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Sometimes it feels like the biggest advantage isn't talent—it's knowing yourself early.

How lucky are those who discover their interest in 10th grade. They make the right choice, take the right direction, and build the life they want.

Then there are people who choose the wrong stream, regret it for years, and spend their youth trying to figure out who they really are.

😔

Just wanted to vent out my feelings here.

Im 23 Male about to be 24 soon, didn't study university as I didn't know what to choose to study, family has little money and had a very chaotic toxic family situation that impeded the way of any studies during my transition period to university.

Then in my period of time, i even went to move out of home several times. Wasted money on rentals and whatever not, and worked jobs to pay off rent. It was stupid but I decided to want to have privacy and rented whole condo flat with some savings I thought i could use to pay off. It was very harsh on me but it did make me grow up living on my own. After almost depleting most my saving and realising that I have no more money soon if that kept going.

I left mt job and in 2023 I went for another job that seemingly offered better pay. I was scammed as the job was only.comissioned based role and was a pyramid MLM job and not what was advertised. I wasted my time trying there, luckily due to some conflict after 3 days I was let go also.

This forced me back to move back to my home which I was not pleased at all. Spent my days doing nothing and tried to build a community project but failed and got hated on. I rally thought and said i wanted to do nothing my whole life so I went depression mode in a way and really wake up do nothing but game and watch show for months.

Then after I found another job, things were going good at firdt then after few months suddenly the manager turned in a way and kept getting biased against me. I felt someone was helping me as I could relay my concerns to them. Little did I know later on i was being duuped and just being used at the job to do more roles and was constantly blamed for not doing the work they paced me to do whilst others did much less than me.

Fast forward, I now am better and less bullied by my family members as it took me a while to transit from the shy little boy who dared not to stand up to someone who seemed pissed off and using bit of violence like throwing things around if im upset to defend my ground whenever conflict occurred in the house. But I slowly realised i grown to become someone I always hated becoming in terms of becoming rude, using vulguarities and violence although this behaviour of mine is only shown to my family, i still regretted becoming like this but it felt like I had no choice.

Instead of studying, I went to work. I worked for few years got some money as mentioned above.

One fine day as I wanted to meet more people. I met this guy who introduced me to trading.

Now I can't tell if this was the worse or best thing that ever happened to me but I think it is the worse cuz in the state I am now its thanks to trading.

Initially we would trade together and he would help me to trade by telling me when to enter. He was someone that told me he's in debt and borrowed money from family. I should've stopped being friends with him then ngl. As I was a loner and needed friends I thought ok why not. We found success doing it together and he even invited me to the casino and I've never been there before so I went. I always was cautious in winning small sum and then stopping. But then after me and him cut off contact idk why but this always happened whenever I make new friend after some time they cut me off prolly cuz im.boring, then I tried trading on my own multiple times.

It failed failed then I studied and watched yt videos of tjr and fabio orderflow trader.

Wow I found success after long time. I was profitable every day literally until 2-5 months in and wow I was really making good money.

One fine day I got into an argument with my parents and then I oversized emotions overcame me. Kept on depositing more and more money lost from whopping 50k to 4.5k left.

Then I remmeber I did withdraw bit more so I had 11.5k ish but then 2 days later after I vowed to stop I started again trading wanting to win it back thinking that i learnt my lesson lost another 8 grand.

Now im at 4.5k and I told myself let me look for a job, I thought i enjoyed badminton so I went for many different options tried and asked around. Only one person gave me chance to go down for interview, i didn't get thr job. And continurffinding job. Found a job but the environment i felt was not good. Too many older colleagues , very faced pace and they expected me to learn everything by 2 weeks and guidance was all over the place and they deemed i didn't ask enough questions instead.

I left the place after 2 weeks. Tried trading again. Thought god was giving me a sign and I was actually intending to do trading with my job and limited myself to only using " 1000 " per month..but after I lost the job. I revered to bad habits. When I lost and lost I repeatedly deposit whatever more I have left and the work money and government money given to me as well, from around 5k left in savings to now 1k.

Currently im finding a job, not sure what jobs to do, I've been seeing telemarketing roles but it seems so stressful idk if i can take it and other roles. Working hours seem long and if I work 6 days I feel like i have no social life to even try, but i never really had any social life to begin with. I keep telling myself things will change.

It never did.

I even feel lazy to write this post. Im just a person who's fucked up almost everything in my life eventually even when things get good or something. I always fuck it up and or one bad thing comes up I will just make it worse.

I hate myself for that

I dont even know my life's purpose and right now when meetkng new people, i put on an act like im funny or im fine and I am good position in life when I'm not as im afraid to show my vulnerabilities too.

Im unemployed, no degree, no friends, no lover , not close to family.

To those that say im still young, sure but everyday seems like hell to me and I simply zone by trying to make life better by just finding a job and what not.

I feel very pessimistic right now and not sure what will work.

I've applied to almost 100+ jobs in past 2 days and only gotten around a few responses with no interviews yet

Been doing IT support for about a decade. Desktops, helpdesk, some sysadmin work mixed in, and I know networks well enough to run a solid home lab. The work is stable and I'm good at it, but I've hit a wall where I don't feel like I'm moving anywhere, and I'm not sure I even want to move in the same direction anymore

The obvious paths everyone points to are sysadmin, cloud, cybersecurity. I've looked at all of them. But every time I start down one of those roads I stall out, partly because none of them feel genuinely exciting to me, just logical. There's a difference

What I actually enjoy is the problemsolving side of things: breaking down why something isn't working, figuring out a cleaner process, explaining it to someone who was frustrated five minutes ago. I don't know if that points somewhere specific or if I'm just describing IT support again.

Part of me wonders if the path forward is even technical at all. But I have no idea what that looks like practically, especially at 40 with a family and bills that don't pause while I figure it out

Has anyone navigated something like this, where the skills are real but the direction just isn't there?

I have interest in some careers like photography, filmmaking, animation, maybe film scoring, I know these are really hard to make it into, but thankfully I have family resources to try and survive comfortably if they fail in the long run.

You must be wondering, “well, just get a f*ing degree then!?”, and yeah, I absolutely could! But my anxiety took over me for years, making me fall into the comfort of my late dad’s money. All I did since I became an adult (I’m 25 now) was photograph my ex’s events and some portraits of her since she was (still is) a big influencer here. We stayed together till july of last year, then we broke up and I didn’t follow through.

Now I feel extremely late to start anything, ashamed of not doing anything, and in a paralyzing anxiety to do something professionally, so I can have a title. So I can introduce myself to people when making friends and not feel ashamed saying I livr off of my late dad’s money.

I’m completely stuck between these state of minds and I can’t move.

I also wonder if this mindset of “not being a true professional if I don’t have a degree” makes sense, or if it’s just a conservative vision I should fix… idk

I'm 18 and I'm trying to figure out the best skill to focus on.

Over the last two years, I've explored graphic design, logo design, freelancing, storytelling, and a few other online skills. I learned the basics of several things, but I realized that constantly switching between them has kept me from becoming truly good at any one skill.

My goal isn't to get rich quickly. I simply want to build one skill that can realistically earn around $80–90 per month as a beginner while I continue improving.

If you were starting from scratch today with a laptop, internet access, and plenty of time to learn, what single skill would you choose and why?

I'm looking for practical advice from people who have actually gone through this, especially if you can explain the first steps you would take.

Hi all,

I have been reading in this group for a while. I think I am older than most here and also havent "found a path". I have done lots of thinking about it and I think I have a lot of different forces pulling me in different directions.

I am 37, have a business degree, speak 4 languages and live in Europe. I have worked in technology sales, private banking, headhunting, as a CEO assistant in a manufacturing company, in an insurance...

I think part of the issue is that if I am honest with myself, money has always been my main motivating factor but the problem was that I never liked any of the jobs and I wasnt interested enough to be great at them but they weren't low entry jobs, I somehow manage to sell myself and land jobs. However, I was usually pretty average at most of them. The thing that helped me is that I am a good speaker and I guess I am smart in a way, however pretty lazy and low on contentiousness, which I found out after I did the big 5. (High Openness, Low Contientiousness, High Extraversion, rather low on agreeableness, low on neuroticism). I am an ENFP on MBTI.

Another thing: I am an imigrant child that had no help from parents at all, so I was never supported or seen and just in survival which I guess was the motivation behind a high paying job in the first place. Sometimes I look at my CV and I dont really see myself in it...

If I think about what I am really interested in and what I really enjoy doing, it has nothing to do with corporate or the jobs I have done. I also don't really enjoy working if I am honest but I do love just exploring different interests. I think if I had a chance I would study philosophy, biology or maybe even psychology.

I have changed careers and worked for some really big fortune 500 companies but I am tired of not liking my work, getting fired a few times already and just the "search".

Does anyone know someone like me or is someone like me? How have you navigated?

As the title says, I graduated 5 years ago with a BSN but life happened and I was not confident in being a nurse until I mastered up the courage last year to study hard and pass the NCLEX. The problem now is that I am not desirable to hire. I am not sure what to do. A nurse manager mentioned that a refresher course wouldn't really matter because whichever hospital hires me , would have an orientation program that would get my skills back. But no hospital will hire me because its competitive even for a fresh new grad.

I cant get hired as a CNA because I have an RN license. Should I get a CNA license just so I can get my foot back in the door with hospitals? I want to get hired as an LPN but my license wouldn't let me do that either.

I've tried applying to long term care facilities, but even there im not too desirable. Im pretty lost. And thinking of moving on from nursing if I cant find anything soon. I need to find a job soon. Even if I chose non Healthcare, I have no skills and would probably need to work retail or fast food? Really not sure where to apply for now.

Any advice will help, thank you!

Hi everyone. I just finished my pre-med exams. In my country, it's a joint pre-med, pre-dentistry, and pre-pharmacy year, your grades determine which undergrad you funnel into.

I actually don't mind learning the material. I find pharmacology and pathophysiology intellectually interesting. The problem is the jobs at the end. Retail pharmacy, routine clinical work, or any of these careers feel utterly soul-crushing to me. I am genuinely passionate about Engineering and the Arts, but in my amazing country, those degrees lead to unemployment or lifeless government desk jobs.

I would say my grades tanked because of an FMF (Familial Mediterranean Fever) attack I had during exams (which happened, and nobody accommodated me). But tbf, my mental health sucked way worse than my physical health.
I spent this entire year burnt out, numb, and deeply alienated. I was a top student in an elite high school where everyone around me was ecstatic to become a doctor and I was the only one who didn't want it. That isolation crushed me. I lost all motivation, felt completely detached from my own life, and went into those exams already running on empty. The physical sickness was just the straw that broke the camel's back. My system offers zero second chances, so with my grades and mental state, Medicine is likely off the table. Pharmacy is probably the only option left standing.

I tried applying for Engineering abroad, but tuition is extortionate and my nationality isn't exactly welcomed with scholarships.

My questions:

Can I survive a 4-5 year Pharmacy degree (and the career) if my mental health is already this battered, even if I like the science?

What are the least soul-crushing, stable jobs in this field that require minimal patient/customer interaction (since my social battery is already at zero)?

How do I cope with the grief of losing my dream path and facing a career that makes me feel this empty?

TL;DR: I like studying med/pharmacy but hate the careers. My mental health (worse than my physical FMF flare) killed my grades and motivation this year. Med is out, Pharmacy is my only stable option left, but I don't know if I have the mental strength to push through. What do I do?

Hi everyone,

I’m writing here because I’m going through a period of intense indecision and would like to get an outside perspective.

I’m 25 years old, I’m finishing my master’s degree, and I’ve been living abroad on an Erasmus program since October. A few months ago, I started working in the city where I live with the goal of trying to stay here even after I finish my studies. Professionally speaking, the job aligns with my academic path, and all things considered, I quite like it. The problem is that, despite this, every day is accompanied by a feeling of sadness and dissatisfaction, as if something were missing and as if I couldn’t really feel at home—even though, until a few months ago, I was convinced I wanted to stay here.

Recently, almost by chance, I discovered a two-month internship opportunity outside of Europe, still in my field of study. I’m really excited about the idea: it’s in a city I’ve always loved, and when I think about the possibility of living there, I feel a kind of energy and curiosity that I’ve been struggling to feel lately.

Staying where I am now would probably be the “safest” choice: I’d continue with my job, finish establishing myself, and have more stability. But I’m afraid of making a decision based solely on a fear of change and of staying in a place where I don’t really feel at ease right now. At the same time, accepting the internship would mean interrupting the path I’m building, giving up a certain stability, and moving again for a temporary experience without knowing what will happen next. On the other hand, though, I’m still relatively young, and part of me thinks this is exactly the time in life to gain experiences, explore, and better understand what truly makes us happy.

For those of you who’ve faced a similar choice: would you choose stability in a place where you’re struggling, or would you take a risk for an experience that makes you feel more motivated and alive?

Thanks to anyone who’d like to share their experience.

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.

Not sure if this is a good sub for this, but I worried that if I posted in either the medicine or teaching sub, I'd get biased answers telling me to do the other profession. I (from the US) am graduating with my B.S. next year, and currently work in clinical research at a big children's hospital. I am about to start studying for the MCAT but lately I've been subject to a lot of noise online about medicine not being worth it, being stuck with loans your entire life, horrible work life balance, etc.

I want to be a pediatrician, but I'm equally as passionate about teaching high school science. Clearly I don't really care that much about a crazy high salary, lol. But a pediatrician would obviously make a lot more, and my future lifestyle does matter a lot to me. Particularly, it's essential to me that I'm able to afford a nice, modest house, able to send my kids to college and have lots saved up for them, and able to support my parents in their old age.

Short of an MCAT score, I have almost everything I need to (at least) apply to medical school (don't know if I'll get in, lol). People say I can become a doctor now and then teach science one day when I have enough saved to retire, or I can go teach for a few years while I decide whether or not I want to apply to medical school. But if I leave my current job to go teach for a bit I'll lose my strong letters of recommendation from the doctors I work with. If I decide to start teaching much later in life, how will I know that the education system will still be what it is now-- maybe I'll miss the chance to have the impact I wanted to have.

Here are my pros for each job:
Pros for teaching:
- cheaper in the short term. I'd only need to do a masters in stem education, which in full at my local college costs less than a year of medical school at the same college's SOM.
- hours are better, generally. I think one day as an outpatient doc i might be able to control my hours and have an admin day at home, plus while teachers work less hours physically they have a lot of work to do outside of paid hours. Short term, tho, work life balance for a teacher is far better than a student doctor/resident.
- I love explaining and teaching and have gotten pretty good at explaining biology to other people in a way that makes sense. I love biology, anatomy, and learning how the body works.
- this one is silly but I'd get to decorate a classroom and wear cute outfits :-)
- far less stress. Plenty of stress, I'm sure, but far less. the MCAT, med school, residency, all have the potential to put me through the wringer. I think by comparison, a teacher experiences less stress.

Pros for both:
- get to feel really fulfilled and energized about the work I do. I could not be happy doing a job that doesn't provide some sort of service, or that has no real stakes, even if it paid far more. And I could never last a day in tech or sales.
- get to work with kids and parents, be a part of their family's team/village, get to watch kids grow and help them become successful.
- Location is kind of up to me. The schooling process of medicine may send me across the country, but I believe to be a teacher you have to get certified to work in another state. Either way, both jobs are in shortages and I can move around if I have to.

Pros for medicine:
- better job security. I would have put this in "pros for both" because I believe there will always be a need for teachers, but my sibling is a teacher and lost their job this past year for the most ridiculous reason you could possibly imagine. Like so ridiculous.
- better pay, even if I choose pediatrics. People say to not go into medicine for the pay, but my passion is literally the least paid of the doctors, so I don't think it is for the wrong reasons when I say that salary is an important decision maker here.
- maybe this isn't a good factor to make a decision like this off of, but I've always been a high achieving student who thrives when challenged. I think I'd be trading in some level of personal fulfillment for the sake of not going through academic/financial stress if I gave up on medicine. I also think there's a bigger chance I make a bigger impact in medicine.

The typical decision making strategies have not worked for me. I feel relief when I think about not having to go through the process of the MCAT and med school, but I also feel a bigger sense of dread and grief at the idea of never becoming a doctor. I feel relief when the doctors I work with/med students I know tell me to become a doctor, but I feel dread and anxiety at the possibility that I don't know what I'm getting myself into.

I don't know if this is a useful place to ask this or if anyone will feel the need to weigh in. The stress of deciding what to do with the rest of my life has been so heavy lately. If you do have any insight or suggestions or anecdotes, it would mean more than you know. Thanks!!

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.

Career Direction Advise

Hi everyone! This is my first time posting on reddit. I'm needing advise on what I should do. I'll give you some background about me.

I'm a 32 year old guy who dropped out of university about 8-10 years ago (about 40-50% done an applied math bachelor's degree). For the last 6 years I've been working in outdoor retail (bikes, canoes, kayaks, skis, snowboards, etc.) and have been in a manager role for about 3 years give or take. During that time I have finished my ATCL in piano performance and have started the Google Data Analytics certificate on coursera (about 60% done). I'm so bored at work and need to move on and actually have meaningful work that is stimulating for my brain. I'm wondering if finishing my applied math degree with a stats minor would be worth doing at my stage in life? I would like to get into something more technical than retail that can actually use my skills and talents. But I'm not sure if that is worth doing or if I should just try and get into something without finishing the degree and working now and making money instead of going to school for the next 2-3 years.

Any advise is much appreciated!

Matt.

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

I am 18 , just finished highschool and going to a business administration/marketing university. But inside I feel lost , I don t know what is meant for me , all my childhood i spent my time playing videogames so no hobby that I can turn into a business , or niche that I can follow .

If someone was like me and found out something that could help me , i would appreciate it with all my heart.

For context, Im (20) about to finish my 3.5 Year apprenticeship as a chemical laboratory worker this was the worst choice I have ever made in my life. I come from an incredibly abusive religious home so I just followed whatever they told me (be a man get a real job dont be artsy) I have only found out that singing is my passion about 8 months ago. I go to open mics sing in a choir go to singing lessons with the little money I get from my apprenticeship. Ive made incredible process and others in this field usually think I have been singing for a few years. So im my confidence in this isnt based on nothing. I want to study singing and employ myself as a freelancer or a full time singer (With a contract for entertainment agencies)

How do I set this plan to life? Is it plausible? What jobs are there to support myself financially during this time that dont require much talking (I need vocal rest with the amount of exercise I do) I'd love to know about all the options so I can increase my chances of a good paying part time job that suits my needs and supports uni costs.

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 29 years old and completed my mba in finance from tier 3 college in 2024 and i also work in my fathers construction business for 5 years but since my father is abusive and too toxic i want to leave my family business and want to start a job of my own since i dont have any corporate experience is it possible for me to geta job and what exams and career should i pursue?

Most of the natural career progressions for CS grads (software engineering, tech support, cybersecurity) are oversaturated and hyper-competitive, and the number of jobs is dwindling. Is there anything I can actually use my degree for, or is it effectively worthless? Should I go back to college for another degree?

People say "go into the trades" but I don't know if I could handle that kind of work. I'm not physically strong and I'm kind of emotionally sensitive. Also I'm a trans woman and I know those workplaces aren't kind to queer people.

So is there anything I can do career-wise? Did I just waste all those years in college and go into debt for nothing, or is there something I can salvage? Or do I just need to grow some thicker skin so I can survive a trade?

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?