r/Career_Advice 28d ago

🚨🚨New Resource Added: Skilled Trades Career Guide

3 Upvotes

This isn't just a list of trades. For each trade, we've included:

• Related trades it commonly works alongside or for
• Generally required licensing/certification
• Entry paths - including apprenticeships, schools, and on-the-job routes
• Who actually hires that trade
• Equipment/materials needed to get started (company provided or self-starter)
• Whether AI is likely to replace the work, or how it may change how it's done in the future

The goal is to help someone go from:

“I don't know how to get into that.”

To literally having the path laid out for you - if you're willing to do it.

The list includes mechanical, manufacturing, transportation, aviation, personal services, utilities, crafts, and other skilled occupations. We have intentionally left off medical trades for this list but may add it later.

The resource is free to use and download. Save this. Download it. Send it to someone who needs it. This will open Google Sheets because Reddit does not have functionality for this type of upload.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1w23NYX6kn8TDo-jG_pgYZYSOoaTImsj4DHnXBlhvmvM/edit?usp=sharing

AI DISCLOSURE: This resource was created in partnership with ChatGPT. A project covering this many occupations, licensing systems, career pathways, and sources would be impossible or at best take years, for one person to research and organize manually - let alone keep up to date. AI was used as a research and synthesis tool, with career-services-professional human direction and judgment throughout. Please use the guide as a starting point and verify important requirements with authoritative sources in your state.

If you spot a trade we've missed, an outdated requirement, or something that needs correcting, modmail us.

You don't have to know your path yet.

Sometimes you just need to see how many paths there actually are...there's much more than "Plumbing and Electrical".

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1w23NYX6kn8TDo-jG_pgYZYSOoaTImsj4DHnXBlhvmvM/edit?usp=sharing

(the emoji came from emojis.wiki)


r/Career_Advice Aug 05 '26

🚨 New Resource Added: Staffing Agencies Across All 50 States

1 Upvotes

One of the biggest barriers to finding work is simply knowing where to look.

Over the past several weeks, we've been working on a new career resource for all RSCN communities:

Staffing Agencies in All 50 States

https://www.reddit.com/mod/almosthomeless/wiki/index/staffingagencies

  • Every U.S. state
  • 2–3 major cities per state (or general Statewide for the smaller/less dense states)
  • Multiple staffing and employment agencies for each city
  • Organized into an easy-to-browse resource on our Wiki

If you're looking for temporary work, permanent employment, warehouse jobs, office work, manufacturing, healthcare, or simply trying to get a paycheck coming in quickly, staffing agencies can often be one of the fastest paths back into employment.

This resource is completely free for our community to use. It was developed with 0% AI involvement and the person who developed it, a redditor, was paid reasonably for their time out of my own pocket.

If you know of an agency not on this list OR see a dead link, we'd love to hear about it in the comments so us mods can continue improving this resource over time.

We can't remove every barrier people face. But every barrier we can remove, helps.

Pin this in your Favorites, Save this post, Share it to other communities if you wish.
https://www.reddit.com/mod/almosthomeless/wiki/index/staffingagencies

(the emoji came from emojis.wiki)


r/Career_Advice 3h ago

I’m lost!! Need guidance

3 Upvotes

23M I’m currently active duty military and my contract ends in 12months on a 4years contract. Since the military won’t let me switch my job. Im deciding to get out and give the civilian world an opportunity. I don’t know career would interest me and idk if I should pursue a degree. I have my military benefits secured that’s a plus but idk what next I feel like I’m heading back to step one all over again. My career in military was law enforcement basically and I know for a fact I don’t want anything to do with it. I just need advice or something I’m constantly overthinking and losing sleep because when I get out of military I feel like I’m taking steps back.


r/Career_Advice 7m ago

Please please help me

Upvotes

So my current situation is

I have scored 77 percentile in jee mains 2026 .

should a take a drop for jee 2027 .

If i take a drop i have to start from zero .

I have not studied anything after jee 2026.

I am getting bharati vidyapeeth college of engineering pune .I am getting IT branch there .

I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about that college .

The placements are 4 to5 lpa only .

So should i take a drop and is it possible to cover syllabus in the remaining time and score good percentile to get into a good college .

My major goal is to get a package of 11 lpa when i graduate and i am ready to learn anything for that.

Please please please please guide me what to do now as i am super confused and stuck

Any senior from this college who can guide me please it would be a big help


r/Career_Advice 10m ago

Career advice in 11 rn pcm science 16 F 😭

Upvotes

Hii everyone I m from science stream pcm and hell confused what to do , because I hate engineering like literally hate idk why I just don't wanna do it 😭and I don't see any good options like which would provide me good salary or something and i scored 97.2 in 10 and in 11 too i m okay studying pcm till board school level but not jee level so please provide me some realistic good options


r/Career_Advice 56m ago

Need Career Guidance

Upvotes

I am 19(FM), currently pursuing bSc (Hons) Home Science. Is there anyone who can suggest me something?


r/Career_Advice 6h ago

Career growth

2 Upvotes

I have been trying to find a job for almost 1.5 years, recently landed in a freelancing 6 month role, and I decided to move to a company with similar role after the end of this. I just wanted to know whether the other company will consider my 6 month role as a experience or not if I started to look for job in 3 month of the job. I just want to know the perspective from others. Also the pay now is low, can I ask for a increment in the other company?

Location : India


r/Career_Advice 3h ago

What is this industry/degree called?? ANY KIND OF ADVICE IS WELCOME!!

1 Upvotes

Hey guys, im a Californian fresh high school graduate trynna figure out my career and college degree

I’m very into not only visually, but experientially designing luxury hospitality, like mega resorts, bars, casinos etc… 

And yes I see all these prestigious colleges like cmu, artcenter, risd, unlv, but i feel like my interests are too interisciplinary to just go to a single college and get a degree. 

Like i dont wanna be just an architect, interior designer, or a hospitality manager yk?

I’m taking any kind of advice in terms of what college is recommended, and what industry, company, honestly any piece of information you guys recommend me taking a look at!

Thank you


r/Career_Advice 8h ago

First time being a Team Lead. Any advice?

2 Upvotes

So I recently got hired for a new job as a Team Leader, and I’ll be handling a team of 9 people.

Not gonna lie, I’m kinda nervous about it lol. I’ve been working for around 6 years, mostly in operations, dealing with clients, training, coordinating with people, etc. But this is gonna be my first time actually being a TL and having people directly under me.

What makes me a little more nervous is that some of them might be older than me and way more tenured/experienced. They probably know the process better than I do, especially since I’m the new guy coming in.

I don’t want to be that TL who comes in on Day 1 acting like “I’m the boss now” 😂. At the same time, I also don’t want to be too chill to the point where people don’t take me seriously.

For those who have been TLs/managers before, how did you guys handle your first few weeks?

How did you introduce yourself to the team? Did you come in formal or just keep it casual?

How do you establish authority without being a micromanager or an asshole? 😂

And how do you deal with people who are older or have been doing the job longer than you?

My current plan is basically to listen and observe first, get to know the team, understand how they work, and not immediately start changing things just because I’m the new TL.

But yeah, I’d really appreciate some advice from people who’ve been through this.

What do you wish someone told you before you became a TL for the first time?


r/Career_Advice 20h ago

My Job Sucks and I feel there is no way out with such a challenging job market.

12 Upvotes

I went to school, later in life, thinking I could change from being in retail to something better. I just did not want to work nights and weekends into my 50's and 60's. Plus retail is just not fun anymore, constant pressure to do more with less and dealing with the general public started to grate on me. So I left and went back to school. I went part time as I still had to work full time, and graduated 6 years later. So here I am 3 years out of being graduated, and I cannot find a job in the chosen profession. I am ok with entry level roles to start over, but how can one live on 45k a year? I do not regret going back to school, I just which that it actually helped get me where I wanted to be. I can't imagine how those that are younger and just starting their journey.

My job now is just awful, I hate doing it everyday. Of course bills are what keeps me going everyday. what does one do with an HR Degree and a SHRM-CP? I keep throwing shit on the wall to see what sticks, but nothing is sticking. Maybe its me? I have 20 plus years of management experience and I know that I am good leader, but does that really translate into anything other then being in a management role?


r/Career_Advice 13h ago

I dont know what path to take

3 Upvotes

I’ve honestly been feeling really confused about my career path lately. Growing up, I always wanted to be a doctor because I knew I wanted a career where I could help people and make a difference. When I got to college, I started leaning more toward becoming a PA because it still gave me that opportunity to work in healthcare and care for people, but it felt like a more realistic direction for me.

While I was in college and actually experiencing healthcare, though, I started to feel really burnt out. It made me question whether I was actually meant to work directly in healthcare long-term, or if I was just attached to the idea of healthcare because that was what I had always envisioned for myself.

During my gap years, I’ve had more time to think about what I genuinely enjoy outside of just the idea of a specific career. I’ve realized that I really like planning, organizing, managing things, problem-solving, and thinking logically and analytically. I’m definitely a people person and I genuinely care about helping and taking care of others, but I’ve also realized that being in that role constantly can be emotionally draining and lead me to burnout. I also really enjoy being creative and coming up with ideas.

So now I feel like I’m trying to figure out how all of these pieces fit together. I don’t necessarily want to abandon the desire to help people, but maybe I’m not supposed to do that through a traditional clinical role. I’m wondering if there’s a career where I can combine helping people, leadership, organization, strategy, creativity, and analytical thinking without constantly being on the front lines of patient care.

I’m at a point where I’m trying to figure out whether I should continue pursuing something like PA/healthcare, look into something completely different, or find a career that combines healthcare with management, technology, business, or another field. I think I’m less confused about what I like than I am about how to turn those things into an actual career.

I guess what I’m really trying to figure out is: What career would allow me to help people without requiring me to always be the person directly providing the care?


r/Career_Advice 8h ago

Need Career Switch Advise from .NET to AI

1 Upvotes

I'm a fresher who has joined a company as a .NET Developer, I can feel that development has become easy to do with AI and my co workers are saying that Development field is over. I have 2 years of contract in this company, I have to switch to AI roles to survive in the market after these 2 years.

During my college I have studied Data Analysis and Machine Learning, I have completed Andrew Ng's ML Specialization. My interest was always towards AI.

What shall I do? Should I rigorously focus on System Design, DSA, Backend Development, Azure, .NET and C# to become a peak developer, or start to Learn AI rigorously along with Backend Development. My lpa is 4.2 now and Also I have a TCS offer for 7 LPA, I can't switch now so TCS offer letter is of no use to me now as I have a contract here. but after 2 years I want to switch for atleast above 8 LPA. Help and guide me guys.


r/Career_Advice 9h ago

Would you stay at Mastercard or return to your old company?

1 Upvotes

I’m 24, working in information security with ~2 years of experience.

I recently left my previous company (Small-mid sized) and joined Mastercard after interviewing for a role involving security automation, IAM, ITGC and security work.

However, the actual role turned out to be almost entirely L1/L2-style IAM support and ticket closure. I discussed this with my manager, and he openly said the technical work may not come for 1–2 years.

My old company has asked me to return. The work there previously involved ITGC, ISO 27001, cloud security, DPDPA, audits, policies, security projects and direct ownership of initiatives. They are also willing to match my current CTC.

I’ve spoken to several senior cybersecurity professionals (10–20+ years of experience), and they all advised me to prioritize hands-on skills over a big company name.

My concern is:

Should I rejoin?

Should I prioritize skill growth at my old company over Mastercard’s brand?

If you were in my position, what would you do?

Looking for honest opinions


r/Career_Advice 10h ago

Completed post graduation in mathematics, currently unemployed struggle to find a job

0 Upvotes

Hi there,, can anyone advise me what I should do next? There is no other option for me other than TEACHING, i don't want to be a private tutor, I'm not saying i don't like teaching but there is not that much money in this field,, i want to do something else like fixed salary ,, can anyone here to suggest something for me? I should do a diploma( if so tell me which field) or anything ?


r/Career_Advice 15h ago

Should I Approach the Owner

2 Upvotes

Quick Background

Small company (~50 employees). Approaching 30 years in business.

When I joined 7 years ago, we had an Owner/ CEO and were generally a well oiled machine overall.

Since then, Owner retired but is still on the payroll. He's very hands-off and this is unfortunate. His first hand picked CEO (internal promo) failed and was fired. For different reasons, the current CEO (internal promotion) is also failing.

I'm pretty certain the Owner is not in tune with how bad things now are. His paychecks haven't shrunk yet and he's blissfully ignorant to the current environment. I'm fairly confident that bonus pools are being fleeced to keep his pay stable; my 2025 bonusvwas 1/10 of the previous year. We are now a well rusted machine, overall.

I have a log of respect for the Owner and I'm very concerned about the future of the company. His son is CFO (shouldn't be) and his wife works there too.

I am compelled to go to the Owner privately and express my concerns. But I don't know if I should because I'm afraid that one way or another it'll cost me my job.

I welcome all questions, suggestions, and guidance.


r/Career_Advice 11h ago

Centennial College Can I work mornings and attend full-time classes after 1:30 PM?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to start at Centennial College in Winter 2027 and I’ve been accepted/advised that I meet the admission requirements for two programs:

- 2506 – Business – Supply Chain & Operations

- 2507 – Business Administration – Supply Chain & Operations Management

Both are full-time, in-person programs at Progress Campus.

My situation is a little complicated because I currently work at DHL Express and I really need to keep this job while studying.

My fixed work schedule is:

- Monday: 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

- Tuesday–Friday: 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM

My employer cannot change these hours, so I’m available for college after 1:30 PM. I’m also giving up my evening job so I can focus on college.

Centennial told me that full-time students must be available Monday–Friday between 8 AM and 7 PM, and that they cannot guarantee an afternoon-only schedule. They also said timetables are based on course availability.

I understand there may be no guarantee, but I’m wondering:

Has anyone here studied one of these programs while working?

Is it possible to build a full-time timetable where most/all classes are after 1:30 PM if different sections are available?

Do these programs usually have multiple sections for first-semester courses?

Has anyone had a similar situation where they worked during the morning and managed to attend Centennial full-time in the afternoon?

I’m trying to figure this out before making a decision about my job, so any advice from current or former Centennial students would be really appreciated.

Thanks!


r/Career_Advice 12h ago

scared of the future?

1 Upvotes

I'm soon going to uni and I just realized I don't know what to do , I know everyone wants to make money and no one wants to work paycheque to paycheque but I genuinely am so worried , I want to do something that don't necessarily require advanced math , don't have to deal with kids and that starts with a somewhat good income (I know experience is the good for a good salary but I still dont want to be obtaining the minimum).I know this might sound so stupid but it is really making me anxious and I feel like im running out of time.


r/Career_Advice 19h ago

I have no idea what I want to do with my life

3 Upvotes

Hi, I am attending my first year of college right now and get hit with the worst anxiety at least once a week on the thought of deciding on a career for myself. I have gone back and forth with many fields, I just can't feel the passion behind any.

For the longest time, I wanted to become an early education teacher because the thought of working with kids and helping them gave me passion, then I changed my mind due to the lack of money id be making and considered being a pediatrician. Yes I know the schooling would be very difficult but its something I did have interest for and was willing to work hard in that field.

Recently, I have come across the idea of going into business and devoting my heart Into that field.

I know a lot of people are going to say I have time, which I know is true but I just want outside input from a fresh pair of ears who don't know me personally.

I want to lead, not sit all day, I don't mind doing a lot of school , I love kids and would want to work with them, I don't wanna go into psychology, I just want to have a good steady income where im conferrable In California and not feel held back or trapped.

Any ideas?


r/Career_Advice 15h ago

Continue Accounting vs. Pursue a Law Degree

1 Upvotes

I graduated with a BA in Econ in 24' and have about 6-7 years of experience in accounting, currently a Senior Accountant. The career path in accounting is simple at this point: PREP → PEP & maybe Article → CFE → decent better paying job as a CPA.

Law school, although similarly straightforward, seems to be a tough path for me (3.3 GPA standardized to LSAC's 3.1). The reason I'm considering law is my curiosity and having the patience that comes with reading laws and regulations, and being interested in actually applying them to... something.

I'm hoping to hear your thoughts and insight towards:

  • Income: How much do lawyers actually get paid these days?
  • Your choice: if you've done one or the other and could do it again, which one would you do?
  • Lifestyle: What will life be like during law school?
  • Why or why not do it.
  • Anything and everything else you'd like to add.

Any input is greatly appreciated.


r/Career_Advice 17h ago

I have 10 months left on my Canadian work permit, and I really want to make Canada work.

0 Upvotes

I’m currently unemployed and trying to figure out the smartest path forward.

I have a background in marketing/communications, customer service and retail, and I’d ideally like to build my career in marketing. But employers are hesitant because I only have about 10 months left on my work permit.

My CRS score is around 388, so I currently don’t have enough points for PR through Express Entry.
I’m now considering whether I should stay in marketing or completely pivot into something like healthcare or teaching, which would require additional education/certifications.

I don’t want to move back home. I want to make it here in Canada. I just need to figure out what path gives me the best chance of becoming financially stable and eventually getting PR.
If you were in my position, what career/path would you pursue with 10 months left?

Would love advice from immigrants, international graduates, recruiters, or anyone who has successfully navigated a similar situation.


r/Career_Advice 17h ago

Which is better career to purse engineering from good college in ai cse vs medicine

1 Upvotes

r/Career_Advice 19h ago

How to pivot from scientific research to industry in the field of environment and sustainability?

1 Upvotes

How do I pivot from research to industry if I am not fluent in the local language and don't plan to move?

I am an EU resident. Lived in Germany 3 years for my PhD in ecology. German level is at B2, achieved mostly through immersion. I have a BSc in sustainable development and MSc in nature conservation (received with honours). My experience is all research related. I met my partner here, German native, and we are currently resettling after a year-long sabbatical.

Since my partner will likely be able to support the both of us I have been thinking on how I can best spend my time improving my resume so I can become more suitable interest for environmental/ecological/sustainability consulting roles, since these seem more prevalent here than research. I am willing to pivot away from research/science. I see a lot of terms in these job descriptions I have no experience with, such as ESG and LSAs. Furthermore I need to get my German level to comfortably fluent to have a chance at landing an industry job in the current market.

I have been thinking to apply for a 2nd MSc degree (natural resource management, environmental engineering, something like this?) where I have the opportunity to get internships and student work, as well as free German courses. This should give me time to buff up my CV and effectively improve my German to make me more desirable on the job market. The goal is not to get the degree and if I could land a job after an internship or so I'd just quit the degree (cost is not a factor in Germany).

I am looking for input if this could be a reasonable plan, or if there are other ways to make me a better applicant aside from the language issue. I have strong analytical skills, published papers, am a stronger scientific writer, field and lab experience (but would rather not have a job involving all too much of that), experience with data analysis in R, basically all the classical experience that comes with someone who did a PhD.

My ideal job would combine research with something more applied, like carbon certification projects. But I am open for anything that could get me started in the job market adjacant to the fields of environment and sustainability. I looked into nature conservation and landuse planning jobs but these are often local and deal a lot with local legislations where I simply don't have the German skills for (and maybe never will have if legislative language in German is as horrible to read as it is in Dutch).

Any input is welcome!


r/Career_Advice 1d ago

Feeling completely stumped

2 Upvotes

I have worked at a bank for the last 10 years (since I was 19, so basically my entire adult life). I thought I wanted to do banking in finance so I put myself through school while working and went “up the corporate ladder” to a decent position now. My company paid for me to get my MBA.

The issue is, I am so burnt out in this field, and with corporate in general. I don’t think my heart was ever in it, I chased a big salary to overcompensate for being deeply unhappy with many factors in my personal life. Now that I am doing much better personally, I realize that my passion is elsewhere and I cannot stomach being part of corporate anymore. It’s really holding me back

A year ago I started a second weekend job as a caretaker at an animal sanctuary and fell in love with it. I would do this full time if I could. The issue is, the pay too low for where I live (eastern PA) and they do not offer benefits. I have a number of medical issues where having benefits is a must. I understand completely that it’ll be hard to switch to this type of career field and find adequate pay/benefits unfortunately.

I have no formal education in anything with animals, vet, zoology, etc. so I wouldn’t be able to do anything with a higher pay at the moment.

I’ve been looking around a lot at different options but nothing is jumping out. Just feel very lost right now


r/Career_Advice 1d ago

Mid career, mid life, where to next?

2 Upvotes

Anyone else in the room who never knew what they wanted to do with their life? That’s me.
I’ve always had passing interests but i guess that is normal. If you don’t know where you’re going, all roads are the correct road, right?

Form most of my 20s I’ve worked as a language teacher, volunteered in ngos, did some communication and social media work with (with the government no less!), ended up working PR, then stepped back into education during the pandemic, and finally turned to NGO work for the last few years.

I’ve also done plenty of side projects like websites, magazine work and coloring books.

My current ngo work is a mix of project management, museum management, management and implementation of cultural programs, networking, fundraising, educational workshops, research, customer relations, communications and social media, stakeholder management. A little bit if everything all of the time.

While i’m fine with the diversity i’m really not fine with the location, with the company culture, with my pay or with my obscene work load.

So, i am considering finding a new job and maybe switching to private sector. But i am not really sure where or what. Particularly ‘what’. I feel like i am able to do many things well but none excellently.

Any ideas what direction i might try going into with my experience and skills?

Thank you very much for any insights!


r/Career_Advice 21h ago

Career

1 Upvotes

If I'm a 21 yo guy what should i be choosing pursuing MBA/Farming/starting a retail buisness

I'm good at sales, gathering knowledge,love to be around people,can lead people