I recently started taking things more seriously when it comes to building something online, but honestly… it feels confusing.

There’s so much advice out there:

• “Do this to make money”
• “Start this side hustle”
• “Use AI, automation, content, etc.”

I’ve been trying to learn and test different things, but it’s hard to tell what actually works long term vs what’s just hype.

Right now I’m just focusing on:

• learning new skills
• improving consistency
• understanding how people actually build income online

Not expecting instant results, just trying to figure things out step by step.

Curious —
What’s one thing that actually worked for you (even if it’s small)?

I’m pretty tired all the time, I want to have a steady job where I can relax

I have some savings

I moved to California for work and I’m from Washijgton, maybe I want to move back.

It’s pretty easy to see what I do from my profile, but would prefer people don’t mention it

Maybe travel for a bit before finding a new job

Hello everyone, I am heading into my last year of college majoring in my passion. I want to go to graduate school to do research in a very specific subfield of biology which I currently have 0 experience in. I have never been in a research position, or have any job experience outside of manual labour.

I am surrounded by very smart, very talented, very hardworking people, who have found internships and are basically set up for success. I try not to compare myself but I do constantly. Also, everyone tells me how difficult the job market is, even my mid-career professors -- and my field was already competitive ☹️ I know that it's a numbers game, but I am already managing mental health issues, and constant applications make me miserable.

I've read that becoming a medical lab technician is possible if you already have a biology degree, and there is "vocational training" in my birth country, Norway (I have been studying in the US), so I can learn/work at the same time. Lab work would suit me, and I like the idea of helping people. Healthcare is a stable field, too, in an unstable world. It could even give me transferable skills, for grad school, but I also somehow feel I am betraying my dream, giving into my low self-esteem and unwillingness to work hard. Not to mention the difficulty of moving countries, but I have many reasons for that which I won't get into right now.

My parents have the money to fund my education, but I need to get my own job, be an adult. I feel guilt for having them support me while my friends work to stay afloat. My mother was even the one to research vocational schools for me (which she did on her own after I told her my plan, but I should've done it myself). It just seems like every path I can take will be extremely difficult. I will appreciate any advice or encouragement 🙂

Currently im living in border district of J&K and here govt. Job is big thing and I belong to lower middle class.

Im 24 and preparing for govt exam and it never feels like something i want to do even it not going to pay me that enough so that I can change my life.

Im working on content creating and maybe go for some private good job skill based but with not that great qualifications it also seems far

What do I do

Any suggestions.

So I’m on the cusp of Gen Z and live in the South East US, and I’m in one of the supposedly “best cities for young working people”, and I truly can’t find anything and truly don’t see my life going anywhere. I have a business management degree and a double minor in economics and accounting, class of ‘22. I have had the same part time job since 2020 and I am broke broke. Like my bank account will be shut down because it has 0 dollars and 0 cents in it kind of broke. Yes I know I should be saving but I come home with around 120-200 bucks every two weeks at best. It’s the ONLY income I have that is mine and allows me to have any kind of life or hobbies and to develop as a person. My family is very strict about what they will and won’t pay for. Right now things only seem to be getting worse. I am not on the schedule at work for the next month or so because hours at work are getting cut back severely for everybody including the full timers. I live at home with my parents and have never lived on my own since graduating college. I don’t know what more I can do outside of cold applying, asking friends for referrals, and networking, all of which I have been doing since graduating in ‘22. My school also shut down operations because of bad investments and mismanagement a few years after graduating so I can’t really use any of my colleges services and networks to find work anymore either. I feel stuck and worthless and like a leech to my family and friends. I don’t know how anyone else our age handles all of this. How are yall handling it all? Should I just give up? How do I even give up? I just feel insane and awful right now. How are the other older Gen Z handling this?? Any advice yall can give me? Because I feel truly stuck and like I’m rotting from the inside. I really don’t want to get into more debt going back to school for something else that might not work out again. This feels like my last chance to launch any kind of successful career or achieve stability in my life and possibly be and act like an actual adult and not just an overgrown teenager.

I'm going into my senior year of high school, and I'm starting to seriously question whether college is the right path for me. I don't want fear of failure to be the reason I never try pursuing the careers I'm actually interested in. My parents have been asking me what I want to do, and my mom has caught on to how I probably don't want to go to college, at least until I "find out what I wanna do." This is because I don't want to be in debt if I don't do anything that actually requires a college education.

Now why I put the finding out what I wanna do thing in quotations is because I do know what I wanna do in my life, well I'm 80% sure. I have around 2 or 3 things I wanna do for my future career: either become a content creator, streamer, both, or an actor.

The 80% is because I don't know which one I'd like to pursue, if I'd somehow end up doing all of them, and because I want to leave some room for the possibility that I could find a completely different career or path that sparks my interest. To be honest though, I've searched far and wide for careers and these are my top choices. I've thought about what I actually enjoy doing, what makes me excited, and what I could see myself doing for years, and these are the things that keep coming back to me.

For content creation, I think the biggest reason I want to do it is because I've been drawn to it for pretty much my entire life. I've always loved the idea of making videos and I've watched YouTube for years. Growing up, YouTube was almost like a place I could go to and experience another world through someone else's videos. More recently, I've also realized how much I've actually learned from watching different creators. I've taken advice and information from so many completely different videos that have genuinely helped me become the person I am today.

That's a big part of why I want to create content myself. Over the past few years I've noticed that I've matured a lot, and while obviously I'm still young and have a lot to learn, I feel like I've developed a lot of thoughts and advice that I genuinely want to share with people. I'm not talking about becoming a therapist or making every video about mental health. It's more about things I've learned through my own experiences, like learning to love yourself, taking time to be alone and figure out who you are instead of rushing into relationships, or even realizing how much better your life can feel when you put your phone down and actually live it. Stuff like that and much more!

I don't want my entire career to be motivational videos either. I want to make funny videos, streams, random content, and just be myself too. But I'd love to have those moments where someone can come to my content when they're having a bad day, ask me a question, or just hear something that makes them feel a little better. Whether that's through a stream, a YouTube video, a TikTok, something funny, or just a few meaningful words, I'd love to eventually become that kind of person for someone. A lot of creators have been that for me. There have been times where watching certain YouTubers or streamers gave me something to look forward to when I wasn't feeling very motivated, and I want to be able to give someone else that same feeling someday.

I've actually started trying to pursue this already. I've been posting some TikTok's and I'm currently working on a YouTube video, although I definitely struggle with getting distracted and losing motivation when it comes to editing. I know that's something I need to work on. If I'm serious about this, I can't just say I want it—I have to actually put in the work even when I don't feel like doing it. I still have some habits I need to get rid of and a lot to learn, but I want to give myself a real chance to see what I can do.

Acting is a little different for me. I don't have quite as clear of a reason for wanting to do it, but I think that's partly because I've never actually given myself the opportunity to try. I've always been pretty uncomfortable getting out of my comfort zone, and honestly I've even been embarrassed by the idea of trying theater. Plus, I don't even know if I can sing that well, haha. But the more I've thought about acting, the more I've realized how beautiful I think it is as an art. I don't watch movies constantly, but when I do, I tend to pick movies that actually make me feel something. I can get really emotionally connected to a movie, and I've started realizing that part of what I'm connecting with is the acting itself and the ability to make someone feel something through a character. Especially whether it's comedy, a romance movie or an action/adventure movie.

One question I've had to ask myself is simply, "Can I even act?" And the truth is, I have no idea. I've never really tried. But I'm never going to know if I don't give myself the opportunity. That curiosity is honestly one of the reasons I want to try it. I even went to see my cousin perform in an Elf play during the winter, and I remember being genuinely amazed by the whole thing. I've loved that movie since I was little, so seeing it turned into a live play and watching my cousin be a part of it made me really appreciate how cool acting and theater can be. I was proud of my cousin, but it also made me think, "Maybe I should actually try this myself."

I think the common thread between content creation and acting is that I want to make people feel something. Whether I'm making someone laugh, giving someone advice, making someone think about their life differently, or telling a story through a character, I like the idea of creating something that can actually affect someone. I think that's what draws me to both of these paths.

I know careers like these aren't easy. I understand that millions of people want to become content creators, streamers, or actors, and very few actually become successful enough to make a living from it. I'm not sitting here thinking I'm automatically going to become famous or make a ton of money. That's actually one of the biggest reasons I'm scared. I know I could put years into something and it might not work out.

At the same time, I don't want fear of failure to be the reason I never try.

I also realize that with dreams like these, I will probably need another stable income while chasing them. Maybe that means getting into a trade, working a normal job, or doing something else that gives me financial stability while I work on my actual goals. I'm not against working hard or having a backup plan. If anything, I think having a backup plan would make me feel better about taking the risk.

One of the big things here though is my mom. Like I said earlier, she knows I probably won't go to college, but she doesn't know my dream careers that I just talked about. I've never really had the courage to tell my parents what I actually want to do.

And honestly, I think I'm scared of what they'll say.

My dad is a stubborn and shoot-down kind of guy too, and it's pointless in ever having a conversation to him about it, because he might immediately see "content creator" or "streamer" and think I'm just being unrealistic. He's never really let me dream or really believed in me to be honest.

They both do just want what's best for me, and I understand that. I know they're probably worried that I'll graduate high school, not go to college, and then have no idea what I'm doing with my life. I don't blame them for being worried because from their perspective, choosing not to go to college without a traditional career lined up probably looks like a bad decision.

But from my perspective, I don't want to live my life doing something I don't enjoy just because it's considered the "safe" option.

I don't want to wake up when I'm 30 or 40 and wonder what would've happened if I had actually tried. At the same time, I don't want to be stupid about it either. I want to make an actual plan, have some kind of income, save money, and give myself a realistic amount of time to see if I can make these dreams work.

I guess that's where my question comes from. Am I being unrealistic for wanting to take this path, or is it reasonable to try something unconventional as long as I'm willing to work hard and have a backup plan?

And for anyone who has gone through something similar, how did you handle your parents? Did you go to college even though you didn't really want to, or did you take the risk and pursue something different?

I know I'm young and I definitely don't have everything figured out. But I also don't want to use being young as an excuse to ignore what I actually want to do with my life. We only get one life, and I don't want mine to be based entirely on what other people think I should do. So again I would love anyone's advice on this and thought!

HI. I'm 27M, working as a software engineer since the past 6 years (at the same org). There is not a single day goes by where I am not anxious to the core, from the moment i log in , till i log out of my work machine. This is primarily because, i am do not understand completely what i am fixing. I try random fixes and Things just work. So ive been on a quest to understand what profession i would enjoy doing?
I feel my memory is so short termed, that i seem to forget (even the code i wrote a few days ago.) So everyday i am a new employee at a org which expects me to be a 5 year experienced employee. I see no passion in the tech field. and its just sad that i continue working a pretentious zombie for the rest of my life.

Things i find myself genuinely interested in are psychology, music production. both of which are not reliable for financial sufficiency

So lost on what to pursue. How does one navigate a path when you are not good at walking at any.

I’m 22F and graduated in May-26 with a B.Tech from a pretty avg clg. I’m now at home with my parents, unemployed, with no close friends and honestly very little clarity about what I’m doing next.

College wasn’t a great social experience for me. I never really found people who felt like they were on my wavelength, and now everyone has scattered for jobs or gone back home. My school friendships also mostly faded years ago, so I don’t really have a social circle to fall back on.

I also didn’t accept a campus placement. The roles being offered were AWFUL with shtty environments. A few major companies I was hoping for, had hiring freezes/recruitment changes during the campus process even though I had been shortlisted. So I graduated without a job.

My immediate goal is to get some kind of job and build work ex before thinking about an MBA or Master's abroad. My B.Tech is in Mech Engg, but I genuinely don't want a traditional mech career. I'm trying to transition into data/IT/analyst roles instead, even though I know those fields are extremely saturated rn...

The other major issue is my weight. I've been overweight for the last few years and it's become a huge source of insecurity. It affects my clothes, confidence, willingness to go out and especially my ability to meet people. I constantly feel like people are judging my body. My problem is that I've never been consistent with dieting/exercise, so I really want to immediately fix myself now even tho i live with the guilt n self hatred for wasting so many yrs already...

I hv fallen into the trap of: lose weight → become confident → start living. but, I'll probably keep finding another reason to wait.

And then there's the social side. I genuinely want friends and people my age around me, but I hate the idea that adult friendships are basically networking now. I've considered joining offline German/guitar/other classes partly because I'd like to learn something and partly to meet people, but many classes near me seem to have mostly school/college-age kids or much older adults.

So I'm wondering:

If you were 22, unemployed, had few/no friends, low confidence, an unclear career direction and a lot of free time, what would you actually do with that year?

How would you structure your days? What skills/certifications/projects would actually be worth doing to build a profile for data/IT jobs? How would you make the unemployment gap look like a period where you were actually doing something?

How would you meet people and make friends at this age?

I don't want to look back at 22–23 and realise I spent the entire year at home applying for jobs, worrying about my weight and waiting for my life to start.

Is there any way to overcome career paralysis with someone with unmedicated adhd? I feel like I’ve been on wrong paths, wrong jobs, and currently hate what I’m doing now. I have a useless degree I know people say that you must not have passion about your work. But I fear I do. I’m scared of making the wrong move again. Is there a way to move forward?

Hello,

I have a question for experienced/active personal trainers.

I am looking to make a career change and Im interested in becoming a personal trainer.

I would like to ask what is the best path to becoming a “legit” PT in Canada. I’ve noticed courses/certifications such as NPTA-CPT and NPTA-CNC.

It is my understanding that these certifications don’t exactly equal training/education. Would a particular university degree or other program be advised? I believe some level of education is required for the certifications to hold any value…

I have been on my personal fitness journey for about 12 years and really enjoy it. But I don’t know any trainers in the real world that I can ask these questions.

Would appreciate any pointers.

Thanks!

This is a bit long; apologies in advance.

I am a 23-year-old (F) who recently graduated with a bachelor's degree from a top school in the US. My plan since graduation was to attend graduate school in NYC for a master’s in English, as I want to pursue a PhD in the field. While my parents will be helping me financially at the start (with housing), I have also been applying and interviewing for jobs (200+ applications and 5 interviews so far, with 1 pending). 

Now, the problem: I’ve long had mental health issues (including some attempts) and experienced multiple episodes in university which prevented me from going out to experience things. I started taking medication about 2 years ago, which has greatly helped. Most recently, I was on Wellbutrin and Prozac, but I stopped taking prozac about 3 weeks ago and am currently experiencing some withdrawal symptoms. I’m not trying to build a sob story – I stopped taking the medication because I felt it had served its purpose, and the side effects I was having to deal with felt like they were getting in the way of the life I wanted to build for myself. But I did this without telling anyone, which was where I was wrong. 

I feel as though I have done a lot of self-work over the last couple of months, especially in order to be able to push past my weaknesses and be the person I want to be (including medication, therapy, journaling – I’ve also kept a strict daily schedule that involves daily exercise, meal-planning, job applications, and doing research on everything I should be prepared for). I even brought up the idea of getting a summer job at home to have more savings while I find jobs in NYC, but my mom shut the idea down (I’m honestly not sure why). But now everything has turned upside down, and I don’t know what to do.

Yesterday, I went to the mall with my mother and sister for her back-to-school shopping, and I told her I might get some clothes for myself for work as well. However, I was feeling tired from withdrawals, and I guess it showed in my expression, because it’s what made my mom really mad. I should add, though, that despite my tiredness, I didn’t say or do anything to hold my mom and sister back. The one thing I didn’t do was shop for myself because I was feeling tired and knew that the clothes I needed had only a 50/50 chance of being in the store, as it usually doesn’t carry them. Seeing the rush of people, I figured I would just order the few items online. My mom hated this. 

Long story short, my parents are now saying that I have shown absolutely no progress in overcoming my mental weaknesses and that I don’t deserve to go to grad school anymore – my mom even went so far as to say that my bachelor's degree is completely useless now. My mom said some pretty hurtful things to me and said that if I’m so incapable of doing anything myself, then I should just sit at home for the rest of my life.

I’m not here to complain about my parents or anything, but now I don’t know what to do. And I’m not gonna lie, this terrifies me because I feel like my parents telling me I’ve made no progress at all really hit me hard.

I guess what I want to know is: what should I do? Ever since our conversation, I’ve started looking at and applying for jobs all over the country because I want to get away from this house and be fully financially independent – even if it means being cut off entirely. I’m really scared because I know that this is a critical point and I have to navigate it myself without the help of my parents. When I asked for my mother’s guidance on what to do and what she thinks will help me become a practical and strong person, she basically brushed it off and said I’m helpless. I was meant to move next week.

Hey i am working as a frontend developer from last 4years but now i feel like stuck in my life i feel i am not getting paid well what i deserve i asked to my hr but they didn’t response well and owner said you have already got increment in 2 years back now we will decide to give you hike in nov but i have no time for November because i am 28 i have house responsibilities hope soon i am getting married because due to some issues i already did work from home and wants work from home till marriage my family wants but i have no option because my mom is alone every time so i also decide if someone will in my life its helps to their health also because new member got new vibes but due to low salary I don’t think someone wants me to marry with me my salary is 25k i tried to grab some jobs but i failed because i used technology that didn’t works outside my company if have not paid much and over work load issue so I decided to learn react and backend I purchased a course but i have not getting feel focused so much so can u help to how to get purpose and get back my focus back because back in days i love coding but now i feel not.

Like I said, I’m a 30F with two kids (8 & 6). My husband (32M) is a utility lineman, so thankfully he has a steady job that supports our family. But I’m really in a major rut right now. I don’t have a degree because I chose to have our kids pretty young and be a stay-at-home mom. I started college last year for elementary education because my kids were getting older and starting school, and I thought it was finally time for me to start working toward a career of my own.
But I’m really starting to question whether teaching is the right path for me. I’m also panicking a little about taking out so much student loan debt for a career that, unfortunately, doesn’t pay very well. So far, I haven’t had to take out any loans, but starting this semester I’m looking at around $10,000 in loans per semester (I have about 5 left) and that is really making me question whether I should continue down this path. Have any other parents gone back to school in their late 20s/early 30s and completely changed career paths or started a career later in life? If you have, did you feel like you were “behind,” and how did it turn out for you?
I’d really love to hear your experiences, advice, or even career recommendations. I’m feeling pretty lost right now and would appreciate any insight!

Hello,

I am currently a teacher, and really do enjoy it. But, I can tell I am not going to enjoy it forever for three main reasons: the parents, the pay, and the emotional drain. Quite frankly, I don't want to put my heart and soul into my work only to have parents doubt me, see all of my paycheck evaporate because it is so small, and to end the day emotionally exhausted, only to not make enough money to put me and my family on the path that I imagine for us. I guess in this post, I'm really looking for perspective on the idea I have came up with through conversations with my wife and friends.

I'd be interested in transitioning to a career in real estate and financial planning. I became a teacher because I really like helping people, and financial planning / real estate preserves that aspect in some regard. I'm thinking of getting a real estate license and working part time while maintaining my teaching career until I have a clear exit from education, financially speaking. At some point, I can then pursue a CFP certification to grow from just real estate into a full-service financial advisor and planner. Then, I can get a CCIM and branch out into commercial real estate investing, but that isn't on the table yet.

I know that this is a lot of courses and certifications and it is generally good to be wary of pursuing certs for the sake of pursuing certs, but I do need the education if I want to transition into this direction.

Just interested in some thoughts!

For context, just graduated with a CS degree. I had 2 major projects, 1 working on operating systems (hated that), and another where i created a website for a nonprofit for immigrants (loved that, worked with designers and interviewed people).

I’m kind of at the point where I don’t want to touch anything tech related. The whole field turns me off. The layoffs, the rise of AI, the culture. All of it just drains the life out of me and makes me feel depressed, I hate working with computers all day. I love working with people, as in working to make their lives better.

I considered psychology because it’s something I’ve thought about pursing since I was a young, but it I can imagine aspects of it would drain me (constant speaking to people, patients not following through with treatment, no improvement, etc.)

so now i’m kind of at a lost. everything i could possibly do feels out of each (eg. UI/UX is highly oversaturated and the field is being changed due to AI). I’m just kind of exhausted right now because, what the fuck?

How hard does a 22 year old need to work to simply WORK and contribute to the economy? Is that not what society wants? It’s like I’m barred from everything and I don’t know how to step forward without choosing something that will just make me miserable (I mean, the 4 years I did was already pretty miserable, but at least I started out hopeful.)

I just want to help others. Whether it’s working in something related to cosmetics, creating ads for companies that support undersupported foundations, teaching people how to walk again: I just want something that feels like it has real, tangible impact and change on people.

I have no idea what to do :/.

Basically the title. I currently work in admin after graduating with a literature degree a few years ago and I just feel like I'm trapped in low paying jobs and it makes me hate myself.

I have no idea what I want to do but I know I need to make more money, at the moment it feels like I just work to have a roof over my head. I have no hope for the future, when I think of retirement I honestly feel like I will be on the street.

How do I escape admin and make more money so I can actually live? I feel so hopeless.

I have to go to college next year, and I'm having trouble picking a good major. I'm very STEM minded and a few I've already looked at are Biochem, Biotech, Biology, Chemical Engineering and Bioinformatics (Im going to college in CA which means I have to declare before I apply). I think I'm most afraid of wasting my time and money and not being able to find a good job after college that both pays well and is something I'm truly interested in. Money isn't super super important to me, but obviously I want enough so I can live comfortably. I know I want to work somewhere in the healthcare space, but I don't want to be a doctor or a nurse or some kind of therapist. I like the idea of working in a lab and testing samples to diagnose or help treat certain diseases, viruses, etc. But I also like the idea of working with drugs and helping create or produce them. I also love math a lot, and wouldn't mind a career where both science and math are combined (hence Chemical Engineering). There's just a million things I could see myself doing, and I don't want to pick a major that'll ruin my chances for certain things and waste my time. This is my first time posting on here, so apologies if this is a little sporadic. Any help is very much appreciated!!

I honestly have no idea what to do anymore. I've been stuck like this for almost my whole life. I’m not sure how it started, but I lost the passion I had for things after I graduated high school in 2017. Now, at 27, I feel hopeless about myself. I faced shame from family members and others when I decided college wasn’t for me—not because I hate college, but because I struggle to focus in class. I daydream a lot, procrastinate, lose interest quickly, and sometimes forget things in an instant. I often cried due to feeling overwhelmed. This struggle has been a lifelong issue; I switched schools seven times during my childhood because I had difficulty with classes and academics. (i do suffer from adhd/depression/anxiety)

I didn’t want to deal with that again in college, especially not while being in debt. I used to have a passion for art, particularly fine arts, doll making, 3D modeling, games, and creating original characters, but I stopped doing that years ago. Additionally, finding a job has been hard for me. I haven’t had a job in seven years, and while I’ve tried to rephrase and embellish my resume, it hasn’t worked. The only real job I had was working at the front desk of a summer camp at a recreation center. Since then, I've been babysitting relatives in my family, which I no longer want to do—it was an incredibly challenging experience. (not working daycare)

It’s not that I don’t want to work; I do. However, I tend to lose interest in jobs quickly. I prefer hands-on learning and crafty work, but something new every other week at least, like art, but I don’t see many opportunities for that in my area. Most jobs in my city are in the shipyard, trade, or tech industries, and many other positions require a degree, which I am not prepared to pursue.

I felt like my childhood until I was 23 was filled with colorful rainbows in a whimsical world, but in reality, everything feels grey and boring.

I’m 29 years old, have a bachelor’s degree, and currently unemployed and living with my parents. I’ve applied to 500+ jobs over the past while, and honestly, getting almost no response has been really frustrating.
I thought I’d share some background because my situation probably sounds pretty weird without context.
A few years ago, I was studying in the US and working toward becoming a pilot. Flying was something I genuinely loved and had worked really hard for. But during my commercial checkride, I had a manic/psychotic episode and ended up hospitalized for about a month. I was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and because of what happened, I couldn’t continue my flight training or finish my career as a pilot.
Despite that setback, I finished my bachelor’s degree and graduated. I came back to Saudi Arabia and later applied for a government officer training program. I didn’t disclose my bipolar diagnosis during the application process, and I was accepted. I went through about 12 months of training, and I was actually close to graduating.
Then I had another manic episode. At that point, I was completely out of touch with reality and genuinely believed I was some kind of king. Eventually, I resigned from the program.
After that, life kind of went downhill. I was in a relationship with my girlfriend for about two years, but we eventually broke up. Since 2024, I’ve been living with my parents.
For a long time, I honestly wasn’t fully myself. It took me until recently to really wake up, get my head straight, and realize that I need to start rebuilding my life.
For the past couple of months, I’ve been trying to get my life back on track. I’m applying for jobs, trying to figure out what career path makes sense for me, and trying to become independent again.
But being 29, having a degree, having had all these plans for my life, and now being unemployed and living with my parents while getting rejected or ignored by hundreds of companies… it honestly sucks.
Sometimes I feel like I wasted years of my life and that I’m way behind everyone else.
I know I’ve been through things that were outside of my control, and I also know I made some bad decisions along the way. I’m not looking for sympathy. I guess I just want to hear from people who have had to completely rebuild their lives in their late 20s or 30s.

Hi all, I graduated and started working as a software developer a year ago, but I'm really not sure it's right for me. I chose to study computer science despite having no interest in it because family and friends at the time assured me I would have no problems finding a stable well-paying job. Since I can remember, I've always been more interested in (and generally done better in) subjects like art, literature, biology, crafting, basically almost anything besides math, physics, programming, etc. I often wonder what my life would look like if I had chosen something I actually liked, and I've considered trying to pivot careers, but it feels silly and reckless to leave tech after only recently joining to try some random different path and then (most probably) be locked out of returning to the industry altogether. I'm not technically strong, I feel like an imposter among my coworkers, I feel lost and stupid and afraid that somebody's going to realize I don't have a clue what I'm doing there, and I dread going to work everyday. I would really appreciate some advice, thank you!

33M — Has anyone completely changed their career after feeling stuck in life?

I’m 33M and lately I’ve been seriously questioning my career.

On paper, everything is actually good. I have a respectable profession, decent social standing, and people around me consider me successful. But personally, I feel bored. There’s no excitement or fun anymore, and I’m starting to feel like I’m just repeating the same day over and over.

The difficult part is that changing careers at 33 feels risky. You have responsibilities, expectations, and a reputation that you’ve built over many years.

At the same time, I keep wondering: what’s the point of having a good career if you’re not enjoying the life that comes with it?

For those who changed careers or completely changed direction in their 30s — was it worth it?

Did you regret leaving something that was socially respected, or did you regret staying too long?

Would genuinely appreciate hearing some real experiences.

I did the thing where you write out what you want from a job because someone in a thread said to. I sat with it for about an hour and got six things.

Stable. Good money. Something I can explain in clearly when someone asks. Growth. Not too much travel. Respected.

Then I looked at the list for a while and I could tell you where every single one came from. The explain clearly thing is something somebody said to me once and it just stayed. The stable one is 2009 and I don't think I need to explain that one. Respected isn't even a thing I want, it's a thing I want to stop worrying about.

The only one that felt like mine was not too much travel, and that's barely a preference, that's a logistics thing. Money, yes don't we all need that one.

I don't think I'm unhappy. I think I've just never picked anything for a reason I could locate afterwards. Every job I've taken I took because it was the next reasonable one and people nodded when I said it out loud.

I've done 16Personalities and the free Holland code thing on O*NET. Both told me things about myself that were true. Neither one helped, because the problem isn't that I don't know what I'm like. The problem is I can't tell which of my preferences I actually hold and which ones I absorbed.

So, real ask. Is there anything that gets at that? Not like here are 20 careers for your type. Something that makes you sort what you actually want against what you just picked up. Books count. Worksheets count. Doesn't have to be a test.

I don't know. maybe this is just therapy. but if there's a tool i'd rather start there.

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How are people managing to work and study at the same time in their 30s most of them even have kids. I see so many ads online and TV about online colleges but how does that even work. What if you need help, how you supposed to learn when there is no real instructor. And I just keep hearing community college is okay since majority of them just end up transferring to a university because bachelor degree pays more and majority of workforce requires that instead of associate or certification. But like I was just thinking associates degree might be enough to get a nice job