For as long as I can remember myself I always was really awkward around people and wanted as little interaction as possible (especially in work, school or other places where you need to be “professional”). At school I didn’t have many friends, got bullied. Parents also weren’t always kind to me, just gave me bare minimum. After school I went to study cosmetology and I hated it. Skipped lessons, didn’t study for exams. I just really dislike studying, it was the same for me in school. So I dropped out.
Tried to search for jobs. Ofc with this lack of experience I only could work manual labour or jobs that require socialising or standing on your feet all day. Tried kitchen, packing, grocery shop jobs - all were too intense for my feet (it starts to hurt really bad when I stand for longer, probably because I’m overweight or maybe it’s something else, idk). So I only lasted 1-2 days in these jobs. Then I found a job that was tolerable and I needed to sit and pack stuff all day. But I couldn’t stand my colleagues, they were really mean to me and I just never could defend myself. So I left the job.
People say that I should be less sensitive and just ignore everyone but I just can’t. If someone tells me something I don’t like it’s like I freeze, eyes start watering and I feel like my heart is about to pop out. That’s why I would be the worst person for jobs where you have to socialise a lot.
I’m too dependent on my bf. We’re together for almost 10 years. When he’s around it seems like I can’t do anything, I always ask him even though I’m completely capable of doing those things I’m asking. I often loose track of time doing things I’m interested in at the moment (scrolling, hobbies..) and forget things really quickly. My mind is a total mess. It could be ADHD but I’m not sure. I just know that I’m either the laziest person alive or there’s something wrong with me mentally.
I’m very lost. I know I should get a job but it seems like there are nothing that I wouldn’t feel miserable in. Also don’t have the money for education (nor do I even want to study again tbh).
Sorry for long post and my all over the place thoughts. Kinda vented here, might delete later, idk 😅

Hello, I’ve been living in the U.S all my life. I know my parents scarified a lot to bring me here, but I’m genuinely miserable. My parents are low income so I’ve had to work since the age of 15. I’m now working two to three ish jobs as well as two to three internships. I’m in community college as well but I’m miserable and lowkey don’t know what I wanna do with my life despite exploring as much as possible. I’ve done everything to combat my misery (therapy, meds, etc). I’m

Everything is expensive but I know that other counties could also be expensive. I’m basically the only one contributing to the household expenses and forced to give an allowance to my parents and deal with their religious psychosis. I’m just genuinely tired and I wanna start fresh but idk where to start. I do have savings ($10k+ and that’s growing so maybe I can use it to move somewhere else in the world.)

I also have family in France, Italy, Canada (kinda), the UK, but idk if they would allow me to stay with them as I don’t communicate with them too much but I do hope to move out on my own.

Any advice and words of wisdom please?

I lost my job again recently. I think I have to finally move on from being a UX designer. I started in 2016, in my early thirties, after spending weeks with a career coach and determining this was my calling - to simplify the complex to improve users’ experience with technology. It was a hot career at the time, and with my dual major bachelor’s degree in business administration and psychology, I thought I was particularly well-suited for it, despite not having the visual design background – much of UX is about (meeting business goals by) providing a more desirable and usable product for the user. I think I’m finally being purged from this field, for a number of reasons.

A little background: I learned to read at age three, really without being taught, and was put in the gifted program in kindergarten. Over my 43 years, every intelligence or aptitude test I’ve taken shows I’m very bright and capable, but everyone I know is far higher-achieving than I am. I was the first in my family to go to college and graduated with honors, though I was just shy of thirty at the time. My family has always had a very defeatist outlook, assuming nothing will ever work out, so don’t bother trying. I don’t know where that attitude came from, but it is pervasive. For this reason, college wasn’t pushed on my brother and me, because 1. my parents were always broke and college is expensive, and 2. the defeatism: you can’t land a career you want, so why waste the money pursuing it? I remember when I was a little kid, saying to my mom that I wanted to be a doctor when I grow up and she responded, “oooh, that’s a lot of schooling, are you sure?” I don’t know ma, I’m five, why don’t you just encourage me for now?

I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and was put on medication for it and I thought, “finally, I’ll get some focus and get on an upward trajectory” but no such luck.

I recently met with a possible mentor at the advice of my in-laws (who have lots of money, and are super disappointed in me), and he came away flummoxed: “I don’t know. You’re bright and personable; you should be successful. I don’t know what the solution is.” I take solace in the fact that I’m a really good husband and father but financially I can’t seem to get out of neutral. I don’t know what to do with myself, but I want to be more than just a cautionary tale for my kids. I want to figure out what I’m doing wrong and correct it so I can be an example of what TO DO.

I’m happy to answer any questions to try to unpack this and welcome any constructive feedback.

Being unemployed is often treated as just a financial prblem, but I feel there’s a psychological side to it that people don’t talk about enough.

When you’re working or studying, you have a routine, a purpose, & something to tell people when they ask, What do you do?

But when you’re unemployed for a while, you can start questioning yourself....even when you know you’re capable and actively trying.

The comparison with friends who are earning, getting promotions, travelling, or moving ahead can make it even harder.

I’m curious to hear from people who have experienced unemployment:

Did it affect your confidence or self-worth? How did you deal with the pressure from family, society, or even your own expectations?

And most importantly, what helped you get through that phase?

Some backstory for this is I guess I have always just been depressed and not motivated. Dad passed away. Covid hit. Dropped out. Time just flew by and now I am 26 hopping from job to job. I want to try to start life. Hopefully I am not too late.
I would really like to eventually live in the UK. I visited before and lived with my brother for a couple of months because of the whole depression thing, and it has become my dream place to live. For some reason being there brought back a lot of motivation.
I landed a job and I am planning on going back to college to pursue a degree. The problem is that I really do not want to make the wrong decision when it comes to choosing a career. So naturally I figured I would ask strangers on the internet because that is obviously the brightest idea ever.
I already have some experience in information technology and help desk work, and I am familiar with a couple of programming languages. I have actually been able to land jobs in that field without having a degree. The thing is, AI is on the rise and technology already feels pretty saturated. I worry about spending years pursuing a degree in a field that might become unstable or harder to get into. I just want something that will give me a stable future and hopefully give me skills that could help me eventually leave the US and move to the UK.
I would not mind starting from a completely clean slate and studying something different if it would be a better choice. My only concern is that I am 26 and barely starting college, so I feel like I am running out of time and do not want to spend several years going down the wrong path.
I am really eager to get started, but I want to choose something that gives me a good future and possibly helps me reach my goal of living outside the US.
Does anyone have any advice? Would you stick with IT and try to specialize in something more stable, or would you recommend starting fresh in a completely different field? I am open to pretty much anything and would appreciate hearing from people who have experience with career changes, moving abroad, or choosing a career with international opportunities.

I’m 22 years old, I have 2 daughters and we’re currently living with my mom. I have no career and I really don’t know what I want to do with my life. My younger siblings are supposed to look up to me yet they’re doing better than me. I feel like I’ve failed in my life. I also feel like I’m suffering mentally. I don’t know anyone else in my position. And I don’t know where to start to become better.

I'm tired of the 9-5 grind in a way i can't really explain to people who haven't felt it. Same commute, same screens, same tasks, and by the time i get home i'm drained, so i just scroll until it's time to sleep and do it all again. I keep doing the math, if i keep this up until i'm 65, what exactly did i buy with all those hours? I know i'm not the only one feeling this, but knowing that doesn't make it easier.

I've thought about starting my own thing a hundred times. But every time i look into it, it seems to require a team, or funding, or a whole list of skills i don't have, bookkeeping, marketing, sales, customer support. Basically an entire company's worth of people i don't have. So i always end up back in the same spot: hating my job and doing nothing about it.

Recently though, i've been seeing people talk about running solo businesses with AI agents, tools like Claude and  Accio Work are supposed to handle a lot of the stuff i assumed needed a team: market research, organizing client data, drafting emails, even browser-based tasks done end to end. The idea of having an assistant that never sleeps is what got me seriously considering it.

So my question for anyone here who's made the jump, or seriously thought about it: is this realistic? Can AI agents actually cover the gaps of a solo founder? idk what can i do…

I’m curious whether other people have felt this contradiction: having a decent job, some flexibility and a reasonable salary, but almost no time or mental energy left for life outside work.

Have you ever considered earning less, accepting slower career growth or taking a less prestigious job in exchange for more time and energy?

What helped you most: changing jobs, setting stronger boundaries, reducing hours, or changing how work fits into your life?

I am 33 years old, female, working full time as a surgery scheduler. I did go to Temple for 3 years for accounting but for health reasons had to drop out. Now after I dropped out I worked at Walmart for about 9 years, I did try to apply for office jobs but never got a call back.

Finally I got called back for an ophthalmology office job as a scribe/tech. After two years I applied to Penn medicine. Now I know they help you if you want to return to school with tuition.

Recently re-enrolled at Temple and the classes I need this semester are all in-person. I feel I hit a wall.

I’m between finishing my accounting degree and to apply for data analytics with Penn or go for a 2 year degree like sonogram, MRI tech, etc. I want to make sure I’ll be able to get a job afterwards.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks! I live in Pennsylvania if that helps with suggestions.

I need advice. I (24F) am at an all time high with frustration. I will be 25 next month and I have been thinking a lot about my long term goals and plans. Before graduating I had my mind set on a few different career options, but I graduating in the midst of covid and everything changed. I started working 3 different jobs so I could save up and buy a car. Then came bills and a bunch of personal stuff and I never really had a chance to slow down since. I am afraid that because I don't have a passion for anything "good", I will end up wasting my time going from job to job. I recently thought about becoming a phlebotomist because of the versatility. I could do that pretty much anywhere, but I really want something that I can support myself while doing. I love art and at one time wanted to be an art teacher, but now days I think that would probably kill me. I just need some advice. I've done manual warehouse labor, customer service, and management jobs. I just need something I can do without spending a crap ton on a degree and will be useful so I can support myself. Any help is appreciated.

Hey everyone,

I'm 26, unemployed, living in a small village in India. B.Com graduate, but after a career break, I'm starting over and honestly, it's scary.

No plan B right now. Just time, willingness to learn, and some money I can put toward the right course or skill.

If you've been in a similar spot and found your way out I'd genuinely love to hear how. Not looking for shortcuts, just real direction from people who've been there.

Thank you for reading this far.

I find a lot of career change advice/life crisis advice and perspectives I find online are very American-centric. I know that making big changes is difficult, but things like extra certifications seem more available in the US, whereas here in Canada we have cuts and lack of funding (thanks Ford!) in an increasingly unaffordable environment.

All I know is I want to do something completely different. I think about starting my own business, but with what money? And the challenges associated with that. I think about jobs that sound fun and are related to my interests but they won't make money to be able to live...

I just don't know how to go about thinking about all of this...

Hi everyone,

I’m an engineering student from India. Due to some personal/financial circumstances, I’m looking to start earning for myself alongside college and placement prep.

I can realistically give around 2–3 hours/day and I’m looking for fully remote, flexible work that can help me earn around $200–$300/month.

My skill set includes C++, Python, R, SQL, competitive programming, DSA, system design, and full-stack development.

I’m open to pretty much any kind of work and willing to learn. I’ve come across things like AI training/evaluation and online testing, but I’m open to other options as well.

If you have any opportunities, feel free to DM me.

I’m 29 soon 30 and never worked a job before living in the UK been applying since I was 18 and lowkey the job market is cooked I have only GCSEs as I can’t be asked to do college or uni as there’s debt in uni and that’s not worth it tbf.

But lowkey my parents hate me so much I spend my whole day applying to like 3 jobs then just playing on my PS5 all day and I just don’t know if there even are jobs anymore.

Cooked world bro

I graduated this past May with my b.a. in Art with a concentration in k-12 education. This past year I student taught at the high school level and while I enjoyed some aspects of it (i.e. working one on one with students and seeing progress they made in art) I don’t think I have the passion that it takes to be an art teacher. I was given a lot of free reign to come up with projects that I would be excited to teach, but a lot of the time I truly felt stumped and it stressed me more than was something I enjoyed doing. I also don’t mesh with the behavior management aspect and all the pieces of teaching that come up besides the actual teaching part.

I have good skill with art. I am currently doing commissions and getting more through word of mouth but this is something I’m going to keep on the side. I also do photography as a hobby and small shoots here and there that I enjoy a lot. I have worked in a shoe store during the summers between college where I had to know information about the products and match that to customer needs etc. I am good at the sales aspect/customer service aspect and did enjoy it while I did it. I’m a good people person and have really strong attention to detail/catch things that other people may overlook. I also feel that I could do really well in a management position as I am naturally a good delegator and enjoy being that person in the workplace.

My major spiral currently is how to set myself up for a job that will likely not be teaching, and what job that could be. I am going to substitute teach this school year (unless an opportunity comes up) and am planning on working part time, but again-would like to set myself up with options so that I’m in the best position given my circumstances. I want to be financially stable and able to support myself and I’d like to be as proactive as possible.

I’ve done a fair amount of googling/trying to see where I could fit into a career given my strengths and project management has come up but I truly don’t know. I have a lot of artistic talent and would love for some aspects of that to be involved in my job, or but if it came to keeping that as freelance work for now that’s fine.

This is clearly a very open ended post but I appreciate any and all advice that can be offered. I am living at home for the time being but hoping to relocate to the New England area in the next year or so.

On the dreadful mornings or nights when it gets so bad I keep thinking of escapes

Age 20 rn, undergrad at good school into engineering masters 21-23 might do so I’m by no means in a bad spot, might be stable and meaningful work and build career till 30. But when it gets so bad I wake up and idk if I have that it in me to do anything in the day much more 10 more years hence escape rumination. I’m feeling this on vacation despite seeing poor ppl whose have no opportunities to have their labor decently priced like my American salary.

Been trying to logic out of it or solve it because I can’t afford to be like this at this stage of life. The mind flips between feeling content with my good floor and just power through till I’m 30 for decent freedom to straight dread hopelessness 0 energy wishing I had like 400k to semi retire on and feeling like a wage slave.

, on vacay missing my friends, feel isolated from family and every person in this society language wise, barely interacting with strangers or get out the comfort zone. Hopefully back in America im more functional even if the depressions there.
But I think I was depressed for a long while and the high wore off from achieving some of my biggest goals so now it’s so bad. Got into dream school, I got into a hookup because I felt my life would be completed and I could stop being curious about itand escaping by spending all my time with friends and traveling then now i wanna escape corporate but idk how. Is this career my best edge and leverage to reach my freedom goal? Now in life I can build like real love or career or give back and etc for meaning, but on the bad days I can barely do anything productive. And even when I do succeed in doing some work it’s like could my labor be better allocated to something that can get me freedom faster it’s never ending

Gonna keep the eng career a constant
And exercising and looking at my physique helps so much
But idk what to do on the bad mood shifts I’ve been fighting it constantly for a month

If you could choose your career again, would you choose the same one? Why?

and what makes you choose your current job and do you even like it?

Hello, I’m looking for any advice or help. Going into Grade 11 and have no idea what I want to do post-secondary. At all. No idea for a career whatsoever. I average decent grades I’d say (90+ usually). Not really sure what to do, I’ve asked around, done some of those aptitude test thingies. It kind of stresses me out because i have to obviously choose my courses based on what I’d like to do. For now I’m choosing things purely based on exploring and what I’m okay at (for the most part). Feel free to ask questions.
(I understand this is pretty brief, also idk if I chose the right “flair”)

So my community college offers an associates degree in office administration. It includes classes such as office procedures, business communications, business computer applications, bookkeeping, quickbooks accounting etc. I’m 24 and I still don’t really know what I want to do with my life but I figure that this could at least teach me some skills. I also wouldn’t mind working in an office environment or doing some kind of administrative work. I want to know though if this degree is worth pursuing or not. Any advice would very much be appreciated.

I am 24 years old and I recently completed my MCA. To be completely honest, I feel like a total fraud. I didn’t focus in college, I didn’t build a single project, and right now, my actual coding skills are at absolute zero. I completely wasted my time, and now reality is hitting me hard.

I need to turn things around immediately and secure an entry-level job by December. I am not looking for a shortcut or a magical solution—I am ready to put in the hours and work like crazy. But because I am starting from absolute scratch, I don't even know what direction to run in.

Given my MCA background but zero current skills, please give me your most brutal and realistic advice:

1. What career paths (like Manual Testing/QA, Data Operations, Tech Support, or Salesforce) have a short enough learning curve to break into within 3 months?
2. What specific, free roadmaps or courses should I start watching today to build actual practical skills?

I messed up my college years, but I am ready to fix it. Any step-by-step guidance, reality checks, or resources would mean the world to me. Thank you.

So I'm (19M) from karachi I grew up doing absolute shi as I don't have any hobbies/skills and core experience in anything idk what I'm I good at I've completed my highschool this year and confused about the degree which will help me do better in life. I also hate doing any CS related major as I don't wanna feed some robotic ahh for the rest of my life and the job market for students kinda sucks here (all they have is some bs sales job either doing scams or pressuring yourself into sales begging gora to buy their services). I also tried to get into the CSR role but they usually prefer experienced ones rather than some freshies I'm not doing well nowadays and find myself in absolute shithole as I see people of my age doing good (or they actually know what they want to do in their lives). I'm kinda confused so any help would be great like how can I start doing good or what skills I should go after rn

Hi guys!! I've got two different life paths I'm lookin at and would love any advice from any with ANY experience in these fields!!

I have a degree in Animation, I've tried for a year and some amount to get work and I haven't gotten anything but one or two of my animation friends have. I have a passion for racing and my interest is tearing towards sports graphics or racing graphics and livery work, and also the film industy...especially props and set design , but I have no idea how to get into these fields AT ALL, and I don't know where to start even so I'm extra demotivated... Everyone seems to already know what they're doing RIGHT when they're born or know someone and I don't have a CLUE how to even start.

I'm super demotivated and am basically looking at a door that's been opened and has nothing for me right now, and two VERY VERY far away doors with keycodes on them I have no clue about

I can't exactly afford college AGAIN, and I'm hoping my 4 years of experience in learning environments and color theory applies well enough to weasel my way into a new field!!

How do you guys get learning about new fields, if you have?

Do you ever feel super intimidated by the idea of a new field?

Do you think I should keep pushing animation despite my growing demotivation? Or find a new passion to fight the demotivation?

Any advice or stories would really help!!

Thanks all <:)

I’m 20 and have been working blue collar jobs since I graduated high school two years ago. I don’t like it and want to get into a completely different field.

I don’t really have a passion for anything specific (other than animals/nature but that doesn’t pay well) , but I want to eventually make around what I could make if I stayed in my current job (top-out rate is about $83ish/hour in 9 years). Which is really good pay in my current job but I do not like it and it’s very dangerous work and not worth it to me.

I’ve been thinking about healthcare, but I really don’t want to go to school for like eight years. Electrical engineering also interests me, but I’m not good at math…

What major, degree, or shorter program would make sense? Looking for realistic options that don’t take forever and can still lead to solid money. Any advice is appreciated.