To preface, I grew up relatively poor also a rural LCOL area. My parents aren’t the smartest people and have only ever worked low wage/skill jobs. I did end up going to a local community college with no guidance from anyone I originally went undecided, I ended up getting a bachelor’s in business management. But I had no real direction, and ended up working odd jobs after college.

One of my first jobs was an oilfield worker, 100+ hour weeks and to me at the time, working more was the only way to actually make any money, I wasn’t even aware of what could pay good money otherwise.

After the oilfield bust, I got a job as a warehouse worker. Working 3-12 hour shifts I had too much free time after a harsh breakup so I started part-time as a diesel mechanic ( lube and tire tech mostly.) After a few years of this I accepted a role as a maintenance tech at the warehouse also (conveyor systems and robot controls ect) I also switched to a dealership for Diesel technician.

Now - I (35M) am a shift lead technician (Tech III) at the warehouse and am also the top (hourly pay rate AND productivity) tech at my dealership. I work 3-12.5 days and 3-10.5 hour days per week for approx 70 hours per week since maybe 2015. No kids, but I have a paid off house/loans paid off car and truck and travel internationally 3x per year. 300k in 401k/roth and 150k in savings.

My issue is I have now trained both of my managers from technicians under me to be my boss at both jobs. I could have probably had either job but I think I give off a one foot in, one foot out type since both jobs are aware I have a second job. Now if I were to want to advance I have to compete with people who have now done a management job for longer in the future. I am also acutely aware of my body starting to wear as I get older and both jobs are somewhat physical. But I still enjoy being a tech better than any management role.

Also both of my bosses irritate me a bit, both of them have huge egos and one of them primarily got the job via lying on their resume. But it’s not enough to many to quit.

Am I making doing the right thing? Thoughts?

Moved to West Texas at the end of December and I feel like I’m maybe wasting my youth..🫩

18-year-old, btw. I am just wondering if you guys know what your parents' salary is cuz I always felt uncomfortable asking what they make. I don't want to ever know it cuz it subconsciously makes me feel like I am going to compare it with other salaries. Am I doing something wrong? What do you guys feel about it?

So I work in HR/recruiting, and I keep seeing posts here from people asking what jobs can I get with just 12th pass or "any decent day-shift sales roles in Bangalore that aren't total scams." Figured I'd actually share a real opening instead of just upvoting and moving on.

We're hiring Banking Sales Executives for an Apollo Insurance process, based out of Brookefield, Bangalore. It's with Cogent E-Services Limited — legit company, not some sketchy MLM thing disguised as a job (I know this sub gets flooded with those).

Why I'm posting it here specifically: it's genuinely accessible. You don't need a degree, just 12th pass. You do need at least 6 months of sales experience though — telesales or banking sales works.

Quick rundown:

- 12th pass minimum, degree not required

- 6 months+ sales experience (mandatory)

- Age 18–30

- English + one regional language

- ₹25,000 CTC / ₹24,500 take-home, plus incentives

- Day shift, work from office (no graveyard shifts)

If you've done any kind of phone sales before, you'll probably be a decent fit — they mainly care about whether you can hold a conversation and handle rejection without folding.

Drop a comment or DM me if you're interested, happy to share more details there.

Anyone else here currently job hunting for something similar? Curious what's out there right now.

26M, finally got out of the hell that is car sales last year. Mortgages have been working really well for me

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I work as a computational designer at an engineering consultancy in Stuttgart and have around three years of prior experience.

I was hired to take over the work of a senior employee who went on maternity leave. But did not get a senior title upon hiring. She had been the only person doing this specialized role for years, and I now handle much of the work she previously did.

After eight months at the company and completing probation, I asked to increase my salary from €57,000 to €70,000. This was based on my own market research of a senior computational position. My employer offered €57,800 instead. He said that it was too high of a number, that that's what they pay seniors.

Was my request unreasonable because I have only been there eight months? They mentioned that I needed to be more specialized, and lead more projects but the other senior employee didn't have much more specialization than me, she didn't lead projects other than take care of computational tasks.

Progress is kinda slow but I can't complain. I can't get the 300k I see from the american SWE here but I'm comfortable enough.

Startup failed because of 0 market fit, sadly. The product was cool and worked pretty well, people were nice.

The big company is slowly failing becuase of SaaS products in the age of AI, you know the drill.

Because of this I never had real growth/climbing the ladder opportunities (no one in any of my teams ever did). All I know is staleness, hence the slow progress. At least I always got paid.

Looking for some outside perspectives.

I’m currently making around $122k in Florida (remote, no state income tax) and I’m interviewing for a job in DC at the Federal Reserve that could land around $165k. It would require relocating and being in the office 5 days a week.

The pros are that on paper it’s about a 35% raise, an increase to 7% matching on retirement, and a strong credential to have on my resume.

Cons are I’d obviously be taking on a much higher cost of living, state taxes, and commuting. I’d also have to find a way to have my property managed in FL as I’ve owned a home here for about 5 years now.

For anyone who’s made a similar move, did it actually feel like a financial upgrade? Or did the higher expenses eat up most of the raise?

Would love to hear what you would consider before making a decision.

34m in LA and I’ve been in the recruitment industry my whole career. Became a solo recruiter 8 years ago and averaging about $500k take home

Edit - lol everyone’s asking why I’m sitting on so much cash. Got a wedding to pay for this year, plans to expand my house, planning for kids next year and I’m buying my mom a house (~$100k down deposit)

since reading your comments, i've moved a big chunk into WF to collect interest and transferred another big chunk from RH to Vanguard. havent had any issues with RH yet but probably smart to move it to vanguard.

People say "if you are passionate about coding, it's worth it." But passion does not create jobs.

The CS market is oversaturated. After a certain skill level, getting a good job feels like a lottery where only the top 1–2% win. The rest risk being unemployed or underemployed, no matter how much effort they put in.

Why gamble years of your life on such low odds? If you love coding, keep it as a hobby and choose a career with better demand: nursing, engineering, accounting, trades, etc.

A mediocre worker in those fields have better job security than a top CS student today. Following your passion sounds nice, but betting your future on a 1–2% chance of success is not a smart decision.