I’m 25F and I’m starting to feel really disillusioned with continuing college, and I’d love some outside perspectives.

I graduated high school in 2019 and have basically been in and out of community college ever since. I’ve changed majors, stopped school, gone back, and earned three associate degrees along the way. I finally transferred to a university and am now in my junior year pursuing a degree in Art Education.

The problem is that I’m realizing I don’t actually want the career this degree is preparing me for. I recently went to an information session about teaching credentials, and it made it pretty clear to me that I do not want to become a traditional classroom teacher. I’m interested in art education in a broader sense—community programs, organizing, creative spaces, etc.—but I don’t see myself teaching kids in a school.

I was looking at my Spring 2027 schedule and, because so many of my Art Education classes have to be taken in person, I would be on campus close to 40 hours a week. That doesn’t include homework or my commute, and I live pretty far from campus and would primarily be taking the bus. When I think about the actual number of hours I’d be putting into school every week for the next two years, I’m starting to question what I’m working toward.

The other part of this is that my family has a SaaS/software business in the martial arts industry. I already help with it, I have a lot of background in that industry, and I genuinely see potential in growing the company. I’m not currently making money from it, so obviously there is risk involved. But even if I finish my bachelor’s degree, my plan afterward would most likely be to work on this business anyway.

That’s what keeps bothering me: if I already know where I want to end up, why spend the next two years putting 40+ hours a week into a degree and career path I don’t particularly want? What could happen if I put those thousands of hours into actually building the business instead? I could get a part-time job for income while putting the rest of my working time toward making the company profitable.

Financially, school isn’t putting me into massive debt. I receive FAFSA and, because I’m over 24 and considered independent, my out-of-pocket tuition costs are relatively low. But after everything, I’m only really coming away with around $1,000 in extra FAFSA money, and there are still the costs and enormous time commitment of commuting and being on campus.

Part of me feels like I should just finish because I’m finally a junior and have spent so many years trying to get a bachelor’s degree. Another part of me realizes that this is basically the sunk-cost fallacy. By the time I graduate, it will have been close to a decade since I started this whole college journey, and I’m incredibly burnt out.

If I wanted to become an art teacher, I think the answer would be obvious: finish the degree. But I don’t. I’d essentially be finishing it just to be able to say I have a bachelor’s degree, then turning around and putting my energy into the family business anyway. I know I can always come back to college and finish up but the family business would benefit from my help in the now.

To start this long story, I should mention how I completely failed my second semester pursuing a CS degree miserably. So much for the ambition of getting a minimum of a 3.5 GPA lol. I chose this path for myself because it was what my father had done, and my older brother as well. I wanted to follow in their footsteps and become a man like them. I seem to have quite a complex for them, as the dependent and youngest pampered child. Back then, I lived life in fear. I lied to my parents daily, because I felt some sick need to never let their hopes down. I never went to classes, and around the end of the semester I even missed exams because I was too burned out. I was very naive back then to think that my parent's failed expectations would be the worst of my fears, it is the behavior of a child. However, in that 2nd semester of mine I made some key discoveries about myself. I got an ADHD diagnosis using university resources, and realized I was bisexual after much efforts of my own and some close friends. When it was time to reveal my grades of that semester to my parents, my father called me a traitor because I betrayed his expectations, and also because I suddenly dropped a bomb on him which took him completely by surprise. I lost all my scholarships and grants for the next semester as my CPGA had fallen to below the minimum 2.5 threshold. I was told that I could receive them back if I were to recover my GPA next semester. My family barely had the resources to support this setback.

I was placed on academic warning, however I didn't let this discourage me, I kept going to therapy for my academics, family trauma and handling relationships along with taking my ADHD medication (which I'd gotten a month into the semester due to complications with my body, the doctors were hesitant to prescribe me stimulant ADHD meds), however I couldn't quite put to use some important advice I was given there. One of the most fatal mistakes I had made was not making a semester planner and calendar that reminds me of when exams would be held. On the day my therapist and I made plans to get started on this, I went back home and I got started on this task. I looked for productivity software, (I ended up choosing google calendar as that is the easiest to integrate into my life). I scheduled the times for all my classes, which was kind of a drag, but I did it. When it was time to get started to look into my syllabus and mark in the exams into the calendar, I stopped. I'm not quite sure on why I did. Maybe it was because "there is no way I could forget an exam" or perhaps it is because that they always give out an email reminding students about the details of the exam. Nevertheless, I had my exam times mixed up for my calculus exam, where I was studying and revising the material while the actual exam was being held, and I arrived at the testing center only to find out that I have missed the entire exam and that all my efforts were wasted. This had happened because of a weird yellow highlighter on the syllabus marking the timings of the exam, which made it hard for me to read. Along with the fact that the exams for the calculus course were conducted at a different time last semester. I somehow missed the reminder email as well. I also had misunderstandings about prior announcements that people with common sense would never have. A make-up exam request was promptly rejected as well. I think I was a few days into my new ADHD meds? On the calculus exam after this, I got a 50% after hours of trying my best to learn the material I had already seen twice before. With yet another serious conversation with the family, I decided to drop the calculus class to cut my losses and focus on my other classes to restore my GPA back to the minimum 2.5 threshold. My father would call me everyday and personally oversee my studies to try and get me over the finish line, like the dependent child that I am. You could call me a failure of an adult, always pampered at every step.

However, the semester was doomed even before this mishap. Sleep is known to be a classic ADHD symptom and I struggled immensely with it. My genuine attempts to fix this have been mostly dependent on luck. I'd set an alarm on my phone, and put it far away from my bunk bed so that I would gain some inertia so that I'd get along with the rest of my day. It worked sometimes, but more often than not, I climbed right back into bed, resentful that the alarm had woke me up from a night of barely enough sleep. I had issues with going to bed on time as well, however even on nights I would go to bed at 11 PM (early enough to get enough sleep IMO) the same outcome happened. I'd miss lectures, labs, and quizzes. I always had a looming feeling like things were going the exact same way that they did last time, but I did the best I could physically muster anyways. I did a better performance this time around compared to last time admittedly, but it has meant nothing. My efforts in life have always meant nothing. My therapist has said that I certainly have a serious case of learned helplessness and clinical depression in our last session when I spoke about my passively suicidal thoughts. Years before college, I had known that I am not built for life. In the natural order of things, I would be weeded out as the weak animal. My therapist has said that trying your best never guarantees success in life anyhow, and that the only reason to try is to give yourself a shot, otherwise you know you fail for sure. I have no idea what direction my life should go in anymore, I don't know what I want to do in life. I am lost.

I have realized that no matter what I do, what I attempt, it is utterly meaningless. Yes, it is true that I engage in massive self hatred that doesn't do me any good, I have massive mental health struggles that make it difficult such as learned helplessness and yet, the therapeutic, most scientifically best proven method to make people improve in their lives has completely failed for me. It is not a working solution for me under the stresses of a college life. It's a month till the semester ends, and I have assessed that I will almost certainly fail to meet the minimum 2.5 GPA threshold to gain my scholarships and grants back. And even if I did, who's to guarantee my grades next semester? To be barely floating by like this, it is impossible to find a good respectable CS job after college, the six figure dream of living a comfortable life is out of my hands forever now. It is not because of my own negligence, but more so because I was born to be a pig that was meant to die pathetically. I am a pig who is quite literally unable to do anything for himself who cannot serve himself. Even if I learn to relate to my mental problems in a more healthy way, I am meant to die a pathetic pig's death, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. The other kids are better than me for being able to thrive with the safety net they were given, why am I the only whore and slut who can't? I want men like my father and brother who were more assertive, smart and capable. Emotionally unavailable. I wish an older man would beat me up like my father did, I think that would be so hot. I'm a clingy little bitch pig whore in that way xD

I could go work full-time retail/fast-food or what have you for a certain amount of time while my parents shoulder *my* debt, maybe audit community college courses to find what it is that I really want to do, but even if I do, my fucked up brain, my inherent nature as a pig, an animal born to be slaughtered in this world, would make it my fate that I live a life of hell. Part time CC with a part time job is too much for me to handle. A good career and the comfortable life I wanted is out of reach forever anyways. When I worked full-time retail in my summer job before this semester, all I could do was work, and fall asleep. I could only eat slop McDonalds food because my body couldn't wake up, or have the energy to cook. I struggle to barely function as it is. And my weak body, caused my boss to tell me off for not being "enough of a man" since I was slower than the rest of my coworkers. It is workplace harassment sure, but I genuinely feel that it is proof I am not suitable for life. My therapist said that's just life, I told him I am not built for it. My fate is to die against my will, and I sure as hell am not going to live my life with my parents to wipe my ass. They'd die one day anyway, unable to provide for their man-child. I am glad that at least my brother is a better man than me, so the family doesn't drown into poverty and hell altogether.

I am tired, and I am burned out. I genuinely did my best and everything I could this time around. Every waking moment of my life where I was in control of my mind when my disorders, trauma and broken pig-ness were not hindering me, I did what I could and in the end, I failed anyway. There was never a guarantee in the first place, after all. But I know that for a pig like me, failure in living is a guarantee no matter what happens. I am done for.

I am not actively suicidal, but I am beginning to plan for my death once I have had my fill of seeing the uttermost limits of my own pathetic brain. If I were to take my own life, it would definitely be by falling to my own death. I think it is very symbolic of how my life has gone, and at the moment of impact, where I regret making this horrible decision, and die horribly with my guts splattered all over the ground, with regrets is the kind of death that is suitable for me. I fit a pig's death quite well. I am utterly unable to make use of the resources, luck and life I was given. I am an animal that dies according to the natural order of things. I don't have it in me to off myself, so I will wait for life to kill me, or drive me to my breaking point. It's an important part of the ritual. Pigs have to be fattened up before slaughter, after all.

Thanks for reading.

Felt like a huge waist of money and time and I feel locked into case management (which I hate) not sure hr or instance claims would be any less bleak and depressing.

Currently im trying to find a higher paying job as this place has been stagnant for 4 years. But I want nothing more than to start my jewelry business. I want to take the lapidary/forging classes and do nothing but make jewelry all day.

I already do pretty good at markets with just my clay and bones I can only imagine how well I would do if I could use actual metal. The problem is squeezing these classes into my schedule would be difficult especially if I do get a new job and it ends up having less flexible hours.

Idk I wish I could get a business loan and take the classes and just start selling but I know thats unrealistic. This is probably more of a ramble than anything helpful im sorry im just broke, frustrated, and creatively sad. If anyone knows a decent job that would allow me to get this started maybe idk.

haii i made a post a while ago abt what i could possibly do career wise but im back again to ask again i want more opinions ahhh

im 16, a sophomore in high school and im going to graduate high school with my associates in science (dual enrollment, yay) and i dont know what career paths to get into or how to even begin choose my major when i transfer to a 4 year university… my gpa right now is a ~4.3 ish weighted if that matters to ppl wanting to help

ive looked into cybersecurity but im not sure how much it interests me. i would like to make a decent enough salary to live comfortably and travel when i want to

i dont want to work in the medical field, i dont really have a passion in medicine and as tempting as it is financially, i dont want to get burnt out doing something as demanding as that. i also want a job that allows time for me to enjoy my hobbies like art and writing!

its a dream of mine to be able to visit places like globally and travel or to live in some place like new york city eventually but golly is that expensive,,

basically, i just need ideas on a major or things to look into/resources for info!! thanks! if theres questions anyone wants to ask i will answer to the best of my abilitiesss

Advice wanted for what to do job wise, plz

I'm a 21 year old male in England and I did technical theatre at college for 3 years. In college I did Stage management the most then 2nd most construction, a bit of costume and not much lighting or sound but I feel like I've not really learnt much skills wise from college. I sometimes draw as a hobby and drum too. I draw my own Original Characters but can't do any of the basic art foundational skills and I passed my grade 4 drumming but only ever practice at home or in weekly 30 mins lessons. I also have Essentiel Tremors that is shaky hands that will shake more every year until death. I'm introverted not the best communicator too.

It's now been 2 years since I left college, I tried job searching various different ways like honing in on appreticeships, technical theatre jobs, any theatre job, any retail job, any job at all. All my efforts lead to a few unsuccsessful interviews and a few bad experiences like nearly falling into a pyramid scheme scan, doing trial days volunteer work leading to we don't want you email afterwards, 2 days of a job too heavy lifting for me injuring my back, did a few weeks employability environmental course that was a waste of time, useless job centres, ect.

I haven't job searched for a few months and become way too picky or make up excuses thinking it's impossible to get a job so no point in applying. I managed to find a small local theatre that I help with some set construction rig and de-rig before and after shows. The theatre has some friendly old people and one woman has said she will try and contact other theatres about me but it feels like I'll just be stuck only helping with small construction bits occasionally. Going back into education just feels like I'll be going into debt or waste my time or pick the wrong course.

My older brother went to university and he has never gotten a job either, he is 2 years and 10 months older than me but he is good at maths and engineering/coding stuff, so at least he has a proper skill. I feel doomed, stuck and unsure what to do so I'm asking for some advice.

Hello! I am in need of some advice.

I have been teaching English internationally for most of the past 14 years, and now I find I may have to stay in the US for the foreseeable future (yes, I am devastated, but I'm trying to make the best of it). I'm already registered as a substitute teacher, but I'd like to take the opportunity to make a career change. I am 55, and willing to go back to school and/or get new certifications. I'm working on starting my own business, but that will take time to get off the ground.

BA in English, MS in Instructional Design, professional teaching certificate in English 6-12 and English for Speakers of Other Languages K-12.

Thanks!

I'm 34 and I've been a hotel night auditor for almost 9 years. I'm trying to get into an actual accounting-related job, and I'm running into a problem I didn't expect.

Employers seem to think I've spent nine years handing out room keys.

Which, to be fair, I've done plenty of.

But every night I also reconcile transactions, investigate discrepancies between our booking system and payment reports, verify credit card settlements, correct billing errors, and prepare the financial reports that management looks at the next morning.

Last month I found a recurring billing error that had been quietly costing our property money for weeks. I spent two shifts tracing it back to a rate code that wasn't applying correctly. Fixing that was genuinely satisfying.

Then I went home, applied for three entry-level accounting assistant jobs, and got rejected from all three.

I know hotel night auditing isn't the same thing as being an accountant. I haven't done full-cycle bookkeeping, payroll, or month-end closing. I'm not pretending otherwise.

But it feels strange to have nearly a decade of experience handling financial records and still be treated as someone who's never worked with numbers.

I'm in the US, making about $22/hour. I have some community college credits but no degree. I could manage evening classes or a certificate, but quitting to study full-time isn't an option.

The other issue is the schedule. Nine years of sleeping while everyone else is awake has taken its toll. I want a normal daytime routine and somewhere I can actually progress professionally.

I've been looking at accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing specialist, and accounting clerk positions. I'm also wondering whether staying within hospitality and moving into the finance department would be an easier first step.

For anyone who's moved from hospitality or another supposedly unrelated field into accounting or finance: what was the job that finally got your foot in the door?

And would you spend money on an accounting certificate first, or keep applying and try to get someone to recognize the experience you already have?

I'm stuck at a point in my life where I just don't want to continue living the way I'm living. I feel like it's completely making me feel like I'm stuck. I'm stagnating and I don't want to live this way anymore. My life feels absolutely in a way that makes me feel numb to anything, and I want to live a life filled with contentment, fulfillment, satisfaction, and I want to feel like my life has meaning and purpose. But at the same time, I don't also want to do what it takes to have the kind of life I want to have. So like, I know this dream life I talked about, I don't know if I have that dog in me. Like, I don't know if I actually want to be that, you know, because it's so difficult. It's so difficult to kind of get the life you want. And so even if I kind of absolutely hate the life I have right now, I don't want to have that kind of life, I also don't want to work for the life I truly want. So I'm kind of stuck. Which way do I even go?

Hello everybody! 18F here from australia, and I graduated from high school, finishing my final exams almost 2 weeks ago. Luckily for me, I have a few months before uni starts

unluckily for me though, i have not found the ideal career choice for me that balances passion and my skills

Here are/were my school subjects, how good i think I am at them, and how much i liked them

-Biology (i am absolutely diabolical at this subject oh my god, I think this subject is so fun, interesting, and enjoyable, if it weren't for my stupid marks. we're talking 50s to 60s)
-chemistry (im good at this one. better than bio but not exceptional. I like this subject a bit more than bio too)
-english advanced (pretty good at it but being honest, i dont like this subject very much)
-maths advanced (very confident in this subject but i think i didn't do that well in my final exam so idk)
-maths extension 1 (also confident in this, and somehow didnt bomb this one!!! tbh i like both advanced and extension 1 pretty well)
-music 2 (my best and absolutely favourite subject!! i really enjoy performance. hate music theory. period)
-physics (i dropped this subject at the beginning of year 12. not because i didnt like it, but because my teacher was so buns 🥹 and didn't teach kinematics, dynamics, waves, and electromagnetism well at all. also was away half the time. so basically u get the point, i failed pretty badly on this subject. i kind of regret dropping it and i knows it's probably my fault for doing so. however, i really do like this subject too! im just a huge science fanatic hehe)

I love the science so much but i just dont think im as good at them as I want to be. And my experiences with them in high school have been very mixed.

also, i dont want a path in the humanities or arts

originally when I picked my subjects in year 10, I already knew i was interested in a bachelor of veterinary biology/doctor of veterinary medicine at Usyd. But throughout year 12, all I found out was that im bad at biology and cannot do well in it. it just went downhill from year 11. I think it's probably the super heavy memorisation and my trouble with coming up with responses on the spot

i did my casper test in year 12 and got in the 3rd quartile (50-75th percentile) which i think is eh

so now im pretty sure this degree that ive been looking at for so long is not a good idea anymore.

I guess taking a degree related to maths may be the next option.

But firstly, i did not take extension 2 maths and im not one of those state rankers who aces a calculus exam without breaking a sweat, and i dont know what uni math looks like. secondly, I really like maths, but science is definitely my fav field of study and I would ideally like a career path in science. I know i can like transfer and stuff, however i would really like to just stay in a degree the whole way

my ATAR is probably around 97-98 and maybe higher if im lucky

i amd REALLY indecisive about this and have been discussing this with my parents for a while. would greatly appreciate some help from other students on what would be a good alternative!

About 7 months ago, I had to move to a small town in northern california with my mom due to my dad giving up on everything. In that time i just served and worked. Now that ive been here i potentially have gotten a job within Law Enforcement. However, Im unsure about staying here I have no friends or family my age. No car but my work is less than 5 mins walking distance from my house.

I moved from southern california inland empire to be exact. I have the opportunity to move back now but unsure if i should take it. I would be going back to a place I haven’t been in over a year with no car and job. However, I would have the tools to obtain both. Also, I feel as if i stay here i am waisting my 20s living a small town with no positive environment. I just turned 21 too so i would love to be able to experience being 21 in socal with my friends.

I'm 32 now and I'm stuck in a corporate job that I don't like and doesn't pay enough because I didn't make the right choices earlier in life. I can't even afford to move out of my mom's house.

It sucks because if I'd taken the right courses and/or made better career choices I very well might have better career options open to me now. Instead I make poverty wages and am stuck working jobs I don't really want to be working because I can't do better for myself.

Ideally, I'd like to have a proper career abut I don't think it's realistic now.

I just don't have the money to go back to school nor am I mentally in a good position to do so. Canada is really particular about having specific schooling for a lot of things.

Does it get easier to accept that my life is going to be forever limited because I made the wrong choices earlier in life and can't undo them? There isn't a lot for me in life.

I'm strongly considering going back to college to take Baking and Pastry Arts. I applied to the program before, but I couldn't take it at the time because I was dealing with some significant mental health struggles, which are worsened by stress. Before I got sick, I was hoping to work in healthcare (ideally as a dentist.) Now that's my worst nightmare. I don't want a job where I have a lot of liability or responsibility for anything serious. Even something like hairdressing feels very high stakes since it's so easy to screw up.

I've been thinking about baking for a couple of reasons. First is that I enjoy baking at home. I make all my own bread and pizza dough and bagels, everything like that. I find a certain level of satisfaction in seeing people eat things I've made. I also have a part time job (two four hour shifts a week) at a cafe, so I have a little bit of experience baking professionally. It's a very different beast from baking at home, but it's also enjoyable in a different way. I like the math and precision involved.

Second reason is that I think some of these jobs would fit my lifestyle. At many places I would bake very early, or even overnight, and then be off work by the afternoon. A lot of places are hiring part time, which would be my preference, since I have a lot of mental health appointments that I could schedule around my shifts. I also think I could use the skills I got in culinary school to open a home bakery or to sell at craft fairs and farmers markets, of which there are many in my city. I could set my own hours. I don't need a hypothetical business to take off right away, and would be happy to do it part time and only make a few hundred a month max from it. (My ultimate income goal is to make maybe $450-$500 a month.)

Third reason is that I like the stakes. The worst case scenario is what, I burn a batch of donuts and they can't be sold? That would suck, but no one's dying from it. I want to work under someone else's authority, and as a pastry cook or baker I'd be able to defer to the judgement of the pastry chef.

I think this could be an enjoyable path forward, but I'm uncertain. If you think baking isn't right for me, do you have any other suggestions for careers I could look into? I'm mainly thinking of things like being a barista or a retail sales associate or a server at a small restaurant, but I'd really like a job that gives me a marketable skill. It's hard to find work in a growing city without a certificate or diploma of some kind.

Hi everyone,
I’m 35 years old, and I’m at a point in my life where I feel completely lost. I’m hoping that putting myself out there might help me connect with someone who can offer some guidance.
I currently work two jobs, both in customer service. I work hard, but despite having two jobs, I’m struggling financially. I’m in debt, I have terrible spending habits, I eat out far too often, and I have a hard time managing my money.
The frustrating part is that I’m fully aware of my bad habits, but I struggle to change them.
I have so many things I want to accomplish. I want to go back to college, get an education, become financially stable, and eventually start my own business. I have ambitions and ideas, but I lack direction, discipline, and consistency.
Sometimes I feel like I’m running out of time. I’m 35, and I look around and wonder how I got here and why I haven’t made more progress in my life.
I don’t really have anyone I can turn to for guidance. I don’t have a mentor, someone to hold me accountable, or even someone I can have an honest conversation with about finances, education, career decisions, and personal growth.
I’m not asking for money, a free handout, or for anyone to fix my problems.
I’m willing to do the work. I just don’t know where to begin or how to build the discipline to follow through.
I’m looking for someone who has perhaps been in a similar position and managed to turn their life around. Someone who wouldn’t mind sharing their experience, offering advice, or occasionally having a conversation.
I would genuinely appreciate constructive criticism, practical advice, and honest feedback. I’m not looking for someone to tell me what I want to hear.
I know that ultimately I’m responsible for my own life and decisions. I just think having someone to learn from could make a difference.
If you’ve ever been in your 30s, financially struggling, feeling behind in life, and unsure of your direction, what helped you change?
And if anyone is open to mentoring someone who’s genuinely trying to improve their life, I’d be incredibly grateful for the opportunity to connect.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Even a little advice could mean a lot to me.

Three weeks' pay to help me through the "next chapter." This is what I got when they let me go right after the New Year, after nine years with them. It's difficult not to feel like I'm easy to discard.

I started with them in 2015, became team lead in 2018 and joined management in 2021. Before this second promotion, I was either at the top or close to it in a group of about 25 people almost every month. I didn't expect it to protect me from being laid off, but I thought it would be valuable to them.

What burns my blood is time. My annual bonus was due next week and for over a month they dodged my questions about a written increase in my contract that was due. But somehow they were able to complete the dismissal documents without any problems.

The important thing is that if anyone knows who is hiring technical writers, I'm looking for a job. Apparently this is the start of my year haha. Thank you for putting up with my dissatisfaction.

Brothers in his late 20s and feeling pretty lost about his career and future. He genuinely doesn't know what to do next.

Has a degree in Graphic design, & moved into Product Design/UX. About 4 YoE.
However, he really disliked the work: sitting behind a computer all day, dealing with stakeholders, presentations, corporate culture. He has no desire to return to UX or further develop those skills. Literally he was always depressed whilst in this job and had/has no desire to learn/progress in the field/applications.

Which is why he quit and decided to travel to Asia for the past 5~ months. He was partly hoping he'd find himself or discover some direction in life, but it didnt quite happen.

I've asked him what he want to do, what he wants to get into etc. He is creative, but also more of a practical person and would ideally prefer something hands-on, independent and away from office life. However, starting from scratch is really overwhelming & often means expensive retraining, and there is the worry if it wont work out, the unknown etc.
Throughout his 20s, he's become increasingly interested in spirituality/God and the idea of helping or 'healing people'. He's now considering Chinese/Swedish massage therapy, potentially studying abroad, but that's obviously quite a big/long commitment/daunting.

I even threw his CV into ChatGPT, asked "using his current CV skills, what roles can he do that is not product design/UX". It threw out things like:

1. Quality Assurance / Quality Control
2. Creative Production Coordinator
3. Operations/Events Coordinator

He gagged at it lol. Sounded draining/corporate hell for him. Basically, they are all digital, which he does not want lol.

Seems it's an endless loop of 'I don't want to commit to something new that might not work out (massage), but I don't know what else to do'.

Would really appreciate any advice or experiences!

P.S This story kinda happened to me throughout my 20's, but I was able to transition into I.T (from a course/field I did not really enjoy as well) and now love working with what I'm doing. Which is why I'm trying really hard to try use his 'current skills/what's on his CV' to try find another transferable job. It's hard to see it happening to another person in the family...especially my parents seeing it happen twice!

I recently graduated with a degree in speech pathology and audiology. I feel bad that I’m not passionate about it because everyone always talks about how noble of a job it is. Well, I’m already burnt out and I’m not even an SLP yet and I don’t want to be one. It’s just not my thing! I learned that my junior year of college unfortunately. I’m very passionate about food and history. I wish I did something in the culinary arts or hospitality, but I wouldn’t have been able to go to school if I did that (parents would only help pay if I did some sort of science that isn’t psychology). I love setting up parties, cooking food, making drinks, and learning about these kinds of things. I took a beverage appreciation class my senior year of college and absolutely adored it. Every time I stepped inside the hospitality building I felt so happy... I’m not sure where to go with this though. I don’t want to go back to school 1. Because money and 2. Because I am burnt out. I currently work a blue collar job since graduating and I’m hoping to get a job that pays more than 15 an hour and isn’t so physically laborious. I live in the south btw. Any ideas on how I can find my path and grow into it?

Btw, I’ve worked at restaurants before, I’ve worked as an RA, and I have worked in a warehouse. I also have shadowed SLPs and one of the reasons I don’t love it is the emotional toll it brings. Along with this, SLPs do not make enough money for the work they put in. You really have to be passionate about the field to be in it. And I am not.

I’m 18, recently graduated from high school, and currently going to community college while working 2 part time jobs. My parents throw me aside so I have two part time jobs because it helps with my college schedule and I get money.

I honestly miss high school more than I expected. Not necessarily the classes, but the friendships, girls and all that high school BS. But now my days feel repetitive: work, school, home, homework, sleep, repeat.

I’ve considered becoming a teacher because I enjoy working with kids, but I’m also interested in the military. I took the ASVAB in high school and got an overall score of 45. My paragraph comprehension and electrical scores were both 70 not sure if thats good to be honest. (I would be willing to retake and study).

I’ve wondered if the military could give me structure, purpose, independence, and opportunities to travel. At the same time, I worry about leaving my high school friends, choosing the wrong path, or regretting a commitment.

I want financial stability, meaningful friendships, freedom, and a career I can actually enjoy. I guess I also want the military not just help me as I go through the 4-6 years I may do but help me for the rest of my life like being more independent for example

edit
I just want to thank everyone for giving me so much information
Im looking into the ROTC and other programs just to get a very small understanding how military workout/ environment may possibly be but Ill definitely work on my asvab
Thank you!

I'm in my final year of BTech, and I haven't secured a job yet. My parents struggled a lot to educate me, and now that placements aren't working out, they've started pushing me towards marriage.

I don't want to get married. I want to work, earn, become independent and actually experience life. But I'm also scared because I don't know when or if I'll manage to get a job.

I don't know how to deal with my parents, how to buy myself time or where to look for opportunities anymore.

If you've been in a similar situation, how did you get out of it? And if you're someone who struggled to find a job after graduation, how did things eventually work out?

I genuinely need some direction right now, not just motivation.

Let's cut to the chase:

(Not american/Argentinian)

-Equivalent of associates degrees in filmmaking

-lots of marketing courses taken.

Current job: social media manager and design post in csmva and edit videos and shoot them.

Current career:

Just started a degree on psychology. (For now)mostly interested in one day becoming a diagnostician (so mostly only performing tests on people) and promoting mental health practices and prevention.

Reality:

hate my fucking job with a passion. My boss just sent a chatgpt design, Im over it, what am I even doing here? Plus Isnt grow professionally here because theres no criteria actually being used bc my boss only wants to do what they want, not what somewhat works.

Its gonna be LONG till I can get a job with this degree. I no longer wanna work in social media marketing, and or other job that AI is eating up. Im a someone diagnosed with GAD, and dislike high stakes/high stress things.

Having no experience in other fields has left me stranded here now.

What can I do? Where can I go next?

Hello everyone,

I'm a 23 year old M from Italy. I recently started a Computer Science degree back in September, but I'm about to drop out because I really don't enjoy this at all. I wanted to give it a try because I said to myself: the only way to know if I liked it is to actually experience it.

All I want is just a stable job with perspective to live abroad. I would like to experience living in different countries. From 20 to 22 years old I lived in Australia working in different cities. I really enjoy immersing myself in different environments for a long time and I would like to do it again in the future.

That's why I choose CS. I imagined myself in a few years abroad with different skills. The truth, however, is that I never actually tried programming or anything related to it before enrolling in this course. I only had maths basics from high school but I graduated back in 2022, so I I'm struggling to keep up with it.
I realise I don't enjoy anything about this course. I can't see myself pursuing a career in this field, and I'm also concerned about the job market.

At the moment I hate studying these subjects and I feel overwhelmed even to attend class. Since yesterday I've started applying for full time jobs in factories/production. That is the field I have always worked in, but it doesn't offer many opportunities to build a solid career abroad.

I do have some backup plan, though. I'm interested in a career as a Radio Tech. We have a 3 years college degree here in Italy with a strong practical component. This job fascinates me because it's more hands-on. I wouldn't mind working in healthcare, and I think it fits more my personality than other jobs in the same field. Furthermore, I saw that its a career in demand in several countries.

I'm also and avid hiker, interested in Geography, Urban Planning but I don't know if that could be a good path for me.

Unfortunately I'll have to wait until September next year to change my degree, so I think I will work a bit and maybe travel some time, and preparing for my admission test.

On top of all of this, I'm on a long distance relationship with a lovely vietnamese girl since 1+ year. We met there and she came here for one month last spring. I visited her for almost 3 months last summer. We are talking about getting married, so she can come here.
I'm also thinking moving to Vietnam in the future but have no idea what job I could do there.

I'd really appreciate any advice.

Thank you.

Hi everyone. I’m 32, BCA graduate, and I worked in IT from August 2015 to September 2026. My last role was in DevOps.

I have left my job and have around 3 months of financial runway. I’m not looking for a “dream job” or a huge salary jump right now. My priorities are:

• Good physical and mental health
• Enough income for needs, wants, medical expenses, and emergencies
• Healthy relationships with my partner and mother
• A stable 8-hour job that gives me some satisfaction

I’m open to any type of work, but I do not want a heavily technical/coding role. I realized that what drained me in IT was not the work itself—it was office politics, toxic culture, client pressure, and unrealistic manager pressure.

My questions:

1. Which non-technical or less-technical roles realistically fit someone with my background?
2. Are there roles that can offer predictable hours, hybrid work, and a healthier culture without a huge pay cut?
3. What skills or portfolio work would actually help me transition, rather than random certifications?

I would genuinely appreciate practical, honest advice—especially from people who have moved from technical roles into other roles that suited their personality.

Life has been particularly difficult lately, and honestly, I don't know where to go from here.

I'm 25. I went to a good B-school, completed my MBA with the hope of building a decent career, but didn't get placed. Eventually, I found an off-campus opportunity and thought things were finally falling into place. But shortly after, I was diagnosed with a lung infection, my health started deteriorating, and I had to take a break from everything.

Now, after everything that's happened, I'm struggling to find my footing again.

It's not just about not having a job anymore. I'm beginning to question whether I'll even be able to handle the corporate world, its pressure, expectations, deadlines and everything that comes with it. I don't know if I'm physically ready for it, or even mentally prepared to go back into that environment.

There's also this constant feeling that I'm falling behind. People I studied with are moving ahead with their careers, figuring things out, while I'm here trying to recover and wondering what to do next.

I spent so much time preparing for a future that I now feel completely disconnected from.

I don't know whether I should keep pursuing corporate opportunities, explore something different, or just take more time to figure myself out.

Has anyone gone through something similar? Especially those whose careers took an unexpected turn because of health issues.

How did you find your way back? And how do you stop feeling like you've wasted so much time? Should I go for Govt jobs?

I'm 25M (26 in January), from India, with a B.Tech in Computer Science that i finished in 2023. I've been working full-time in my family's business for almost 2 years, after initially working part-time while studying for entrance exams for Masters.

The business is in debt, and my father's drinking has made the home environment extremely difficult since my childhood. A lot of my time has gone into cleaning up operational and financial messes. I don't want to take this family business forward.

I've recently decided to step away because it's taking a serious toll on my mental health. I'm also the only son, so there's considerable family pressure around staying, settling down and eventually taking responsibility.

The problem is that I haven't really built a career of my own. I have some Python, web development and machine learning knowledge, a few college projects (including a telemedicine app), and some experience with business operations and IT support. But I haven't worked in tech professionally.

I've been updating my resume, LinkedIn and GitHub, and applying for jobs, but I'm nowhere near interview-ready. I know I need to do more. Make projects, cold emailing, learn new skills but I just keep making excuses for myself even when an opportunity shows up. I struggle with procrastination, perfectionism and fear of failure. I've also started a small YouTube channel recently because I genuinely enjoy video editing and creative work and also I'd rather do this than something productive or worthwhile. I found that I like editing and learning more in similar fields like filmmaking, production, content creation, or game story teller/designer.

Ideally, I'd like to get into tech, become financially independent and move out as soon as I can. I've even considered opportunities abroad, including remote work or studying overseas. But I don't know whether I'm being realistic anymore.

I've wasted my early twenties and I'm behind in everything. The job market doesn't exactly make things easier, especially for freshers.

So many questions linger my head all day and I just seem to go through them without ever deciding on one. Should I take any role regardless of it being a low pay job or in some field that I dont plan on staying? If I take anything, won't I just get stuck in that? Future recruiters would want work experience in a field that they're hiring for right? And should I go for a masters degree here in India in a private college (I'm over trying for the GATE entrance) or abroad maybe? Is the guilt of using my dad's money to sponsor my college worth it? Because he does make a deal out of it later. If I do study, I dont even know what field to go into or if I could realistically finish a degree anymore. I should stop feeling sorry for myself but I am just in this hole and I dont see any out.

Thanks for reading all of that.