Hi everyone, thanks for taking the time to read this.

I’m 23M and graduated from college about three months ago, and I honestly feel pretty lost about what direction I want to take my life.

On paper, things are going well. I currently have a remote job that I can do from anywhere in the world, and I also recently signed an offer with an AI startup in the US that pays six figures.

The problem is that there’s another path I’ve wanted to take for a long time: moving to Japan and studying music for two years.

I’ve loved music since middle school and have been playing for 10+ years. In high school, I actually wanted to go to Berklee College of Music, but my parents were worried that making a living through music would be difficult, so I chose a more traditional path instead.

I don’t regret going to college, but the desire to seriously pursue music never really disappeared.
I also miss Japan. I miss the community and school environment there, and I want to experience living there again as an adult. On a personal level, I’d also like to date in Japan and potentially marry a Japanese partner someday.

Financially, though, the difference between the two paths is pretty big.

If I stay in the US and continue down the tech path, I’ll be making six figures. If I move to Japan, I can keep my current remote job, but I’d make around $30k/year while attending music school. Obviously the cost of living is different, so the lifestyle difference isn’t quite as extreme as the salary numbers make it sound, but I would still be giving up a lot of earning potential.
My current idea is to work the higher-paying US tech job for a few months, save enough money to pay for the two years of music school, and then move to Japan. I’d keep working remotely while studying music and figure out what I want to do after those two years.

One thing that makes this decision harder is that I don’t really believe “I’ll just do music school later” is realistic for me.

I know 23 is still very young, and obviously people can go back to school at any age. But this particular experience feels time-sensitive to me. Most of the students at the school would be around 18–20, and even at 23 I’d already be slightly older. If I wait until my late 20s or 30s, I know myself well enough to think I’d feel increasingly out of place going back to a school surrounded mostly by 18-year-olds.
More importantly, I’m worried that life will just get in the way. If I stay in the US, build my career, start making good money, take on more responsibilities, and eventually have a serious relationship or family, walking away for two years to attend music school in Japan will probably become harder and harder.
So part of me thinks: If I don’t do this now, there’s a good chance I never will.

And that’s probably what scares me most about choosing the safe path.

At the same time, another part of me is scared that I’m walking away from a really good career opportunity and financial stability just to chase an experience that I’ve romanticized in my head.
I don’t necessarily expect music to become my career. I just know it has consistently been one of the things I’ve enjoyed most for the last decade, and I’m afraid that if I never give it a real shot, I’ll wonder about it for the rest of my life.

For some additional context, I’m a dual Japanese/American citizen and can read, write, and speak Japanese fluently, so visas and the language barrier aren’t really concerns.

I guess my question is: If you were 23 and in my situation, would you take the safe/high-paying career path, or give yourself two years to pursue something you’ve wanted to do for a long time?

And especially for people who chose career first and told themselves they’d pursue something later: did “later” actually happen?

Any advice or perspective would genuinely be appreciated. Thanks for reading.

For the past ten years I've committed myself to little but hedonism. I graduated in 2018 with an English degree, and since then followed whatever professional path of least resistance has allowed me to keep up with that lifestyle. I want to start a proper career, but feel like I have little in the way of marketable skills other than being jacked and having bedded 200 odd women.

In the past ten years I've worked in a bar, been a carpenter's helper, done armed security, and currently have spent four or so years working for AAA primarily selling and installing car batteries. I make approximately $30/hr in that role after bonuses and taxes, and have zero debt and negligible living expenses (live with family), and $100k in an index fund. I also have a relatively wealthy family, albeit one that cannot help with networking/career advising at all.

I feel listless in my current job, and want to make a move that can set me up better for home ownership and a family, but I have zero idea what I can move into.

I feel pretty comfortable with physical jobs, but I don't have any experience in the white collar world. My biggest hurdle is a lack of desire to go back to school due to bad experiences I had my first time around. I did quite well there academically, but the environment stresses me out, and it got me into lots of bad habits regarding studying and procrastination.

I used to fancy myself book smart, but I think the intervening years have shut off that part of me. If I had a time machine and could go back to teach high school me calculus and not self-sabotage through indulgence it would change a lot, but alas.

i saw a benefit called VA home loan with 0$ money down to buy a house, but if i go full time into the military would i even be in my home state to even use it ? i feel like its unlikely unless someone here can tell me its legit. other then that is it a bad time to join ? i see on the news that alot of US soldiers are dying from war abroad. is this the right path to take ?

Hi everyone. I'm 25 and basically have never really worked before. I graduated college and later on realized I was very unhappy with the path I took. Now I've been NEETing for about a year and somewhat ended up in a rut, which was due to a mix of disliking my degree, low wages in my country coupled with slave driving, and social anxiety/clumsiness and just like that everything halted.

Recently I decided to pick up some skills to learn and hopefully try to find work online, and I settled on learning Autodesk Revit and become a BIM modeler, or heck even architectural CAD drafter to begin, anything at this point to get the ball rolling with an acceptable income. I also have some knowledge of 3D software so I was thinking I could perhaps try to do architectural visualization as well? (Though I think it's probably flooded with Ai stuff so I'm not sure if it's future proof)

Basically my goal now is to just pick up something I can handle and that I wouldn't be afraid to screw up much due to my overthinking and social anxiety. Any help and guidance is much appreciated.

Dunno what to do with myself. I'm in a helluva pickle.

Somewhat disabled (level 1 autism, chronic pain, back problems, knee problems, asthma).

27yo female from US. Only job has been being my aging chronically ill mom's (60+ year old) part-time homecare worker. So, I work at home 20 hours a week helping my home as needed. Only 20 hours because she can't apply for anything else. I make around $19k a year and get a little under $400 a week (half of which goes to bills).

I quit in 9th grade and never finished HS. I got a GED instead. Never went to college. I then spent a few years as a NEET before my dad died. I became my mom's caretaker to make some cash and help out at home.

Right now, my mom is in the hospital. She had a medical episode on Sunday. Right now she's unconscious... They didn't say it was a COMA, but she's in ICU right now. My older siblings and my mom's siblings are taking care of it all. I'm keeping house and taking care of the cats.

I assume my mom will be fine. Hopefully.

I worry that if something *does* happen to her, I'm shit out of luck. I can't afford our apartment. Heck, I wouldn't have a job without her. But I don't want to move in with family. I don't wanna go live with my sister or cousin or aunts. I always thought I'd get a job and stay at home with my mom until she died of old age. We're each other's roommates. It's cheaper for both of us, she needs help, and I don't have any interest in kids or a partner.

I need to find a path in life. But what? I have no life skills, no job skills, nothing to put on a resume. No friends either.

All I'm good as is reading and writing. As a kid I wanted to be a journalist. But, look at the state of the world now. AI and social media is making that job obsolete.

I have terrible social skills and mild-to-moderate social anxiety. So, jobs that require a lot of talking are bad for me. No becoming a teacher.

I hate math and have no interest in computers, so no IT, coding, or nursing.

I had planned on working at a supermarket or becoming a receptionist. Those aren't life careers, though.

Advice? Community college is something people bring up, but is it worth it, especially at my age?

I posted before on here & am taking steps forward. I’m about to be 24 w/ no college degree. currently working on my associates, but there’s a problem.

I would like to try out an intro class to architecture to see how I like it, but a lot of people are recommending against pursuing that because of the long hours, low pay, etc. but every time I think of an occupation (after switching my mind 10 times on different careers), I think of architecture or at least interior design

I’m enrolled in an associate of science degree & am halfway there. I’m considering healthcare like rad tech but need the prerequisites.

my issue is that the architecture degree requires core classes (like english, math, history) & the rad tech program I’m looking at only needs A&P 1 & 2, algebra, and english 1. I already have english & would like to retake algebra for the max grade.

the sciences required for architecture are physics & rad tech’s are A&P 1 & 2. I don’t know what to pick. should I complete my associate of science while taking A&P courses to have the prerequisites for the rad tech program & have the associates to transfer to architecture if I decide A&P 1 isn’t for me? I’d have to take another year to complete the required physics courses & maybe another class or two for architecture before transferring.

or should I choose physics for architecture? & leave out chances for rad tech? I feel like if I complete my associates, it will be a waste because the rad tech program is already a different associates of its own. so I would have two by then. and I’m not even sure if I would like rad tech. perhaps A&P 1 will help me decide. I’m open to other healthcare career suggestions.

I’m thinking of taking A&P 1 and intro to architecture next semester along with an elective or two. I’m trying to see if I can make it to register for an intro to healthcare professions class to help me discover the many careers I can consider. I’m on a waitlist for that. or is there any resource to help me look into all the healthcare jobs that exist?

here’s what I’m looking for in life;

- want a stable job

- enough money for bills, savings, retirement, vacations, etc.

- I prefer to work 3-4 days a week. at least 4 days. I want to have more free time for hobbies and personal life. my hobbies are very important to me & I will fight to have the time for them

- want my job to be meaningful/fulfilling

- don’t want to sit at a desk all day but
also don’t want to break my back in the scorching sun doing labor

- I like to move around/work with hands

- able to work in a team & alone

- if I can somehow listen to music while doing my own thing, that would help me tremendously

- don’t want to take work home. once I clock out, I’m done

are there any possible careers that fit best with what I’m looking for??? I’m just lost & don’t know what to do. a backup plan I have is that I might get a job at costco & I can eventually cap out & be able to make a living off of it. currently live at home with no bills other than caring for my cats and myself. I’m desperately looking for choices bc my mind tends to be dark when I think I can’t get the life I want

I’m very thrilled to share that I got a job offer in the railway industry! 🎉 I’m excited to be part of one of the first major railway projects here in the Philippines.
I have 3 years of experience in maintenance and supervising people, but my background is more on electronics, so railway systems—especially the 3rd rail system—are quite new to me. They’ll provide training, but I’d like to prepare beforehand.
For those in the railway industry, what electrical and mechanical concepts should I refresh or study for a 3rd rail system? Any recommended resources or topics would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! 🙏

I feel like I'm getting so interested in pursuing a career in immunology, but I'm afraid because it is too late now. And I'll have to do loads to get there

Context

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Hi, I am 20 going into 3rd year. I grazed past high school with my highest grade in graphic design.

In college, I did fashion and flew by. It was the first thing I have ever been good at, and the only thing I found more interesting than plants plants.

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Problem

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University has been crushing me, I wanted the independence but now I'm treated like a child by my teachers, no matter how much of my soul I pour into my work I get in the 50s at best.

I am barely passing, but I don't want to waste my money by quitting when I'm about to finish 2nd year. What can I do?

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Attempted Solutions

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I have spoken to all the careers advisors made a million calenders then got lost in them, so I made one but couldn't keep that up, I take every note in class, turn up unless I'm down with a cold.

(it's quite often I got sick recently since I moved out, but I've quit my job, meaning more rest, and I haven't changed my whash and clean routines. Doctors told me I have hayfever to the university area I'm in, which I think is stupid but kept up with the useless tablets they gave me for hayfever)

I spend alot of time on my work or at least what I can as I do get burned out so I go socialising, I thought my work life ethic was good at preventing stress but now I'm totally lost at how I'm a total failure at my degree..

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Side Notes

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This was all I have, I'm terrible even at cadets and school and sports. All I have ever enjoyed was sewing, but all my new teachers hate everything I do.

Is there anything I can do to fix this or at least move on in life and have a decent job as a sewist or something.

My hands also shake for pattern cutting, so that's out the question, but I'm good at embroidery and machine sewing, I love working sketches and designing, but designing is not a stable work plan.

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I'm 24 white collar, just started my first job 1.5 year ago, and already feeling exhausted. People commenting my job as already not bad, moderate to upper salary for fresh grad (it's what people say tho, idk about the market salary), working hour should be 9-6 but I actually work from 8.30-6.30pm and I try not to do further OT because of no OT pay (and the workload assigned is actually more than 8 hours), the downside of it being very intense and stressful 9 hours of work. It's a hybrid work, currently 2 days WFO, 3 days WFH, but a month later the policy will change to 3 days WFO and 2 days WFH. Due to the relocation of office, I'll have to wake up at 6.30am (or earlier, not really sure because of the traffic and it's far), depart by 7.30, start work at 8.30, end work at 6.30, reach home by 7.30, and finish dinner and bath everything by 8.30pm, then I'll have to sleep by 11.30pm.

I feel exhausted, but somehow I think this is already not a bad job, even though the management is kinda micromanage, but since I'm just a nobody, the pressure and the company toxic is not involving me YET. So I kinda doubt myself for being too pampered that I can't even bear with this "nice" job.

If I'm staying here, where I was born and raised, I think I will forever live my life like this. But I do hope to try living oversea etc but at this point, change feels impossible

I'm an almost 21 year old male. I am seriously in this really twisted knot in my life that I am just dying to find a way to get out of it. To give detail, my parents hate each other but refuse to do anything about it. And isn't just they don't get along. The cops have been called a couple of times in the past and my dad has been physically abusive towards my mom. Essentially my life gets thrown into the mix of them a lot solely because of my existence one of them (mostly my mom) stops me from essentially living a normal life. I have friends and such but growing up has always been rocky due to me trying to find ways to vent my frustrations without lashing out like my father when he gets upset. I will do everything in my strength to not flip out which isn't hard, expect with my mom. My mom has that chihuahua mentality of bark but no bit while in the process of pissing everyone off she wants to have a "heart-to-heart" with. Neither of my parents had the best life growing up. My dad honestly had the average redneck farm life of feeding horses in the early morning and a bunch of dogs. My dad had an engine fall on his head as a kid and his dad was a hot head. So my dad is very out there a lot of the time. My mom blames her family drama on the fact they are Italian so they don't get along and she doesn't talk to most of her family except her brother's side of the family. My mom is very sweet at times but she just has this very weird germophobic helicopter parent almond-mom view on a lot of things. Both of my parents share very similar qualities at times but not at the same time. They are in my eyes, very crappy people that will say hurtful stuff or say "that this one said that" so you hate one of them for something. My house is a broken home. There are very few good memories due to the fact my dad would always get pissed about something during birthdays, Christmases, vacations, or just generally flip out in public. My mom controls my bank account because she would be worried that I would blow it for some reason. She also controlled my first job salary which was about 4k (I was over 18). Lucky, with my current job, I have my own bank account and I do a good job saving my money unless it's for the occasional on sale video game. I also have money saved from birthdays, family money, etc which is mine but she has it in a room with her money but she knows the amounts for her and myself so I cannot just go grab thousands from a room. I do have a car but it is under my dad's name since he's paying on it. I have my license but the issue is my mom thinks I drive like shit apparently and would hate to see me get into a crash with the car. So she hides the keys away from me like she does with everything like the hoarder she is. I would've been happy with any car but of course my mom had to get involved and it is a 20k car which is nice but I would've been happy with anything that ran. Especially as a starter car. But because of how nice it is, it stops my mom from trusting me or some weird thought process shit. I am a junior in college that gets dropped off/drives there but she takes the car home so things are tough to get around if I wanted to. I have been in counseling for about a year-and-a-half which definitely helped me a bit but would really help if I was away from both of my parents. They still act the same as they did when I was born and it was draining on top of my mental health which isn't the worst as it was but isn't good either. Off topic but I do find it concerning is the last time the argued, I started to hit my head when it was too much for me because I didn't want to hear it anymore and I had to put my headphones on and play music. I have occasionally hurt myself because of mostly my mom getting to me. Nothing major but just punching walls or kicking stuff if I am not able to control myself. I am a very quiet person in general most of the time. I keep everything bottled up and when I can, I release things as healthy as I could but it isn't enough because there is always an issue and it just keeps packing on until I snap. My parents have been aware of how their arguing affects me and my dad response is just to live with my mom or just not really finding a reason to do better because of her I guess??? I really do not want to deal with either of them anymore. If I could, I would move out. My sister did and hasn't spoken to everyone and the family including me. That was five years already. My mom visited her unannounced and my mom being stubborn the way she was legit kept pushing and pushing because my sister wouldn't answer the door for days that she called the cops on my mom. I gave up on the first day. I think we spent a total of 7-10 days there. The most recent issue is my mom was complaining because there was this girl that I met at college that we are in the dating phase. She's in the same major as me. To me, she is pretty. It feels so amazing to be able to experience a connection with someone who actually loves you. My mom doesn't like her based on looks essentially. No piercings or none of that. Just simply a Dominican girl :) . But my mom said stuff like, "She isn't your type, I don't want you catching anything, and she's been with multiple guys, she's standing in the way of me finding a nice girl." I'm sure there was more but that's all that I remember. For starters, my mom never spoke to her. My mom claims she isn't racist but she agrees with trump with the whole immigrant topic. My mom also drops the hard-r when she sees people acting out in a rude manner. Not that it matters but the girl I am with is still a virgin and so am I. My mom is literally calling her out like I have no couth and like I would just be with anyone that walks. I seriously do not know what to do so she understands her delusion of bs but I doubt she ever could. What actually can I do?? I am seriously stuck and I am trying to be a functional member of society. Please help.

I'm 31F and I'm going through a classic “September crisis.”

I've followed the most straightforward path possible: bachelor's degree, master's degree, and then a job related to what I studied. I've been working in market research in Milan for the past 5 years. On paper, I have a good job, but in reality I often work from 9:30 am to 8 pm, for around €1,800 a month, with no paid overtime.

Like many people, I spend pretty much my entire day sitting in front of a computer, although I do recognize how valuable the flexibility of my job is: I work remotely 3 days out of 5, which over the years has allowed me to travel, occasionally work from my hometown in Southern Italy, and spend most of the summer away from Milan.

And this is where my life paradox lies: I have a lot of geographical freedom, but very little freedom when it comes to my time, my mental space (and maybe even physically?).

Three weeks of vacation made me realize just how much corporate work drains me. I had energy, ideas, curiosity, and the desire to create things... Do I really want to keep living like this for another 30 years, waiting until retirement to finally have time for myself?

The strange thing is that I never dreamed of doing the job I do. I already knew this when I was 20: I was unsure about what to study at university precisely because I felt like I didn't have a real calling. I've always loved creating things and I think I have a creative side, but I've never figured out how to turn that into something concrete.

At this point, I'm not even sure I necessarily want a “career.” I'd be perfectly okay with earning less, even working part-time, if that meant having the time and energy to actually live. And I imagine many people, especially in this subreddit, have felt this way at least once in their lives.

So I'm considering pretty much everything: taking a government/public-sector job for a more sustainable work-life balance, completely changing fields and doing something more operational and less sedentary, working abroad, doing something that involves traveling, or gradually building a freelance/creative career.

I'm also fascinated by the idea of becoming a digital nomad: if I have to work on a computer, at least I'd like it to be a tool for freedom rather than a cage. But right now I don't feel like I have enough skills or a large enough network to make that leap without taking a huge risk.

The problem is that I already know how this is going to end: right now I'm rested and full of ideas after my vacation, but in a few weeks work will overwhelm me again and I'll probably let all of this go.

So I'd really like to hear from people who have been through something similar.

Did you make a radical change in your life or career around 30–35? Did you choose to earn less in exchange for more free time? Did you find a path that allowed you to work less, travel more, or simply feel more alive?

I’m 29 and from Mexico. I participated in a social program that helps NEETs find jobs, and I was employed for a year as an administrative assistant, but now I’m unemployed after 1 year and 5 months, and I need to find a job that doesn’t require a bachelor’s degree and isn’t too demanding. I earned a bachelor’s degree, but I consider it useless. So I don’t know what to put for that year and 5 months when I didn’t do anything. I don’t even know what skills to list—I’m useless.

I'm a 28-year-old university student majoring in mechanical engineering and studying Chinese as part of the Chinese Flagship program for ROTC. I’m making this Reddit post because I feel like I am behind in life, and it feels weird being at university surrounded by kids who have just left high school, and most of them don’t know that I am a 28-year-old student.

It depresses me because I feel so behind in life and the reason I am doing everything so late is that in my teens and early to mid 20s, I failed at everything I attempted. I worked jobs that took me nowhere, I failed at trades, and when I was 17 - 20 I couldn’t even pass the ASVAB to get in the Marines. I feel defeated having to do everything so late and sometimes I feel like I missed the window on things I wanted to do.

I feel like my setbacks take me back to when I was in high school when I was in special education, and to me it was like a day care center where I would learn nothing. So, I ended up dropping out of high school because I was so unhappy being in those classes I hated them. And they even told me that I had some kind of learning disability and for many years, I got tested and proved that I never had it all along. And now I feel like society has failed me and cheated me out of a lot of things like living a normal life like everyone else.

Thanks to my lack of education I struggled to find better employment, and I didn't know algebra and geometry to join the Marines. And when I tried to join them again at 27 when I finally had a passing ASVAB score on record they rejected me because of my age and the waiver I needed.

I have an associate's degree now, and I am at university participating in Army ROTC but I feel unhappy. I don't feel normal and I feel like I am out of place because I feel so behind in life. I get jealous of seeing people getting to do things I wanted to do so young and travel the world and it does make me feel like a loser. Does anybody else feel like they missed the window on things they wanted to do. Were you able to make peace in your 30s? Because I feel like my life won't start until maybe I am 30. People I have known started careers and joined the military very young. And it really sucks for me because it does make me feel like I am so behind in life.

I’m 22 currently waiting to join the military, I am leaving next month, most likely I will be able to take colleges classes next year or at some point during my contract. While I understand it will be difficult to do both at once, I still would like to pursue a college degree for opportunities after my military career. My question is; is it still worth it pursuing a Computer Science degree?

My goal is working in the Cybersecurity field, I’m open to anything in the Intel field though, what would be the best major to pursue to achieve this?

(I understand nobody can tell me what to do exactly since everyone’s experience is different, but I am just looking for some advice and guidance)

Hi guys i'm 27 years old will be 28 in December, i don't know how to start this cause i don't even understand whats going on.

I think i should start with my school years, i was a very clever but too playful, lazy, never paying attention in class, from elementary to junior highschool, my teachers always wrote in my student record book that i was clever but have no effort trying to improve. And i was a bit of a bully, always making joke of other kids and degrading them, one time in junior highschool i was making fun off a guy too much, he ate chalk saying he's committing suicide in front of me, he transfer school after that day.

In highschool i don't sure what happens but i've change my ways, i become more calm and shy. But i still don't give effort to studying and that makes me fail a grade, even when i have the chance to study for a final test to pass grade, i don't even showup. I pass the grade next year but fail another year so i drop out. And i always skip class to go play video games

I've attend 3 trade school since then, always doing good for some months then i got lazy, started skipping class and then have to dropout.

I've got a lot to talk about like childhood, parents, but don't know what to write.

Right now i'm clueless on what to do, i've only got 1 job doing shoe cleaning service, i was doing pretty good but got harassed by manager, and i can't deal with that pressure so i quit after a year, and that was 4 years ago, i've not look for a job since then.

If you have any advice or question feel free to do so, i'm happy to answer cause i think i need to talk with someone.

for reference, im a 17yr old senior in high school who has had a rough high school career (bad grades caused by truancy) and come from a lower middle class background. i would say i am intelligent and i do have ambitions and passions, but everything about the way i function is unconventional

my parents really want me to go to college but have recently started to give me the option of not going at all and it feels misleading because i for sure do not want to go into a trade school or just work for the rest of my life. i have very little work ethic and while i say im smart, it doesnt hold any real value despite its truth because i have nothing to show for it.

im retaking the sat and working incredibly hard even though my gpa is… unspeakable, and am probably just gonna end up doing 2 years at cc, but i dont know if this is what i should be doing. i dont want to spend my time working towards something only to realize i didnt want to do it to begin with.

without going into too much detail, my biggest issue with school so far has been that its less about the quality of your work and more about getting things done. i realize that if i dont go to college, my life will become mindless labor which is everything i have been avoiding.

im willing to answer any questions if needed because this is definitely not all there is to it but my most imperative question is: is there only 2 options? mediocrity 1 and mediocrity 2? cc or work?

I’ll try to keep this as short as possible, but I’m 26F and growing up I never really knew what I wanted to be, so when it finally came up in conversation as to what I wanted to be, it was basically either lawyer, doctor, and basically any of the basic first-go-to careers the majority of people probably think of that will ensure a good pay. This was when I was in high school. I knew I didn’t want to be a lawyer, but I did enjoy science and math, so doctor just seemed like a better match. So I just went with it. Skip to my AA. I did the full research to what was required to become a doctor, and I was probably halfway through my degree and now sobbing because I was like there’s no way I want to sacrifice that much for a career I doubted I could be successful in. I’m a typical B-C student, so bussing my ahh for a career that wasn’t really grabbing my interest was scary because I’m in a Hispanic household with a stubborn mom, so when I went to her in tears saying I didn’t want to be a doctor because of how much it entails, she basically got irritated with me and asked me what would I do then for a career, and because I hadn’t done research on what I might have liked, I didn’t have an answer, so she told me to just thug it out and I’ll be done within a few years. Long story short, the closer to graduation, the more I realized, man, this really probably isn’t for me. I don’t know if it’s pure fear of failure, lack of confidence for not being an A student, but I just can’t see myself putting myself through all of that to say at the end “yep, it was all worth it!” My mom will ask me what I’m doing with myself, and I can’t give her an answer, which is upsetting because I know she had such high hopes for me and has even once made it a point to tell me how I’m the oldest of my siblings (sister-marine) (brother-cop), and I’m the only one not pulling through with my career choice. I don’t know, it just feels so out of reach because of my lack of motivation for the career ( 2.9 GPA, no research), and I only have volunteer hours at a chiropractor’s office. I’m upset with myself because I feel like I’m letting her down, but it’s frustrating knowing I voiced this to her years ago, and she still pushes onto me. I work from home with a decent-paying job, $ 33 an hour doing management. Yeah, it could be better if I’d locked in and just gone to med school, but I don’t know; I just feel lost and like a complete failure.🫩 Just trying to find others who can relate. Or some advice from anyone, honestly. Maybe a medical job that has a decent pay without the stress of being a doctor. Sorry for how long this is, lol.

Looking at a career change.

Hello, I wanted to come on here to ask what I should do. I’m a 25 year old roofer and I’ve saved money to go back to school. I was fortunate to be given a chance at my dad’s business. However after 10 years. I’ve become overwhelmed and not satisfied with the work. I decided to explore other career options that have year round work. I’ve taken interest in learning Cybersecurity so I took a look at Comptia/Fullstack courses or the UIC Bootcamp in Chicago. Or also a Physician assistant and maybe a Heavy equipment operator Any other career opportunities I should give a chance are welcomed. Im stuck and have been feeling this way for some time. Thanks!

I need inspiration!

Primarily in content marketing for a tech related firm if that makes a difference

I'm 30 years old, and honestly, I feel like I've reached a point where I don't know which direction my life should go professionally.

I have a B.Tech in Civil Engineering and an M.Tech in Structural & Construction Management. But the difficult part is that I don't think Civil Engineering was ever really something I chose because I loved it. I went into it partly because of circumstances and expectations, and over time I've realized that I don't want my entire career to be limited to traditional engineering work, structural design, or one narrowly defined technical role.

After my master's, I worked for around 2.5 years as a Transportation Operations Specialist at Amazon, supporting transportation operations across different regions. That experience taught me something important: I enjoy operations, solving real-time problems, communication, coordinating with people, and dealing with practical situations more than purely technical work.

I left my job, and I've now spent months trying to figure out what comes next. I'm currently in the UAE looking for opportunities, but the longer I stay unemployed, the more confused I've become.

The problem isn't that I have absolutely no interests. It's almost the opposite — I seem to be interested in too many different things, and I struggle to turn that into one clear career direction.

Things I'm genuinely interested in include:

Technology and AI — not necessarily becoming a programmer, but understanding how technology is changing businesses, industries, and society.

Cars and the automotive world.

Operations and problem-solving, especially fast-moving environments.

Communication, meetings, collaboration, and working with different kinds of people.

Travel and international exposure. I don't think I would be happy spending my entire career sitting behind the same desk every day. I like the idea of traveling for work, visiting clients or sites, attending meetings, and occasionally working across different countries or cultures.

Geopolitics, world affairs, history, economics, and understanding what's happening in different parts of the world. I'm constantly curious about different topics and tend to go down rabbit holes trying to understand how things connect.

Practical technology — technology that solves real problems rather than technology for its own sake.

One thing I keep wondering about is whether being a "jack of all trades, master of none" is actually a weakness in the modern world.

I've never been the kind of person who becomes obsessed with only one narrow subject for 20 years. Instead, I'm curious about a wide range of things and naturally connect ideas from different areas. Engineering, operations, technology, AI, cars, business, geopolitics, global affairs — I can become deeply interested in all of them.

But the job market often seems to reward specialists, and that makes me wonder whether my broad curiosity is something valuable that I haven't figured out how to use yet, or whether I simply need to finally pick one thing and commit to it.

Another important thing: I don't just want a job that pays the bills.

Of course, I need financial stability, especially right now. But long-term, I want to feel that the work I'm doing has some meaning. I want to contribute to something useful, solve problems that matter, improve something for people, businesses, or society, and feel that my work has had some kind of positive impact.

I know that sounds vague, and maybe that's part of my problem. I'm still trying to understand what "meaningful work" actually means for me.

Potentially, I've considered areas like:

Customer Success / Implementation

B2B SaaS

Business or Project Operations

Technology-related business roles

Construction Technology (ConTech)

Logistics and international operations

Technical Account Management

Solutions Consulting

Tech Sales

But I honestly don't know if I'm looking in the right places.

What I'm struggling with is separating "things I find interesting" from "a career I could realistically build and become genuinely good at."

I'm also worried about making another wrong decision. I'm 30 now, unemployed, and I don't feel like I have the luxury of spending years randomly experimenting with completely different careers. At the same time, I don't want to jump into another job purely because I'm scared, only to realize a few years later that I've built a life around something that doesn't suit me.

I guess what I'm really looking for is advice from people who have been in a similar position:

How did you figure out what direction actually suited you when your education, work experience, personality, and interests seemed to point in several different directions?

And based on what I've described, do any career paths stand out where being broadly curious, adaptable, interested in the world, comfortable working with people, and interested in travel and technology could actually be an advantage?

I'm not looking for someone to magically tell me what my passion is. I know nobody else can do that.

But I would really appreciate outside perspectives because right now, I've been stuck in my own head for so long that I'm struggling to see my situation objectively.

I used ChatGPT to help organize and write this post because I wanted to explain my situation clearly. The experiences, interests, and feelings described here are my own.

I'm 18 years old and about to start my degree in Law. I chose this path mainly because I'm an INTP—I genuinely enjoy deep, theoretical learning. Hands-on fields like engineering just aren't my thing; I'm definitely more mind-based and analytical.

However, being in Indonesia, I feel pretty anxious about the future. Beyond my frustration with local government policies, the data shows that law graduates make up around 9% of the total unemployed university graduates here. Part of me thinks this might be due to a competency gap, but it still creates a huge gray area and a lot of uncertainty about my own career prospects.

Because of this, I've been shaping my mindset toward competing internationally—aiming to eventually work and live abroad for better stability and opportunities.

How do you view this situation? For those who have faced a similar dilemma or moved abroad with a law background, I'd love to hear your thoughts, advice, or honest feedback.

sorry if its looks like an ai question cause i polish it, im kinda bad at long written english

Deep down, it's something that I struggle with.

Whenever I talk with online friends and strangers from western countries, they are more warm, open minded, they give you less of a rough time.

If someone talks about being miserable, unemployed, actually having a rough life and not having much experience in their 20s, people would only call them a bum, that they're spoiled, that they're dumb, that their life is over and that they'll only be able to get a trade job at best and that their dreams are unrealistic.

It's hurtful, you know, it feels isolating and as someone who mostly interrupted my education early on in life due to health problems, it feels like these people might never be able to get me and that nobody will give me the chance, even if I put in the work to become more physically strong, get a simple job and save up money to hire a tutor.

I feel like they see me as subhuman for something that wasn't even in my control and depression digged me deeper in that hole.

I don't like it, when I read this heartwarming advice, it's soothing and makes me dream of a better future but then, I go back to my reality when most people like me just aren't valued by society in any way.

I don't even know what degrees would be suitable for me, since I haven't finished highschool and while I acknowledge that my disability might hold me back from some jobs, I just don't know if I'll be suitable for an office job.

It's not as if I think it's below me, it's more about the fact that I never owned a computer and that I am not good at maths, physics, chemistry and all, which would take a lot of effort to learn and be mediocre at, let alone be decent enough for an employer to give me a chance.

I’m 22 and unemployed, and honestly, I feel completely lost about what direction to take.

I love programming, but I can’t figure out what I actually want to stick with. One day I’m building a full-stack app, the next I’m learning Rust, cybersecurity, compilers, or agentic AI. I start tutorials and projects, get halfway through, get stuck or distracted, and move on to something else.

I feel like I know a little about many things, but I don’t have enough finished work or real results to show for it. I want a job, but I’m not confident in my skills, and I’m constantly wondering what’s worth learning, what pays well, and what isn’t too competitive.

There’s also pressure at home to get a job, and I don’t really have friends to talk to about this. My mind is constantly jumping between things, and it’s becoming overwhelming.

I haven’t given up on programming or on myself. I just genuinely don’t know what direction to take,

I just want some direction on what I should focus on and how I can actually move forward.

I want to give up but I don;t know what I want to do I want get into programming badly but its way too overwhelming

Male 31. I graduated from Berkeley undergrad and I attend Brown remotely for a master’s in public health. Berkeley got me shots at software sales but I was never good at it. I tried to lateral over to customer success but I turned in like 200 applications and never got hired. I’m not sure where to turn as I don’t have quantitative skills. I went to Brown to find a way to get out of sales. I don’t believe Brown can get me a job in public health. I just don’t think college does what people think it does unless you get lucky or get into specific fields. I have a bad back so I can’t get into the trades. I used to do drugs and went to the emergency room many times in my younger days so the armed forces would find out in a background check. I have a wet and reckless (expunged). That same background check makes me think police work is going to be unlikely. I mean what is there left? Should I try to become a project manager? Should I to get an associates in nursing and try to get my ADN and become a nurse? Should I join one of those xray tech programs? Im sick and tired of school I need to make money already. I make decent enough money working a combination of caregiving, substitute teaching, and soon to be a field rep at the census. But I want a career, not a combination of segmented jobs. I have to pay off my Brown degree and my credit cards and it’s going to take a long time doing it with my current set up. I know it may seem odd to complain about finding a job when I have 3 but this is seriously bothering me. I started taking testosterone to boost my motivation and rev up my engine and it’s worked but it hasn’t resulted me pushing my life forward yet. I was so close this healthcare recruiting company honeydicked me and made me think I was hired but they ghosted me when they were supposed to give me a job offer.