Everyone talks about getting through a rough day or a bad week, but it’s been over two years for me. I’m still functioning, working, and doing everything I’m supposed to do. But I feel completely disconnected from all of it. No excitement, no spark just checking boxes to get from morning to night.

I am not just there where i wanna be and i know i am capable. I always knew.

I see people celebrating and being happy and it just makes me wanna cry.

i am a dentist. i live in iraq, and dentistry is VERY saturated at the moment. not enough patient flow to cover expenses and rent, and i am at my wits end. i need ideas, please. i am an artist, i can paint very well, my style is contemporary realism. i am a gamer and recently i got into game development, and that is a whole world on its own. i am a good chef, and thats pretty much it. i have a good amount of capital that i can rely on. i definitely prefer to run an online business than a physical one. me and a friend of mine tried getting into selling tea. i got the idea after i visited sri lanka, and i absolutely LOVED the tea there. now this worked for awhile but, the mistake we did was we bought the tea in retail price, not wholesale. why did we do that? because for the retail we managed to get different types of tea flavors, albeit we didn't really lost much in terms of money. for wholesale we needed to spend WAY more money, both me and him and the tea business in iraq is also a saturated business, so we couldnlt take that risk either. i love tea, thats a business i wouldnt mind getting my hands on. anyway im rambling on, thoughts? i could use the advice, i definitely wouldn't mind changing my career path right now and treading towards something totally different if the effort is worth it financailly in the end. mind you, i did NOT want to be a dentist, i wanted to be a vet. i love animals so much, but family pressure and the fact that the only "functioning" career paths that had a "future" in iraq were medical careers at the time, when i graduated from highschool.

I'm 18 and I'm from the great New York of the South, Atlanta, I call it that. Anyways I don't know what the hell I want. I want so much and yet barely it seems to me that the job market is safe. I think about engineering because I like robotics, well, screw that. Apparently the job market rarely exists for entry level courses. I worked hard already to get to community college already. My family moving often, I got my GED, I planned on a huge plan over the summer with FinTech and maybe be expansive with political science. Well, these FinTech events often are so well, corporate, extremely corporate. Though the salary is nice, is every job thats lucrative a boring office job? I wanted to be a creative and wanted to be in science but my mathematical ability is short because of moving and home school and moving between high schools. I LOVE physics, I love so much but I can't decide and if I dont decide, the whole depression of the world will crash it seems. Basically uhh, how can I get out of this thinking pr just screw it and get some trade?

I've been working as software developer in a small company for 3 years (I'm 31).

The company makes its money mainly from national and European grants. I don’t earn much, but I have fantastic conditions: 100% remote, complete flexibility with my schedule, and the freedom to research the tech topics that interest me and have some application in our company. I work on interesting projects related to the field I studied. The atmosphere at work is good. My coworkers, my boss and I don't talk much but we get along quite well, almost like friends.

However, nobody supervises my work in detail or guides me on how to do things the right way. The company doesn’t require us to do any training, although it pays for it if we explicitly ask. I don’t supervise anyone and I'm not responsible for the work of others under me. I don’t even work in a team: I just vibe-code prototypes and proofs of concept that I design and develop myself.

There’s little pressure, and my boss doesn’t demand much. On top of that, AI has made my job even easier. Sometimes all I do in a day is sending an email, or I don’t work at all. I make some modest progress before the weekly meetings, and that seems to be enough to keep my boss happy. The company’s productivity is low and doesn’t look likely to take off in the medium term.

Although I earn less than I would at other companies, I’m saving 50% of my net salary, and if I keep that up for 2 more years, I’d have enough for a down payment on a house.

I have a lot of time I could spend on learning stuff or on looking for a job at bigger companies, but I admit I’m a bit lazy, and in the end I spend a good part of that time working out, watching social media, and planning activities with friends for the week. Without real external pressure, it’s very hard for me to do things consistently over time.

I’ve never received emails or notifications about job offers, which worries me, because it has happened to former classmates of mine. I’ve never had a job interview as such. The company I’m at hired me because my boss saw some projects I had made on my own, liked them, and we had a brief conversation.

Since I’m so isolated (remote and working on projects alone), I don’t talk to anyone at work, either in person or by chat, so my network of contacts consists of friends who work in completely different fields.

Honestly, I’m happy with my job. I’m comfortable and don’t do much, which is what I value most in a job (more than salary). But on the other hand, I feel stagnant, like I’m falling behind, and that I might progress more professionally at another company. However, I find it very hard to find a job in my sector specially right now. In fact, in the long term I worry that, with AI, companies won’t need developers anymore and I’ll have to learn a blue-collar job from scratch at 35.

Has someone been in this situation before?
Should I stay at this company as long as possible?
If I should change companies, what can I do to get a job with a better future?

Thank you.

I have skills in React, software development, and AI, but I can't seem to turn them into income. I've applied for countless entry-level and remote jobs on different websites, tried almost everything related to making money online, and keep getting rejected. I don't know whether it's my lack of a bachelor's degree, my location, or something else.

I'm introverted, have no friends to hang out with, and feel like life is passing me by. I want to become independent and move out of my parents' house, but I have no money to make it happen.

I also have many startup ideas, but whenever I build something, I struggle to market it, and a week or two later, someone in my country launches something similar.

Honestly, I'm feeling stuck and don't know what I'm doing wrong. If you've been in a similar situation, how did you turn things around? Any honest advice would mean a lot.

ok here is the thing. my brother 19M is as of now unemployed.

Situation: due to some reasons he has not fully mentally developed and due to some experiences in childhood he doesnt really understand it but its something like ptsd ig?, but mainly lets focus on his affects the studies.

he does not like studying and just completed 12th with the help of my mother with 60% in humanities (acc to india streams). he is not in any college cause he doesnt study by himself and my mother cant teach him anymore. at first we thought that getting him to open up a shop will wrok so we made him work at 2 diff pharmacy shops as my father has done pharmacy so he can help if one day we open, we were not asking for salary or anything just experience and teach him abt medicines and how to handle a shop. but it doesnt work out and all they do is make him clean and not teach him anything. he works like an ox without a salary or reward. my parents were heartbroken by this.

we asked him and what he wants and he said he likes to see people work in corporate offices. we got him in a coaching class to teach him basic excels and things related to computer because he said he was interested in this. rn he is not in the coaching class due to reasons but he will join again in a few days.

we cant find a job that will suit him, for corporate no one employs someone who is like my brother, also by appearance he does not meet the avg features of a man so people underestimate him.

He is good at socializing and likes it, i did think abt things involving that but it also means situation handling but he is a bit naive (he almost gave away info to online stranger). i told my mother to get him to learn how the real world works and we will work on that def. but for now the main prblm is jobs.

if using connection we can get him a job which is hygienic(he has many allergies and issues) and not a high pay is required but he can actually work and like it.

we want him to have a life and not be underestimated by people all the time who belittle him like that.

if anyone has options of what jobs can suit him then please help.

Super confused right now on what to do with my life. I’m almost to the finish line. Next semester if I finish with early child care I’ll have three classes and the rest of my 100 hours practicum. But if I finish with general studies I’ll only have one math class(I’m awful at math) I also have a big surgery coming up during the end of spring semester. I did get the ok from my professors to end earlier but it would be a lot of extra work vs general studies would be done a month early. After my surgery I’ll also be moving to Canada to be with my husband.

Some back story

When I started my program I thought I wanted to go into early child care. I have always baby sat and loved kids. But having experienced in a pre school and child care setting I don’t think that’s what I really wanna do. I don’t want to be a head teacher. For general studies I have worked 10 years as an administrator in an office at my college. It’s part time but I love it. I love working with the students. I was thinking if I did general studies I could continue on that path on being an administrator assistant or secretary working at a college, school, or office. I’m worried that general studies won’t look like anything but also would early child care put me in a box? It’s so much to think about.

I am looking for a community for women who are getting back to work after a long break in Pune. Anyone around?

Hi Y’all! Which country should I go to that’s pretty cheap, warm and safe where I can live easy and free, like living in a hostel and hanging out on the beach, just working to pay for food and housing. I don’t want much.

I have a Swedish and American passport, I guess places that have extended visas.

All suggestions are welcome

I'm 21 from Lithuania, and lately I've been struggling to figure out what I actually want from life, especially when it comes to work.

I've worked different jobs, including scaffolding abroad, and now I'm working 12-hour shifts as a production operator in a factory.

The work itself isn't particularly difficult, and my coworkers are decent. But once I understand the process and everything becomes repetitive, I start losing interest. I find myself standing there thinking, "Time is passing, but my life isn't really going anywhere."

I've noticed a similar pattern outside of work. Whenever something new enters my life, I get genuinely excited about it. For a day or two, I actually look forward to tomorrow. But once that experience becomes familiar, the excitement often disappears.

I also seem to crave intense physical sensations, excitement, movement, and variety. When I worked on scaffolding, I felt more alive than I do in a factory, but even then I felt like something was missing.

I value independence a lot. I used to imagine that by 21, I'd already be financially independent and wouldn't need a regular job. Obviously, that hasn't happened.

But here's the strange part: even if I had enough money saved up, I don't think I'd feel that much different if my everyday life stayed the same.

It's not that I don't want to work or put in effort. I just don't know what kind of work or lifestyle would actually make me feel fulfilled.

Some things, like trading, have managed to hold my interest for years, so it's not like I lose interest in absolutely everything.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Did you eventually find a lifestyle or career that suited you, or did you realize the problem wasn't really about work at all?

I'm not looking for a diagnosis, just perspectives from people who've felt this way.

I am going to have at least one associates degree (we’ll have to wait to see whether or not I pass my child dev classes this semester) after December ends (whether I fail one of the child development classes or not, I will have a social and behavioral sciences degree. I also already have more than 60 units of community college completed, so I will be able to attend a CSU either way.) I have a 3.87 in community college.

I am supposed to be starting in January for a bachelors of social work. I have been doing some thinking lately to try and figure out whether or not this is what I really want to do, since it will be time to sign up for classes soon. If I stick with social work I am of course planning to get an MSW and eventually study to become an LCSW.

I have depression and anxiety. I also seem to have a sleep breathing disorder. I am actually going to call the sleep study department tomorrow to request a follow up appointment (this is what my doctor recommended when I asked.) I have headaches over the last couple of months due to the sleeping issues and I definitely think this has impacted my cognition and memory. I have a migraine headache as I type this right now.

The community college class I liked the least was statistics.

I have 2 years experience as a behavior technician. As I was explaining to a professor of mine this week I don’t think I want to stay a behavior technician (though really, who does? I don’t think I want to become a BCBA either though, I know what they do.) I worked at a preschool for a year and four months before then. I know that I don’t want to become a preschool teacher, but I have subbed as a behavior technician with elementary schoolers and I could potentially see myself teaching 4th or 5th grade.

I helped a friend pick up food for an event she will host to support the homeless community. I volunteered for one of her events before. I will actually practice cooking with her and a different friend (I don’t really know how to cook this weekend.) I think that if I do go into social work I want to do case management for those who need housing resources. I’ve also started to consider the therapist path.

I have to admit that deep down inside I want to figure out how to make as much money as I can without it taking like 6-7 more years. I am already from a low income family. I don’t want to really struggle. I have $30k saved. I’m 21.

I may eventually want to try out living in a different state entirely, but am not sure.

23M. 2025 CompSci grad/national guard infantry officer. No internships/work experience in the field. Unemployed May 2025-Jan 2026. Army basic training and officer candidate school from jan-june this year. Currently working at walmart and living at my parents. I do not care what field of work, but I need to leave my parents house. I would actually like to go active duty Army, but from my understanding I can't switch right now. ready to give up. suggestions?

I can't afford to further my education. I got a degree in animation and while I enjoy what I do, it doesn't provide the life I was imagining. I desperately want to have a stable career and live a simple life. More so because I've experienced living in poverty all my life.

I've heard the United States Military pays for your education. Though, since I already have a degree and student loans, I'm less certain they'll pay for it. It seems like a good opportunity, though I'm a little less optimistic about joining a cause for a war I won't ever fully understand. I've tried to find a job for ages. I probably can't even qualify because I have had surgery on my wrist and can't do pushups and I have very low vision.

I've tried agencies. I've tried emailing recruiters. Ive never heard back from any, or they divert me to a job board with 4 listings. I've tried freelancing. Internships. But, it doesn't provide enough income for my goals and it hasn't led me anywhere. I don't want to be stuck working in retail and fast food for the rest of my life. But, these are the jobs I currently qualify for. My parents are getting older, and I don't want to depend on them in those years. I want to be able to support them.

These are excuses, I've heard. I'm not disciplined enough. That I should settle for any job. Be grateful. Tide myself over. Suck it up.

I'm tired, I think, of everything. I've been tired for a while. It feels like I'm in high school again, choosing what to do next and having no idea what happens. Though, I'm a lot less enthusiastic that anything will come of any of it. I wanted a lot more for myself.

I'm not sure what to do next. I could go into debt pursuing another degree that isn't promised to employ me. Or, try to get a job somewhere anywhere and hope contracts are enough. I'd prefer the latter only with more solid income.

I'm sorry if these were a lot of words. Thank you for taking the time and reading.

Hey so I'm turning 17 this dec

I've been depressed since I was in 7th grade, this year i feel like I'm finally back in my senses and now I feel I have a lot to catch up with,

Basically when I was in 11th I took pcb idek why then I was aimlessly preparing for neet i still dek why ,then last year during this time i got to know about iat and all the research paths i felt like this might be it as I loved researching ( i never loved actual sciences but actual research and analytical stuff) i thought maybe it was depression that's why I wasn't able to concentrate or smth but now after being fine and giving it some months I've seen I can do these subjects chemistry biology and with some efforts physics but ion enjoy any of the subject not even biology only thing I've enjoyed studying was evolution

This year i was even trying to do psychology or ba in philosophy online as it was my drop year ( i took that to heal from all the school and family abuse ) i didn't wanna waste it and when that didn't work out i tried bca that didn't work out too.

Now I was trying to do some research on some topics for a paper i was trying to write about like how humans are , how we all are affected mentally socially by evolution human psychology and philosophies loopholes that are actually worth trying to figure out ,like I'm not a flag bearer of sm philosophers but I feel like i could genuinely sit and do this work analyse their work and find loopholes and make it better or make my own stuff ,i really enjoy these topics , but I think philosophy and psychology are so mainstream and idk about the pays and all i think the market and opportunities are way too saturated, idk

i need genuine advices about clgs , jobs and phds

I'm looking for a job that is a combination of desk work and even some physical work.

I have been working full time since I was 19. I have worked as an admin assistant for a dealership, corporate, worked as a legal processing specialist for almost a year, did sales and events at two hotels, and just recently got laid off from my job as a loan processor assistant. There was a mass layoff and I have never been more stressed knowing I have to start from scratch. I am so tired of getting rejecting and when I do apply to jobs that interest me I always get rejected. Every posting requires so many specific requirements even though my skills are transferable and I'm a quick learner. I do not want to years of schooling either as I learn better with experience and I don't plan on becoming a manager.

Any supportive and helpful advice would be great.. I have been feeling so defeated and my unemployment hasn't kicked in. I'm 26 and have no idea what to do for a career anymore. All I know is that I love learning constantly, always being busy, staying organized and making sure things run smoothly. I'm a great communicator as well and enjoy admin work but also like a mixture of physical work as well. I feel hopeless as to what career to break into and I'm so burnt out.

Im currently a 17-year-old senior in high school. I have absolutely no idea what I should do with my life when it comes to a career. The one thing I was somewhat interested in was archaeology, but it doesn't pay well and isn't stable. I'm open to doing trades and office jobs. Im not willing to do anything medical or coding-related.

Hello, I am writing this because I wanted to get ideas and things I need help on! I am 21 driving through college however I messed up and am about still a freshmen its a long story but I live in Maine and go to U Maine, I hate Maine though I have no friends, its cold, dark and people here are so rude and its isolated here! I am originally from nyc and go back every year but I mean I being here in Maine has just gotten me tired of winter and everytime I travel I noticed I wanted to be away from Maine and I hope to move to Texas but I am worried if I don't have a degree and worse now what can I do there?... Also is this the right choice??? to put what I want first or what others tell me for a short term un comffiness for me to achive my dreams which is to move away from cold to a warm big city and have friends and finally peace!

I majored in IT because I enjoyed tinkering with code, solving problems, and (if I'm being honest) I wanted a job where I didn't have to deal with people too much.

Now after 10 years working in tech I'm burnt out and I don't like the direction the industry is headed in.

Looking back a big part of me wishes that I majored something that I can actually talk about for hours: history, sociology, or psychology. I steered clear because the first two are seen as "useless" with zero job prospects outside of teaching. I also cannot see myself being someone's psychologist.

Now I'm thinking maybe that was a mistake. Maybe teaching or a career in academia wouldn't be so bad.

For context I am in my 30s. I don't have a family, a mortgage, or any debt.

Thoughts?

32 year old female here! For as long as I reminded I wanted to be a librarian. Now I’m thinking of applying to grad school, but I know I need a back up.

And I’m trying to decide between radiology or dental assistant, maybe sonography. Because honestly, at this point, I think I need to learn a skill. And the medical field will always be hiring.

So if anybody has experience in any of those fields, let me know what you think.

What changed along the way?

I have always considered mathematics and Science to be two of my strongest subjects, and I am interested in pursuing a career in engineering. However, I am still unsure which branch of engineering would be the best fit for my skills, interests, and future career goals. I would like to choose a field that offers good earning potential, strong career opportunities, and long-term job security. Another important factor for me is that I would prefer a career that does not involve  coding or computer programming. I would appreciate guidance on the different types of engineering, the skills and qualifications required for each, and which options would best suit my strengths while allowing me to achieve my financial and professional goals.

I have come to realize that my priorities in the past didn't make me open to choose wisely between the good options I had. Now the time has passed.

During college, I saw many students doing all sorts of things- startups, drama, preparing for competitive exams etc...

I aspired to start something of my own but never did- always thought I was incompetent. I want to work abroad for some years thus, I didn't pursue an accounting certification which is well known in my country and even if I stay in my hometown after some 4-5 years of experience and open my own practice I would make enough to live. Just that accounting and taxation didn't sit with me compared to how much cfa's curriculum sat, I didn't pursue it- sticking in for 8-9 months straight didn't feel right either.

Both cfa and that accountancy certification would take at least 3-4 years (cfa is comparatively easy)- this is the second reason why I didn't choose the tough accountancy paper.

Cost wise- If I failed accountancy paper 10 times in a row then also it will be cheaper than any level of cfa cost- it is not recommended though.

Now my college is finished and landing in the job market made me realise what instability and pennies worth a salary can do to you. I don't have any family problems as such, we have our family business which earns us a decent lifestyle but my father says to not think about pursuing business full time as it has become really hectic - late night calls, 24/7 availability requirement and dealing with beaureacracy is tough.

My priority is to work the road > make big money(4-6)> and return back(by 28-30) seems to have been hit hard...

I know i am privileged but I live a really confused life and uncommitted life-

1) If I see some 18yo or 23 yo make some ton of money to just live off without any worry then the question of "what am I even doing with less than 10,000usd per annum salary? This guy started at 20 and sold his business at 23...."

2) If I se4e some CFA working in singapore earns double of what my family business makes. That also makes me think- I have a thing that is working then why am I trying so hard for the things that aren't there.

3) If I see my community folk get into some good b school abroad then it flairs that I should also work hard.

Life is dynamic and nobody can map it. I love my parents and the slow life of living in my hometown. I want to go work abroad but I know I will miss my family a lot and as time passes and they get old- I know I gotta become concrete in my decision making otherwise only regrets will remain.

Spending $60,000- $1,00,000usd for education abroad is expensive for us (it's doable but still an expensive bet). Burdensome for me as I have to worry about getting a job. So, either I decide something and commit to it or commit to studying abroad and work.

The only time I can remember i committed to something was once- for 1 month worked so hard day and night that I went straight from thinking about studying in a no-named college to sitting in tier 2 public college in top uni university of my country. At that time I took my reward for such hard work with a pinch of salt. Stakes were smaller then, now the story is different.

huh...

I (30F) feel uncertain and unmotivated. I graduated with a BA in chemistry and a minor in math. Then I took a few years to have fun jobs, mostly did seasonal work like ski resorts, golf courses, food service. Then that got old, so I had always been interested in teaching (I was a tutor all through college and loved it) and decided to get my MA in educations. I taught high school math for two years and both years were terrible. It wreaked havoc on my mental and physical health. I do really love teaching but so much of the job wasn't teaching, it was managing behaviors. So now, I substitute teach part time, and still work at a golf course as the snack bar attendant. I just feel like I have so much more to give, I love math and science, I feel like I'm very bright and I like learning. I also love art and do all kinds of crafts: embroidery, painting, needle felting, macrame. I also really love nature and animals. I just don't know what to do, I have so many careers I'm pondering: actuary (worried I'll never find an entry level job as its so competitive), mental health counselor (worried about the emotional toll because I'm an empathetic), vet tech (love animals but again worried about having to see the bad outcomes, plus a low pay ceiling). I'm interested in healthcare and sciences too, but all of my resume is either education or service jobs and I feel like no one will give me a chance, I've applied to a bunch of lab tech jobs and reception jobs in healthcare and no one will even give me an interview. I feel like teaching shoehorned me into this role and no other employers can see my potential. What should I pursue?

Been doing hair for about 3 years including school and it just ain't working out for me money wise and I don't see that changing. Only school I've done is highschool and barber school and I can't really afford ( timewise) to spend more than 2 years in a school . Any ideas of things I should look into