FAQ

Pretty much what the title says. I had been working here for almost two years. The past 8 months had been rocky with a switch in management. Honestly, I hated the job and truly was NOT good at it and it showed in my work - it was just never a priority. Looking back, I should've just left the job when I realized I was in deep shit, but I just kept skating by. Now, I have been fired. My boss didn't even talk to me, just got a call from the internship company about turning in my equipment. I'm going to keep it on my resume because I was there for two years, but I'm so worried that it'll reflect poorly when I graduate. I have another job, unrelated to my field of study, that I will get a glowing reference from my boss from. And if all goes well, I also will be getting another internship, more closely related to my field of study, this summer. But I just feel so shaky and unsure of myself and embarrassed and confused and worried that I ruined my life. Any thoughts, or advice, or words of encouragement would be appreciated.

Good evening everyone!

Im 23m and just signed on with a building contractor for a carpenters apprenticeship making 19$ an hr in Florida.

Starting this new job sort of has me thinking about life choices, what I’ve done right and wrong. I remember growing up and wanting to be an architect and design homes and other structures. I’m wondering if this is still out of reach and if my construction would benefit me if I chose to pursue something like this. I know construction is brutal on the body later in life so I want to be prepared for that.

I currently hold an Associates in Arts and have been wanting to go back to school. Where would I start? Is it better to get an associates in drafting and then continue to architecture degree?

I don’t think I’ll be able to go back full time with apprenticeship classes. But I think I could manage at most 3 classes a semester, starting with one or 2.

I’d like to hear from anyone who may have had this career path before, any general life advice too. I’d also like to move out of my parents but that would be tighhhttttt.

Hello everybody hope this message finds everyone well. Recently found this thread and I am dying to get yall's advice cause it seems to be pretty good. Here's the nitty gritty : what matters

I am 20 years old in FTW TX, ran away from physical & mentally abusive parental situation at 17 and went to bio father - well it was worse got 6k stolen and my credit stolen. Long story short since 17 I have been living w friends, paying for temporary rooms, etc for housing.

Been in Sales for 3.5 Years w Some Decent Experience in Management, I have a huge interest in Real Estate Agent work or even the corporate side of Finance of Real Estate like Property Management, Appraiser, Etc. I knew since being young i wanted to invest and eventually let the money play the game for me so once I get up there in age I can be more hands off. HERES THE DEALIO THAT I NEED YALL FOR

I am 20 trying to start a career, find a job where I make STABLE enough income to afford housing, and also just set myself up for a decent enough life where i dont get upset about the structure of the days.

The issue I find myself with is i live off very limited income, want to break into a big industry that makes good money, have ABSOLUTE NO CLUE if i should pursue college and even if i wanted to HOW WOULD I!?

Long story short is if anyone can help me to feel like im not lost, wasting time, or just spinning my wheels, please do. I find myself feeling horribly bad about myself because im new to the adult world fully, everybody else my age has traction on their education, or atleast a stable situation. I feel terrible night and day and could really use some perspective!

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About a year ago, I jumped ship from my nice state desk job to do some grunt work in the field. Financially, this was probably unwise, but honestly I was afraid that if I didn't jump I'd get fired, because I was so burnt out from the monotony of my position that I wasn't getting work done anyway.

A friend of mine just quit her job with her environmental consulting company, and in her exit interview explicitly recommended me as someone to take her place. Essentially, I would be helping with watershed/stormwater management related tasks. This is exactly the kind of position I was trying to grind my way to when I graduated college 5 years ago. Under different political circumstances, I could start here and work my way up in this company.

I am transgender. The political situation for us in the US is rapidly deteriorating.

At 50-55k, I *miiiiiight* (soft might) be able to support myself where I live (we'll see how inflation goes). What I can't do is save up enough to retrain myself for a nursing program, which as far as I can tell is my best bet for finding a job that is in-demand enough to let me flee the country.

Okay I'm 22 years old, wasted 5 years due to depression & laziness, I just applied to a cheap college I'm taking accounting, guess what skills will be useful in the future for adult life / career? Thank you.

Hey y’all,

I’m wanting to switch careers but have no skills outside of clinical medicine. I’m really at a loss as to which skills I should learn. For context, I’ve worked in direct patient care for 10 years and am burned out.

Ideally I would want a hybrid or remote job with regular hours or work as a small business owner (though I have no idea how to run a business).

I’m just not sure the best way overall to figure out what to do going forward. Would appreciate any advice on how to find direction!

I'm reaching out for some advice on a challenging situation at work. I'm an Operations Product Manager responsible for overseeing the pipeline of products, but I'm not the direct manager of the team members involved. We have two Product Owners, Alex and Ryan, who are causing significant stress for the rest of us.

Background:

• Ryan: He comes from a business development background and has never been a Product Owner before. Initially, he was willing to learn, but now he seems frustrated with our processes and lacks motivation to follow them. His age might also be a factor, as he seems less adaptable to new methods.
• Alex: With over 8 years of experience as a Product Owner, he previously worked in more process-oriented roles like backlog management or Scrum Master. However, in our innovation team, we need proactive and creative problem solvers, which he isn't. Despite having theoretical knowledge of product management, he consistently applies it incorrectly, even after extensive explanations.

The Issues:

• Lack of Skills: Ryan lacks the necessary skills for product development, while Alex struggles to apply his knowledge in a dynamic environment.
• Unwillingness to Learn: Both show little interest in improving or adapting to our processes.
• Process Adherence: They frequently skip steps, leading to mistakes and extra work for the rest of us.
• Communication: There's a lack of communication among team members, and stakeholders are often updated long after decisions have been made.

Consequences:

• The rest of the team, including myself, are taking on extra workload to compensate, which is unsustainable and affecting our mental health.
• There's a sense of hopelessness across the team as we feel our feedback isn't being heard or acted upon.

What I've Tried:

• Providing regular feedback, which hasn't led to significant changes.
• Encouraging them to attend training sessions, they attend but don't put any of it on practice

At this point I feel my boss expects me to keep training them, but I don't have time to teach them absolutely everything about product management, they either have to take the initiative or we need to hire new people. The problem is I don't know how to tell all of this to my manager without sounding like I'm just complaining about others.

Seeking Advice: Has anyone else dealt with similar situations? How did you address these issues? Should I escalate this to management, or are there other strategies I haven't considered?Thanks in advance for any advice or insights you can share! 

I currently work as a recruiter for a high growth start up. It’s an exciting role and I love the opportunity to help a small company scale, but lately some imposter syndrome has been setting in. Part of me feels like I’m not cut out for this and there’s a million unemployed recruiters out there who could do this better than me. I want to ask my supervisor for honest feedback, but don’t want this to be seen as a weakness and have them start to regret hiring me. My past reviews were positive, but I can’t shake these thoughts that I can and should be doing more. Any advice? Is it best to talk to my manager or just keep working through it? How does one even start that conversation, should I be honest with my thoughts? Any feedback appreciated

Hello all! A little background on me: I'm 25 years old, I have a degree in Psychology, a minor in American Sign Language, and I live in a bit of a smaller city.

My parents own a property management business, and have owned it since I was pretty young. I started working for them when I was around 12 - though I will say I wasn't handed jobs, and I worked my way up through the company, same as any other person. I started with janitorial work for the first few years, then (as I was doing online high school at the time) I filled in for the secretary every day on her one hour lunch break, then when the secretary retired I took over her job.

Also during this time my parents bought a maintenance business, which I helped out with for about a year, but I haven't worked for that company in almost 6 years.

Then I started doing a lot of the backend stuff, like onboarding properties, then I started offboarding them as well, and then I also started helping with a lot of accounting stuff, like billing vendor invoices and such, which is where I'm at currently. A weird combination of onboarding, offboarding, accounting, etc. All this to say, I've worn a lot of pants, and I would like to think I've worked really hard.

However, in the next year or so, I want to start separating myself from the company. Mainly because I don't morally/ethically agree with property management in general, but also because working with family, while sometimes fun, can be very stressful. It's caused more rifts than I even dare think about, honestly.

I'm nervous about what employers might think of the fact that I have only ever worked for my parents. I also have never done a proper job interview, which makes me even more nervous. I'm very well aware that I am really naive and unsure about how the job market works due to all this.

So here are my general questions: Do you think employers/hiring agents will have an issue with my previous employment? Do I even need to tell them that I worked for my parents (my parents business has our last name in it, so I'm sure they would ask, unfortunately)? If they ask for references, who would I send them to? My parents? My managers? Is the fact that I at least worked my way up going to help me at all? Is there any other advice you can give me?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

As the title shows I'm having a slight breakdown over the career path I should choose to pursue.

//

I will list the reasons as to why for both industries;

Pharmaceutical Industry:

• Have become very interested in Medicines due to my own personal life, doing research and reading case studies, statistics, etc

• Wanting to help people (money isn't the most important thing for me)

Cyber Security Industry:

• Have been quite involved within the cyber crime scene, (groups, communities, just networking in general)

• Always keeping up-to-date with the latest news via platfroms such as telegram & x

• Want to open my own cyber crime news outlet/channel, conduct interviews and help those be more aware of the threat actors that operate online

//

I am very young and just left high school, both avenues are open to me as for Cyber Security I can pursue doing CompuTIA Certifications from home whilst working.

OR

I could undergo a Pharmacy Technician/Assistant Apprenticeship and gain my experience plus qualifications via this route.

If I really wanted I could do both the Pharmacy Apprenticeship as well as CompuTIA Certifications from home as to give more options but my husband has said it doesn't make sense and to choose one.

I'm currently based in London but have plans to be living and raising a family back home in the UAE or Malaysia (this may narrow my option more so).

I genuinely would really appreciate all and any suggestions, recommendations, tips and personal experience.

I know nobody can choose for me but as said anything is appreciated.

Thank you! :3

Hi everyone,

As a business administration sophomore, I've realized that BA is a jack all of trades but master of none. I was thinking about getting a minor/specializing in computer information systems or accounting, but didn't know if it would be more beneficial to switch to accounting or CIS for better job outlook? I'm based in Indiana, US. Please let me know your thoughts, thank you! 😊

- A worried BA major

SOFTWARE ENGINEERS PLEASE HELP!

I (25M) been having trouble deciding between a couple career options. Background is computer engineering. Currently work at a small start up as software/integrations developer.

Goal: Ideally would like to go towards the software engineer route. Next couple of years I want to learn as much as possible, salary isn’t really a huge issue.

Issue: Current company I have no overhead or mentor and most of my work is independent. I feel like I’m not learning enough. In the middle of negotiating now and they are promising work towards the software engineer team and maybe AI/ML opportunities. The engineers are really good at what they do and have a lot of experience in their field but is niche and might not have time for me.

I have other offers that I’m considering but I’ve heard mixed opinions about Deloitte and systems engineering is more similar to product manager.

Note: Deloitte offer is 25% salary increase but might be able to negotiate a match at my current company.

Option 1: Deloitte solution analyst

Option 2: Systems engineer (more similar to pm work)

Option 3: Negotiate startup

Option 4: Keep applying

Any advice?

I am 19 y/o in college (currently a sophomore) and I changed my major to HR Management and Marketing. Marketing is definitely something I want to do, but HR.. not so much (at least I dont think). I am really good at sociology, psychology, etc. The career I can see myself in and enjoying is probably something with marketing. More or so connecting with the target audience, like ads or if the company is not reaching its target audience, I want to analyze what the audience wants and somehow connect with them through social media or however they might see the ad. With all that being said, I am not sure if I should keep my double major (HR Management and Marketing) or if I should change my HR major to something else.. Give me any recommendations on what I should do.

I’m a 28M aerospace engineer working in a hybrid structural design / analysis role. I’ve worked at 2 big aviation companies since graduating. I’m not quite so sure that I want to do boots on the ground engineering anymore, let alone for my whole career.

I’ve been eyeing switching to DoD consulting, engineering / tech sales, or construction management. I’ve got a good amount of friends in these fields and they seem to think my qualifications could translate. I’ve got a BS in mechanical and MS in aerospace engineering. I also run a small handyman / home improvement business on the side. I’m not sure though about this transition being easy or even doable really and how my qualifications would apply.

Had anyone had experience with any of these transitions and how realistic of a possibility this is? And any advice on how you did it or know of someone who has done it is greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much!

I have around 2 years experience as a software engineer, I quit my job to finish my bachelor in 2023* and since then I haven't found a job.

What are your suggestions on how can I get back to the market ? I was thinking of getting a certificate on Java as it's very request in my city to increase my chances.

Hi all!

I live in the US, in a state that allows non-competes for my industry.

My company laid me off a few weeks. My non-compete states that I can't go work for a competitor for a year after separating from my company.

Earlier this week, the leading company in my industry reached out to me about a position they have available. It's an exciting opportunity, an increase in title and responsibility, and honestly, an incredible career move.

From what I can tell, the FTC will not enforce non-competes for non-senior executives. I was not a senior executive at my last company and would not have that role if I get hired at this new company. But, I'm not an expert of FTC rulings and with the new administration, I don't know how this would play out.

So my question is, do I disclose the non-compete during the interview process? And if so, when?

Is it plausible to switch careers every few years like a doctorate, CSE, law etc. Currently in high school and i think this would be an interesting way to live.

I have some ideas already, so I guess I'm looking for advice more than anything. No savings, no assets, no one to rely on except me. I just finished my bachelors and have nothing I can give her right now. She doesn't have a bachelors and lost her job originally 7+ years ago, in and out of employment since then. She qualifies for disability benefits, but considering how SSDI works it's more of a last resort than a means to live. But her physical issues makes labor and jobs on her feet inaccessible. She has gotten some better experience recently. No hasn't made the best choices in life. But she is trying and I just feel bad for her. It is the system failing her and she deserves a good life like anyone else.

Currently I'm learning German and want to try immigrating to Austria. I know Europe has many of the same issues if not worse, but I think it'd be a better life for her. Learning the language and moving will be fairly easy for me, so I'm speeding through it now so I can help her move too. But I think'll she'll have to go back to school or even attend university in Austria to have any ability to get out of here. This would already be very difficult at her age, but I'm willing to work towards it and support. And I'm not too naive to realize her entire life will change. She needs to be more than well functioning to adapt and live well there.

All of this will take time. I'm really worried about her and she's developing health problems she never had before. She needs a lot of support and therapy too. It's not a good situation. But I'm tired of giving up. I graduated from a top school, no debt. I have so many opportunities now, but I don't fully know what I'm doing. Please help me help her.

My boss’s boss opened up a position that reports to him and my boss wants me to apply for it. I think I’m going to, but should I let him know I applied once I do. We work together about once a week on a report, so not sure if it would be weird for me to apply and not say anything to him.

Hi all, I have two job offers that I am considering:

1- R&D Engineer - 45k EUR.

2 - Field Service Engineer - 50k EUR + company van.

Both roles are permanent and come with a bonus, PMI and pension contributions. I am 25 and a fresh Master's graduate. I would enjoy the day-to-day of each role equally, but I need to decide what career route is more financially lucrative.

From what I can gather, the FSE will be better in my early career, but R&D has better progression opportunities and a higher income ceiling. Is this true?

Can anyone shed some light? Thanks!

I’m currently at a job I like, but I just received an offer from another company that would pay 40% more. While the financial jump is significant, I also value where I am now.

Before making a decision, I’d like to see if my current employer would be willing to match or get close to the offer. Any advice on how to approach this conversation effectively? I have my 5 year review coming up and I want to be professional and strategic about it.

Appreciate any insights!

My undergraduate degree is law. I speak English and French fluently and have a B2/C1 level of Spanish. I also speak my local language.

I'm in my late 20s and have spent the last 5+ years trying to get on some kind of career ladder. I'd like to at least get on the first step!

I was made redundant in November from a job I hated in an industry I now hate: marketing. I worked as a social media marketing executive, but the truth is, I never liked it. I fell into it through a low-paying apprenticeship where I had to teach myself everything. I stayed in the field for years, thinking I could find a niche I liked—but I’ve finally realized that I want nothing more to do with marketing.

Here’s what I hate about it:

• It’s too broad – Every job expects you to be an expert in everything (social media, SEO, copywriting, analytics, paid ads, etc.) for one salary.
• The pay is awful unless you’re at the top – I’ve never seen a social media/content role paying more than £30k without expecting you to take on 10 different jobs in one.
• It’s directionless – There’s no clear structure or way to improve. It’s all trial and error, and I hate the uncertainty.
• The hiring process is a joke – Every interview demands pointless "assignments" (presentations, full marketing strategies, unpaid tests, even video tasks) with no guarantee of a job. I’m sick of being exploited.
• I don’t want to sell anything – Marketing is ultimately about persuasion, whether it’s selling to customers or stakeholders. That’s not for me.
• I hate constantly having to "be creative" – I don’t want to endlessly come up with new social media templates, strategies, or gimmicks.

I actually got a career coach a few months before I was let go, hoping to transition into something I’d be good at and enjoy. But she was completely useless, and before I knew it, I was out of a job.

Since November, I’ve felt completely lost. At first, I looked at roles that included the few things I didn’t mind about marketing—but then I realized I don’t want to do this at all. Now, months later, I still haven’t found anything that sparks my interest. I feel like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, but going back into marketing is not an option.

Some people have suggested going back to study, but:

• I don’t want to waste years and money on a degree unless it leads to a stable, well-paying career.
• I don’t even know what to study because I don’t know what I want to do.

So, my question is: What careers are actually worth getting into?

• I want something with clear career progression and a good salary.
• I want to become competent at a skill and rise through the ranks.
• I’m not focused on “passion” – I care more about being good at something and getting paid well for it.
• I’d love to leave the UK, but I’m open to careers I can start here and take abroad later.

I feel completely stuck. Every time I try searching for careers, I get overwhelmed. Where do I even start? If there’s a website where I can enter my experience and get actual job matches, I’d love to know.

I know that I work best in structured environments where I have clear objectives and a defined role—I don’t thrive in vague, ever-changing jobs like marketing. I’m good at organizing, refining, and improving existing processes, but I hate having to create things from scratch without guidance. Maybe I'd enjoy working with systems and organizing information. But I still haven’t found a clear path that feels right or that offers stability, good pay, and long-term progression.

I was interested in digital asset management, but it seems like a niche field that you can only get into through another role, not directly. It also doesn’t appear to be in demand, and job opportunities or training for it seem scarce.

Are there any career paths that make sense for someone like me? I just need a clear direction, something I can commit to and succeed in. Any advice would be massively appreciated.

In a matter of months I’ll do my undergraduate studies. Answers are much appreciated. Thank you :)

I've been a leasing consultant for about 2 years now, and after shifting from one job to another where my new location is a bit of a shit show, I was considering beginning to look at new options. I like my job, so I'm fine to stay in leasing for now, actually, but I want to extend my options especially since apartment leasing agent seems to have a bit of an upcoming income ceiling and I do not want to move into property management. The things I enjoy about the job are interacting with people (but not too much... and I'd happily give this up for WFH lol) and real-time marketing with copywriting on the side.

I also have a music and theatre background as well.

Any ideas?

so i know a lot of people will just reply with 'go to college' or 'there are jobs but you're just not looking hard enough'. and to those i will say that i have been constantly searching for ANYTHING, and i have found nothing. i have applied for maybe 400+ jobs over the past 1.5-2 years, and the most i get is a pity interview, even though they will just hire someone internally.

I am not going to college. i left because i cannot do it. i am not an academic, and i hated every second of schooling period. i've looked at apprenticeships, but EVEN THOSE are like unicorns. the only apprenticeships near me are beauticians and hairstylists. I'm not being picky, i just will not go into hairdressing.

I am at my whits end, and i genuinely give up. i hate how i'm told that i live in the 'best time to be alive' and that there's so many jobs out there for me. the people saying those things either are retired, or have been in the same stable job for 25+ years, or they own their own business.

And i can't even learn to drive, because for that i need money, and without a job i can't get money. and to those saying 'just get financial aid' i have tried that already!

i just wanted to vent while job searching for the millionth time.

I am 28F working in a top US bank. It is been more than 6 years. I am stuck here with very less salary and no growth, opportunity considering my work & role. And I am so scared to look out for other job opportunities because I am in my comfort zone here in this monotonous job. I hate myself coming to this office everyday from last 6 years on the other hand something is stopping me to appear for other interviews. Can someone please help me through this. How can I motivate myself to get a new job?

Guys, could you please provide some thoughts or ideas on how to address a 14-year career gap?

First of all. I'm a software engineer and I'm indian. So would appreciate if there are Indians who knows about the current software scene to help me understand.

So I have been working for about 6 months now and it is my first job. Currently my job is to solve tickets (minor feature requests and bug fixes). I work mainly with Javascript (JQuery) with a bit of HTML/CSS here and there. There is another team in my company where they deal with developing the products (which in our case is websites). I wanted to join that team but I'm stuck here and seeing how things are going I might be for atleast a year or two. What should I do? Should stick on hoping that I'll be selected into the product development team and be able work with the back end too. Or get some experience and try to find some other job I'll get to work with more backend stuff. I know I'm in my learning phase and I want to learn as much as I can and be involved with project other thank the ticketing thing.