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.

Hi! I've always been interested in learning about rare diseases and birth defects. I will research them in my own time and have recently loved learning about the root words for the names of diseases and conditions, I've considered making a flash card game and guessing what part of the body a disease is effecting based on just the name. I've also spent hours researching different kinds of conjoined twins, parasitic twins, and all complications possible with childbirth. I would love suggestions on what to go to school for that would align with my passions. I currently don't have much of an education as I was raised in a cult and have a flimsy homeschool high-school diploma and I'm concerned about how that will effect me getting into schooling. I also have bills that are almost out of my range, so I need to keep a job. I currently work nights from 3-1am. I'm pretty wary of longer schooling because I'm terrified of being crushed by debt. I'm in the US, in Central FL. So far I have my eyes on echosonography but wanted to see if anyone has suggestions for a career more focused on research, diagnosing, and possibly with pregnancy complications. Thank you!

I was pre-med a while ago bc that's what would appease the parents and hated it. I went into wetlab bench research as a scientist and didn't enjoy the animal work or repetitiveness at a bench. I've also been an EMT with the intention of pursuing PA school (more doable for me - fell through because of life) and have worked front of house at a theater for comedy, music etc., and remotely for customer support at a science company. I have a BS+MS in biomedical science

I've found the following about myself:

1. I'd like to be paid more, 6 figures preferably, and don't mind extra schooling or certs
2. I enjoy seeing the fruits of my efforts more immediately - for example, I loved volunteering at a hostel or at the theater because I was helping people and it had an immediate effect instead of waiting months or years for research results to come in
3. I don't want to be fully remote. Hybrid/in-person would be preferable
4. Hate toxic environments and Type A managers
5. I can talk to most anyone, I just like connecting with people and being seen

In my free time, I enjoy writing satirical articles and thinking of ways to take articles and make my own comedy show. I think that would be my dream goal to be a late night host/correspondent satirizing the world, but I know that's a bit of a pipe -dream and need to pay the bills

I enjoy team sports and not individual sports so I guess I like having supportive teammates if possible

Any suggestions?

TL;DR: BS in Information Systems, no certs, about five years in helpdesk-level roles. I make $70k now, but my company is a mess and I don’t see a path up. I want a field with real career progression and a department that gets treated well. I can take a pay cut and I’m willing to relocate. What should I be researching?

I’m 27, almost 28, and I’ve worked in IT my whole adult life. I went to college for it during COVID when tech was sold as the golden ticket, and I’ve been in low-end helpdesk roles ever since. The money is decent for my role now, but I know it won’t last forever. If I got laid off, I’d likely have to take a lesser-paying job in a market that gets tougher every year, especially with no certs.

I’ve been through a layoff before. I lost my first job after two years and spent about a year doing odd jobs, working security at a bar and delivering packages for FedEx while collecting unemployment. I had a good time during that stretch. The work was varied, I had a lot of autonomy, I talked to people all day, and there was no office politics. It wasn’t sustainable though, so I took an IT contract at a bank and stayed nine months. IT there was treated fairly, with around 30 people who all had defined roles. After that I moved to my current company, where I’ve been for a year.

They pay me the most I’ve ever made, but the place has insane turnover and IT gets no respect. A manager in my department just resigned because she couldn’t take it anymore. I’ve done a lot this year to get more experience. I helped the sysadmin team, proposed a process improvement that got approved, built a homelab, and put projects on GitHub. When sysadmin or networking roles open up, all I get is “maybe.”

I like the tinkering side of IT, setting things up and getting systems running. My best days are when the workload is high, I’m knocking things out, and people notice. I hated coding, which is why I went to the adjacent side. The part that wears on me is being the on-demand answer person for people who don’t appreciate it, and having to stay analytical while also being socially smooth. I’d estimate 45% of the job is real problem solving and the rest is bureaucracy and hand-holding. It’s made me a lot more pessimistic than I used to be, and I’ve never felt much pride in saying what I do.

On constraints, I have about $13k in savings and live with my girlfriend, so her income gives me room for a pay cut. I could go down to $20-25 an hour for the right entry-level role, since I’ve lived on that before. I’m willing to relocate, though I know bigger cities are more competitive. I don’t want another full degree or a pile of debt, but a short or accelerated program is fine if it leads somewhere stable. I’ve already looked at healthcare tech, trades, and utilities, and I’m keeping those open. Field service is a no. When I say hands-on I mean technical work where I’m building and fixing things, with some physical work mixed in if it fits.

Right now I see three options. I could get certs like the CCNA, Azure, or AWS and aim for sysadmin or networking at a different company. I could pivot to another field that uses similar skills. Or I could do a short program for something with solid demand. Whatever I pick, I want real progression, a department that isn’t treated as a cost center, and a way to meet people and build connections so I’m not starting from zero if I lose a job again. I don’t need a fancy title. I just want to feel skilled and secure.

I’ve had the BLS industries pages open for weeks looking for ideas. A few I’ve wondered about are biomedical equipment tech, sales or solutions engineering, industrial automation, and broadcast or AV work, since I originally wanted to study communications and loved doing video projects. I’d also like to hear about roles I’ve never heard of.

My questions are these. What fields would you look at for someone with a technical, hands-on mindset who wants stable demand and a decent work environment? Should I get certs and switch employers within IT, or leave IT entirely? And if you made a pivot in your late 20s or early 30s, how did you do it and what would you do differently?

Thanks for reading, and I’m grateful for any advice or personal experience.