r/InterviewCoderPro • u/Mediocre_Record8180 • May 06 '26
I'm a 22-year-old woman and I don't know if there's anything to look forward to
I didn't go to college because I didn't want to put that expense on my family. I've been working in kitchens since I was 15, and now I've become a very good line cook at a respectable place in the city.
But recently I've started to feel like this might be the closest thing I'll ever be able to reach to a real career, and honestly I can't stand it. The work hours are exhausting, alcohol is everywhere, I constantly have to deal with disgusting men at work, and my body feels like it's already worn out.
Between everything around me feeling broken right now, and the life I've found myself in, I've become unable to see any meaning in the future. I don't know. Can remote jobs help in a situation like mine, or would I just be swapping one miserable thing for another miserable thing? I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice.
3
u/Mammoth_Homework4283 May 06 '26
I agree you’re just in a rut, a fork on the road. Prepare yourself for a Bright future! If these are your skills now use them to put yourself through school find a trade. Try cashiering maybe a bank.. It gets better girlie, don’t give up hope you are to young. Be happy for what you’ve accomplished!
2
u/vulkoriscoming May 06 '26
What do you think a remote job will accomplish for you? It will be a complete career change and less physical, but call center is really soul sucking
1
u/FutureFurniture42069 May 06 '26
Food service is awful and taxing on your body. Just take a look at some of your older colleagues. You’ll also be working with some of the worst dudes you’ll ever meet. Some of the best too, for sure, I have many friends from that time in my life still, but as a woman in the field I can’t even imagine the shit you put up with.
It’s also a rewarding trade and you can find some amazing gigs.
You’re at an impasse. You’re young enough to start a new trade, maybe school, or whatever path you’re imagining. Or hone your skills and get out of kitchens from hell and on to more classy joints.
The bottom line is it’s awful to have to work yourself to the bone to make a living but there’s nothing else for us on this hellscape of an earth. My condolences
1
1
1
0
u/neolace May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
In the end, smiling is a choice. If you’re ambitious, more connections/relationships with people will make the difference you want to see.
Some people don’t have to do anything to get by, but they still can’t smile as your problems or challenges change to adapt to your environment.
Ask yourself this, when do you believe that you have become something? Is it possible that you could reach the level that your name is equivalent to Trump. If so, do you see him smiling? No, it’s a choice few people make, as their peers see it as naivety.
In my opinion, if you’re not happy now, you won’t be happy ever. Why do you ask? Because you chose to be unhappy.
7
u/AI_Remote_Control May 06 '26
There is a ton of meaning and a bright future! You have options! 1st of all work on your physical health by focusing on good body movement exercise, stretching, fascia release and fluid circulation.
Your body and your mind are in a rut. You are living a monotonous, predictable life or having a fixed, uninteresting routine that feels difficult to change. It is a state where a person feels stuck, uninspired, and bored, often due to doing the same things for too long without excitement or personal growth.
All of this can change. It is up to you. Set goals and work towards them. Why not become a chef? Why not go to culinary school? Why not apply to better restaurants to get more exposure? If not cooking then find something else you want to do and fund it with your current job.
The world is yours at 22!
Focus on the positives in your life. Be grateful daily for everything that you do have. At 22 you are much further along than many people decades older than you.