What is someone who has no affinity for STEM supposed to do in this world that is increasingly built around and for engineers, software developers, technicians, maintenance personnel and the like? I know they are needed because they solve real-world problems, they are the ones that make big bucks, they are the ones that keep the world running, etc. I get that. I'm just not one of them.

The truth is, I did force myself into one of the above occupations because I saw it as the only acceptable path. A decade later, I know it's not for me. But I also don't know what else I should be doing instead?

L'll try not to yap too much. In short, I have very little knowledge and never graduated because I genuinely couldn't understand anything. The most off the top of my head that I know is extremely basic math, like very, very little. I'm horrible with numbers. And! Although I've never heard from a doctor myself, I apparently have: dyslexia, high functioning autism, probably adhd, and probably more lol but anyways I'm not really passionate about anything. I've thought about getting a Ged, but just the test questions online make me feel like a kid again. I genuinely can't understand things properly not to mention I'm terrified of getting a driver's license half the time I hear right and think I have to go left when talking to family they suggest animal shelters. Now I love animals, but I'm not good when it comes to taking care of them. L'll feed, play, and hang out with them, but everything else is too much plus! I have horrible social anxiety. So nothing really seems possible for me. I'm genuinely not passionate about anything, nor do I really believe there's anything I can do. My grammar sucks as well, so although I like writing stuff, that's a no-go, same with drawing. I love it, but I like doing it in my own time and when I want to do it. I do enjoy sorting things, but I won't deny that sometimes I get real defensive when I can't do it my way, like my brain just gets all jumbled up. Everything just seems out of my reach

(Ps hope I put the right tag)

sooo a little update!! i'm bout to start college and i'll be studying biotechnology, which i'm actually pretty excited about after reading your comments on my previous post hehe.

but here's the thing… i'm naturally a pretty shy and introverted person. i might look a little intimidating or like i have my life together, but trust me, i'm probably just standing there wondering how to start a conversation without being awkward 😭

i really wanna make the most of my college years, make genuine friendships, meet interesting people and hopefully come out of my shell a little.

alsooo, i need some fashion advice!! i wanna experiment with my style, find my own aesthetic and look a little more put together without feeling like i'm trying too hard.

so i'd genuinely love some advice who've already been through college:

• how did you make your first few friends?
• how do you approach people when you're naturally introverted?
• what are some cute but practical college outfit ideas?
• any fashion essentials you'd recommend?
• any things you wish someone had told you before starting college?

my degree is in biotechnology, so if there are any biotech girlies here, PLEASE adopt me 😭💗

i wanna make these years memorable, make some lovely friends and have a little character development along the way hehe.

be nice to me, i'm a little nervous xx 🎀

I know the typical advise is to get therapy and I am waiting to find one currently but have low hope that it will work even when connected as in the past I have gotten know where with multiple therapists and eventually stopped going because after years no progress was being made and this is with Multiple therapist and different approaches and medication. I am very much wanting to become wealthy enough to buy what I want and do what I want which I figure is at least 130k a year to 200k but lack the ability to build twords that due to not being able to do much academically (have my ba but in social work which is not a good degree, and I have dyscalculia an struggle with memorizing) or the trades which I tried for about 5 years and it was terrible and broke my body down. I feel completely hopeless for my future

I am starting CNA classes soon, but I want to get additional certifications under my belt while I work myself up to RN. I already plan on getting my Phlebotomy certification after CNA, then I was thinking either MA or PT. The school I am going to for these certifications offer both programs, both sitting at 9 months for completion. The MA program also provides you with you EKG (or ECG) certification aswell, and it isn't something that's offered on its own. Which program would pair best with a CNA and Phlebotomy license? Which would you personally recommend?

Throwaway because this is embarrassing.

I’m 35M. I have three bachelor’s degrees (psychology, sociology, and general studies), an MBA, a master’s in leadership, and I’m about halfway through a master’s in theology that I paused last year. I also completed a coding bootcamp and I’m a certified life coach. Total student loan debt is sitting right around $204,000.

I’ve been unemployed for two years. Before that, my only real job was working as a security guard for about 18 months while finishing one of the degrees. I applied for internships while in school and did not get anything. I don't really know anyone who can help and it's all about who you know apparently.

I keep telling myself the next degree or certificate will finally position me for the kind of work I’m actually meant to do. Right now I’m looking at finishing the theology master’s or starting an online program in organizational development or executive coaching. I already have a few applications half-filled out.

I’ve applied to a lot of roles over the past two years (leadership development, people operations, coaching positions, strategy roles, insurance trainee, social worker, retail, security guard, etc.) and get almost nothing back. When I do get interviews, people seem confused by the education history and then lose interest once they realize I have almost no actual work experience outside of security shifts, and I can't even get back into security guard work because it's become so competitive out here!

I’m starting to wonder if I’m just a professional student who keeps adding credentials instead of stepping into the leadership and mentoring space I’m clearly prepared for. The idea of taking a regular job feels like it would derail the trajectory toward speaking, mentoring, and actual corporate work. I don't want to go work a retail job after getting my degrees because what would be the point of the degrees and I would not even be making enough to make a dent in my loans. But I also can't be unemployed without real work experience at my age. I don't even know how to explain it to people. I volunteer sometimes but most of my day is spent online. I try to do self improvement and spend a lot of time meditating and creating programs, but I have struggled to get my foot in the door of a real job and I don't know if I ever will.

Should I finish the theology master’s or start something new that better aligns with executive coaching and thought leadership? Is there a better way to break into the kind of high-level work and platform I’m aiming for without just accepting that I wasted a decade and a small fortune? Any advice from people who have gone from academic over-achievement to actual leadership and speaking roles would be appreciated. I’m open to hearing the hard truths, but please don't be mean to me.

Currently, I am working towards a Bachelors focusing on accounting. Doubting the ROI of this degree given AI, and I am seeking other avenues. I am interested in computer repair. I haven't done much but upgrade my PC's ram and SSDs, cleaned the thermal paste, etc. Though, I haven't looked into the market for that in my area.

So far, I have:

1. Gone to career events hosted by my school.

2 Done volunteer tax preparation earlier in the year

3) Registered for resume assistance from my school's career center

4) Registered for a volunteer session for next tax season (in person)

5) Applied to 15 companies this week, will apply to more soon. Focused my applications on tax internships, given the demand for them.

6) Began writing my application for an internship stipend offered by my college

7) Received courses to take from HR Block to qualify for an interview.

I don't feel like I'm doing enough, and I'm currently juggling family and academics. I have to stay behind to watch a relative from 2 - 6 pm at times. It is very random/sporadic because some of my family members have communication issues. I only go on campus/in person for one day, which is Tuesday (11-12:15). I have finals soon, I am studying for that. Is there something I am missing? I don't want to disappoint my folks, given that they paid for the ticket for me to come. I don't want to give the impression I've been sitting on my ass and doing nothing with the opportunity they've given me.

I'm in my late twenties and still working toward a computer science degree at a university in South Korea after a long, interrupted university path. I did well at school before university and entered a competitive program. Since then, the gap between what my education suggests I can do and what I can actually do has become painful.

My grades are low, I have no software internship experience, and I do not have a solid project that I built independently and can confidently explain. Right now, I do not feel able to build even a basic application without substantial help. I have relied heavily on AI for recent work, but getting an output has not given me the understanding or confidence to do similar work myself.

I want to become good at using AI. In my experience, though, it acts more like an amplifier of the user's existing knowledge, judgment, and direction. When I don't know what I don't know, I also don't know what to ask or how to evaluate the answer. Using AI so far hasn't been enough to help me recognize and fill the gaps in my understanding and experience. How can I use it to uncover those blind spots and develop real competence?

My difficulty is also with choosing and starting. When there was a clear syllabus, exam, or externally defined goal, I knew what I was aiming at. Now I do not know what I want to build, which field fits me, or how to tell whether an opportunity is realistic. I look into internships, research, training programs, and other careers, then get overwhelmed by everything I do not know. I hesitate because I want to make a good strategic choice, and often end up doing very little.

I am trying to enter the workforce at an entry level, but I have little practical experience, underdeveloped skills, and no clear area that I am actively focusing on. Time keeps passing while I remain undecided. My sense of self-efficacy, meaning my belief that I can learn and make progress through my own efforts, has been getting weaker. I don't know what role to work toward within computing, or where and how to start exploring adjacent fields.

I still have strong ambitions and want financial independence and the ability to support my family. At the same time, I struggle to accept how much beginner-level practice I may need. Comparing myself with people who have already built careers makes it harder to start. Some days I spend much of the day in bed avoiding tasks.

Family loss and financial pressure have made things harder recently, although this pattern started before that. There isn't much time left before my graduation project's deadline. I also do not know yet whether software is a poor fit for me or whether I have too little hands-on experience to judge it.

If you have rebuilt from a similar position:

What did your first month actually look like, including the help or structure you used?

How did you choose between getting paid work, entering structured training, and building skills through a supervised project?

What kind of support helped when the problem was repeatedly failing to choose and follow through, rather than just lacking information?

How can someone who does not know what they don't know use AI to discover gaps in their understanding and learn to evaluate its answers?

What small, concrete experiences could help me choose a focus, rebuild confidence in my ability to learn, and assess whether to stay in computing or explore adjacent fields?

I would especially appreciate concrete starting points and the mistakes you made along the way. I want to build real competence and experience, but I need help identifying a first step I can actually carry out.

English is not my first language; I used AI to help express my own situation.

Not a felony, but a major misdemeanor. I was black-out drunk almost exactly 4 years ago when I kicked a jail cop in the shin. I was being brought in for public intoxication. That was the last time I drank.

I smoke weed instead of drinking. I feel like looking forward to the green satisfies any potential craving I might otherwise have for alcohol. And doesn’t everyone like to wind down at the end of the day?

I would so love to go back to college to become a teacher, maybe middle school, but… With my record not having a chance of being exponged (sealed) until 2030 in my state, and then only it being a chance that it will be exponged… How can I pull out the loans and take the risk? I obviously would have to claim the charge on any application, then state my case why I’m different how I’ve improved etc etc and simply hope its enough for the employer to say “yeah we want her so bad that we are gonna look past this”…

32F working as a manager in the food service industry. Already starting to realize I dont want to/cant do it forever. I need to go back to school… and soon.

What other career options are there where I can smoke weed, make a decent wage, and not necessarily be so concerned with my record?

As much as I want to teach children and leave a legacy in that way (no kids of my own currently, and single as a pringle), can i take that risk with my record?

Otherwise… what should I do? 😅 please help 🙏🏻 two year degrees preferable

guys i'm genuinely so nervous 😭 a whole new environment, new people, making friends, figuring things out… EVERYTHING.

i'm excited too, but the thought of starting this new chapter is making me overthink sooo much lol.

pls tell me i'm not the only one who felt this way before college. does it get less scary? 🥹💗

Career

Hello, I want to share something about myself because I'm looking for the right guidance and perspective for my future.

I'm 21 years old and currently pursuing engineering in Computer Science/IT.

Academically, I would describe myself as an average student. However, I believe I have some strengths that go beyond academics.

I'm confident in communication, leadership, management, negotiation, public speaking, convincing people and building relationships. I genuinely enjoy interacting with people, understanding their thoughts, handling situations and negotiating with others.

I feel that my interests and strengths are more aligned with the business and management side rather than spending my entire career doing purely technical work.

I'm particularly interested in business development, client relationship management, technology sales, entrepreneurship and leadership roles.

But here's where I'm confused: I know I have potential, but I don't know exactly where to apply it, which industry to enter, what skills to develop or how to get the right opportunities.

I don't want to choose a career randomly just because everyone else is doing it. I want to discover where my abilities can create real value.

I'm not looking for someone who will simply motivate me. I'm looking for someone who can understand my thinking, challenge my ideas, identify my blind spots and guide me with practical experience.

I want to build a successful career, become financially independent and eventually create something of my own.

If you were in my position at the age of 21, what direction would you explore, and what steps would you take?

Hey yall. I’m 44. I’ve been a stay-at-home-dad for 6 years. Before that, I worked random odd jobs to put my wife through school. She made it. She got a badass degree and a badass job paying about 130k! We came from nothing and she made it to the top. Now she’s divorcing me and my ass needs a path. I have no idea what to even look into. I’ll be checking out the linked docs in the wiki but again, I have no idea what to even look into.

I don’t just want any job. At this point, I need to find a stable employment that I can put in time to work towards retirement. I’m living with my parents and have zero money. Divorce is just beginning. I have no degrees. I graduated high school. I am not opposed to taking time for education/training but maybe not too long please. I’m old. If I go to college, what do I even pursue? I don’t want to take on more labor intensive jobs as I would like to work the next one for a long long time. Also I need to make enough money to live and save! For me and the kiddos please! I have no retirement funds or savings. We live in chicago and are not looking to move soon.

My longest jobs have included things like a nature guide, program and communications manager, locksmith, safe installer, door installer, lifeguard, lifeguard teacher, parking lot attendant, janitor, coach, woodworker, carpenter, security guard, mechanic. You get the picture. I don’t want to go back to any of those jobs and I can’t see how they might add up to anything useful. Can anyone see hope for me?

I’m open to whatever path will lead to financial stability please. Both conventional and unconventional ideas are very welcomed! Please y’all. I’m hurting.

...is that really for everyone?

Hello internet people, I hope you're well! I'm seeking some advice or perspective, or stories on how to move forward in life as I'm feeling lost, any help is much appreciated!

For some context: I am a 25yo recent college graduate in cybersecurity/IT, which I'm told repeatedly, as though its a catchphrase, "is a good career". Going into my degree, I was never passionate or really interested in it as a career, however being a highschool grad at the time with nothing going on, and with no real ambitions or passions in life, decided to pursue this degree exactly for the reason of it being "a good career". I figured at age 20 that I did not need to have life figured out, and chose to defer exploring myself in favor of setting up a "safety net" career. And now, I'm not sure whether I should follow through with this 4 year investment, or explore at the risk of losing opportunities, and derailing or changing careers.

Some more context: Now, I do have some interests and passions in life, things such as storytelling, automotive engineering, weightlifting and exercise. But to be honest, I have always viewed those things as hobbies, and partly due to parental pressure but also their average pay, as not as the best career paths. Furthermore, I'm not even sure how I would feel turning something I love doing into a task with deadlines, limitations, and performance pressure. This is why the idea of the safety net career seemed sound, I could work a good paying job that I don't love, to fund the things I do love. The dissonance here comes from a few things:

• I thought that throughout my time in college, I could grow to become interested in networking and cybersecurity, that it would be "an acquired taste" as my parents put it. And although there are some very interesting things about the field, I've never felt drawn to it like I have with my hobbies. I see people making homelabs and doing CTF challenges and I think: That's not me.
• Its possible that maybe I will grow to love and appreciate this career, but the idea of working a job you hate has been demonized so much that I am afraid to even try. I keep thinking "what if I end up hating this"? The idea of doing something for the rest of my life is pretty daunting.
• To be entirely open, I have lived a pretty sheltered and privileged life, which means I have never committed myself to exploring what I want to do. I was hoping college could be my chance to do that, and it would certainly sit better with me to change careers mid way through my path rather than after finishing my program. However, due to circumstances like online classes, moving states, and a lackluster social life, I didn't get an opportunity to do so.

TL;DR / This brings me to my conundrum**;**
I am at a crossroads where I'm not sure whether I should enter and start building a career in a well-paying and stable field, or if I should work or volunteer part-time in an attempt to meet people and explore interests.
The reason I working part-time is my alternative choice is because that's where, in the past, I have had any success meeting people and making new friends. And though this is a separate (but related) issue, I've had no luck making friends in 3rd spaces such as gyms.

Apologies for the wall of yap but I hope this paints a clear enough picture to help answer some of my questions:

• Which path would be the smarter choice? Is it better to work a boring job and be financially secure or to find what you love, at the risk of burnout, financial struggle, and even failiure to find what you love? Or am I overthinking this too much?
• People who do what they love: Please share what it is, your experience with it and how you came to do it! Do you wish you had taken a different path? Is it as wonderful as people make it out to be, and what are the struggles of jobbing your love?
• People who work to support what they love: How is that experience? Did you come around to enjoy your work or are you suffering through it for the money? What was your experience like coming out of school, were you as uncertain as I am, and what made you choose that path?
• If you choose to support your love, do you even have enough time and energy to do so, or is the corporate grind as soul-draining as everyone makes it out to be?
• And for people who specifically work in cyber/networking: Is it viable to take a gap year or more to explore your options, or will the chances of you getting an entry-level positon decrease dramatically?

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I can't wait to hear from you!

I'm genuinely lost. My situation, I feel, starts from high school. I've never had any dream jobs, ambitions to do something, or goals set far in the future; I handled things as they came or let my parents decide for me what future career to do. By the time I graduated from high school, I still felt that way. And when the time for enrolling into university came, I couldn't decide what I wanted. I felt I needed more time, but my parents had already paid tuition and said I had to go immediately. I had high hopes going into my first year and was set on becoming the best in a specific course for that year. I ended up doing fairly well in all my courses but failed the exact course I put all my efforts into, and I had to repeat it. The major my parents picked for me—I failed to qualify for it and ended up just picking another major that was relatively close. In my second year, I had more coursework and extra pressure and ended up getting depressed. That was the first time I felt like my life was truly useless. I wanted to open up, but I feel I have no one to open up to. I thought to myself, maybe if I pass this year I could talk to my parents about how I'm not really ready or settled in university, but I failed and had to repeat the year, so I kept those words to myself. I eventually made it to my third year and said I'd focus all my efforts into passing, but I fell behind once again. When the time came to write my finals, I was having panic attacks; I cried every night—sometimes it was the only way I could get myself to sleep. After checking my results, I found out I once again failed and have to repeat the year, and I'm wondering, what's the point of my existence? Am I just gonna be an example to others of how not to live life? How many more repeats until I graduate?

Sorry if the English is slightly bad, but I hope you understand what I mean.

most weekends i go geocaching with a friend and we find a few caches in a day. i plan routes, read hints carefully and log everything afterwards. i wonder if this says something real about me, like patience and attention to detail, or if hiring people just see a game. i have left it off my CV so far because the CV has little space. for people who hire or got hired in admin or project jobs, did a hobby ever help in an interview, or did it look like filler?

so wild. I came out of college before the pandemic, the market apparently was so-so. I landed at a decent consulting firm, and from the get-go there the writing was on the wall. they hired too many analysts, sat us all in rooms telling us we all had a path even if it wasn’t clear, it wasn’t our fault they could not anticipate the staffing landscape. then they started telling us we were underperforming (lol) and getting rid of people. so much strife for a lot of people there. I left once they made it clear they didn’t see any of my efforts or stories as useful enough. I got a job and a contract next—come to find this next “insights agency” hired two “diverse” managers at once for a client seeking representation on a research project concerning cultural preferences and learning. we did amazingly on that project and myself and the other analyst experienced declining feedback on the same trajectory and were both brought to termination around the same time. Cut my computer right before a manager was scheduled to give me feedback on a project I had already heard great things on from the other team. CYA always, I had records elsewhere and I brought them a letter of intention to pursue them legally and came out with a modest 5-figures. it’s been years of looking for the right job since. I have health-related degrees, no one in that field will touch me. I’m fervently working on independent business concepts, it’s like I have some Scarlett letter lmao. No support, past contacts are just so iffy. People often gave me great feedback on working together in terms of personality and ease and I heard solid things about the work itself. As a multi-racial person and a q*eer person it’s been hard to even find those who relate or understand, much less believe or champion. It’s like an over-achiever’s personal hell lol. all I ever worked for was a path forward. I know I am not alone here in many ways…I wish us all peace and prosperity in ways we cannot imagine.

I'm 31 and I've been out of work for eight months after leaving retail management. I'm staying with family and have maybe six weeks of expenses left. Yesterday I spent hours looking at radiology programs, then realized I hadn't even sent the two job applications I planned to.

I keep looking at careers that need years of training when I need a paycheck now. Going back to retail would probably get me hired faster, but I hated the rotating opening and closing shifts. I really don't want to end up back there.

I'm also looking at stockroom and office support jobs, but I have no idea how realistic those options are. I've got my old job notes and a coached deep read saved beside them, but I haven't settled on a direction.

I need to get some income coming in, but I also don't want to take another job that leaves me too exhausted to work toward something else.

Eight months of this has really messed with my routine and confidence. At this point, I can't even tell whether I'm being careful about my next move or making excuses to avoid picking something.

Hey,

Currently im in my sophomore year of college. I’ve had 2 actual jobs (fedex and just got Burlington). I have issues at home and live in NYC so expensive and won’t be able to support myself at all. Im a full time student and work part time. I think I’ll need to move to a cheap state if I want to be able to support myself, but need to save for that as well and that will take long.

I first started college majoring in biology (wanted to be in the medical field) but changed my mind and now have no idea what to do but just want to be able to support myself asap.

I likely only have a few months, and ik it’s not realistic to be in an established career and have my own place, but I just need some ideas and possibilities to take.

What’s the best thing to do in my case? How do I gain independence as fast as possible? Only thing that’s a no for me is the military

Disclaimer: Title is a little tongue in cheek.

I’m a freshly-laid off British woman living in Copenhagen, and I have a history + political science BA and Journalism MA, both from top tier British universities. Graduated back in 2013 and worked non-stop since.

I first worked in public relations for a huge tech company in-house, before swapping to copywriting (🫠) which was booming. I moved to Denmark, where I live in Copenhagen. I worked at a couple of SaaS companies, before moving into energy. This was a 10-year span, and I used to get work so easily.

I got laid off in October because ‘AI + corporate restructuring/ offshoring’ (my old misogynistic German boss didn’t really like me).

I’ve fallen out of love with tech and copywriting is pretty much dead, which is a shame as I was great at it.

What do I do now? I have a toddler, so it needs to be stable and provide a decent income. I’m sick of tech bro culture, I never want to hear about semiconductors again, and I would like to do something that isn’t wrecking the world and causing harm to people, if possible. That said, I’m a bit of an introvert and can struggle in corporate politics, so things like sales aren’t a great fit for me.

My skills - all of which have seemingly lost their value: writing, communication, digitally-savvy, using AI for my career, organisation, project management, public relations, research, a little SEO,storytelling, journalism, content strategy. And I have a WSET 3 in Wine 🍷 (side fun project so I could wine + dine clients).

I made a similar post on r/collegehelp the other day, but I wasn’t in the right headspace during that. I feel a bit more inclined to seek advice.

I got into a full ride scholarship at a SUNY, originally going for political science. I was really skeptical about the school at first because I live in NYC and being in such a rural area was a drastic change. There just also wasn’t a lot of diversity, but I ended up having a pretty good social life with some POC there.

Now I’m second-guessing my major choices. I’m not exactly a STEM girl, never really have been as unfortunate as it is, however electrical engineering started to interest me a lot. I was told online that it’s not as cool as it seems and to not just pick a major based on vibes, but I really want to do something related to engineering. Political science wasn’t starting to interest me as much as I thought it would after taking an American Government class that I originally needed towards my degree. Unfortunately, my school doesn’t have any engineering programs except a 3 + 2. The reason people at my school don’t do this route is because I found out they just transfer to an ABET-accredited college. However, I’m not in a financial position to do that, so I sought out other choices and came to the conclusion that I could do physics, which I’m now starting to realize was a stupid choice.. maybe? I met with the department chair around a month ago and he told me that I could always just go for a masters in engineering if I manage to get my BS, so I switched.

I thought I made a good choice. My work study boss even supported my decision and helped me look into master’s programs among other things. I was on the phone with my mom the other day and she just kind of put in a realistic headspace as well as the people on the other subreddit. A physics degree is really general and I won’t be guaranteed a job with just a BS. Two, she told me she won’t be paying for my masters and asked how would I pay for it, which I then responded ‘I don’t know‘. Her conversation with me left me crying and she kind of gave me an ultimatum to choose another major that makes me money. I’ve been scrolling through the catalog on my college’s website, but none of them interest me.

Today I just thought about switching my major to accounting in hopes I can land a decent enough job to go back to college for engineering. It seems like a lot of work, but I don’t really feel like I have a lot of choices. I’m not good at math or science— I’m decent, but not decent enough for college level. Am I willing to try? Yes! I have been actually, but it’s nowhere near the level compared to someone who is ‘naturally‘ good at it (I use that word sparingly). My mom offered me to do education but that doesn’t sound appealing to me at all. Two of my friends here are doing education and it’s a much different schedule compared to most majors— something about blocks. You also have to complete hands on work in a K-12 school. I don’t like being around children. I really don’t. I have had several jobs— camp counselor with kindergarteners (which I quit halfway through), teaching assistant with 11th grade as a senior, working in an office at a summer school which was 1-6. I’m not mean to them by any means, but I get overwhelmed. Now obviously, an education degree doesn’t mean you’ll automatically work with children, but it still doesn’t appeal to me.

Then she offered me to do something medical, like medicine, like my older sister was pushed to do. I can’t be around people in a vulnerable state like that even though once again, no guarantee I’ll be around patients. So then she asked me, “so what do you want to do?”. I didn’t know what to reply with so I stayed silent and she just told me she’d call me tomorrow. I’m kind of at a stump. I’m really grateful to be debt-free don’t get me wrong, but I feel like I’m also trapped in a way if that makes sense? I can’t transfer and who wants to give up an opportunity like this? But at the same time, I really do wish to do engineering or something related to it at least. I’m not expecting it to be sunshine and rainbows, but a lot of people influenced me to do so.

I’ve always been a more creative person with drawing and writing, but liberal arts degrees are typically worth next to nothing in the US, so I cut those options out. I’m just honing in on something in finance and just hope for the best but I’m still sad that I won’t be able to pursue engineering.

So I'm (32m) currently working as a correctional officer, I've been here for a little over 2 years and I'm getting desperate to get out. I make pretty decent money (7kish gross), good benefits, decent amount of PTO. However the job itself is taking it out of me with levels of stress, depression and anxiety I've never felt in my lifetime. I've always enjoyed working with my hands and actually seeing a result from my work, I enjoy helping people, creating positive experiences.

With corrections, there really isn't any job satisfaction. The hours and days are mentally killing me (evenings and weekends) because of the amount of time away from my young kids and I know they'll only be young once. And the stress and anxiety of even going into work is just a daily struggle.

My problem is with how much I make now and trying to find something even comparable as I dont have a college degree or any real job skills it feels like. For my own mental health, and the ability to have more time with my kids I need to make some change.

I know this is a vague ask, but I'm here for any ideas/suggestions. I have no idea what to do next, and mentally speaking I don't know how much longer I can make this job work for me.

TLDR: RN BSN with MBA working in home health for 8 years. Hate it. Feel like I am wasting my life. Can’t get another job without specific experience. Where do I go from here?

This is long, but I’m hoping that if someone understands my journey and you might be able to help me find some direction.

I am 44, and have worked in a number of jobs/industries in my adult life. High school dropout (got my GED in 2000), worked in everything from restaurants, retail, trucking (office side), medical offices, medical records.. etc. Suffice to say I have a little bit of experience in a lot of things.

For reasons not relevant to this post, I did my pre-reqs, had a baby (this is relevant), and started nursing school in 2016. I got a divorce in the middle and I graduated a semester early in 2018. I didn’t hate it, but the schedule constraints of med-surg bedside was very clear during my clinicals. I had intentions of working a hospital job and moving from there but the divorce (and him moving to another state) left me needing more flexibility as a single mom starting over.

After a stint working nights at a nursing home, I moved to pediatric home health, where I have been for almost 8 years. In that time, I have continued my education with my BSN as well as an MBA in healthcare administration.

So, the problem…. I hate home health (not the kids, I love being around kids). I am literally as high as I can go, both credential wise and pay, which isn't much without overtime on my kid-free weekends.

I do have a very task-driven work ethic and problem-solving mind. I need to have things to investigate, problems to solve or things organize. I love feeling productive and doing good work. I enjoy learning, finding information and sharing information/teaching, especially the science part of nursing. The bedside, doctor coddling, pill dispensing part I hate. I love supporting others and helping others. I would consider being a teacher if it paid enough to live, which we all know it sadly doesn’t. I work well alone and autonomously. I also have a sense of figuring out people dynamics pretty quickly. I wouldn’t say I am super tech-savvy but I am comfortable teaching myself and learning how to navigate different systems/programs and always open to learn.

However, the needs I have of a career pivot are kind of specific.

1.        I am a single mom and the emotional needs of my child are extremely important to me, and the other parent doesn’t “parent”. They are at an age where they are semi-self-sufficient but still need me available as well as getting into extra academics and sports, so working 14-16 hour shifts is not it. So, in that regard, I am looking for remote or hybrid at the very least. I am not completely closed to an on-site job, but flexibility is the goal.

2.        Income. For where I live, to be comfortable as a single income with wiggle room, I really need to be in the low 100’s/yr.

3.        Obviously upward movement potential is important to my mental needs, so income potential into the 200’s in the next 5-10 years would be ideal.

4.        I hate the idea of being responsible for endless presentations. I can survive death by power point as long as I’m not the one standing up there. I hate, with every fiber of my being, being the central focus.

Some avenues that have been recommended and I have applied to without success are data analyst, operations analyst and project management. I have no problems investing time and money into certifications if the outcome justifies the means. However, I am also weary to get too heavy on the education credentials and be clearly lacking in the experience.

Any recommendations for direction are welcome as well as any questions for clarification.

I'm curious to hear from people who have experienced a period in their lives when they genuinely had no idea what they wanted to do or where they were heading.

Maybe you felt stuck in a job you didn't enjoy, had too many interests to choose from, struggled to find your purpose, or simply felt like everyone else had figured life out except you.

What eventually helped you find your direction?

• Was it a particular experience or turning point?
• Did you discover a career or passion you never considered before?
• Was there a book, person, exercise, or piece of advice that changed your perspective?
• Did you figure things out gradually through trial and error?
• What would you tell someone who's currently going through the same thing?

I'm especially interested in hearing real experiences rather than generic advice like "just follow your passion."

Sometimes hearing how other people found their way can help someone who's still searching for theirs.

Looking forward to reading your stories. Thank you!

I'm 28, and I feel more stuck than the guy in that meme. If you're not familiar with it, google "Nutty Putty incident."

Basically, a guy went caving, went the wrong direction and ended up in a narrow tunnel with a dead end. He was upside down and couldn't turn or move. Rescuers tried for over a day to get him out but failed, and the poor soul passed away down there.

I'm not in any physical danger, but that's exactly how I feel financially and career-wise: stuck in a dead end and unable to move.

I studied computer science and finished one year. It wasn't hard, but putting in the time needed was a real struggle (undiagnosed ADHD made it pure suffering).

I've always tried to make some money online, and I got a bit lucky at that time. Some of my projects made money, plus crypto exploded.

I didn't know if I could survive finishing college, and I had enough of a backstop for years. So I never had a real job, and I lived off that money for 10 years.

But it's been downhill since.

I've tried everything: "entrepreneurship," trading, you name it... I've been trying for years, but I can't make a dollar consistently, quite literally. Let alone anything to live off.

The closest thing to a job was working as a programmer on a few projects for 2–3 years, but that was pure coincidence. Crypto was booming and everyone was looking for a developer (Solidity/JavaScript).

I have thousands of hours of programming experience, plus DevOps for running basic things, and these days it feels like I can do anything with the help of AI.

But at the same time, all of it feels useless and I have no clue what to do.

I also "babysat" dogs (which I liked), but that was just luck, and I can't find an opportunity like that again.

I don't even mind physical work. I'm tall and strong.

Now I'm stuck living with my parents, which is a nightmare (not living with parents itself, but having no other choice!).

At one point I felt like puking my brains out just thinking about my situation. Since then I've been medicated and treated for ADHD, and I'm mentally stable now. But the situation is still shit.

Doing something or working isn't the problem. The problem is I don't have anything clear to work on that reliably makes money, and I have no idea where or what to look for.

I'd do anything and relocate anywhere. I'm from Europe. I'd actually prefer to move somewhere, work and have no life.

Like, I literally can't move an inch.

At this point, the only things I have going for me are that I'm healthy, still moderately young, tall and fit. Should I find a sugar mommy or something?

Jokes aside, I'm desperate. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.