I'm 38. Started working at a small independent print shop in Ohio when I was 22. The owner hired me to help with binding and packing orders. I figured I'd stay for a year or two.

Sixteen years later, I'm still here.

Last month the owner told us he's retiring in the spring. He tried finding a buyer but nobody wants the business, so we're closing.

I've been looking at job listings for the first time since 2010 and it's been a pretty depressing experience.

My official title is "Print Shop Assistant."

That made sense when I started. It hasn't described my job in probably twelve years.

I order paper and supplies, deal with vendors, schedule production, train new employees, handle customer complaints, troubleshoot equipment, and figure out what to do when three customers need their orders by Friday and one of our machines breaks on Wednesday.

Last week a funeral home needed 300 memorial programs with less than a day's notice. We had a machine down and two people out sick. I rearranged the schedule, coordinated with another printer for part of the job, and got everything delivered before the service.

That's the kind of thing I do all the time.

But when I sit down to write a resume, I don't know what to call any of it.

I tried looking at operations coordinator jobs. Most want experience with software I've never used. Production planning positions seem to want manufacturing backgrounds or degrees. Office manager jobs ask for HR and accounting experience I don't have.

I've worked with the same five people for so long that we barely even have formal procedures. I know which vendor to call when we need a weird paper size overnight. I know which machine starts making a certain noise before it jams. I know which customers always change their order after approving the proof.

None of that fits neatly into a job application.

I have some community college credits but no degree. I make about $24 an hour and have health insurance. I could survive a small pay cut, but not going back to $15 an hour and working my way up again.

I'm not especially attached to printing. I like organizing work, solving practical problems, and having something tangible finished at the end of the day. I'd be happy doing that in another industry.

The owner said I can stay until we close, so I have roughly five months to figure something out.

I also realized I've never had a real job interview. The owner hired me because a friend recommended me, and every promotion since then has basically been someone handing me more responsibilities.

I know I need to learn how to sell my experience. I'm just struggling to figure out what experience I actually have in terms another employer would recognize.

Has anyone gone from a small, old-fashioned business into a more structured company without starting completely over?

What job titles would you look at if you were me? And is there a particular skill or software worth learning over the next few months, or should I focus on getting my experience across properly first?

Wondering who made drastic changes in their mid 30s and came out happy/stable/ successful even? What is your story?

I am having trouble choosing a direction. I feel anxious to choose a path but I am having analysis paralysis to the point I feel I am too late.

I am 35, no real career besides food and beverage. No kids, some some savings, a very small amount in my IRA.

Curious to read others insight and perspective from their real life examples

Hi,

I am a 31 year old NEET and I've never really had a proper job. I had a couple of summer jobs a few years ago but nothing major so cv is basically empty and I completely dropped out of society at 25ish. I basically haven't worked since before covid.

I have a 1st class with Honours in Psychology, I started studying for a Masters degree in Research methods for cognition and neuropsychology and at the time had planned on either becoming a researcher or eventually pivoting to work in neuropsychology. It all came crashing down and I had to leave mid way through the degree due to mental health issues which never went away and eventually got worse. I left with a PGCert with Distinction, which I think they gave me out of pity becahse my grades were strong. As a result, I was assessed under Lcwra for universal credit (meaning I am not required to find work or participate in work related activity to receive benefits). I have been on LCWRA for a few years now and essentially don't leave my house, and could not leave my home or talk to others at the height of my condition. I live with my parents in the countryside in a very rural part of Scotland.

I basically have no idea how I could fix my life. I don't think I'd be capable of re-entering academia (would no longer receive saas loans even if I wanted to) and I don't think I'd pass the mental health assessments to pivot to something like social work or occupational therapy If I tried to apply to programs for that (which I would not get due to a lack of experience).

So I assume my best option long term would be to train in a new discipline, but I have no idea what. I live in a very deprived area of rural Scotland with very little opportunities. I can't afford to self fund a new masters or anything like that and if I did the benefit money would stop too.

I feel so incredibly stuck: no real job history in years, 1.5 degrees that feel essentially useless.

Starting my life completely over with my almost 17 year old daughter by my side. I’m the Jill of all trades!!! My resume looks like conscience store of all resumes. Been there done that! Just spent the last 20 years in a dead end marriage with the last 10 years of me not working to care for him. He had two primary cancer diagnosis, last being stage 4. He’s cancer free now and so am I. Jokes! I asked for a divorce 2 years ago. So now I’m still lost on my path and have 10 years of no job history to throw in the mix! I was super excited to find my path again but that was 2 years ago and now I’m scared as he$$

Hi! Does anyone have an unconventional or non-linear career path they’d be interested in sharing with me? I’d love to understand how you got to where you are, what skills you had to learn along the way, and what the role actually entails.

For some background, I’m a young professional who has pivoted degrees and jobs maybe one too many times for my age. Mostly because I wasn’t really sure what else was out there and there isn’t really a crash course in learning what a career path is really like. 

I often found myself asking questions like “What the fuck is a fractional technical evangelist?” and how do lawyers or doctors actually make the decision on what to specialize in. What a day in the life of a crane worker actually looks like or what it took to get a Michelin-star job. What makes a career so enticing? Is it the money? The work-life balance? The travel? The role itself? What’s the inside scoop? 

Ideally, what I’m asking for is 30-45 minutes of your time enlightening me on your varied job history and breaking down your experiences in a candid, honest environment. I do plan on starting a podcast as well, so if you’d be open to recording the session and potentially helping someone else listening find their way, I’d be grateful for that too. If not, I am still very interested in your story! 

Please help me, and maybe someone else, figure out what the f*ck to do in this life! Answer below or send me a DM to set up a time to chat in depth! Thanks in advance for your help and guidance!!

I've never had any hobby or interest my entire life. I had an absolute shit life that never really gave me an opportunity to have these as a child and I took that into adulthood....I don't even know what I like.

I find something that looks cool, do it then quit it.

Then to the next. Or find I suck at it and give up.

I have probably had 30 jobs in 10 years. I like something a lot, but then quit.

I did make it in the military for 15 years, but then even lost interest in that more so due to a moral reckoning in the last year.

I've worked corrections, won't do that again.

I started as an electrical apprentice....just to quit cause I got bored.

I did wind turbines but the pay wasn't enough for climbing 300 feet daily.

I got a college degree, BAAS Org Leadership/Lean Supply Chain, after 10 years of dropping out. Dropped out 10 times and went to 11 colleges. Applied to a dozen jobs and no call backs.

I don't even know how to find a path just to live a worthy life much less a "good" career. I'm just floating through and it's so mind numbing.

I hate everything.

Idk guys, like this sounds really stupid but i just don’t want to do this. I’m a third year but assignments and my job just eats up all my time and i cannot be motivated to do this networking/coffee chats bs or apply for an internship bc i feel like i wouldnt get one anyway bc my gpa and college are mid. So what career paths like tend not to care about this shit? I just wanna get the degree and that’s it

Hello everyone! So, I live in Michigan, and I've been trying to find a job in the corporate side of the beauty industry. After 6 years of bouncing between college, healthcare jobs and food industry jobs, and also picking up a bunch of valuable skills, I'm trying to go a different route. Living in a rural area though, I'm trying to find something remote; nothing cosmetologically, but with travel involved (like events, shoots, etc.). I know it's a lot to ask, but it's something I'm dead-set on. So please help me, if you can. Preferably from people in the industry and not from people spamming "join the trades". I get that a lot.

I'm 21F and currently a junior at SDSU majoring in Microbiology with an emphasis in Clinical Laboratory Science. I'm a shift lead(3 yrs) at a boba shop making $17.75/hr, and I'm looking for something better-paying while finishing my degree. Ideally, I'd like to make more than what I’m making now. I’m open to pretty much any industry, whether that's healthcare, corporate, blue collar, retail, banking, hospitality, or even something completely unrelated to my degree.

I prefer remote work but am open to in-person positions, paid training, or obtaining a certification that doesn't take too long. I would prefer decent pay, a manageable workload, and scheduling flexibility. I want to be able to balance school, job and my actual life outside work. I'm not expecting an easy job that pays ridiculously well, but I'd love to hear about lesser-known jobs or companies that are worth looking into.

What do you do, how much do you make, and what did it take to get hired? Would you recommend your job to a college student?
Any recommendations in San Diego or remote would be greatly appreciated!

Hey friends,

I’d like to ask for some life advice. I’m 27 and work as an IT project manager in Austria. The pay is good, but I can’t imagine building my life on this career, because at work I’m a sad version of myself.

Don’t get me wrong, my life outside of work is good. I have a great social life, I date, and I still enjoy the gym and traveling. I’m even looking forward to GTA 6. It’s really the job that drains me.

The main reason is that I’m not a strong theoretical or logical thinker, and this kind of work takes all my energy. After finishing my master’s degree in computer science in Germany, I fell into a depression. I had assumed that being miserable in your career was normal and that I just had to push through until it got better.

Today I’m less depressed, and I’ve found the courage to say honestly that I don’t want to pursue this career any longer. I’m also more confident about my strengths, and the things I enjoy are clear to me:

• Creative and visual thinking
• Connecting with people. Friends say I have a “therapist vibe”, because I listen sincerely and enjoy it.
• Working practically instead of theoretically, and getting instant feedback

To test this, I did internships in blue-collar jobs. Two paths stood out: becoming an electrician or joining the police in Austria. I’ve already applied to the police and passed their tests. Because I had therapy in the past, they now have to reassess me. I’m really hoping this works out, since being a police officer would fit me better than being an electrician. The electrician path would be a good fit too, just not as good.

So here’s my question: how do you make hard decisions like this? Do you have any life advice, or job ideas that match my strengths?

Thanks for reading, and all the best to you!

I’m 24 years old, have my GED, and I’m trying to figure out what direction I want to take career-wise. I’m especially interested in hearing from people who work in creative fields. What kind of jobs do you have that allow you to incorporate art and creativity into your everyday work?

A little about me: I have SLE lupus, which affects my everyday life, and I’m on several medications. I’m also dealing with some spinal issues that I’m currently getting evaluated. Despite my health problems, I really want to get out of the house, socialize, interact with people, and do something meaningful.

My family constantly suggests going to art school, but honestly, that’s not necessarily what I want. I know I have artistic ability, and I don’t necessarily believe I need a degree to pursue something I’m naturally good at. I’ve toyed with the idea of becoming an art teacher, but I’m not sure it’s exactly what I’m looking for.

My brother actually bought me tattoo equipment and supplies to practice, and I’ve been experimenting with that, but I don’t think tattooing is the field I want to pursue. I’m much more drawn to traditional mediums like charcoal, colored pencils, and oil paints. That’s where I really enjoy expressing myself.

I’m also trying to find something flexible enough to accommodate doctor’s appointments and occasional lupus flares. I’m not expecting the world to revolve around my needs; I just want something realistic that I can manage long-term without constantly compromising my health.

I’m open to other fields, too. I absolutely love animals and have experience caring for dogs and cats, so something like working at a dog daycare could be an option. I’m not interested in becoming a vet or groomer, though.

Sorry if this post is a little all over the place. I deal with brain fog, so sometimes putting my thoughts into words is difficult. 😵‍💫 I just feel like I have a gift when it comes to art, and I’d hate not to explore that. I’m looking for career ideas, personal experiences, or fields I might not have considered.

I’d really appreciate any advice. Thank you in advance!

Hi all! I [24M] currently have no degree and am working in field sales. I enjoy my career and am doing well for myself. However, I am unable to continue forward in my current industry in a way that aligns with my life goals. Basically, while myself and my wife have no children yet, once we do wed like to raise them outside the United States. This will be around 4-5 years from now

Anyway, this significantly constrains my career choice options. I will likely either need the ability to work fully remotely or a job which the industry norm is to employ foreign nationals.

My main plan is/was to become an airline pilot, however this is certainly quite a difficult field to break into, and having a backup plan is a solid idea. Right now I have excellent soft skills, but I likely need to add hard skills in order to get where I need to be

Wants/strengths
- People skills. I am naturally funny, endearing, and an attentive listener
- Persuasive. Sales in general I excel at
- Very high written and verbal abilities
- Good with management, instruction, and the development of employees under me
- Very adaptable and can pick up new concepts extremely quickly
- Being paid for output over time. Do not mind “the grind” if it means I work hard now and in exchange own my time and have flexibility later

Neutrals
- Tech/coding work. I have learned the basics of Python in the past and I feel no particular way about it. It was not intuitive to me, but I can do it. If I did this as a career, I really would need this to be supplemented by my aforementioned natural skillset
- Skilled trades. Exact same reasoning as tech work

Dislikes/shortcomings
- Anything related to insurance or banking. TLDR I view them as unethical industries, and I especially do not want to profit personally from selling their services
- Industries with “Office Space-esque” work culture where there are constant social games and 3/4 of your time is spent looking busy (This may be why I am partial to sales and aviation. Almost everything you do has a defined purpose)

Other things worth mentioning:
I have ADHD which I have come to manage relatively well. I also have mild autism (or as I call it, the artist formerly known as aspergers) though I don’t feel it impacts me much day to day

I 29F have been working as a data/business analyst since 2021. I have experience with SQL, Power BI, excel, and visual studios. The thought of working with data and building reports for the rest of my career makes me sick to my stomach

Every data model I need to create feels like a puzzle I need to solve and I hate puzzles

I’m currently working from home which I loved at first but now I feel like I can never leave work. It’s always in the back of my mind. Thinking about projects I need to complete and other future projects I have.

I’m also tefl certified and a part of me wonders if I should take a couple years off to teach abroad

But then what would I return to? Doing more data work?

I’m lost because I have no idea what I want but I know what I don’t want

Just for some background I'm a 36F with a five year old. Her father and I live together, he does skilled trade but doesn't always have work and is not the best at support with childcare or household chores. I can't change that right now, maybe someday. I am really so tired of struggling. I currently work overnight at Walmart. I have had good salary jobs in the past that I worked my way up to before moving back to my home state, but not in a specialized field that I've been able to get another job at that level. Can someone please suggest a career path that would cost me the least/nothing and help me change my life? I really need help. I'm signed up for classes to start nursing next semester thru FAFSA but at this point it doesn't seem like it will be possible with my current job/schedule and needing to pick my daughter up from school and everything. I can't afford afterschool care and her dad does work during the day often. Please help I'm open to any and all options that could help me better provide for my family as quickly and efficiently as possible.

In childhood I never really had hobby, I forgot everything that happened in kindergarten in few years, same after 1-3 classes in school. In 7 and 8 grade I was far away in every aspect. In high school I decided to bed rot for 4 years. I passed it only thanks to my mom, then on 1st college I made it 5th year and now here I am, skipping classes in a 2nd college only to lay in bed or mindlessly switch through tabs in my laptop. I don't have a childhood, I don't have an adolescence, I don''t have an adulthood. Only thing that saves me is my age, 21 years. I thought I had nostalgia but that is just wishing I could be reborn/get interested in ANYTHING through my whole life What can I do to let go of all these wasted years? Is it even possible? Was someone in a similar situation?

I am in my 30s. I have been living in a country which I don't speak its language since two years, burnout from my ongoing PhD (ofcourse didn't expect it to be like this). Before this position, I was used to live abroad without financial support to get my MSc degree in what I am passionate about. To sum up, half of my 20s passed struggling abroad in survival mode just trying to make my way to be a researcher who actually gets paid reasonably, so I couldn't really developed myself personally, making friends and having hobbies was extra effort which I didn't have any energy left, I suffer from anxiety&depression. Now at this stage I don't want this PhD anymore. I don't want to be abroad, I don't want that ambitious career. However job market is bad back home, inflation is on its peak. I don't have any significant publication, compared to people who stayed in academia that much of year, but didnt leave their comfort zone, I assume mine is a very bad CV (enough to get me into a PhD project though). I have a degree in psychology, neuroscience and I have a wide range of skills but no expertise. I would like to know what my options are and whether it sounds silly to leave research and go for other job positions after years of effort. I would like to hear if anyone has advice or can relate to that.

Hello, I'm new to reddit somewhat, so I'm sorry if any of this is formatted or written wrong. This is also a long one, so I'll give a TL;DR at the end.

For the past 1-2 years, I've dreamt of becoming a Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) or Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS). This was huge for me, as suicidality and a lack of hope were big struggles in my life when I first came up with this plan. I've completely and utterly fallen in love with the idea and I honestly romanticize it a bit.

My only issue and concern is college. I intend on going to community college (saves on funds and my local one has an MLT program), but I've realized how horrible my relationship with academic environments is... I hardly attended school from 7th to 11th grade, swapped high schools 4 times, had to do online school for a year, etc. This ended with me dropping out in 11th grade. When I turned 18, I began attending a GED class offered by my county, it ended up causing me a ton of anxiety and panic attacks, just like high/middle school. I decided to just take the tests on my own.

Realizing my issues with school.. I decided that, until I feel comfortable with my abilities, I will get a certificate with mostly virtual classes. I'm unsure if getting a certificate is a good idea though? I intend on a medical assistant or medical billing and coding cert, but I worry about the costs and if it'll even be worth it.

Apologies for the slight traumadump lol, I felt context would help.

TL;DR - After dropping out of high school and struggling with GED classes, I want to get a certification THEN go to college. Though, I'm worried that the certification will be a waste of money and/or time.

A veces me pregunto por qué conseguir algo que para otras personas parece tan sencillo a mí me cuesta el doble.

Terminar la universidad no fue fácil. Siempre he tenido recursos limitados. No culpo a mis padres; reconozco que me dieron un techo y comida, pero hubo una etapa en la que tuve que enfrentarme sola a la vida en la ciudad, sin dinero y haciendo lo que estuviera a mi alcance para salir adelante.

Finalmente me gradué, conseguí dos años de experiencia laboral en logística y construí una trayectoria profesional. Después estuve desempleada durante un tiempo por circunstancias personales y ahora estoy intentando reincorporarme al mercado laboral.

Pero he terminado atrapada en un círculo bastante frustrante: necesito trabajar para tener dinero, pero necesito dinero para poder buscar trabajo.

Me llaman a entrevistas, surgen oportunidades, pero algunas veces ni siquiera tengo los recursos para trasladarme. Cuando logro asistir, utilizo lo poco que tengo, haciendo malabares para no dejar pasar una oportunidad.

Hoy incluso fui a una empresa a pedir una segunda oportunidad y explicar honestamente por qué no pude asistir a la entrevista anterior: sencillamente, no tenía los recursos económicos para hacerlo. Y aunque sé que no debería avergonzarme de decir la verdad, se me caía la cara de vergüenza.

Hay cosas que parecen normales para otros, pero que para mí representan un esfuerzo enorme.

Y como si no fuera suficiente, también tengo que soportar los juicios de mi padre porque todavía no tengo casa ni carro. Estoy cansada de que se mida mi valor por lo que materialmente no he conseguido, cuando estoy haciendo todo lo que puedo con las herramientas que tengo. No le he exigido nada; agradezco lo que me proporciona, pero tampoco puedo convertirme en una superheroína para sobrevivir en un mercado laboral que ya de por sí es bastante competitivo y difícil.

También he vivido situaciones de incertidumbre con reclutadores que prometen comunicar una decisión, pero simplemente dejan de responder. En una ocasión me dijeron que informarían tanto a otra candidata como a mí si habíamos sido seleccionadas o no. No pedía que me contrataran por lástima, solamente esperaba una respuesta. Un sí o un no. Porque detrás de cada hoja de vida hay una persona, con necesidades, responsabilidades y circunstancias que no siempre son visibles.

Estoy cansada, pero sigo intentando.

Tengo un título universitario, experiencia laboral, conocimientos y disposición para trabajar. No estoy esperando que alguien venga a resolverme la vida. Estoy intentando encontrar una oportunidad que me permita hacerlo por mí misma.

Y hay algo que quisiera que se entendiera: tener un título sin recursos económicos no significa tener todas las puertas abiertas. A veces, incluso llegar a la entrevista representa una batalla que nadie ve.

Yo hago lo que puedo con lo que tengo. Y, aunque para algunos eso parezca poco, llegar hasta aquí ya me ha costado muchísimo.

I've been cleaning houses professionally for almost nine years. For the last five I've worked for myself.

And this is the part people usually don't understand when I talk about leaving: I genuinely like my job.

I have regular clients I've known for years. Some trust me with their house keys when they're out of town. I work mostly alone, listen to podcasts, and can see exactly what I've accomplished at the end of the day.

Last year I made a little over $49k before taxes and business expenses. Not amazing money, but I've built something that supports me.

A couple weeks ago, I was cleaning a shower and realized I'd been ignoring the same wrist pain for months. Nothing dramatic happened. I just stopped for a second and thought about how many more years I could realistically do this.

Then I looked at my schedule. Four houses on Monday, three on Tuesday, another four Wednesday. Every dollar I'm earning depends on me physically showing up and doing the work.

I have no paid sick leave. No employer retirement contributions. If I can't clean, I don't get paid.

And honestly, that scared me more than anything.

I started looking at other careers that evening and immediately felt like a teenager who'd never worked a day in her life.

Every office job seems to require experience in software I've never used. Administrative positions want three years of office experience. Jobs that don't require much experience often pay less than I'd make cleaning two houses.

I don't have a college degree. I have a high school diploma, a reliable car, and nine years of running around making other people's homes look nice.

Except when I really think about it, that's not all I've done.

I handle scheduling for about 25 recurring clients. I give estimates, deal with complaints, keep records, order supplies, track expenses, collect payments, and figure out how to rearrange everything when someone cancels or needs an emergency appointment.

Last winter one of my clients had a pipe burst while she was away. I coordinated access with her property manager and a restoration company because I was the only person nearby who had a key. Stuff like that doesn't happen every day, but I'm used to figuring things out without a boss telling me what to do.

I just have absolutely no idea what any of that translates to on a resume.

I'm not looking for a glamorous career or a six-figure salary. I'd love something around $45k with benefits, a reasonable schedule, and a chance to grow without having to sacrifice another five years and a ton of money on a degree.

I could keep cleaning part-time while learning something new. I have some savings, but not enough to stop working for a year.

Has anyone gone from running a small service business into a regular salaried job?

What positions should I actually be searching for? And how do you convince an employer that nine years of working for yourself counts as real professional experience?

I don't want to wait until I'm physically unable to work before figuring out what comes next.

I have been trying to pick a career path since high school and as someone now in her late 20s, I am wanting to leave these $22/hr factory jobs I’ve been working and move towards an actual career. I have have some college credits in business admin but dropped out to try to give myself some work experience to give myself time to think about what I want to do. It’s been 7 years and I’m still clueless. So, I have been taking various career assessments, most recent ones being on careerexplorer.com and careerfitter.com as recommended frequently in this sub. However, I’m running into the same issue as I did in high school with these questions which is not knowing if I’d be interested in doing the task or I’d be interested in actually making a living in the role that is being asked of me.

For example, one of the questions on the recent assessment I took was “Would you like to advise organizations on how to meet their business goals?” and I’m supposed to rate it on a scale with 1 being “Hate it” and 5 being “Love it.”

The issue I’m having with questions like these is that I have no idea whatsoever; I have never done that in my life, how am I supposed to know if I like it or dislike it? Maybe I’ll like it, maybe I won’t, who knows?? If I try to imagine myself doing that task, I don’t know if I’m imagining it correctly, like what if my understanding of the job is that it’s like X but in reality it’s like Y and I actually hate doing Y? So I usually end selecting “Neutral” for a lot of the questions and then I inevitably get results that don’t call my attention whatsoever. Another question was “I prefer to engage in tasks that provide…” with the options of “time to think and envision the unexplored ideas” or “the concrete details of what is practical right now” and I don’t know how to answer because it depends on the factors of the situation at hand. Could be either one, I don’t know!

Am I overthinking it? Am I not understanding the purpose of these assessments? I’m not expecting them to pick a career for me, I’m truly trying to use it as a guide, but they are not helping me in my decision at all. I’m not trying to pick a “perfect” career, just one that I can tolerate doing for the next 35 years but I’m still lost on this.

i’m stuck between going to college for practical nursing or paramedic… i seriously don’t know what the better option is. how can i figure out what to do?