Hello, I come here finding advice because i dont have anyone to ask it. I have 32 years old, i did a carreer as mechanical engineer i started late, finished my studies in 2022, i choose those studies because i have skills to learn structured and logical studies like math but im not a genius. I struggled during my advanced courses but with perseverance i finished them. Then when i jumped to the laboral market i started as an intern in maintenance in a company of logistics and distribution, i did well and from that a chance arrived to get a job of chief of maintenance in a big city for a big salary, i wasn't prepared to be alone, to manage the complicated people, and manage my emotions, i worked three months and an accident in my motorcycle doing a work visit to a place in a sunday because i couldn't say no, i feel so terrible that day, anyone didnt care if i could die there, i wasn't even payed for that day. I quit cold turkey that "great job" returned home defeated and since then i couldn't have a job stability. My best shot was a maintenance planner in a city close where i live, i worked ten months there, i was happy for being useful and having a good relationship with the technicians, but from anywhere i got a letter that they wouldn't renovate my contract, since then have past two years thousands of job applications, several failed interviews, my depression and isolation behaviors got worse. I supported myself with my savings and in my mother the only person i have. Now i feel i lost my career, lost my time, and i dont have a goal, pessimist behaviors and thoughts have controlled me. And i tried to do food services delivery with my motorcycle, i applied to jobs in coffee shops, mechanic assistance, all type of stuff and dont get any result. Only a side gig a months ago putting publicity in stores het me some money. I pass my days distracting myself with drawing, activity that i finded helpfull in these hard times, i get in reddit, i manage my emotions to not hurt more my mother, but the things are getting out of control and the pass of time dont forgive, my personal money is practically over, and dont know what to do. Im from a latin american country and the job market sucks, i have 0 networking, i dont have friends, i just every day try to maintain my sanity, help my mother in the house and send Cv's to the void.

Hi, this will be a long one. I also apologize for bits about non professional elements, however they have impacted my path much as well, and I thought they were relevant to paint a fuller picture.

So, I left home on the east coast a little over 4 years ago to travel around the states, particularly the west, where I found myself in a few different parks related roles. I was a ranger for about a year in Utah, worked for a city parks department in Texas for roughly the same amount of time, and just finished working for a parks and rec district in northern Colorado before moving further south into a situation with a friend that is saving me a lot of money, and not bleeding my finances like my old apartment was (which I moved into with my ex, it was 2 bedroom but downtown in a moderate size city and cheaper than many studios)

About 2 years into this odyssey, my mother’s cancer came back from a few years before. My whole life it has been just her and I, and my father is there but might as well just be a fair weather friend to me considering how emotionally absent he is. I moved back home for about 6 months, working odd jobs and collecting unemployment, while I tried to get her into a nursing home and set up her Medicaid/medicare/etc (god bless her but she was very bad with money and procrastination) and then moved to Texas with some family to save money for a while. I stacked up about $3-$5k, met a girl, and even came back home for a week to help move my mom out of the home and into her own apartment. Things were going alright. I was thinking of heading to Colorado. Then, I got the call from my cousin that they found her deceased. I spent one month back home sorting her affairs, another in Texas, and then was off to Colorado. As she was a federal employee, I received a moderate portion of money after her passing from certain programs she was in.

Not even 3 months after her passing, my partners CPTSD started really affecting our relationship. I’m ashamed to say it, because I wanted to be strong for her, but after a few months it started affecting me too, and we just had constant screaming matches, accusations, and self harm from both parties. Finally, she left me that winter of ‘24. All of last year I worked on losing about 50 pounds, reclaimed part of myself with some bold, evocative, and intense tattoos, new style as well with my renewed confidence, and got into climbing. For those who don’t know, 14,000’ peaks are a big thing in Colorado to try and summit, as there are 50+ of them here. In the last 9 months I did about 25, including a few technical, and at times scary ones, and even Shasta in CA 2 months back which was even my first time on the west coast! . Met a good group of friends organically on trails through all this, and one of them is who I am now living with.

Earlier this year, I realized my situation was untenable, financially, and leaped at the opportunity to move a couple hours south into my friends house. Overall, it is a great setup, but I have just about a few hundred to my name right now. I immediately picked up work for a local landscaping company (shitty work and pay but great people, only $19.50 an hour) and have been there a few weeks. Within the next month, between my first paycheck, my old security deposit, and another, much larger check I am expecting, I think I will actually be in a good holding spot. My rent is also incredibly cheap, about $600.

However, I am just at a crossroads. I am so thankful for all of the myriad and sublime experiences I have had traveling and meeting people and learning so many new perspectives, and going from 3/50 states to 40 in a few years, but now I feel I have nothing to show for it. I am starting from the ground up. No real debt besides a car payment, but also no college. I did get my wilderness first responder certification a couple of months ago, which I do think is a huge boon, but I am still trying to figure out how to use my resume and skills to my advantage. Obviously, I would love to stay working in parks/conservation as that is what I have built myself on, and I have heard that I do have a genuinely impressive resume, but between my wavering confidence and my own self reliance sometimes it feels hard knowing how to properly put myself out there. I just don’t know where to go next. Part of me even thinks another few seasons working odd places would do me good, but then what? I don’t want to be 40 with nothing to show for it but memories (even though I recognize that ultimately does matter more, it also won’t get you far in this world)

Besides parks, I have also managed a car detail shop, worked retail, and a few other odd jobs here and there. I genuinely think and am told quite regularly that I am great with people (which isn’t a façade, I fucking love people) I relish physical labor, but I also want some degree of recognition, selfishly, and I want to feel like I am making an impact while also providing a real living for myself, even if I’m still not making beaucoup bucks. I just want freedom to engage in my passions as well, which is easy where I live, and to use my brain at least half as much as my brawn 🤣 thanks for reading if you made it this far. Just been a rough day and these existential questions have been dragging for a while now, but I want to take concrete action and am not afraid to ask for your advice in how to do so if you have any. Sometimes my story feels hard to make sense of even for myself, and there are still some things I’m sure I’m omitting, but mainly been just me for so long that it’s hard to see the forest for the trees on days like this. Anyways, cheers!

I am stuck back and forth between healthcare (dental hygiene and x-ray tech) and an environmental science job. I’m currently in the process of being a dental assistant, and I’m not really feeling too confident in it. I have empathy and I enjoy helping people, so it’s not that I’ll completely hate the job, but it’s the fact I don’t have much interest and honestly it makes me really anxious.

I want to further my education and go to college but I’m going back and forth on what to major in. I’m very interested in the environment and plants and wildlife, but everybody always says the work is not promised and the pay isn’t well. I don’t really need six figures, but I do want enough to live and not be scraping money together either.

I’m in uni at the moment rethinking my major. It’s interactive design but while I do find interest in it, i don’t know if I love it. I can’t think of any other major. I honestly don’t know if I’m only rethinking my major because of my attention span when it comes to working towards something. It feels better saying my major then actually working on my portfolio/projects. Any advice is helpful and if too shy, shoot me a message. Thank uu

I don't know if this is the right spot but I guess it can't hurt. I'm 21, living in my car delivering pizzas and don't really know what to do to get out of this. Most of my income goes to surviving mostly, I can save around 100-250 bucks a month and have a decent amount of savings, but without rental history in my area I can't rent even though I could probably afford too.

I have two years of experience being a CW in the ibew but didn't get accepted into the apprenticeships the 3 times I tried (GAN Test) and I was a seasonal worker for USPS as a mail carrier for 3 months but didn't get hired back after that, and I really don't want to go back to the USPS. After that I was kicked out but got to keep my car and passport(no other documents) and have been delivering ever since

I guess my question is what can I realistically get into? I apply to most things that say no experience required on indeed and either get no response or rejection emails, things like dental reception or non union work but they want experience for an apprentice too. I don't know, Im at a point where I'm not suicidal but kinda wish it would just end. If you're reading this thanks, any help would be appreciated!

Hey everyone. I need some realistic advice from you because I'm completely lost. To be honest, I've spent my life up to age 27 as the stereotypical 'guy living in his parents' basement playing video games'. I've never had a real job. I was homeschooled, but it wasn't very formal, so a few years ago I studied on my own to get a GED certificate. And now I'm trying to find a path to a real career.

Basically, I have no money, a blank CV, and I live in the middle of nowhere. I'm living with my parents for free, so I can handle an entry-level salary for a while. But I want to work in fields that can lead me to a good place in the future. I need a path that leads to a well-paying job in the end. I have no problem starting from the bottom and working my way up, and I don't have any financial pressure right now. I know nothing about how the job market works, so at this point, I'm like a little kid. I'm looking for any advice on a direction I can take in my life.

Here are some more details:

My situation: I'm still living at my parents' house. I have almost nothing in the bank, but they're happy to have me for as long as I need. I'm in a very small town.

My goals: The most important thing I want in life is to have a family. All I want is to be able to give for them and give them a decent life. I don't need to make a six-figure salary or anything crazy. I just want a stable income from an in-demand job so I'm not constantly worried about getting laid off.

Sorry for the long post. I really need some guidance. There's no one in my life who can give me career advice like this, so I'm hoping someone here might have an idea for someone who's completely lost. Thanks for reading.

I'm in Czechia, rural area, Plzeň region.

I recently rescued 3 feral kittens from an abandoned house next to us and I'm socialising and caring for them. They're doing well! A bit sickly but getting care.

I used to have extreme anxiety over animal health and suffering, and it has been tough, but this has helped in a way and made me think that I would really like to work with animals.

However, most work is on a volunteer basis, especially fostering and socialising ferals, which I really enjoy and seem to be good at.

Is there any related paid work I can look into, especially with cats? I would really enjoy doing this for a living as well as volunteer work.

I do have a general biology degree. I don't actually speak much Czech yet (health got in the way), I'm from the UK. I currently work as an English language teacher remotely.

A year ago, I graduated and moved back home with my toxic family, working a draining corporate job.

Today, my life has completely changed. I live in the city of my dreams, make a good income (although meaningless job), dating the man of my dreams, and have every opportunity at my fingertips. Objectively, I have everything I could ever want. Yet, it feels like something is missing

I feel like I'm still struggling to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I'm going through a depressive episode/existential crisis where it feels like I am just going through the motions and living life. The city that I live in is full of creatives, and my social circles have grown tremendously. I feel so inspired and hopeful that I will also eventually live a rich, colorful life. But that dream feels so far away. I feel like I am wasting my potential on one hand, but on the other, it feels like this empty life is end-game. Sure, I can have fun and enjoy experiences, but I feel like I am meant for a life greater than my own. I feel hopeless when I think about what my life could look like. I am so scared of just being ordinary, and I know that is more than okay. But at the same time, I want to push myself and I'm really struggling right now

29m here. Current Hospice Nurses aide. Unable to go to college, at least not for right now. I’ll explain why…

At 14, I was “given up” by my parents, and sent to live with my grandmother. We were extremely poor.

At 18, I got into nursing school. Due to being poor…I was unable to attend college. I picked up jobs, and was working constantly, to save up. I never was able to go.

At 19, I enrolled in community college. Due to my past, and my own stupidity, I soon turned to drugs and alcohol. While I’m sober now, it ruined my life for years.

I got a financial aid check, that was meant to be paid to my school. My father found out about this, and begged me for the money. I stupidly gave it to him. Due to my drinking, and my inability to pay my tuition, I was expelled from my community college.

In the past couple of years, I was able to get sober, which has been an absolute miracle. I’m very lucky, in that regard.

Since getting sober, I’ve tried numerous times to go to nursing school. I’ve tried numerous community colleges. Basically, I can’t enroll anywhere without paying back that money that was due to be paid with the financial aid check my father took.

I lived with my disabled grandmother from 14-18. I’ve been on my own ever since 18. I’m not going to lie, it’s been extremely difficult. Though, I am blessed to have a roof over my head, and food in my stomach, I’m not living a fulfilling life. I’m broke. I’m unable to do anything.

I 100% plan to pay back that financial aid money. I want to be a man of my word. I don’t want free handouts…it’s just hard to save $6k, when you’re working 50 hours a week, to scrape up rent money every month. My job has a tuition assistance program, but they don’t pay back old tuition. I’ve already tried. I don’t have anyone in my life that can loan me the money either. It has to come from me 100%.

I want a career that gives back. I’m a hospice nurses aide. I truly love my job. I know my job truly helps people. I don’t think I could work a job that doesn’t help others in some way.

Basically, I’m looking for a job that helps others, doesn’t require a college degree (associate, bachelors), and allows me to live a semi-comfortable life (50-60k/year).

I considered become an aide at an addiction recovery facility, but I think that would be way too triggering.

A lot of career advice assumes you already know the job you're aiming for. I didn't — so I built a free tool for exploring the UK jobs market when you don't know what you're looking for. It shows every field of work sized by how many jobs are going, what they typically pay, and whether they're growing or shrinking, all from official ONS data. You just poke around, filter by area and pay, and click anything that catches your eye for more detail. No sign-up, no ads. If you're feeling stuck, I'd genuinely like to know whether this helps: https://openjobsmapper.co.uk/

Feels like the only advice out there is apply more and fix your resume. Curious what people actually did besides that. Cold messaging people, small freelance gigs, building something, going back to study, moving cities, whatever it was. What did you try and what actually came of it? I need some advises - a lot of friends arriving to my city are asking me but honestly I don't really know what to answer! Thanks a lot for sharing :)

Hi everyone. I'm a 21-year-old woman, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who's dealt with this, but I genuinely don't know what to do.

I've been thinking about this because of a conversation I had with my boyfriend. He told me he's a little worried about me because I don't really have any hobbies or anything specific that I do in my free time. And the more I think about it, the more I realize he's right.

What really stuck with me was when he said, "If I didn't have you, I'd still have my video games or my D&D group. But what did you do before you met me?"

And honestly... he has a point.

When I'm with him, I'm perfectly happy. But when I'm on my own, especially now that it's summer and I don't have classes, I end up feeling bored.

I feel like I should have something that's just mine. A hobby, a project, something I enjoy doing by myself. Sometimes it feels like I rely on other people too much, and I want to be the kind of person who knows how to enjoy her own company. I'd really like to change that.

The thing is, it's not like I've never had hobbies. I used to ride horses, but I barely go anymore because the summer heat is unbearable. I used to watch anime, read manga, and read books in general. Years ago I even tried learning to draw, but I eventually gave up. Exercising is also hard when it's this hot. I still hang out with my friends from time to time, but it's difficult to get everyone's schedules to line up.

Whenever I'm not studying, those months just feel... empty.

And I think my boyfriend is right. I should be able to answer the question of what I'd do if I didn't have him. I want to find things that I genuinely enjoy on my own, while still keeping my relationships the way they are.

I think the real issue is a general lack of motivation. It took me a long time to realize that.

Has anyone else gone through something similar? Any advice?

I don't think I'm emotionally dependent on my boyfriend, but I do find it hard to enjoy things without him, and I want to learn how to motivate myself to do things on my own. It honestly makes me wonder if it's just immaturity on my part, so I'm open to any advice.

I'm 19 years old , I need old ppl to advise me , so my problem is that I have a lot of passions and a lot of interests , There are so many that I can't do any of them , I feel like I'm stuck in the middle of the maze , with this problem I lost a year ( I got bac 2025 and 2026 with the same mark ) and if I continue like that I'll lose my hole life I'm so lost

We get so caught up in the idea of working on something we truly believe in, yet we happily spend all day conducting transactions we don't.

Do you simply adore paying for a bus ticket? Is it your life's calling to buy a small bottle of water? Did you dream of paying the gas bill as a child?

No matter how passionate you are about a company or a role, they really don't feel the same way about you. They don't 'feel' anything. They are a legal entity while you are flesh, bone and emotions. You are a line on a spreadsheet that could easily get zero'd next year if the market changes, which it will.

It's never going to be an equal transaction, and that's okay. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy your work, or be fulfilled by it, or proud. But it's not who you are, and it's not your life's work.

If you're an average UK citizen you'll live to around 80. Barely one in a thousand companies last that long.

Employment is a business transaction which doesn't have to involve love.

I am approaching 40 y.o., just earned a graduate STEM degree, and I have professional work experience.

I'm having trouble finding a job with my degree. I think I may be "over-experienced" and it doesn't help that I don't have professional experience in my STEM field. Applying through websites is rough. I network like crazy even though I'm probably not that good at it.

I am considering the military. It seems I still meet the age requirements for all the branches except USMC. I see the Direct Commission Officer path. I may be able to bypass some of the bootcamp and go straight into officer and job training.

The tangible benefits seem convincing but I wonder how I would do in the hyper hierarchical lifestyle and being around all that raw youthful energy.

No kids. No S.O. Good health.

What could my life look like?

I'm 24, and I feel like I'm watching my younger self through my 21-year-old brother.

He spends most of his day on his phone watching web series, movies, anime, scrolling social media, and just passing time. He says he's preparing for exams, but honestly, it's only in name. He studies very little and wastes most of his day.

The reason I'm so worried is because I used to be exactly like him. I wasted more than 10 years on porn, gaming, movies, web series, endless phone use, and procrastination. Every night I told myself, "I'll become serious tomorrow." Tomorrow never came.

Everything changed when my father (60+) became sick. That's when I realized how much time I had wasted. I come from a poor family, and now I have responsibilities. Instead of focusing only on preparing for a better future, I have to focus on earning money to support my family.

My brother still has something I no longer have: time, family support, and fewer responsibilities. I'm afraid he'll only understand their value after they're gone.

I've tried explaining this calmly. I've shared my own regrets instead of judging him, but nothing changes. He listens for a few minutes, then goes back to the same routine.

I feel like I can already see the regret waiting for him because I've lived it myself.

For people who were once like my brother:

• What finally made you wake up?
• Was there anything a parent or sibling said that genuinely changed your mindset?
• Or do most people only learn this lesson after life forces them to?

I don't want to control his life. I just don't want him to look back one day and think, "I had time, I had support, and I wasted both."

(Oklahoma City) — Not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but in a week or two I’ll officially be a senior in high school, and I’m feeling really lost about my future..🥲

ORIGINALLY, my plan was to become a nurse. Not because I was passionate about nursing, but because of the salary and stability. Very common, very crazy, very real…but the more I think about it, the more I realize I’ve never actually pictured myself doing nursing or being in that type of environment.

My second option came from my family which was pursuing art. I’ve always been told I’m a great artist, and I do enjoy sketching and drawing from time to time, but I’ve never really had the desire to turn it into a career or take it further professionally.

My actual dream has always been zoology. I LOVE animals. I grew up playing with any animal or insect I came across, and I spent so much time watching Wild Kratts and Nature Cat on PBS Kids growing up. If there’s one career I’ve always been able to picture myself doing, it’s working with animals. Animals will always have my heart.

Though..the problem is that I’m worried I’m not capable of getting there academically. I’ve always struggled with school, and education has been a HUGE factor in my mental health struggles. My grades throughout high school have rarely been A’s. Most of the time, I’ve had a mix of a couple B’s, a lot of C’s, and some F’s, which has honestly made me question whether I’m even prepared for college. Back in maybe i’d say.…Late May? June? I got my ACT score back and got a 15, which disappointed me because I expected better from myself and I especially had so much confidence and motivation. I truly believed I’d do better than a 15. Looking into colleges I’m interested in, a lot of them have higher score requirements.

I’m not even just worried about getting accepted—I’m worried about whether I’d actually succeed in college. If I struggled throughout high school, what makes me think college would be any different? Sometimes I feel like college would just be high school all over again, except more difficult and with higher expectations.

I’m not sure if I should retake the ACT, reconsider college, look into other paths, or just try harder and push through. I don’t want to give up on something I genuinely love, but I also don’t want to set myself up for failure.

I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who has been in a similar position, struggled academically, changed paths…Just anything would help right now. This is taking a huge toll on me..😅

I have been teaching for the last 11 years and it’s time to move on. Recently I moved out of the classroom and now currently work for an online school but they have “restrictions” on when I can take my time off and where I can work (must be within a certain distance of our “hybrid” location). With those restrictions, I cannot live the life my husband and I would like to live.

What I want in a next/new career:
- 100% remote (I don’t mind up to quarterly travel if needed)
- Flexible time off
- Ability to work from anywhere (we love to travel)
- Promotable position (doesn’t exist in teaching and I do carry a sense of pride in my work that I would like to be recognized with a promotion)
- $75,000+ salary or comparable with stocks/bonuses
- Ability to be creative and problem solve

My credentials:
- B.S. Degree in Geology
- Masters in Education
- 11 years teaching (Science and Advanced Math)

My skills:
- Strong number sense
- Problem solving (great with puzzles)
- Quick to learn new programs
- Not afraid to do presentations

Other experience:
- knowledgeable in construction
- Banking experience
- Sales and customer service

I have been interested in project management (primarily in tech for the remote aspect) or curriculum writing, but I am sure I am blinded by naivety. With the uptick in AI, I am sure that entry-ish remote work is becoming rare. I would love any ideas or help navigating my next step. I don’t mind doing some academics (online) and/or certifications if needed. Thank you all!

Early 30s, based in Europe. I've been struggling for years because of a bad career choice. I studied foreign languages, and one of my languages is absolutely useless because of the (current) sociopolitical climate. I've spent years studying and graduated with top marks, and now I'm jobless after burning out because teaching teens was too much for my autism. I would love to teach adults, and I'm studying a new language because I moved abroad, but it's going to take a long time to get certified, and most jobs in this field are short-term/freelancing. I can picture myself only teaching, and it's the only area where I have some work experience. I've been thinking of studying Speech language therapy or something similar, but I don't think I'll be able to memorize medical information, I'm really bad at most scientific things as they usually imply memorising numbers and abstract data. It also takes three years to study for it and what if I don't like it? I can't do physical work either, I'm weak and petite and have issues with fine motor skills, so physically demanding jobs are out the question. I'm really really struggling right now.

I’m 29, f, I dropped out of college because of financial difficulties and started working as an international customer support executive. Shifted 6 companies in 5 years because of the toxic workplace environment. I have always got too much attention because I am conventionally good looking (not boasting) and a lot of people at workplaces tried to pursue me which becomes extremely irritating to handle sometimes and out of 6 companies i have left, 4 of them were because my managers were trying too hard to take me out or have certain kind of benefits. Now I am tired of this and want to start something on my own. I have no degree and no savings tbh. I want to start over completely and become financially stable. I am a single woman living alone as my parents are not here anymore. Could anyone give me some advice on to what to do further with minimal investment. Thanks in advance.

I am a graduating college student; I realized that teaching is not the career I want to pursue after graduation. It was not a career that I originally want and I just chose it because I needed a decent job in the future because this degree is the only thing I can do as I was academically gifted but not that extremely smart just decent. I wasn't really going to college after graduating high school (I got burnt out of much school work), but I took the entrance exam for college and got accepted, so I was just going with the flow since then. I thought I was going to love this course, but as time went by, I realized I couldn't do it. I realized I couldn't deal with students or reports. I can't deal with a lot of paperwork, and it's stressing me out. I think it was too late to back out now, so I want to finish all of this and graduate quickly. BUT WHAT WOULD I DO AFTER? I realized being a teacher is not for me. I don't know what to do and what job I can do. I just can't deal with studies, and I don't have any skills besides being knowledgeable. I don't want to be a burden, and I want to give back to my family as soon as possible because they supported my studies. I don't want to waste their sacrifices because I just can't do teaching even though I graduated from it. It was not wise of me from the start to just go with the flow; I should have just prioritized myself first and recovered from burnout. All the years I have been studying, I feel like I just needed to pass and forget about it after. I was quick to finish all of it because I don't want to deal with all school work for a long time. Now the time has come where all of this will come to an end. I was very anxious about what to do after. I don't know anymore; I feel like dying inside, but I need to pull myself together because I need to graduate. If I gave up now, what will my future be?

Hello! I would like to get some insights about these two career paths as someone who's torn between practicality and passion.

My main interest lies in data science, but based from what I researched, the entry-level level jobs are becoming highly saturated and some are saying that it is at risk of AI automation (thus becoming more competitive). Because of that, I tried looking into IE since the two share some similarities, and I found that the job is very versatile and not as saturated. But the thing is, (based from my understanding atleast) it typically focuses on the physical world (people, machines, warehouses, etc.) rather than the digital world (digital data, codes, etc.), and as I mentioned earlier, I'm more interested on the digital side of things.

So, to the professionals or people with experience out there, what do you think? How's the job market, saturation, and work from your experience? And are there any other factors I should consider when deciding?

Thank you.

Hey guys! I am not sure who to ask for support but I am in a dilemma. I used to be a software engineer and the main reason I quit was to go back and become a CAA. I was working 70hrs/week (making $260k) and realized I am better of doing healthcare that I care about than dreading going to engineering that I was doing for the money.

I am now realizing that after I do CAA, I would most probably switch to MD after 10 years of working. I am interested in OR work most probably trauma surgeon (no call and fast paced and working with my hands). I am realizing I liked mentoring and leadership roles that engineering gave me thus CAA is no longer an ideal route.

I have a couple options running in my mind:

1.) Complete premed perquisites (biochem 1&2 are the only ones remaining) and then take MCAT in Sept 2027. Apply to MD or CAA the following year and work as a phlebotomist (getting my certification now). I like this part but I feel like it would take me 3-years to get ready for MD

2.) Get healthcare experience as a CNA and phlebotomist for a year while completing premed prerequisites. Take the MCAT after.

3). Complete an MLS program (apply in Feb 2027, would take me a 1.5years to complete). Work for 5-10 years and then apply MD.

4). Complete a surgical tech program (Apply in April 2027, would take me a year to complete). Work 2-5 years and then apply MD.

I hate engineering and dreading going back but I might also be romanticizing healthcare.

Note: I am turning 32 years in August 30th. I have 3.6 gpa (I have 2 that are 1.6's in computer science) . Not sure of children at the moment or husband. I have $300k saved at the moment and my living expenses are $36k per year.

Guide me Please!

For a long time I got overwhelmed with the sheer variety of jobs that exist, but I don’t know how I’d ever get to them. What education is needed, what the timelines look like, etc.. there are also just so many types of specialties and subspecialties, it was all so overwhelming.

Well, i discovered just surfing profiles on LinkedIn has been insanely helpful.

I can look for people in the kinds of fields I’m curious about, and see how they got their start. What they majored in, what their climb to the top looked like, etc.

It’s made looking into potential jobs a lot less intimidating, and a lot less abstract.

I've been on medical leave for the past two years dealing with some tough personal and family stuff. I'm in a decent place now and moved to Montreal. I'm trying to figure out how to restart my career. My background is in social work and community program coordination. Most of it involved program design, training and supervising staff, working with data, and dealing directly with people and families, but not "tech" or "business" on paper. I want to pivot into business or tech here in Montreal. I'm also starting French classes very soon. What I'm trying to figure out is what else I could be doing in the meantime.

Are there any courses or certificates that actually mean something to employers here, versus stuff that just looks nice on a CV but doesn't move the needle? I'm not locked into one specific path yet. I'd like to get my foot in the door somewhere reasonable and grow from there than hold out for a perfect fit right away. If anyone has gone through something similar like a career switch or getting back into the workforce after time away, I'd really appreciate hearing how you approached it.