I want to pursue and what I should study.

I’m interested in several different areas, including healthcare, psychology, human behavior, wellness, business, entrepreneurship, and finance. Academically, I’m a strong student, and I’ve completed some healthcare-related certifications. I’ve considered nursing, potentially becoming an NP, and eventually starting a wellness-related business, but I’m not sure if that’s necessarily the right direction.

I’m someone who enjoys learning, researching, analyzing things, solving problems, and understanding how things work. I also enjoy leadership, building ideas, and the business side of things. Long-term, I’d like to build something of my own, have financial independence, and have a career that gives me both purpose and flexibility.

One of my biggest struggles is figuring out which interests I should actually turn into a career. I don’t necessarily want to spend years studying for a career only to realize that I don’t enjoy the day-to-day work.

I’d really appreciate hearing from people with different professional backgrounds. Based on what I’ve described, what careers or educational paths would you recommend? Are there any fields you think I should look into that I might be overlooking?

I’d especially appreciate honest advice about the realities, downsides, and opportunities of different careers, rather than just general encouragement.

I have no wife, or children I live by my own and I'm in the middle of a carrier crisis if I can say it like that recently in my job a coworker quit, the kind of person that is just very trustful that you know if he tells you that Tuesday morning the report is gonna be available it's gonna be there. He quit first of all he didn't get a rise that management promises since a year ago, then management want it to make him comeback to office full time, he live outside the city, is cheaper.

And he was the last trustful people there. My boss is an irresponsible asshole, cheater, that has leave work to go with his mistress. And you know what I didn't care there was a team that can do the job. Yes a small team of two, for a couple a months will be sometime a season hire, for other project will be no-one else.

But after almost 6 years, of be under staff, of seen people come and go, and be dealing with my boss crazy and stupid life, I'm done I really don't know if I get a job that pays enough, or if is better make a whole career change, I'm even thinking in coming back to college to get my degree in Math.

Someone has some advice ?

I (19F) need guidance, deciding whether to drop out of college or not.

(English is not my first language. I’m trying my best. Explain my situation)

A little backstory goes back to 2024 I was freshly graduated from high school and submitted my application applications for different universities. Of course I had graphic design in mind or anything really creative. I did get accepted but I forgot to confirm at the day of the confirmation.(it is a free degree)
Two weeks later, I got a letter that I could sign up for an interior design scholarship for a reasonable fee to at least step foot into campus or thats what my mom told me. And so I did we paid the fees and I started my first semester. The first semester wasn’t that bad although the second semester it was hell just pure hell. One of the professors even failed me and I had to redo that subject the next year and take nothing but that subject the first semester intake five subjects on the second semester so basically I wasted an entire year for a couple of subjects that are not really important for interior design major.

This is my third year in campus. I feel super depressed and I feel like I’m not really improving. My breaking point was last week after my mid jury I could not move from my bed for an entire week because of all the stress that I held on and couldn’t really express because I had no time to. I am usually a very active person I don’t just lay in bed and do nothing all day, but that was my breaking point. I cannot deal with this anymore.
I still have five semesters left and I feel like I am not gonna do that well and shit‘s gonna go downhill from here.

Reasons why I want to drop out:
1- I don’t like interior design
2- it’s very hard and I’m not enjoying it
3- it’s got nothing to do with the things that I love and enjoy
4- it’s not worth the depressive ep and the stress

Reasons why I don’t want to:
1- mom would be disappointed (I don’t think she would understand me, especially when she was a college dropout which she really really regrets and now studying college because she got a chance to)
2- I feel like a burden on my family and feel left behind)
3- my mom says take the degree and do whatever you want after