r/findapath

I've had a very successful career in software engineering. I'm well paid, have cushy benefits, and job security, but I find it soul crushing. I'd love to find something else, but there's a few things holding me back, namely, no idea what I'd even want to change into. I know there's a ton of interesting jobs out there, but not always sure what to search for.I don't know what I don't know if that makes sense.

I still have a family to support, so I can't take a job that doesn't pay well enough to do so. That's not to say I wouldn't take a cut, or even a big one, but doing something as an intern or at a few bucks an hour is simply not feasible.

Any one have any suggestions? Here's a few things about me:

* I have a degree in literature.
* I have a knack for explaining things simply and am a great writer.
* I don't hate computers, but I'd like to spend a little less time at them.
* I wouldn't mind some level of training, especially if it's just like a certificate or something. A new degree might be a big ask.

A few other interests, things I've tried, etc:

* I was sort of looking into being a detective, but I see you usually are a patrol officer first, and I'm just not very confrontational and don't always view cops with the highest esteem, so this path is probably absurd on its face.
* I was looking into some environmental jobs, but dont know that I have the right degree, and the field is so full of jargon, it's hard to know where to look. I've always been interested in weather and the ocean, but I don't really live close to a coast.
* I'd, generally, like to do something that does good for someone somewhere. I'm intentionally wording that as broad and generically as I can. I just wouldn't want to work in like, insurance or a shark loan place or somewhere that arguably does more harm than good.

A few work preferences - dunno if this matters or not:
* I like process, but hate bureaucracy. I once was scolded for weeks for using the wrong file format in an email. I know that's more culture dependent than job dependent, but feels worth mentioning.
* I'm usually more of a details guy than a big picture guy, but I need to know how those details fit into the bigger picture otherwise I don't care.
* On the introverted side, but am relatively charismatic.
* I've never been super athletic.
* Hours probably don't matter much, but relocating would be a much bigger ask.
* I like experiencing new things. That's probably no small part of this post.

In summary, I want to do something new that benefits someone somewhere without disrupting my family too much. I don't know where to look.

I'm 29 and worked low paying jobs for most of my life. Currently I make 42k doing product support & I feel ashamed because I haven't cultivated profitable skills.

Over the years I contemplated going back to school and now I'm certain that I want to get a degree and I would love to hear any advice, guidance or consideration about the process.

My goal is to complete an accredited program as quickly and cheaply as possible that will open the most doors for me. I know this post is somewhat vague but I'm really open to any bit of advice.

Hello.I am female (26).

I tried a lot of directions: education, psychology but still didn't find myself.

Now i am trying to build a business.

I would like to connect with somebody who also wants to start their business only to motivate each other.

I come from a culture where women are expected to be a SAHM and rely on their husbands for money. None of the women in my family ever finished their education, I'm the first to finish high school (they made me drop out for a few years, but I went back and got a credible hs degree online), and the first to not be married as a teenager.

I would now like to move on to college and study and begin to build a future for myself so that even if I do end up getting married, I will not be completely reliant on him. The problem is if they do allow me to go, it will have to be completely online as they will not allow me to attend university in person.

I had my sights set on psychology for a while, but when I ended up doing my research I found out that to become a licensed counselor you must get your masters and put in clinical hours, which are things I'm not sure I'll be able to do given my circumstances.

I've been trying to do my own research but I just feel very lost. I guess I'm here to hear if there are other girl like me, or if anyone knows what might be a good step to take next. I was looking at four year degrees I could get from studying online, but most of them are computer/tech related and I've never been great at that and I am not sure I would enjoy studying it.

If you've read this, thank you very much. I apologize if any of this sounds naive or incorrect, I just have no one in my life to speak to or get advice from and english is not my first language. All the love.

I’m in my mid 20s and may eventually have to move cities for education or work. The idea sounds exciting in theory, but in practice it feels intimidating.
Managing finances, food, health, emergencies, loneliness, chores, paperwork, and career uncertainty all at once feels overwhelming.
Did anyone else feel this way before moving out? What was the reality like compared to your fears?

I don't have a degree. I'm turning 38 at the end of this month. I've been attempting to get on SSDI for a chronic stomach condition with no luck. I've been unemployed for about 3 or 4 years. I have so many hobbies that I've tried to turn into a career. I've tried writing and transcription but with AI in the mix, there's not a lot of work available. I'm an ex pianist but I'm not classically trained and not good enough to turn it into a career. I've tried that and failed numerous times. I've always wanted to be a personal trainer but I'm not in good shape myself. I've always wanted to get into great shape but because of my stomach condition and not working, depression has taken over and I'm not motivated to be a personal trainer. I've considered being a life coach but I have zero experience in such a field. I've been through a lot in my lifetime and feel like I have enough perspective to help others. I used to be a housekeeper but it was an awful job that didn't pay well enough. I do occasionally babysit for extended family (I hate it and it's under the table) but that doesn't pay enough either. I looked into voice acting and have gotten a few odd jobs to do voice-over work but it isn't consistent enough. With writing, I've tried Textbroker which worked for a while but it's barely got any work left. I have no idea what to pick. I also love to meditate. Not sure what I can do what that but thought I'd throw that out there. Advice is helpful 😊 (I would love to consider social media content creator but I don't know the first thing about it)

Im going to be graduating in December with a BS in biology. I‘m currently a server, and I am so tired of my job. I want to be out asap, so I’m hoping to find a job soon after graduation. I don’t want to go to more school, and I really don’t want to serve anymore. At this point I’m looking for any Monday-Friday 9-5. I’m tired of working my weekends and holidays away as a server. I don’t even really care if it’s in the biology field at this point. I just don’t know what my options are or where to even start.

Almost 30 years old, disgnosed with apnea, IBS, social phobia, and am ineligible for any position that requires good mental health (I was disqualified from being a reservist).

I quit my job 6 months ago on a whim after getting frustrated with my life, had a sleep test, bought a cpap, applied for nose surgery (turbinates rendered the cpap useless), and went to expensive therapy because it's all I could find ($115/h). I have social phobia since 5, and it's the biggest terror of my life, leading to teachers thinking I do drugs, being unable to make presentations in class, and overall never being able to get help on subjects I didn't understand. I also can't talk in voice chats, nothing. Had to quit my DnD group attempt a couple months ago because I got terrified enough to need to lie down on the bathroom floor for an hour.

Got into a $2.5k debt, locking my credit cards from being usable to afford more therapy sessions. I've been on the waitlist for semi-subsidized therapy for over 10 months, and was removed from the normal subsidized therapy waitlist because it was too overloaded.

What do I even do from here?

I recently turned 27. I’ve been in and out of college since 21. Right out the gates of graduating high school I had a few medical illnesses that caused me to be housebound from 18-21. Then the pandemic happened and I went to a community college. From 21-24 I was at a community college taking it slow. Then from 24-25 I said I was “going” to look for jobs. I had no luck. During 18-21 I realized I also developed an anxiety disorder and suffered from panic attacks. At 25 I got into some trouble and was in court a lot. Everything worked out for the better.

I said I’m going to finish my bachelors degree since I’ve been slacking so much. 25-26 I applied to a 4 year program. I had so many credits already but so many classes then and even now were locked behind other classes. This hindered me a lot. I got through the spring of 25 and the summer of 25 just fine. Then the fall of 25 everything went to shit. I started getting panic attacks about age, my relationship, how lost I was. I ended up dropping a class, failing two, and passing one half credit class.

Spring of 26 was the same. Signed up again to get all my pre reqs out the way but as I got to my first class I panicked. So now we’re in summer 26. At 27 I’ve had my mother who’s almost 60 accompany me to school so I can calm down.

I have 3 classes this semester and 4 the next. Then I’m looking at a year after so I’ll be 28 with a business degree and if I change my major it’s going to take longer. I’m in therapy, I feel like it kind of works and I have a psychiatrist. School is free which I’m glad about.

My only issue is what if I fail more classes, I genuinely have only a 4 month internship as work history, what if I take longer. Thinking of being 28 with just a BBA makes me want to quit. I know the rest of this year and next will be such a rough uphill battle. Any advice from anxiety sufferers or late college grad success stories.

Side note : I live at home (no rent), I have a paid off car, I have 10k+ in my portfolio, I have less than 5k in cc debt. I’ve been working on getting back to my former able bodied self. I’ve been really good on looking past the age issue I have when I’m sitting in class.

25 yr old with 3 years gap after Bsc maths . I have no idea what to do next . That's my problem i don't know what I want in my life . I envy people with passion and goals. It's so awesome that some people at least know what they want from their present life . I know everyone has their own set of problems but brave enough to be like ,"ok this is what's in my control right now so I should just do this thing for the time being" .

I did bsc maths because my mom told me to . Now my family has stopped pestering me to do anything particular they're like "just do anything at this point instead of bed rotting all day " . I can't buy anything because obviously i don't have any income of my own and am completely dependent on my parents. The only thing I actually like is making art but I have no idea if I can make a comfortable living out of it and I'm too depressed to do anything these days .

I suffer from severe social anxiety , so much that I literally couldn't stay in the hostel and dropped out of my master's degree (MSc data science) after 2 months .

I'm willing to learn any skill but scared if I can get a job in the data science field with just personal projects and certifications. I've heard so many people say that the market is too saturated and there's a lot of people with similar certifications and projects and no real world experience .

I'm terrified of going for a master's degree because I'll be 26 next year and might be the oldest in the classroom and yes it's a big deal for me because I don't think I have any respect for myself anymore.

What should be the right thing to do?

Please don't judge me. Please help me .

I'm 18M from Italy, and I've just graduated from the final grade of the Italian school system and summer has started, so I have a choice; go to university or start working. I am 100% sure I want to go to university, because I love learning new things, I've never been satisfied with what I learned in school, which has always led me to explore things on my own and it has led me to great results in school which makes me believe university is absolutely doable, but my fears start here. I have no idea what to study in university, I just like so many things; medicine, engineering, math, physics, they all just seem so interesting to me and I don't know what path is the right one for me, what is the most convenient choice, the best choice. I'm just really scared because it feels like the most important decision of my life up until now. Beyond this, I also want to take control of my life. I'm not content with just living my days uselessly during this summer, I want to learn new things, do things, I want to learn skills, something, make my time useful, but I also don't know what I could aim to learn, or try to do. I just need some guidance to take control of my life; how can I spend my time in a good way? What can I learn or learn to do during the summer? what activities could really help me with my future or to choose my future? How can I just decide what my future job and studies should be focused on?

I am 34 . I always thought that I would be successful in terms of having been established in a stable career etc. I have a degree in healthcare administration that I graduated with in 2021.
2009 fall I started college, realized I didn’t want more debt (accumulated $25,000 from one year)
2010-2013 worked retail and Nannyed
2013 decided I wanted more and wanted college paid for, joined the Navy
2017 got out of Navy to study Nursing
2020 Covid hits , school I’m going to extends my program 1.5 years and I would have to take out $80,000 in loans to finish so I pivot
2021 work night shift as a CNA graduate college
2021-2024-work in low level administrative positions
2024- get certification to become a health teacher
2026-am
A health teacher , hate it. Children are very bad.
I am trying to pivot out, I am
Self conscious a bit because I want to
Get out of teaching ASAP . Husband is frustrated because I don’t make good money but the jobs I have to apply to in order to start are lower paying.
I feel lost a bit, I have a little time but everyone knows this market is trash for job opportunities right now.
I am willing to go back to
School for a different program however I will not go back for anything but a specific application. I am
Interested in LPN program, med lab tech . A lot of
Other programs require rigorous schedules and. I have to work full time to finish while I finish my degree if I go back to school.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to a career pivot that could be at least moderately paid with realistic education requirements (xray techs program have mandatory 5 day a week requirements for example).
Some ideas I am speculating :
911 telecommunications
Medical laboratory assistant
Clinical research assistant
Registration associate
HIM technician
All recommendations welcome, thank you

So , I am 30 and haven't had a job ever in my life. I live in a developing nation and live with my parents. The first few years after getting out college i tried call centre jobs but didn't last a day. I tried selling insurance but couldn't find customers. It has been tough since then. My mornings are looking for jobs and studying trying to get into the government in my country but things seem to have been in vain. I haven't even taken my mom and dad abroad like I have always wanted to. I feel like everyone around me has a job and working so hard and moving with other things in life like finding a partner and getting healthcare for their aging parents and I feel like I have fallen far behind.

I want to turn my life around but I don't know how? Money is such a big problem. I wish I was born with it.

I'm 20 and currently in my third year at a good university in Australia doing a Commerce and International Security double degree.

I've been struggling a lot mentally over the past couple of years and I feel like it's completely derailed my university experience, and now I'm terrified I've seriously set back my future.

When I finished high school, I actually received a late offer to study undergraduate Law. I turned it down because I genuinely didn't think I was smart enough. I convinced myself I'd fail, so I accepted a Commerce and International Security double degree instead because it felt like the "safer" option.

Looking back, I regret that decision almost every day.

My first semester wasn't great. I lived at home and commuted, struggled to motivate myself, skipped a lot of classes and found it really difficult to make friends.

In my second semester I moved into residential college because I wanted to completely reinvent myself. I'm naturally pretty introverted, but I promised myself I'd become outgoing, confident, go to every event, talk to everyone and finally make friends.

For about five weeks I genuinely tried. Then I came across an anonymous confession online that was clearly about me, calling me awkward, tiring to be around, weird in conversation, and saying they wished I'd stop following them around. I wasn't angry that people didn't want to be friends with me, but reading it completely shattered my confidence and I withdrew after that.

This also coincided with my parents divorcing and multiple cancer diagnoses and deaths in my family. I felt like I couldn't talk to my parents about what I was going through because they already had so much on their plates and I didn't want to add to their stress.

I stopped eating meals because I didn't want to sit alone in the dining hall and I barely knew anyone. I basically lived off cereal and snacks in my room. I would wait until late at night to shower or use the bathroom so I wouldn't run into people. I stopped going to classes.

Looking back now, I don't think I realised how badly I was struggling mentally. I felt disconnected from everything. It's hard to explain, but I almost felt like I was just existing rather than actually living. Every day became about avoiding people and simply getting through it. I wasn't thinking clearly, I wasn't looking after myself, and I honestly think I was dissociating a lot of the time. My anxiety became overwhelming and it felt like my body was constantly stuck in panic mode.

During that period I failed four courses.

I came back the following year hoping it would be different, but the anxiety was still there. I couldn't bring myself to eat in the dining hall or meet new people, and eventually I moved back home because I just couldn't cope living there anymore.

I'm doing a bit better mentally now, but I'm still trying to recover academically.

The problem is that I actually enjoy International Security and generally do well in it, but Commerce has never really clicked for me. I've now failed three of the core Commerce courses that I'd have to repeat.

The more I've thought about it, the more I realise I think I actually want to study Law.

I know people always say not to romanticise degrees, and maybe I'm doing that a little, but I've realised I enjoy reading, writing, researching, analysing arguments and discussing policy far more than accounting or economics.

The problem is my GPA.

Because of everything that happened, it's nowhere near high enough to internally transfer into undergraduate Law.

I'm planning to apply for late withdrawals for the courses I failed because they were during the period where my mental health deteriorated significantly, but I honestly don't know if they'll be approved.

People tell me I can always do postgraduate Law later, but in Australia the Juris Doctor is incredibly expensive and I'd much rather do undergraduate Law if I had the opportunity.

Now I feel stuck.

Do I keep pushing through Commerce even though I don't really enjoy it?

Do I finish International Security as a single degree?

Do I somehow try to improve my GPA enough to transfer into Law?

Or have I simply missed my opportunity?

Another thing is that I'm not sure whether I genuinely don't enjoy Commerce as a degree, or whether it has become associated with the anxiety and what was honestly the worst period of my life. At the same time, Commerce seems like a much more employable degree than International Security, even though I'm much better at International Security.

I think what scares me most is that I want to have a successful career and build a good life for myself. I have big aspirations and probably put too much pressure on myself. I'd love to work overseas one day and have a meaningful, successful career, but right now I feel like I've spent the last two years trying to recover from mental health issues instead of actually moving forward, and I feel like I've gone badly off track before my adult life has even really begun.

I recently met with the Dean of Students, who said my late withdrawal application would most likely not be approved because I don't have medical certificates from that period. The problem is that my anxiety and mental health were so bad at the time that I couldn't even bring myself to see a doctor. Ironically, that's now making it much harder to explain what happened.

At the moment I just feel completely lost. If the late withdrawal isn't approved, I honestly don't know what my next step should be.

Has anyone else had a rough start at university, changed direction later, or managed to transfer into a degree after damaging their GPA?

I'm not really looking for sympathy. I know my decisions are ultimately my responsibility. I just feel lost, and I'd really appreciate hearing from people who've been in a similar situation or have advice on where they'd go from here.

Sorry if this was a bit of a ramble. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, I'm M22 with a simple sense a lack of talent, but I am more than willing to learn and take advice as I am on the brink of genuine financial collapse. I tried applying to a lot of jobs, none ever called back. So I got to ask, how do you all start, was it a self thing? Did you all have a mentor? What can I do/What should I do? Where should I start? How should I start?

About me:

22

4th year college Tourism

Has a Chromebook

WiFi

i feel really old 🥺…i feel very behind too

I genuinely don't know. Some people count getting married / finding the love of your life an achievement. Some find it stupid. For some people, getting a masters is a big deal but some people have to pay a lot to "flexible" programmes so is that an achievement? Some people do one great thing then nothing, like one hit wonders. How do they feel?

I'm asking this cause at 25, I don't really know what position I'm in. I have a few things I'm proud of but none of them feel "significant". Like I'm not a celebrity, not an important scientist, not a known activist (included known cause I do volunteer a lot but not at that level haha)

Idk, I feel so...Basic? I'm worried that I won't be known for anything. I wanna be the cause for positive changes but I have to survive first and it's killing me.

Though at the same time, we will all die at some point and while we may be remembered from time to time, most of us will be forgotten. For example, I don't know many artists from the 50s. I also don't intend to. You know?

I wanna be able to fight this feeling but I have many goals and tbh not even having a stable career makes it worse. Who am I to have big dreams when I can barely have a linear career?

I’m 32 about to be 33 and just stuck in the depressing grind of factory work. I know deep down I can’t keep doing this. Yet I cannot figure out a way out.

I’m 32. Male. About $35k in savings. Working in food production driving a forklift in a very high pressure fast paced environment. No growth opportunities. Churn and burn factory where i’ve been for almost 4 years.

I’m fit. Love working out. Thought about being a personal trainer but i’m not sure that’s a career more than another grind of low pay and trying to earn a living amassing clientele either via online or in person.

I’ve thought about potentially trying to become a police officer or a state cop.

I’ve thought about trying to get my CDL and the long term plan being getting a local job hauling fuel.

I’ve thought about trying to get an online accounting degree.

I’m just completely stuck.

Any time I have a day off it’s ALL I think about and I end up doing nothing about it.

The new work week starts and i’m finding myself stuck in my head all day just judging and hating my entire existence.

I don’t want to take on debt. I have enough cash to support me for maybe a year but also need a new car soon so that’ll eat into that.

I just can’t seem to figure out how to upskill as a student while having to work 50-60 hours for a job that takes everything out of me. And yet I don’t want to take on debt.

I’ve also considered nursing.

But again, schooling. And shit, I haven’t been a student and so long I don’t remember SHIT.

Nursing, Police Officer, Trucker, Personal Trainer.

Shit I’m so cooked it’s killing my soul.

After a few years of working office jobs (first as a banker at a financial firm and then as a graphic designer for a cosmetics company), I now find myself back in retail, working at Trader Joe’s. To be fair, it’s probably the best retail job out there, considering the benefits are great, the hours are flexible, and the pay is decent. However, I can’t help but feel that I’m selling myself short, despite the fact that I’m the type of person who doesn’t want my job to define who I am.

Basically, I’m a little conflicted because I’m really not the career focused type. I have a decently successful side hustle selling my art and I record music on the side as a hobby. I’d rather have a job that allows me the downtime to focus on these passions (which is why I crawled back to retail). I guess I’m just wondering if anyone can relate to living a bohemian lifestyle that is more accommodating to making art / having free time? And if so, what do you do for work? Lastly, do you like your job?

Hi everyone,

I'm 24 years old from India, and I have a Bachelor's degree in Medical Laboratory Technology. Right now, I'm unemployed and waiting for an update on a job opportunity.

The waiting has been much harder than I expected. Some days I feel hopeful, but on other days I feel like my life is on hold. It hasn't been easy staying motivated during this period.

I don't want to waste this phase of my life. If you've been in a similar situation, how did you keep moving forward? What helped you stay motivated and eventually find your path?

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences or any advice.

Thank you for reading.