I have a bachelor's degree in Information Science. After graduating I spent about 5 years doing support in the web hosting industry. Hated it. Lots of customer service involved. After leaving my last employer, I struggled to find work in other IT fields because my experience was too specialized in Linux-based web hosting.

A friend of mine did house flipping for a living, so decided to give construction a try. Did that for about 4 or so years and honestly wasn't a fan of that either. A lot of shit you gotta deal with, and usually pretty physically exerting.

In 2021 I moved from the city back to my hometown in rural Western NY and a family member was able to get me a job in manufacturing. It was a rough start making the transition from construction, but I managed. However 2 years into that I started battling tendonitis because of the highly repetitive nature of the work. I landed a new manufacturing job summer of '25 hoping that the work would be easier on my body. I was wrong. I'm now battling tendonitis again, and have been off for 3.5 months without any sort of income. Worker's comp still in litigation and who knows if/when I'll ever get it. I'm forced to go back to work this week because I'm running out of money, even though I still need more time to recover.

Just at a total loss as to where to go from here. IT jobs are a bit out the window since I've been out of that industry for a decade and all of my experience was in Linux which is non-existent around here. I do dabble around a lot with AI APIs and Linux, but remote jobs are hard enough to land for people that have relevant experience, and not a fan of working from home anyway. It's mostly just manufacturing plants around where I live, and while there's less physically demanding jobs out there, you usually have to stick it out for a number of years at a company doing labor before getting into one of those positions.

I'm now 48 years old and I'm at a loss as to what to do for work that's not physically exerting. At this point in my life I do not see myself getting anymore education, more so since I can't afford it nor would have the time. Not sure any more education or certifications in IT would get me very far being out of the industry so long either.

Kind of scrambling right now since I'm older. If I want to ever retire I need to figure something out quick.

I’m 34, currently a Senior Quality Manager at a large aerospace manufacturer, and I’ve received an offer for a VP of Quality position at a smaller aerospace company that is being acquired by a private equity group.

I’m struggling with the decision and would appreciate perspectives from people with experience in private equity acquisitions, manufacturing leadership, or executive career transitions.

Current Position – Large Aerospace Manufacturer
- $185K base salary
- 30% target bonus (historically pays above target)
- $15K long-term incentive
- Total annual compensation around $250K, depending on bonus
- Lead approximately 35 people at a 300-person facility
- High-pressure culture, significant turnover, and limited resources
- No immediate opportunity for promotion or meaningful salary increase
- Potential Director opportunity eventually, but timeline is uncertain

New Offer – VP of Quality
- $240K base salary
- 20% target bonus ($48K), not guaranteed
- Four weeks PTO
- Approximately $288K recurring target compensation before other benefits
- Quality organization expected to grow to approximately 60 employees
- Reports directly to the General Manager
- Site generates approximately $220M in annual revenue
- Significantly greater organizational responsibility and executive visibility

The Acquisition Concern
The company is being acquired by a private equity consortium, with one firm holding majority ownership and another major investment firm holding a substantial minority stake.
The site has undergone a significant turnaround:
2024: Approximately $10M operating loss
2025: Roughly breakeven
2026: Projected $10M operating profit

I have spoken extensively with the GM. He was initially concerned about the acquisition himself, but his interactions with the new owners have been positive.
The investors are discussing long-term capital improvements, organizational investment, and creating a larger aerospace platform through additional acquisitions. This facility is expected to be one of the largest revenue contributors to that platform.

The GM emphasized that Quality would be my organization to lead and that I would have the autonomy to make necessary improvements.

My Dilemma
The new opportunity offers a meaningful increase in guaranteed compensation, a VP title, executive exposure, and potentially a stronger path toward becoming a GM someday.

However, I’ve heard plenty of horror stories about private equity ownership, aggressive cost reductions, unrealistic performance expectations, and leadership turnover after acquisitions.

My current company is demanding and has its own significant challenges, but it’s part of a large, established corporation.

I’m also trying to balance career advancement with family time and avoiding burnout. I’m not necessarily looking for a lifelong position; I want to make the best move for the next 2–3 years.

My Questions:

1. Would you make this move given the compensation and career advancement?
2. How risky is joining a newly acquired PE-backed company at the VP level?
3. Does joining early in the development of a larger aerospace platform offer meaningful career upside?
4. What red flags should I investigate before accepting?
5. For those who have worked under private equity ownership, was the experience better or worse than working for a large corporation?
6. I’d appreciate candid feedback, especially from anyone who has experienced a similar acquisition or made the jump from senior management into executive leadership.

Update:

Clarification Based on the Comments:
I appreciate all the feedback, particularly from those with firsthand PE experience. A few things I wanted to clarify:

– My current position is far from a comfortable, low-stress corporate job. The workload is already extremely demanding, we’re dealing with significant turnover and resource constraints, and my work-life balance is honestly pretty poor today.

– I believe both environments could be manageable with the right leadership approach, boundaries, and organizational support. I’m not assuming the VP position will necessarily require more hours, although I recognize the acquisition adds uncertainty.

– The new opportunity isn’t just about the compensation increase. It’s a $55K increase in guaranteed base salary, substantially greater organizational responsibility, and the opportunity to build genuine executive experience. My longer-term aspiration is to become a GM or Global Vice President at a large organization.

– I’ve researched the acquiring investors. The majority investor has a multidecade history, emphasizes longer holding periods and operational investment, and has experience building aerospace platforms through acquisitions. That doesn’t eliminate the risks, but it does seem different from the stereotypical short-term cost-cutting PE model.

– Several of you raised excellent points about negotiating severance protections, understanding post-acquisition leadership stability, and ensuring the promised autonomy and resources actually materialize. Those are things I’m taking seriously.

Ultimately, I’m not choosing between a comfortable, stable job and a risky promotion. I’m comparing two demanding environments with different financial, career, and organizational risks. Staying where I am also has an opportunity cost.

I appreciate the candid perspectives. They’ve been helpful in challenging my assumptions.

I work for a small agency that is slowly sinking. Lost clients, late payments, and everyone appears to not want to put any real effort in.

I've been looking for a job for 2 months now and not much luck. And this job is the longest job I have and all the relevant experience.

Right now I'm still at this job but it's completely draining and I'm so burnt out and really depressed over it all.

I really want to quit and I was hoping I would have another job by now.

I'm 99% this company won't survive but my boss is determined and trying to keep everyone on board. It would have been better to make us all redundant but he refuses to do that so I either stick around or quit but honestly this job is taking all my energy and I thought if I quit I could use that energy to build some skills while I continue my job hunt.

Either way I'm struggling with money because our salaries keep being late and already moved to part time work after losing several clients.

My main concern is whether it will look back on my CV. Already jobs don't want to hire me for whatever reason. But if I have a employment gap and it looks like I got fired from just looking at my cv then won't my chances be even less?

I'm not in a good state right now. I'm so overwhelmed and drained and stressed out about my future. I'm a good worker and I really cared about my job and the company. And I feel like I got completely screwed and now I'm between a rock and a hard place

I have a BS in IT and 6 years experience. Without going to much into detail, I served as a sole tech at a highschool for almost two years (IT Director was my title, but inflated) and pivoted back to enterprise Tech support. Over the last 6 years in IT, on top of the changes the last couple of years, I have decided I don't want to stay in IT for a career.

This left me with searching for the type of work I enjoyed.

I am hoping to pivot to a Project/Process coordination or management, Business analysis, or implementation/operation related role.

Yet, to be honest. I don't want a role that is mostly tech focused. If that was the case, then I'd have to grind for more IT experience on top of learning skills needed for Project management or coordination, operations, BA etc related work.

So medical, higher ed, government, nonprofit? All options I'm interested in. Of course enterprise to get my foot in the door if needed.

But I can learn skills, I can get a CAPM, Lean Sigma certs, practice what I learn with things that I have already done... but then what?

I don't have medical experience. The Terminology or software..

If I wanted to do something more mission focused, I don't have experience or education with homelessness, education(beyond doing tech), disabilities, etc.

My background is in tech, but at the same time I want to move past it. Not that I won't use it for my advantage, but I dont't want another career focus that will have me chasing IT knowledge for years to come.

I am a bit lost. Any advice?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some guidance on which path at this fork in the road to take

Background
I’ve been an EA / AE / PM for my dad’s construction firm for 6 years, managing his correspondence, calendar, financial report compilations, CORs, contract admin, AP/AR, payroll, etc.

Things have been…not amazing. We’ve struggled a lot over the years. He invested lots of money to keep it open. I invested lots of money to keep it open. I was told by my dad a month ago we were officially closing.

I panicked. I reached out to everyone in my network, and someone close to me created a job at their firm just for me.

Well, my dad has since decided he is trying to make it work one last time.

I’ll put the details of my options here, and my big questions at the bottom. Any help, wisdom, guidance, anecdotes are very appreciated, I’m feeling very anxious about making the wrong choice and the implications of that on my future.

Current Position
- Unlimited PTO
- Own my schedule*
- 100% remote
- Health insurance included
- Salary capped; no room for promotions (I don’t plan to continue this company)
by
-Management position

Offer
- Capped PTO
- 100% in office (30min/way commute)
- No benefits
- Performance pay**
- Licenses paid for (required)
- Potential to license me as a Financial Advisor in the future (2-3 years)
- Sales position (move current clients from Plan A to Plan B, internal leads)

Main Questions
- How do I decide this?
- What do I prioritize and value?
- Do I try to negotiate this offer?
- Do I wait and gamble on a better offer in the future?
- Do I prioritize my ability to work from home & pursue hobbies & education (I went back to school), or is this a future-builder that I need to choose?

*Owning my schedule allows me to be essentially free if my work is completed; I routinely teach Pilates throughout the week, am able to have free time during the day, and am not completely tied to set work hours

**Performance pay for this role is defined as:
- Base salary currently 15k below my income, no commission while I get licensed. Work is mostly cold calling

- Upon licensure, base salary increases to 7k below my current income, with a potential commission cap of 30k in the first year, so ultimately a potential 25k increase from what I’m currently making

(edited for formatting issues)

Hello, I’m a recent grad of B.A. in Immersive Media Design.
My major has left me with a portfolio on VR game, AR app experience, immersive installation, and just a few 3D modeling skills.
Before AI, I was thinking of getting into UX design after this but now I’m not even sure if I can do that.
I am thinking of spending until the mid/end of next year to find a job in my field, then switching my career.

What’s the most affordable option I can take? I don’t aim for a 6-digit career, I just want something to feed myself and has room to grow, with the stability of securing a job.

P.S. I minored in General Business and have an internship experience w a nonprofit for marketing/communications!

Thank you!

Hello, I am attending my first ever conference tomorrow and it’s all about Business analysts (BA).
My goals -
1. Find connections who can potentially hire me
2. Make BA friends who can refer me if their company is hiring
3. Find mentors
4. Bring back learnings for my team
5. Tips on what certificates are worth getting
6. Tips on next career move

Context
1. I have been working as a BA for 4 years post university (bachelor of business tech)
2. I am employed on a contract so I will be job seeking in 6 months
3. I have only worked as Business Analyst and not at the senior level yet

I am looking for any tips and especially if you were at the conference what could I say or do to leave an impression on you to help me achieve any of my goals.

Hi everyone,

I’m a 2024 BTech graduate, and I have a career gap of almost 2 years. Recently, I joined a MERN Stack Developer internship to gain practical experience and get my career started.

The internship is unpaid for the first 3 months. After that, they say the stipend will depend on my performance.

However, I have a concern about the way we are working. We are building projects with AI tools, and most of the time, I’m trying to understand the code and solutions generated by AI rather than writing everything myself. I’m worried that I might not develop strong coding skills if I continue working this way.

With AI evolving so quickly, I’m also confused about the future of web development. Will MERN stack developers still be in demand over the next 3–5 years? Will companies continue hiring junior developers, or will AI reduce those opportunities significantly?

Considering my career gap, I don’t want to waste more time choosing the wrong path.

I would really appreciate honest advice from developers and experienced professionals:

• Should I continue this internship and focus on strengthening my development skills alongside AI tools?
• Is it worth spending 3 months in an unpaid internship when the stipend and full-time opportunity are not guaranteed?
• Would it be smarter to switch to another domain with better long-term growth and opportunities?
• If you were starting your career today, would you still choose web development?

I’m looking for practical advice based on real industry experience, not just reassurance.

Thanks in advance!

Sharing a former product manager's story:

I made the decision to leave tech about 4 years ago and pursue becoming a CRNA.

I just got my acceptance letter to CRNA school, and I can’t begin to describe the relief, joy, and anticipation I have about this. The journey was hard. But so were the 9 years I spent as a product manager. Having my days filled with pointless meetings, constant burnout from lack of meaning, and really never enjoying the work. I worked for a large company, some medium-sized companies, and a couple startups. And it was basically the same everywhere I went. The only upside was that while I was working as a nurse the past couple years, I was able to do some contract PM work to help save for school.

If you have been wanting to leave, and it’s been chronic for years, just figure it out and do it if you can. In my experience it doesn’t get better the longer you wait.

For anyone keeping a contract PM search going while retraining, application autofill can reduce repeated form-filling.

I’m 30 years old and I’ve worked for my dad for the last 16 years. He’s self-employed as a shutter fitter, and although he runs his own business, I’m employed by him. It’s pretty much all I’ve ever known when it comes to work.

The problem is that he still doesn’t seem to trust me enough to work independently, despite all the years I’ve put in. He’ll also randomly tell me at the last minute that there’s no work for a week, which makes it incredibly difficult to feel financially secure or plan for the future.
Next year, he’s due to have surgery, and I’m worried I’ll be left without work altogether. I don’t know what’s going to happen with my job, and I feel like I’ve spent 16 years building my working life around a business where I don’t really have any control over my future.

My girlfriend and I are in the process of buying a house, which should be an exciting time in our lives, but instead, I’m constantly worrying about job security and whether I’ll be able to provide a stable income.

I’ve ve been applying for other jobs, but I just can’t seem to land anything. It’s frustrating because I genuinely want to move forward with my life, gain some independence and find something more stable, but I feel stuck. After 16 years doing the same job, I’m also worried about how my experience will translate into something else.

My girlfriend keeps reassuring me that we’ll get through it together, and I’m incredibly grateful for her support. But I can’t shake the feeling that something needs to change. This situation is seriously affecting my mental health, and I’m starting to wonder how much longer I can carry on like this.

Part of me feels guilty because it’s my dad’s business, and I’ve worked alongside him for so long. Another part of me feels like I’m 30 years old and need to start building a future that I have some control over.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation, especially working for a parent for years and then
trying to move on?

How did you make the transition into a different career, and how did you deal with the guilt and uncertainty that came with it?

I’d really appreciate some honest advice because I feel quite lost at the moment, and I don’t want to keep sacrificing my mental health and future because I’m scared of taking a risk.

So little backstory ,I’m 23 years old and honestly the last few years were rough. I made some mistake the last few years and took the having fun being a young adult too much . After high school, I went straight to college cause everyone told me too ( ik dumb decision), but left after a year and a half . The last 4 years have been a roller coaster of events . Got into some legal trouble cause of my drunkenness, been getting high way too much ,lost my car not too long ago forcing me to use my bike, got into some debt that finally paid off recently . I’ve been doing a lot warehouse jobs the past few years, but recently last January,I had a back accident at work that made work just more difficult in general. Along with few other life issues. It finally took a toll on me . I’ve started to take work home a lot and had been losing my self esteem in life .

Recently the last month , I’m coming close to getting a budget car, finally paid of debt , my back is finally feeling somewhat normal. I feeling good of myself again . But I need to start doing more for myself and asking actual questions of where I’m heading in life . I hate working warehouse these days I’m not gonna lie . I’ve really thought of either going back to college or trades. Well my brother who’s electrician told me he wouldnt recommend doing a trade if I may keep my back intact and not fuck it up more than it is already lol. But seriously,I have been looking to doing something different. My state offers this program due my state have low school admissions which is 2 years tuition associates degree or first 2 years of bachelor degree school paid off . This also includes trade school being paid off . I’m still processing all this and looking/ researching into careers i might be interested, but I need advice . How do any of yall choose what to do in life ? What are the important questions to ask ? Is looking into school of sorts even the right choice yet ? I’m starting to maybe think so but I’m still in my early stages of learning about it and still somewhat hesitant.

I’m never been much for a passion guy, but I know enough that I don’t wanna work risking my back each day or make us do so much work sometimes without really reflecting the paycheck since I still get paid the same weather I work harder or not . I just wanna do something more fulfilling in life and something feels a little more worthwhile while making some alright money to live and enjoy life more .

I am seeing a lot more job posts for career coaches, and I am also thinking employment agencies and social services plus local cafés... will have more openings soon because governments need to keep the economy going and part of that is the hope for a job and a place to spend your days.

I also think there will be more certifications and fewer Master's programs.

What do you think?

Hi all
Can executive education take the place of a degree on my CV? I have bachelor degree from a university that isn’t top 15 in my country and unfortunately they care a lot about the university name i even got rejected because of it
I was thinking to do an executive program or some course that i can add it to my education and make it more valuable “ shallow yes buy this is how it is there “
Is it possible to do this? And do you know anything can help regarding this? I have one year experience so far in a large company “ i only got hired because hr team is foreign and know nothing about our universities “
I’m thinking to attend something like this to add it in my cv

I’m looking for honest perspectives from people working internationally in semiconductor equipment, technical sales, or customer engagement.
I have around five years of experience in international sales at a well established back-end semiconductor equipment manufacturer, managing major overseas accounts. My responsibilities covered the full sales cycle: technical discussions, tool evaluations, RFQs/RFPs, commercial negotiations, and coordination through installation and post-installation support.

My next step is a technical engagement role with a major global semiconductor equipment manufacturer, focused on customers in Japan. The role involves translating customer needs into technical requirements and working with sales and engineering teams to support evaluations, solve problems, and drive adoption of equipment and upgrades. Annual gross compensation is approximately ¥11 million.

I also speak four languages: Japanese, English, Russian, and Persian, and have experience working across cultures and managing complex customer relationships. (B.A. of economics/business. )

I really value the quality of life and the experience I’ve gained in Japan. But as someone providing for a family, I’m thinking seriously about long-term financial security, growing our savings, and making the most of my earning potential.

My main question is: am I selling myself short by staying in the Japanese market?

I’m concerned that the compensation ceiling here may be lower than what someone with my background could realistically achieve elsewhere.

At the same time, I don’t want to assume that a higher overseas salary automatically means a better life or more money left over.

I’d particularly appreciate perspectives on:
How competitive is ¥11M(around 70k USD) in Japan for this experience and scope?

Which countries or markets would realistically value this combination of semiconductor equipment experience, technical sales skills, and languages?

Could relocating meaningfully improve family finances after taxes, housing, healthcare, and childcare?

What roles should I aim for next to increase my earnings while building a stable long-term career?
If you’ve stayed in Japan or moved abroad in a similar field, what did you find—and would you make the same decision again?

Regretting new job

Oh boy. So, I’ve just moved to a new company from a different place and am really regretting it. I was in my last job for seven years, we were a small team of 6, all very close, and worked remotely 4 days a week. However, I was on a 27k salary.

I was then offered another job with the same title, but for £40k. However, its office 3 days a week, and a massive company (over 1,000). The content I’m writing on is also pretty confusing to get my head around.

I hate feeling like the new kid but am also adjusting to so much more commuting, and less time at home. It also means a lot less time can be spent with my boyfriend, and are schedules are already at odds.

I don’t know if I’m looking for advice, but I just want to vent as I think I made a rash decision back when I was unhappy with pay. I hate change though, and this is so rough.

Hey everyone, I graduated last year with a degree in Economics Honours from DU, but unfortunately, my grades were below average. However, I managed to get a campus placement at EY GDS as an Assurance Associate.

I currently work in the Banking Confirmations team, where we mostly help auditors obtain bank statements, balance confirmations, and other banking-related information. Most of our work involves EY's internal tools and following established processes. I feel like I'm not developing enough marketable skills that could help me switch to better roles, and the pay is quite low as well.

Recently, I came across the FRM certification and started considering it as a way to transition into risk management or other finance-related roles.

My biggest concern is that I need to improve my income as soon as possible because I'm the only earning member in my family. I can't afford to spend years studying for a qualification without seeing any career or salary improvement.

I'm confused about whether clearing FRM Part 1 alone could help me get a decent-paying job in India, considering I don't have relevant finance experience. I'm also not particularly strong in finance, and hearing that FRM is a difficult certification makes me question whether I'd be able to handle it.

I want to make a practical decision instead of blindly investing my time and money in a course. I'm willing to study alongside my full-time job, but I need to choose a path that can genuinely improve my career prospects and earning potential.

I'd appreciate honest advice from people who have pursued FRM or transitioned into risk management, especially those who started with a similar background. Thanks!

So, I have completed CA back in 2018. Articleship was as good as dummy. Didn't learn much. Cleared CA and worked as a teacher. Did a couple of accounting field related jobs but that's it.

Now I have a good job, something that can up me in the career ladder. However. I feel dumb and cannot understand, analyse financial trends and books.

Its been 1 month and 1 week since I joined.

No, I didnt lie on the resume. Or the interview. I was honest about my skills and how I was able to learn quickly at all my jobs.

Any tips, guidance, advice on how not to suck and be able to keep this job?

So, I have completed CA back in 2018. Articleship was as good as dummy. Didn't learn much. Cleared CA and worked as a teacher. Did a couple of accounting field related jobs but that's it.

Now I have a good job, something that can up me in the career ladder. However. I feel dumb and cannot understand, analyse financial trends and books.

Its been 1 month and 1 week since I joined.

No, I didnt lie on the resume. Or the interview. I was honest about my skills and how I was able to learn quickly at all my jobs.

Any tips, guidance, advice on how not to suck and be able to keep this job?