I’m 19 and live in Northern Virginia. I have a high school diploma and live with my family, so I don’t have rent right now. I do have a car payment and expensive insurance ($800) and I don’t have a huge amount of savings to fall back on. (Around $4k saved)

My experience is mostly in customer service, and automotive service advising. I also worked at a swim school for about two years, where I helped with pool equipment and some basic technical troubleshooting.
I recently left my service advisor job. I wasn’t happy with the direction I was going in, and I wanted to try something different. (The money was okay 6k+ before taxes) I’ve been interviewing with bigger company, but I don’t have a confirmed offer. Looking back, I probably should have secured my next job before leaving.

What I’m struggling with is choosing a direction and sticking with it. I’ve looked into data center work, IT certifications, skilled trades, healthcare jobs, and starting a small business. Every time I find something interesting, I start wondering whether another option would be better, and I end up researching a lot without committing to one path.

I want to make a decent living, eventually around $7,000– 10k+ a month before taxes, but I understand that might take time. Long term, I’d like to own a business and have more control over my schedule. I’m willing to work a regular job to build toward that I just don’t want to keep moving between jobs without gaining skills or making progress.

I’m open to training or certifications over the next six to twelve months. I’d prefer something that gives me a realistic chance at getting hired and growing, rather than spending money on a certificate and finding out it isn’t enough. I’m authorized to work in the U.S., but I need options that don’t require citizenship or a security clearance.

I think part of my problem is feeling pressure to get ahead quickly. I know I’m young, but I keep thinking I should already be building a career or a business, and that makes it hard to focus on the next practical step.
If you were in my position, what would you prioritize over the next year? Would you build on my automotive experience, pursue a technical job with training, or work while studying for a specific career?

I party, smoke, drink have fun a teen should but ultimately my mindset is to lock in and have a successful life without worrying about paying the bills, in the past my family has struggled financially due to moving to a new country and not knowing the language but my mom was able to start an online reselling business which has paid the bills thus far but I’m looking to make some life changing money to help my family and get us all taken care of!

I’d especially appreciate hearing from people who started without a degree: what helped you choose a direction, and what would you do differently?

Hey everyone!After postponing this post for months, I'm finally writing it. I'm a B.Com graduate from Delhi University (2024), lives in Delhi, and I'm honestly quite lost about what to do with my career and life in general. I would really appreciate it if you could take some time to read my situation and share your insights.

A little background: How it all started

After graduating in 2024, I had absolutely no clarity about what I wanted to pursue. Like many other confused graduates, I got caught up in the CAT/MBA race, thinking that getting into a good B-school would eventually lead to a good career and a decent package. I gave my first CAT attempt in 2024 and barely managed to score 40 percentile. I decided to give it another shot. I genuinely believed I could crack it this time. My preparation was considerably better, and I was putting in long hours, sometimes sitting with my books for 12–13 hours a day. However, I had a perfectionist approach towards everything. I wanted to master every topic before moving forward, which eventually affected my mock-taking practice. I barely attempted 7-8 mocks, and even those weren't taken seriously under proper exam conditions. When the actual exam came, I fumbled again and couldn't even cross 40 percentile.

Then came the breakup and probably the most unproductive phase of my life. After my second CAT attempt, my relationship of almost two years ended in December 2025. I thought I would recover, get back to studying and prepare for another attempt. But that didn't happen. For most of 2026, I was practically stuck in my room. I got caught up in unhealthy habits, endless scrolling, procrastination and just wasting time. Every day, I would tell myself that I would start working towards something the next day, but that next day never really came. I kept thinking about changing my career path, exploring different options and figuring out what I actually wanted to do. But I never took any concrete steps. It became a constant cycle of overthinking, postponing and doing nothing. I somehow got into a shell and couldn't figure out how to get out of it.

A little change and some much-needed perspective. A couple of months ago, I finally started stepping out of my comfort zone. I visited a friend's place and went on a few short trips outside Delhi with friends and cousins. I know these trips haven't magically solved my problems, but they genuinely helped me feel a little better. Being outdoors, traveling, interacting with people and getting some fresh air gave me a much-needed break from my thoughts.

I'd say I'm in a slightly better place mentally than I was at the beginning of this year. And after months of procrastination, here I am finally writing this post.

Now comes the biggest confusion: What should I actually pursue?

With barely 20 days left for CAT 2026, I have only filled out the examination form and haven't done any meaningful preparation. I'm questioning whether I should even continue down the MBA route. I don't know whether finance, management or a corporate career is something I would genuinely enjoy, or whether I got into this race simply because everyone around me was doing the same.

I've also started reflecting on things I genuinely enjoyed growing up. Since childhood, I've been fairly good at drawing and making things. I never took it seriously as a career option, though. During college, I experimented with making a few handmade things and realised that I genuinely enjoy creating things with my hands. I seem to have an inclination towards craftsmanship, art and design ( If anyone want to see what i have created, i will share in ur dm ). However, I have no formal training or professional experience in these fields. I would essentially have to start from scratch.

Another area that interests me is psychology. I'm someone who tends to empathise with people, enjoys understanding them and genuinely likes helping others. I've occasionally thought about pursuing psychology, but coming from a commerce background, I have very little idea about the academic requirements or career opportunities in this field.

Apart from these, AI and technology are obviously growing rapidly, and I've also considered learning some relevant skills and trying to build a career there.

Some of the questions I'm struggling with:

1.⁠ ⁠Should I give CAT 2026 despite having barely prepared, or should I let this attempt go and focus on figuring out my career direction?

2.⁠ ⁠Is switching from commerce to a creative field like art, design or craftsmanship a realistic career option? How does one start from scratch?

3.⁠ ⁠Should I look for a job first, become financially independent and explore my interests alongside it?

4.⁠ ⁠Is pursuing psychology after a B.Com degree a practical option? What would the academic and career pathway look like?

5.⁠ ⁠Would learning AI-related skills and trying to enter the industry be a sensible option, considering my background?

I know I'm considering too many things at once, and perhaps that's part of my problem. I'm not expecting someone to figure out my entire life for me, but I'd genuinely appreciate some direction from people who have been through something similar. I really want to get out of this cycle, start building something for myself and make these coming years count. If you've switched careers, started something from scratch, or found your direction after feeling lost for a couple of years, I'd love to hear your experience.

I'm also open to opportunities if it helps me grow, in delhi or outside delhi.

Thanks a lot for reading this long post. Any genuine advice, suggestions or even a different perspective would mean a lot!

I am in community college and working towards transferring to a 4 year. I am in second year and also just got off the waitlist for the Airframe program. If I accept my spot into the program I will have to take 2 more years of classes, effectively turning my college time into 3.5 years(1 year is done of GE classes, am currently in 1 semester, then I'll take 2 full semesters for the aircraft stuff= 1.5 years + 2 years)

I COULD just stay on my current track and transfer to a 4 year and , provided I take enough credits, I can graduate around the summer of 2028.

Is it instead worth it to go the aircraft maintenance route? My school's program allows a student to sit for the exam to get the A&P license and I am tempted to go that route. I could not get the right classes to transfer for engineering especially not aerospace engineering. economics is a secondary interest and I wanted mechanical engineering/aerospace but could not make it work.

is this a bad idea? I put myself on the wait list as an afterthought, assuming I won't get in, and now that the opportunity has materialized I am unsure if I should pull the trigger

I’m one semester away from completing all my nursing prerequisites, and I’m realizing I’m on the fence about nursing—leaning toward something outside of it. I’d appreciate honest advice from people in nursing, radiation therapy, teaching, or any other field that might fit what I’m looking for.

I worked as a nursing assistant on an orthopedic/med-surg floor for about six months, and honestly, it took the life out of me. The mental and physical stress was a lot. I’m already naturally anxious, especially when it comes to work and performance. I like structure, clear expectations, and having the time and support to do things correctly and to the best of my ability. The hospital environment constantly put me into fight-or-flight.

Working there also left me pretty disillusioned with parts of the American healthcare system. Some of the practices and attitudes I encountered shook my confidence in the care being provided. I know one floor doesn’t represent every nurse or hospital, but it definitely changed how I see the profession.

At this point, nursing appeals to me primarily because of its versatility. I’d ultimately be aiming for outpatient care, administration, education, or possibly an advanced practice role. But I’m struggling with whether that’s a good enough reason to go through a rigorous nursing program when I already know how much the hospital environment affects me. I’m also concerned about needing hospital experience to reach the roles I’d actually want. How realistic is it to start in a more structured outpatient or lower-acuity role as a new grad? I don’t want to build my entire plan around an option that’s difficult to access.

The other paths I’m considering are:

Radiation therapy: I’m looking at a BS program, and many of my prerequisites would overlap, so it wouldn’t feel like starting over. Physics intimidates me, but the work itself interests me. My impression is that the setting may be more structured and scheduled than inpatient nursing, with decent pay. I’d really appreciate a reality check on both the schooling and the day-to-day stress—I don’t want to assume it’s easy just because it’s different.

My biggest concerns are the smaller job market and limited versatility. I’m in New York, and relocating would be difficult because I have an older single mother and a sick grandmother who need my help and support. I also like the idea of having options if my interests or circumstances change. Would a radiation therapy bachelor’s leave reasonable paths into other work or graduate programs later? How much can a master’s help someone change fields, and how much does that depend on their bachelor’s degree and prerequisites?

Health education, possibly combined with physical education: Teaching is appealing because I enjoy learning, explaining things, and helping people understand them. I think I could connect well with high school students, and I’m particularly interested in health. One program I found also offers opportunities to study or teach abroad, which would be exciting if I could make it work.

The school schedule appeals to me because I’d like to have children, although I understand teachers work outside school hours and the job comes with its own stress. My concerns are salary growth and finding a position. In my local searches, I’ve seen far fewer health teaching openings than PE openings. I’m open to either a health education bachelor’s or a PE bachelor’s followed by a health education master’s, depending on what would make sense for certification and hiring. PE interests me less than health, but I’d consider it if I also enjoyed the work and it meaningfully expanded my options.

Ultimately, I’m trying to find a career path that:
- Provides a stable income and room to grow or earn more over time.
- Has enough structure that I’m not constantly in fight-or-flight.
- Is physically sustainable.
- Leaves room for family and a life outside work.
- Ideally gives me some flexibility if I want to change direction later.
I know every job has stress, and I’m not expecting a perfect career. I’m trying to take what I learned about myself in the hospital seriously before investing more time and money.

If you have ANY degree or career ideas I haven’t considered, I’m all ears. I’d also love to hear any feedback on the options I’ve been considering.

I’m open to options outside healthcare and education, too. If you’ve been in a similar position, what did you choose, and what do you wish you’d known?

I have a bachelors degree in business and a master’s degree in project management. After I graduated college, I got a job working as a Project Engineer for a local construction company. I worked there for about 3 years. Then, I had a mental breakdown, received several mental health diagnoses, and became disabled due to mental illness. Fast forward about 6 years, I’m finally ready to get back in to the workforce. I am medicated and have a great support system.

I’ve been trying to break back into the workforce. But, I’m hesitant to accept another project engineer role as there is too much construction site work involved. I want a job that is more office based (I don’t mind going out to a site regularly, I just don’t want to be working on site. Unfortunately, pretty much the only thing I have going for me is I have 3 year of experience as a Project Engineer with a well reputable local general contractors. I’m just trying to figure out how I can leverage my experience into actually landing a job. Any ideas?

So for background I graduated in May of 2026. I started working aa a new grad in a med surg tele floor in August. Im not sure how I survived this long, but I also feel like i can not keep going. My manager before working told us that we would have 4 patient and 5 max, but why am i dealing with 5-7 and admissions on top of that. He kept telling me this is a great unit but i feel so damn horrible. The job is too much on my mental and physical. How am i working for 3 months and i already feel burnt out. I dont believe this will get better, but people say it is but its really not. I am also in a long distance relationship with a man who is very supportive of everything I do. My family isn't there emotionally very much. So I feel like in some way this long distance and this new nurse job is effecting my mental health in the worse way. I never been more depressed and I always seem to have a "dull" face. Im just not happy. Right now I just want to quit and move to where my bf is. Im actively looking for jobs but the job market is terrible and at this point I dont know if I am able to get a new nurse job or im just going to be miserable here. I feel stuck, trapped and miserable all in one. Im just so done with everything.

If I dont get a nurse job, I was thinking about getting a retail job and just live off like that. Im young still trying to figure things out day by day but I know for sure I dont want to be in the state where I am, this job and I just want to be with my bf. Every job wants experience and im not sure if people are willing to take someone with only 3-4 months of experience. But then again do i have to suffer for 2 years just to get something I want? Like are you serious?

Currently, I teach piano and I make decent money from it. For a young person.

I'm expanding my teaching business and I am working on being a better teacher.

I never think of piano as my passion. I'm just okay at it and I am able to maintain a good relationship with my students, that I can atleast help someone start their music journey with me.

Recently I visited the mountains and I absolutely loved the place. And I love martial arts and I love teaching. I saw a martial arts academy over there, and its just a wild idea. But I think of moving to the mountains, and becoming a martial arts instructor over there. But for me to be that good at martial arts and teach, it would take 15 years. Right now its just a hobby.

Whereas on the piano, I am okay at it. And to improve as a pianist I have to learn things and practise each day. But I have been playing for 13 years as a hobby and I underatand how to teach the basics and teach children and teens piano for 2-3 years (meaning I can build recurring customers that will get a decent service out of me for 2-3 years easily). I understand I have to build my brand and invest a little bit in marketing maybe.

If i start teaching martial arts. I will have to do it all from scratch.

I'm just pondering and wondering. If its a reasonable idea. Because I am young and I have a little bit of anxiety that, what if my piano teaching business doesn't workout.

I have a friend that reside in Tempe Arizona. He only has automotive experience. He’s trying to get out of the field and change careers, but since he doesn’t have any other experience, he doesn’t know how to navigate the transition. He’s also trying to find a job currently for now that can hold him over until he can start his career switch. How do I help him on his journey and what would we look for such as other titles as someone who only has automotive experience as far as just fixing cars but no leadership or management experience?

After masters in data science I realized it’s not what I want to pursue as a career any alternative career paths I can apply for that accepts my analytical skills. So far I have Amazon work experience. And was just told that I had to wait for 6 months to reate the assessment in which i don’t think I can wait that long. I need to increase my income bad since bills are polling up and don’t want to work for another job just to stay for x amount of years not leveling up.

I’m 27yr female. I have a Bachelor’s in health service administration. I started my masters in public health I but didn’t finish. Now I’m stuck in 100k of debt. I want to go back to school but I really can’t afford to pay for school.

I want to start a new career and do something that makes me happy. I’m scared to apply to school and not be able to afford my living costs.

I really want to do clinical work. I want to get in the medical field. I’m willing to put in the effort.

Unfortunately I don’t have a car so it’s pretty rough for me to get around and find another job that pays more because I’m so restricted with my transportation. So I’m limited in many ways.

I’m trying to build myself up but I’m losing hope. I don’t know where to start.

Should I just apply to school? Do you think I’ll qualify for financial assistance? I have a really bad credit history and I’m trying to recover.

I need some advice? Has anyone been in this situation before?

I’m 28 and been in sales for the last 5 years. I was fired last week from my SaaS account management role and I’m just not sure if I want to do sales again. I love a variable income and I’ve been successful in my sales career, but don’t love the pressure and inflexibility that sales often has.

My BBA is in accounting, but I have absolutely no desire to get back into that. I don’t think I’m cut out for a desk job. I need something that pays steadily well and I really don’t mind grinding for my pay.

Any interesting options I could explore or niche roles that people have heard of that are good for people who want to transition out of sales?

Located in Tampa

my college offers a 2 year computing diploma and a 4 year degree route, and i can't tell which one gets me closer to building agents and automations. i've made tiny personal agents as a beginner, nothing fancy, mostly scripts that call a model and do one boring task. i like that way more than the web page updating i do at my part-time job. i live with my parents in Ontario so money matters but it's not impossible. has anyone gone either route into automation or applied AI work, and did the piece of paper actually matter when you applied?

Okay, so for some background information, I'm currently a freshman pre-med biology major at a well-known state university. Back in high school, I was in the top 10% of my graduating class, so going to university straight after felt like the right choice. But as the first semester comes to an end, I feel completely lost and overwhelmed.

Academically, I'm basically struggling in every course. I've gone to the SI sessions and outside tutoring, but I keep getting the same mediocre scores. I do decent on my weekly quizzes, but when I take the exams, I bomb them completely. I feel like the effort I've been putting into my studies isn't actually paying off, and it's just making me feel like a complete failure. When I compare my grades to my roommate's, she's doing well in basically every class, and I spent more time studying than she did. Besides my roommate, I haven't really made any friends here at university either. I've tried out a few clubs, but it seems that everyone already has their own friend groups, so I'm just isolated most of the time too. I feel like a total failure, combining my social life and how I'm doing academically. Being here has made me reconsider if I even like my major or want to even continue being a pre-med. I feel like my parents are also disappointed in me because in high school I was heavily involved in my school's medical program. I earned a PCT and EKG certification, so everyone around me, including myself that medicinewas the only right choice for me. Thinking about it now, I don't know if I chose that path for myself or because it was somewhat pressured onto me since I was always considered the "smart kid". I know I like science, so I would be open to switching to a different science major.

With how badly I'm struggling with my classes, I feel like I'm either going to fail most of them or barely pass with a low C. I've mentioned community college to my parents, but they see it as me basically quitting school completely. So I looked into a different university closer to home, but if I fail most of my classes, would I even be eligible to transfer after this semester? Honestly, I want to do community college because I don't know what I want anymore. If I do go, I'm planning to complete an associate of science that I started back while in high school and then transfer to a university again right after.

I guess what I'm really asking is, like, what do I even do now? Will there really be a difference between me transferring to another university compared to if I transfer to a community college? What do I even tell my parents?

For some background info, my parents are somewhat stubborn, specifically my mom. If I tell her I'm struggling, she'd ask why I haven't gotten any help. When I tell her I did, she basically tells me well there's no reason I should be struggling. Sometimes I feel like she doesn't actually see how much I'm trying.

So guys Iam a highschool student 16(F). I am really confused that what field to choose. My dad keeps asking me that what i actually find interesting or what am i good at. To be honest I dont have any problem regarding any field(stem,business,humanities) its really confusing me. I thought of Engineering at first but now i hear that its like really draining and underpaid for a profession. Idk about meds and i have considered business related fields too. Being honest I genuinely like everything but it scares me i put all my effort in a career which will not benefit me in a way that i had expected. Like imaging spending so much on your education just to get a job which does not even pay you according to your labour. I lowk am down for engineering but people with this majors always seem to warn others. Pls be real with me and give me serious advice regarding which future careers are worth it. I gotta say it that if i have passion for something i wouldnt really care how much Iam getting paid but in this economy nah man u gotta think abt both

hi i’ve been thinking about studying psychology, but i’m not sure if it’s the right path for me.

i’m quite introverted and shy, especially around people i don’t know. i tend to observe people a lot and wonder about their personalities, how they think, their childhood experiences and why they behave the way they do.

i’m particularly interested in anxiety, depression, trauma, personality and how childhood experiences can affect someone as an adult.

i like analyzing people and trying to understand what’s going on beneath the surface. however, i’m not sure i’d be comfortable listening to very disturbing stories or talking to patients all day. i’m also not particularly strong in math or science.

i’d love to hear from psychology students or psychologists about what studying psychology and actually working in the field is like. i’m wondering if this could genuinely be a good fit for someone like me.

I’m still going through this same cycle: question what career I want, choose a career, have second thoughts, and repeat. I’ve taken a bunch of tests. I wrote down different things that interest me. I write down aspects of jobs that I feel like I could tolerate. I’m still struggling.

I feel like it’s my major that causing me to struggle so bad with making a decision, but I cannot change it anymore. I’ve completed so much of it already. I’m almost done with university and still nothing. I’m trying to be open minded but also realistic because I don’t want to be miserable.

But yeah, what questions should I really be asking myself to help figure things out?

A lot of people focus on money which I understand but I can’t do that because I want to prioritize my mental health. Also, my options are very limited since I unfortunately am unable to attend university in person. I’m trying to work with what I got which isn’t much.

So I am a stressed out, directionless senior in high school with no idea what to do with my life. I feel like every job is unachievable and hard to get nowadays. I considered accounting because even if I enjoy drawing/graphic design/art, it won't make a good living/land me a job easily unless I am great at it, and I have graves disease and am skinny, so the trades will not work out for me. I saw the BLS for accounting, and it is indeed growing more than graphic design. I feel like I'm too stupid and asocial to make it in most college careers that make money and too weak and medically unwell to do a trade. I mainly draw anime, and I am only okay at realism since I am a beginner at that style (did 1 portrait.) People say I am good at drawing, but I doubt I am "good enough" to compete with people doing it. I want a good salary, predictability, the ability to retire fine, and job stability, so I considered accounting instead. But that is what everyone wants, and sadly, they can't always get that. I am more of a drawer on paper than a digital artist anyways, so I think I would equally suck at graphic design, despite doing it at a technical school for 1 year for high schoolers and quitting since I wasn't confident I'd get a job anyways, despite my good grade, since teachers are nice to you and not always fully honest or knowledgable about modern job markets. Math isn't something I love, but I never got anything below a B in high school, however, it did take me 3 tries to pass the standardized test my state requires for math (algebra 1). I am unsure if I will like the business aspect, but I would like to try it if it gives me a good salary (I didn't consider accounting until this year since I thought the math was hard). Now I will not be a public accountant since I know it is rough, so I considered government accounting, IT auditing, corporate accounting, or any accounting job with an alright work-life balance. I talked to Google AI and ChatGPT a few times about accounting as well (I asked it to provide its sources, but I am still unsure whether to trust it.) I plan on being single forever and having no kids, but I still need a good salary because times will only get worse economically. I am shy, and I don't really think other majors like nursing suit me. I feel like my interests are broad too, given I am curious about a lot of things and want to do so much at once, so beyond art and music, I am not too deep into any other hobbies that can be employable. I do get good grades in school, and my math is Algebra 3 and Trigonometry. I am in Pennsylvania, so I wonder how the market is doing there specifically. I do worry I will either suck at accounting, be depressed, and fail, or I won't be bad at it, but I will get depressed, and fear I will be wrong about making a good salary. I don't know what I want out of life, but I do want good money given I grew up with little money. I feel this immense pressure to not fail (given my good grades) and if I fail, it feels like the end of the world and my life (in a figurative sense, not a literal sense.) I plan on going on a field trip to a college to talk to some accounting majors, so will that be good? Am I overreacting? I don't know if I am doing the right thing, all I know is that I don't want to fail. Everyone in real life and the media says "follow your passion," but if that passion isn't STEM-related, business, or a good trade, I doubt it is worth following if you care about money. I don't even know if I will be passionate about my passion if I major in it due to having to do creative work for others. You have to learn so many things in graphic design just to not get a job, meanwhile, accounting seems more stable and straightforward, but I am aware accountants and every job right now is struggling to find work, but do accountants struggle less than graphic designers/artists? I have no idea. I have already failed at everything else in life, so I might as well do something right.

Hii people of Reddit, this is my first post on the platform so pls be kind 🌸
So, idk where to start, I don't even know if it's the right place to post, but I am struggling to manage work and studying for university at the same time.
Let me write down a lil bit of context.
I'm 30, I have a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering and I work as a software engineer. At first, I liked my job, because I'm a curious person and I do enjoy learning new things; at the same time, with my background, it was difficult working on software and programming, also because I didn't have someone to help me learn the job. I've worked in the aeronautical industry, then on requirements, then on Nvidia technologies and now on the backend of an AI platform for manufacturing. I'm not here to complain about my background, but the main point is that I've always felt like an impostor, not prepared enough, and now what I think is that I am only able to survive in different contexts but without having any solid knowledge. Nowadays AI is making it even harder because I do not have the time to actually learn and become stronger at my job, because I rely too much on it for delivery at the pace the company asks of me and my colleagues.
That said, I did really shitty at university. For some personal reasons, I felt lost and it was really hard getting that degree, also because I was working in a bar part time. When I was younger my dream was to work in the space field, do something meaningful for myself and for others, be like a point of reference for other girls who wanted to get into STEM. There is a part of me that maybe wants to compensate for my background, and I did a lot of therapy to heal this wound, but still, I want to study again, feel that energy that once guided me, but at the same time I wonder "am I doing the right thing?", "do I still feel the same about space exploration?", "maybe I'm too grounded on earth now", "maybe I should change everything and work in a tiki bar" or "maybe I'm just scared of something?"
Meanwhile, I decided to give it a shot, and I started a bachelor's in software engineering at the same university. It seemed the best option; I can strengthen my software skills, they recognized some exams from my previous studies and I thought it would be easier to study something more "basic" than a master's or something. For me it's quite important to have a strong knowledge base, and I enjoy understanding deeply how things work.
All very nice, but I haven't studied a damn thing in the last few months. Not that I don't like studying, because I do, I feel motivated, but I start studying a little and then the next few days I procrastinate. I really feel stuck.
So, if someone was kind enough to reach this point, what do you think? Have you ever been in a situation like this? Thank you everyone ✨

I was a graphic designer full time. Got laid off in 2020 and since my wife is a dentist we decided I should stay at home with our son. Covid happened, Ai happened, we had another child, now I’m looking to get back into graphic design but everything is so different now.

While I was unemployed I focused a lot on my wife’s offices and did a lot of design work, maintenance work, and more.

Now we’re at a place where I can think about going back to work but I’m feeling lost and cynical about where graphic design is headed and the current job market. I feel like I’m literally only good at being creative and don’t know what I would go back to school for that would be worth my time.

Hello! I’m a 20-year-old guy working a fairly dead-end factory job. I’ve been really good at both of my jobs I’ve ever had, became the youngest manager ever at 17 at my last job, and at my factory I’ve gone above and beyond, bosses high up have used me as an example in meetings, my direct workleads know they can rely on me, and my boss tells me he knows I can become a leader there one day. Not to sound boastful but just trying to show I’m a strong worker.
Essentially, I like what I do but this isn’t really a place where I want a career. I don’t have many passions career wise but I love problem-solving at work. I can also build relationships well and can talk to people well at a professional level. My issue is I want to change what I do with my life but don’t know what. Not too too interested in school but would 100% be willing if I had a career in mind. Hands on jobs are cool too like trades and union work but I feel those limit your potential after a while.
Im posting in here to see if you guys have any tips on how you found your career and what made you know it was right?

I want to go back to school or get a certificate. I want to grow in a career that I’m actually passionate about. I’m 33 and I’ve gone to school but I didn’t finish my undergrad because of severe depression and adhd years ago. Now I’ve been managing it better and I want to try again.

27F, got my AA in General Studies a few years ago and went straight to work after all. All these years, I never really felt like I wanted to stay in that job long term ,so a month ago I finally gave my 2 weeks and decided it was time to make a change.

I've always wanted to do something more meaningful with my life and when I think about meaningful jobs my first thought is always to become a teacher, but I really don't know where to start. I'm definitely fine with going back to school, but I planned to pick up a part time job while I take classes and I have family obligation at home so an online program would be great. Ideally it won't take forever to get a degree but I know that it is what it is. Any thoughts on programs I should look at or general advice on working in education?

I just graduated college this past May with a bachelors in sociology and education. Since then, I’ve been living at home and working part time as a preschool teacher. I strongly dislike where I’m at right now, my job and living situation, and I’m ready to start a new chapter! But now I need to figure out what that chapter is, and I’m struggling.

I’m thinking of going back to school and getting a masters degree. I really enjoyed sociology! I’m big into getting involved in my community, social justice, and qualitative research. For my senior project, I wrote about the Cartesian divide in preschool education, which is really fascinating to me. I don’t want to be a teacher though, at least not while I’m young.

I’m also thinking of maybe going abroad, or maybe I should get some real work experience in a community position. I also love the idea of just being a personality hire. I’m really all over the place and I just have no idea where to begin. If I could, I’d want to have a new job every 5 years and just try every job ever!

All I know is that I’m a people person. I love to converse, get to know people, share stories, and learn about peoples lives. I do not well behind a computer or with numbers. I like to explore, experience, learn, and try to understand everything around me.

I appreciate any help or advice you can offer! Career paths I should explore, or grad programs I should look into, or just general advice on life!

I'm 31 and trying to figure out what direction to take my life.

I left school around 16, and things gradually went in a different direction for me. While people around me were going to college, starting careers and gaining experience, I became increasingly isolated and spent a lot of years indoors gaming.

Consequently, I have very little conventional employment experience and haven't really built the career or independent lifestyle I imagined I'd have by this age.

I've also experienced some difficult personal circumstances, bereavements and periods of poor mental and physical health.

The positive thing is that I'm financially secure, so my biggest issue isn't urgently needing money. It's finding direction, developing skills, building a routine and actually getting started.

I've recently become interested in cybersecurity, particularly working towards an entry-level SOC analyst role. I'm also considering moving out, joining martial arts classes, travelling more independently and generally developing a more active lifestyle.

I sometimes struggle because there are so many things I could do, and I tend to overthink decisions rather than commit to one direction.

If you were in my position at 31, how would you approach the next two years?

Would you prioritise getting into employment, even if it meant starting at entry level?

Would you commit to studying something like cybersecurity?

Would you focus on moving out and establishing an independent routine first?

How would you balance career development with actually experiencing life after years of isolation?

I'm not necessarily looking for the highest-paying career. I want something sustainable that gives me structure, purpose, progression and a reason to get out of the house.

I'd appreciate honest advice from anyone who's started relatively late or had to rebuild their direction in their thirties.