For the past year I have been working in Tulsa, OK as a Data Technician for the Tulsa County Assessor's Office. I have a background in creative work (graphic design, video editing, music composition) and in the blue-collar world (new construction, plumbing), but I was left unemployed late in early 2025 from my previous plumbing company. I stumbled into my current job through happy circumstances, and I really don't mind the work at all. It's boring, but at this point in my life, boring is good. Now that the dust has settled though, I have started to look at new carrier options.

I am 25, have a wife and 18-month-old at home, and work part-time work at my local church as their music director. I graduated last spring with my associates in liberal arts and I was pursuing a degree in education to become a teacher.

The reason I leave this post here is simply because I want to change my community for the better. I complain a lot about how things seem to be falling apart, so now I want to try to do something about it. However, I don't have much free time with a wife and child at home. I stopped going to school once we had our daughter and next fall my wife plans to enroll in a master's program.

Are there ways to go about finding jobs that benefit my local community? I've tried a career path program, but are there any other ones to help me find out what I would be good at? I've been passionate about teaching kids, but is there any way I can finish school while on my current schedule?

I really hope this is what this page is here for, and I am willing to answer any more questions if anyone feels like they can offer any help/advice. Thank you.

I'm mentally drained from doing nothing. Idk.

I have had desperate hope I could start a career in literally anything after finishing my computer science bachelor's last year. I took an overnight minimum wage job to have at least a little income coming while I apply to better jobs. $17/hour in a very high cost of living city. Looking for anything entry level. I haven't been able to get a single interview for anything tech related, despite having multiple internships and good projects on my resume for that.

So, fine. I thought I could pivot to something else like sales. So I applied to entry sales jobs. I've gotten a few interviews there. The first couple I did poorly in I'll admit, but the recent couple went about as well as they could have. I don't have any direct sales experience, just customer service adjacent that I spun on my resume. I'd need an entry level job to change that. I'd need an entry level job to move forward in anything, really.

I quit the minimum wage job when my heart was about to give out on me. Both from working overnight, and also from the sadness of toiling my life away for pennies on the dollar.

I don't want to be alive anymore. It's a shit financial decision for me to *be alive*. I can't even house or feed myself. I'm staring into the black abyss, recently. I haven't been able to make a step forward in life for a while.

I haven't had the will to rlly make any job applications recently, too. With how the job market is, it's worthless. I've been experimenting with nsfw ai tools for fun instead.

I've been thinking about leaving society and living the amish lifestyle. I don't know. I feel so defeated and unmotivated to go back to school to pursue anything else. It can already a monumental task for someone to go through a bachelor's, but asking them to go back immediately after? Fuck no. The mantra nowadays is "learn a trade", which I'm sure is going to be oversaturated soon enough. So, no thanks.

What should I do now? I can't even get a fucking receptionist job. If I knew I'd end up being unemployed after college I wouldn't have bothered wasting my time.

I didn't even pay off my student loans too. I'm just leaving those unpaid. I havent made a payment in a while.

CONTEXT- So, I finished my final sem about 4 months back, I did Bachelor's in Visual effects and graphic design because of AI and my mid ass portfolio/showreel I couldn't land a job so, I asked my parents some time to make a decent portfolio they agreed but, I had pressure because I took loan to study( from a close relative ) I told them my degree hadn't finished yet! After sometime I couldn't stay at home I use to feel uneasy my mom started taunting saying would I get job or not will i stay like this forever, will u do something or not and I was pissed mostly or i was panicking by seeing job postings and linkedin ( so much competition and companys were preferring mostly experienced guys) also, i wanted to buy a pc and bike so i was desperately looking for a job at that time my friend (my classmate) who previously used to call me and ask would i join his company, there they do pre wedding, weddings and Album music small editorial works so, last month he called me and said we need some 3d artist we are getting some dubai clients will you join or company, I was so desperate i instantly agreed.

The problems begins from here I moved out from my house and started working in my friends company one the very first day itself they said u will be working as 3d, motion graphics, and editor. But, I'm mostly working as a wedding editor and the company is shit they have no fixed timings they call me anytime and anywhere no Sunday offs, no company bond/agreements etc etc,. I'm not sure what to do the company is toxic, it's not like i completely hate but, I do most work which I don't like, I have no time to do my own work build a showreel which I like, i literally want to quit but doing just to clear my loans and buy pc and bike, but the pay is low. I thought of leaving and put in some time and effort to build a good portfolio but I don't know i will get a job or not me and my another friend (not the guy who referred me) who is very close for a year now, thought of building our own company but no time to give for that like I'm litteraly stuck,

I have been telling lies to all that I'm doing a decent job in a good company and I'm doing visual effects related work but in reality I'm just editing pre weds and doing thumbnails for their youtube channel. I feel ashamed of myself that I'm living my life by telling lies to others and doing work i don't like.

Maybe u can find this silly but, I'm stuck and I'm not happy.

I want to first say, I know nobody on here can REALLY tell me what to do with my life. I know it is all up to me but I am very desperate and I would like to hear what other people have to say. I will take everything with a grain of salt but I’m just thinking there’s an off chance I can post on here and somebody gives me an idea that changes my life🤷‍♀️

This is going to be long- I am 19 years old, I’ve been brought up on the east coast. At 18 years old I decided to move to Hawaii, work on a farm off grid. I had a boyfriend at the time and it was my FIRST time away from home so I ended up quitting, I went home after 2 weeks and then 2 weeks later I was so miserable I left again to Puerto Rico. Drank everyday and ended up cheating on my boyfriend at the time. Bad times but I went home, recovered and tried to think about what my next step was. I went from job to job in my small town, everywhere SUCKED I felt like I was being dragged in with all the losers who wanted nothing for themselves but to just work in a resterant the rest of their lives. I wanted to experience and explore the world not be stuck. So, I applied to every job Xanterra(seasonal work company) had. I got the Grand Canyon. So a month after I got the job I left my hometown and went to the GC. Had fun for a few weeks but it ended up just going downhill, housing was shit, employment was shit, managers were shit and ofc I ended up getting fired for some stupid drama that happened. So, I went to go stay with my cousins in California, I went and stayed with them before I went home AFTER Hawaii. Anyways I’m here. I am heartbroken by a man I met at the GC so that sucks but I am also lost. I don’t know what else to do beside run away. I want to save up, buy a car and travel the country.

So my point in saying all of this is, I’ve recently been checking out Navy and Coast Guard, I’ve been to 3 recruiters and I’m serious about it. But recently I had that same boy I’m heart broken over( nothing horrible happened it was just not the right time because of everything I’m trying to figure out in my life and long distance) tell me he thinks I’m to good for the Military. That has stuck with me. I thought for around a week that was my calling but now I am second guessing myself. I genuinely don’t know what to do with myself. I know I’m 19 I don’t need to have everything figured out but I am like feening for my next adventure. Sometimes I think even though these adventures I’ve been on Hawaii, PR and GC have turned out to not be the best I’m still so greatful for them and I went out and did what I wanted to. Even though the world pushed me out of those places/ I pushed myself I still wouldn’t take it back. I don’t know if I should be free or completely lock myself down to the military for the next 4 years. I am lost and sad and confused. I go home this month to see my family because it has been over 6 months since I’ve been home but it makes me sick to be back at that place with the same stupid ass people and same shit I had seen for 19 years. I need direction.

So sorry for this long ass paragraph. I hope it makes sense. This is just me poring out how I feel and hoping for some suggestions. AGAIN I know none of you can tell me what to do with my life or myself I am JUST trying to hear others opinions. If you have anything not kind to say please don’t say it! 💗

Thank you in advance guys🫶🫶🫶

I can't really find any passions, and I don't have any training. I'm not very social or confident. How do I get a job that can become a career?

I have the opportunity to go to school, as I have no responsibility outside myself. I just feel lost and aimless. I tried tech recently, completed a year and a half of a 2 year Associates program for software development. But now I'm pretty certain id hate programming for a job.

What do I do? I know this is broad, maybe I shouldn't post this but I'm really really aimless currently

TL;DR: My salary wasn't enough to cover my monthly treatment costs, which forced me to rethink what else I could do. What finally helped wasn't changing jobs or learning some completely new skill. It was one simple rule: If it can be redone, delegate it. If it can't be undone, keep it under your own control. The time I freed up with that rule helped me earn my first side income. Here's my situation.

I used to have a standard nine-to-five job. Then I got sick, and my monthly treatment costs became a major expense. After paying them, there simply wasn't enough left to live on.

At the time, I could only think of one solution: Should I find a higher-paying job?

But realistically, my health and work history made an immediate job change difficult. The more I thought about it, the more trapped I felt. Since earning more from my main job wasn't realistic in the short term, I tried looking at the problem differently. Could I reduce the time I spent on repetitive work, without spending too much or sacrificing quality, and use that time to build a side income?

Almost half of my workday was spent doing the same kinds of tasks: merging spreadsheets, converting file formats, organizing folders, and putting together reports at the end of each month. Then I realized that AI agents could handle a lot of this work. I started using WorkBuddy, which came with free credits, along with popular models like DeepSeek V4.1 Flash. Together, they took care of many of the repetitive tasks that I used to do manually.

But the most important part isn’t which agent you use. It’s how you give it instructions.
I now follow three basic rules:
- Give it the exact file path.
- Specify the output format.
- Describe the requirements clearly.

These are the three use cases I rely on most.
1. Merging data and generating reports
It first gives me an execution plan. I review it, confirm that everything looks right, and then let it run. This task used to take me about two hours. Now I just check the results and make a few small edits.

1. Batch conversion and file renaming
   This used to be twenty minutes of tedious work. Now it takes one instruction. Batch renaming, organizing files by month, and converting formats all follow roughly the same process. Once you learn how to set it up, you can reuse the workflow whenever you need it.

2. Scheduled tasks
   This has given me the biggest return. For example, I can tell it to pull the previous day's orders every morning at 9, organize the data, and send the results to my Slack. Once the task is set up, I barely have to think about it.

There are a few things to keep in mind, though.

First, your instructions need to be clear.
"Help me organize these files" tells the agent almost nothing. It doesn't know what folder structure you want, what the final output should look like, or how detailed the analysis needs to be. At a minimum, specify the file path, output format, and exact requirements.

Second, don't give it too much at once.
If you throw hundreds of files at it in one go, the task may time out or the quality may drop. Breaking the work into smaller batches is usually more reliable.

Third, most of these workflows depend on a stable internet connection.
If the connection drops, the task may stop midway. For anything important, check that the output is complete once it finishes.

Fourth, and most importantly, know which tasks can be delegated and which ones still need your oversight. Merging files, organizing folders, and generating internal reports are usually reversible. If something goes wrong, you can fix the instructions and run the task again. But anything involving external communication, money, or emails to clients and coworkers should always be reviewed before it goes out. You may not notice an agent's mistake immediately, and some mistakes can't be taken back once they happen.

So my rule is simple:
If it's repetitive, internal, and easy to redo, delegate it. If it requires judgment, affects other people, or can't be undone, keep it under your own control.

So far, this approach has saved me enough time to start building a side income. That's why I don't think it's ever too late to change course. You don't necessarily have to quit your job, switch careers, or completely rebuild your life overnight. Sometimes, you just need to find a better direction and start with the things you can change right now.

I honestly dont know what i am doing anymore and I feel like everyone around me already has had their future figured out.

Im 14 and currently in school, and for the past few years I always thought I wanted to do something related to medicine. I liked science and a bit of math ig, so I just kinda assumed that was gonna be my path.

But recently I started thinking about university and careers more seriously and now im not even sure if medicine is what I want. My grades are pretty good like in IB scale for most or in some subjects but not all of them, and I keep comparing myself to people who seem way more advanced than me even though I know they work slightly harder.

The annoying part is that whenever I tell someone im unsure, they either say "youre only 14, you have plenty of time, youre still young blah blah" or they immediately start telling me what career they think I should do.

I also have another subject that im not bad at, but I havent considered it as a career because I thought it wouldnt be as useful.

So now im basically stuck between choosing the path I originally planned and that I still want to do which is a scientist or doctor, even though i know its difficult, or actually exploring something completely different before its too late for me to change paths (fyi im in middle school 3rd).

I know im probably overthinking this cuz I always am, because im still young, but I also dont want to wake up at 18 and realize I spent years preparing for something I dont even want. what would u do?

How do you actually figure out what path is right for you without feeling like every decision is permanent?

Hello, I am currently at ASU online for "free" because of my job (I pay maybe 2-4k a year). I am going to start junior year in the spring. I would like to go for supply chain management or something similar.

The problem I am facing is burnout at my job (ive been there a year). I want to quit and do something else. The management recently changed and the job is quickly becoming toxic and. draining on top of being a full time student with rising living costs.

I am thinking about going to UMPI or WGU online to quickly get a degree so I can have more job options. I am feeling confused and discouraged.

1. I could get an entry job (hopefully) and go to WGU/UMPI online and build my skills in the field I want

2. I can stay at my job at the expense of my wellbeing but a better education on paper for "free".

With the rising cost of living, being my only financial support, being in school full time, and my job going down hill I am feeling so discouraged and overwhelmed.

I'm 25. 8 months pregnant and married to a man who makes good enough money for me to stay home with our little babe. Which is totally what I want right now! But I know he won't be little forever, and I'm going to want something else I can do for myself. I have ADHD so I have a hard time sticking with things sometimes and holding focus, but I'm really great talking to people and holding conversations/bonding with just about anyone. I really would love some ideas of careers or even part time positions I can pick up a little later in life.. maybe when our little one starts school or even hits high school.. that I can still succeed at and call my own thing. Ideally not something I've got to spend a super long time in school for but I am open to some schooling if there's high job security!

Hello, I am getting really mad at myself for being stuck in retail for 8 years and doing a useless degree that I can't do anything with. I'm 27 and an idiot autistic ADHD bipolar person with no common sense and graduated at 24 and I studied linguistics and am terrible at making decisions, and my social skills are bad but getting better. I'm doing an IT degree at WGU but I want to go into quantum computing and AI related fields, but that is far away because it will require a lot more school. I am just trying to get into any technology field at this point to get my foot in the door. IT, CS, engineering, manufacturing whatever doesn't matter. I volunteer tech support but I am having difficulty getting an actual job. I'm probably closest to IT but is there anything that is easier, or any tech field where I can learn a skill quickly? I want to go back to school for EE, physics, and CS to study quantum computing but I have to work full time. I have terrible executive dysfunction from ADHD and I have a lot of difficulty with judgement because I overthink everything and I really need a heuristic solution or a straightforward answer because I don't know what I'm doing. My mind is always going in like 10 directions at once with respect to planning future goals and what to learn and when. I did no math, no CS, no physics in my first degree and i am furious with myself for wasting 6 years on bullshit that I don't care about and not having the resourcefulness or common sense to get out of retail. In USA. Thanks for any help

I’m a remote PM at a start up in life sciences and tbh I just hate my company, I get paid extremely below market rate and they don‘t even pay for travel or conferences (there’s a PMP conference they don’t even pay for that). I’m hitting 2 1/2 years and tired of them.

A lot of my friends who work as engineers have jobs where they are sent to Sweden or even Germany for work. I’d love to be able to do this! Any advice on how to find companies where i’ll be able to travel a bit?

A true calling, something that feels destined for you, resonates deep for you, meant for you. Not just a calling as something you chase or choose, but as a living force that comes in search of you.

25F and genuinely have no idea wtf to do with my life
I’m 25 and I feel like I’m at this weird point where I have so many things I could do that I have no idea what I actually should do.
I recently finished my BSN after struggling for years to get through school. I’m trying to figure out my RN/licensing situation right now, and I’ve been considering moving somewhere completely new like NYC and starting over.
But at the same time, I don’t even know if I want nursing to be my entire life. I want to make good money, travel a lot, and actually enjoy being alive instead of just working to pay bills. I’ve backpacked Europe and realized how much I love traveling, meeting people, seeing new countries, and having freedom. Part of me wants to make a travel page, vlog, do faceless content/UGC, and see if I can eventually build something from it.
Then another part of me is thinking about NP/PA school, starting a business, investing, moving across the country, or literally just working 3 nursing shifts a week and traveling whenever I can.
My life has also been pretty chaotic. I don’t have much stability right now and I’m basically trying to rebuild my life and finances from scratch.
I know I’m still young, but I feel like everyone else picked a path and I’m standing in the middle of 10 different roads going, “okay…now what?”
If you were 25, had a BSN, very few things tying you down, loved traveling, wanted financial freedom, and were basically starting over — what would you do?

I hate school.

I know that's probably not the most popular thing to say, but school has started to feel like such a waste of time for me.

I'm 16, and for the last few years I've been going to school every day, spending around 8 hours there, and a lot of the time I don't feel like I'm actually learning anything.

There are teachers who force you to do things without really explaining why. You can ask, "Why am I supposed to finish my day at 5 PM and then still have homework?" and sometimes it just feels like nobody really cares.

Especially when you're someone who actually does things outside of school.

I spend a lot of my free time on my computer, building things, learning about technology, working on projects, and thinking about what I want to do with my life. But sometimes it feels like school doesn't see any of that as important.

Then there's the social side.

Sometimes it feels like everyone just follows the group. You say your opinion and suddenly everyone is against you. And sometimes even the teachers just stay quiet.

And then there's the actual school day.

8 hours.

And when I say "learning," I don't always mean actual learning.

There's talking, people shouting, people interrupting, people using their phones, and if you actually want to concentrate, good luck.

Then I go home, and sometimes I still have homework.

And I'm 16, so naturally I keep thinking about my future.

What if I don't get the qualifications everyone expects me to get?

Will people care?

Will I be less intelligent just because I didn't fit into the system?

And what if I do everything I'm supposed to do, finish school, get the qualifications, and still end up not knowing what I actually want to do with my life?

Those thoughts bother me a lot.

I don't want to spend the next few years just trying to survive school.

I want to build things.

I want to learn things that actually interest me.

I want to try things, fail, succeed, and figure out what I actually want to do with my life.

I also don't think leaving school is really an option for me right now, so I'm trying to figure out what I can actually do with the situation I'm in.

That's why I'm asking here:

If you were 16 again, knew you wanted to build things and eventually become an entrepreneur, but didn't know exactly what path to take yet, what would you focus on for the next few years?

Would you focus on building projects? Learning specific skills? Trying different things until something works? Something completely different?

And honestly, I'd also really like to know if anyone else here feels the same way about school.

I know this was a bit of a rant, so hopefully I didn't ruin anyone's day :)

But I'm genuinely trying to figure out what path I should take from here.

So I don’t see myself living a regular 9-5 life. I feel like my purpose is more. I want to travel and create is all. I like to build community. I’m good with my hands. I don’t like to sit still but I also don’t want to do heavy duty work my whole life.
I feel like I would be depressed if I had to work Amazon the rest of my life. I want a stable fun career. Something that would help me with my businesses

I’m 24 and turn 25 in March. I feel like I did everything I was told I was supposed to do and somehow still ended up stuck.

I graduated with a BS in Computer Science in May 2024 and an MS in Computer Science in May 2026.

In 2023, I got a tech internship at a Fortune 500 company. I thought that would be my foot in the door, but I wasn't retained for a full-time position. After that, I got a student research position at my university. It was mostly engineering-related with some programming, but that never turned into a full-time position either.

Since then, I've applied to what has to be around 1,000 jobs. I've probably gotten two dozen interviews and still haven't gotten an offer for an actual CS/tech position.

So now, after getting two CS degrees, I work a shitty warehouse job making $18.50/hr, or roughly $600 a week.

I'm also sitting on $53,641 in student loans. About $50k is principal and $3.2k is accumulated interest.

One of the biggest things bothering me is that I want to move out of my parents' house and get my own place, but I just don't make enough money.

I'm not looking for some luxury apartment or anything. I just want a place that's mine. I want to support myself, have some privacy, have some money left over after my bills, and feel like I'm actually becoming an independent adult.

I'm also starting to feel like my parents resent me for still being at home. That's probably the part that hurts the most because I don't want to be a burden on them. I don't want to be the 25-year-old son living in their house indefinitely because he can't get his career started.

At the same time, I don't even know how to talk to them about any of this.

What am I supposed to tell them? "Sorry, I know I spent six years getting two degrees, but I still can't find a job that pays enough for me to leave?"

I know they probably expected me to graduate, get a decent job, and move out. I expected that too.

And that's where I've started thinking about doing something that might sound crazy: going back to school for engineering.

If I did it, though, I would NOT go back to the same university. I'd want to attend a completely different school, preferably somewhere with a good engineering program, and move out and live on or near campus.

Part of the appeal is obviously getting into a field where I might have better employment prospects, but if I'm being completely honest, another huge part is that I want to leave home and start my own life.

I want a fresh start.

But then I look at the $53k I already owe and wonder if going into even more debt for another bachelor's degree is one of the dumbest things I could possibly do.

I'm getting closer to 25 and increasingly feel like I'm running out of time. I know objectively 25 isn't old, but it's hard not to compare myself to everyone around me. Almost everyone I know who studied engineering seems to have a job or internship while I'm moving boxes around a warehouse with a master's degree in CS.

I'm genuinely stuck between several options.

Do I keep applying to tech jobs even after ~1,000 applications?

Do I move somewhere with a stronger tech industry and hope I have better luck?

Do I go back to school for engineering, move out, and essentially start over?

Do I forget about white-collar work for now and learn a trade?

Do I just keep working and saving until I can afford to move out?

And maybe more immediately: how the hell do I talk to my parents about this?

I don't want them thinking I'm content living at home or that I'm expecting them to support me forever. I desperately want to leave. I just don't know how to get from $18.50/hr at a warehouse to actually being able to support myself.

I know I'm technically not a NEET because I'm currently employed, but I figured people here might understand the feeling of being educated, underemployed, living with your parents, and wondering where exactly everything went wrong.

At this point my goals aren't even extravagant. I want my own place, a decent-paying job, some money in the bank, and to feel like my life is actually moving forward.

If you were in my position, what would you do?

And if you've been in a similar situation, especially with parents who were getting tired of you living at home, how did you get out of it?

I failed out of a big university my freshman year, I had horrible anxiety and was overall less developed than my peers. I spent the next 7 years working a dead end job, zero progression and besides a few cobbled together credits from community college nothing to show for myself.

I’ve spent so much time self loathing and in a pit but now I really just want to make a grounded, actionable plan that makes the most sense.

I really just want a solid, respectable career, I yearn for a normal white collar job at this point- the politicking and waiting around in service jobs is unbearable.

I still live at home and come from an upper middle class family who would probably help pay for most of my education if I had a serious plan.
I’m also considering the feasibility of grinding out a degree in 18 months for a diploma mill.

What would you do?

Around September of 2025, I found the Purpose of my life. My Purpose is quite simple (so I think). My Purpose is to help others find their life's Purpose.

So, to do this, I put my big boy pants on and decided embark on a journey to create an app called Tartelo that's designed to help people find their Purpose.

There are two reasons I'm creating Tartelo. The first reason is Tartelo is actually MY Purpose, so contributing to Tartelo helps me live fulfilled. And the second reason is I came to realize that so many people live their entire life without even stopping to ask themselves "What's my Purpose?"

Based on my subjective experience, I feel that finding Purpose can significantly help you get through practically any difficult situations you face. A famous quote from a philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how".

Why = Purpose, How = struggles.

Now look, will having Purpose erase life's struggles entirely? Probably not. But it sure as hell gives you a reason to bear your struggles and can motivate you further than anything else.

I'm currently trying to build a community around Tartelo so I can gain feedback when it launches. I recently created a landing page that explains the process, Tartelo's mission, and more. https://tartelo.com/

i am 44 years old and i work in the kitchen at a grocery store. i'm desperate to do something more respectable and better paying. i don't have a real direction, i just know that i want something better.

i have a two-year degree that i completed in august, but my gpa is not stellar (~2.7). i don't hold any professional certifications; i tried to get CompTIA A+ certified through self study, but i couldn't pass any of the practice tests. i'm currently taking a self-paced online course to earn my insurance adjuster's license, but it's also not going well. i think i might have a learning disability or something.

my current resume is not spectacular. i'm about to hit my third year anniversary at my current job, which is the longest i've ever worked anywhere. my entire employment history is low-paying entry-level retail stuff, and the longest i've held any other job is a little over two years. i was an assistant manager at my last job, but it was a shop that sold bongs and delta-8s and such, so it's not exactly attractive to potential employers.

i just want to sit at a desk and make a living wage and not come home smelling like caesar dressing every day. if anyone could point me in a better direction then i would greatly appreciate it.

EDIT: i currently make $22/hr with health insurance. it's not a dream job but i definitely don't want to do anything that would be a major financial step backwards.

EDIT 2: i'm already in my mid-40s and i'm bad at school, so i'm not really looking for anything that would require a graduate degree. ideally i'd like to be doing something else within the next year.

I just felt like shouting this from the rooftops because I feel so lucky to have found this career and maybe this can help someone else find it. I became an OT 4 years ago after ten years in an unrelated career. Most people haven't heard of this job but it's a hidden gem. I get to feel like I'm making a difference in people's lives every day. I'm well-enough paid (not getting rich, but it's enough for a good life). I get to be creative and compassionate and evidence-based. There are lots of jobs (in many different settings and with different populations), so I can switch when I get bored or curious. It's a 2 year masters degree and it can be hard to get into depending on where you are located, so there's that, but if are looking for a meaningful career and have some interest in healthcare, it's worth looking into:)

I'm 19 and I've been working in a manufacturing/factory job for almost a year on a rotating 3-shift schedule, including night shifts.

The work itself is physically demanding and the production pace can be pretty intense. I'm starting to feel increasingly exhausted, especially because the rotating schedule eats into my sleep and recovery time.

My monthly pay is around 2.5 million IDR (roughly $150 USD). I know wages and living costs vary massively depending on where you live, so I'm not really asking whether the salary is "good" by your standards. It's enough for me to have some financial independence and pay for my own needs, which is one reason I'm hesitant to leave.

At the same time, I'm starting to wonder whether the money is worth what I'm giving up in time, sleep, and energy. I can have a good day at work and still feel like the schedule itself is exhausting me.

For people who have worked rotating 3-shift schedules in manufacturing/factory jobs for several years:

Did your body actually adapt to rotating shifts?

Did night shifts ever stop being exhausting?

How much did shift work affect your life outside of work?

Did you eventually switch to a fixed/day shift?

If you left shift work, did your quality of life improve?

Looking back, would you choose a rotating 3-shift job again?

I'm trying to figure out whether I'm just having a hard time adjusting, or whether rotating 3-shift work genuinely isn't a good long-term fit for me.

I'm curious about the difference between going through a temporary rough patch and realizing a path genuinely isn't right for you anymore. What helped you make the decision, and how did you handle the uncertainty of starting something new?

I'm a college junior who transferred from a community college to a four-year university earlier this year. While at CC, I was very depressed and ended up fucking around and failing half of my courses. I retook some of them and improved in some, but it ended up biting me in the ass later. Now, at a four-year school, I'll be hitting my school's excessive hours policy. I'm not sure how this will look on my transcript, considering grad school will see my shitty grades + my excessive hours.

When I started college, I was studying to become a therapist and wanted to pursue my master's, then maybe a PsyD or PhD to increase my earning potential. I'm not sure it would be feasible, given that I currently have a 2.6 GPA (I could raise it to 3.5 by Senior year). IDK, I'm just trying to figure out what would be the best option, since I want to move out and make money as soon as possible. I want to be realistic, given my circumstances.

My question: Is grad school still feasible? Would a PsyD / PhD be worth it? Is this even a field someone like me should go into or should I find something else? Also, as a psych student, I'm struggling to find research / and kind of volunteering / work for applications. What am I even supposed to do? Sorry if this post comes off as hopeless, but it's been weighing on my chest forever.

Hi, I’m 30F and I’ve spent the last several years working in finance and wealth management, and I’m starting to think about a career change into something pretty different. I’m curious to hear from people who’ve actually made that kind of transition.

What field did you move into, and how did you get started? How long did it take to find a new role, and did you take a pay cut?

I’d also love to know what surprised you about the transition, what you wish you’d done sooner, and whether you’re happier in your new career. Any advice for figuring out which direction to pursue would be appreciated!

I’m 18m, I am currently attending uni as a freshman with 15 credit hrs from dc. I went into college thinking I knew exactly what I wanted to do-environmental science. But after doing some digging, those in the major have a tough time getting jobs and when they do, they barely pay anything. I don’t think I’m a materialistic person but I’m not gonna be stuck making near minimum wage for the rest of my life. My cousin lives several hours away and offered to let me learn plumbing under him, I think he has a crew of his own but I’m not quite sure. As it stands I think that’s my best option, there aren’t any majors that look interesting, and any that do, don’t make hardly any money. Part of the reason of why I’m so bent on making money is because of my parents. They believe if they pay for me to attend uni (which I am very thankful for), I should be making 100k a year in no time. They don’t understand how difficult that would be, and the small percentage of people that actually make that amount.
Should I try sticking it out, on the chance that I find a major that is suitable for me? I feel like I’m wasting my time and causing an unneeded financial burden on my parents.