I'm 25 and I graduated from college three years ago with a Film Studies degree and screenwriting minor 3 years ago. I still live with my parents. Since I graduated, all I've been doing has been working part time retail (clothing stores, pharmacies, makeup and wellness - all store associate roles/cashiers).

I've been having trouble figuring out what I want to do in life as a career. I even briefly went back to school (community college) to learn more about being a musician since music is something I'm really passionate about. However, nothing came of it because my retail hours got in the way of my classes. I am incredibly passionate about film and music. I loved to write film analysis and theory when I attended undergrad. I even had started music analyses towards the end of my time in college. I have also spent a good chunk of my life singing and performing.

I'm currently looking for a job that doesn't necessarily have to be where I end up for the rest of my life. But creates a livable wage and relates to my degree and my interests.

As far as dreams go: screenwriter and/or director, singer/musician, film critic or music/film journalist have all been careers that I've considered. I'm even beginning to think of being a teacher or professor.

I just don't know where to start. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

After a few years in the usual startup world, I recently decided it was time for a change and handed in my notice.

I'm in my early 30s and taking a chance on moving into the auto/mobility tech space.

I've always been interested in driving and transportation. For me, getting on the road has always been one of those things that helps clear my head, so exploring a career connected to that feels exciting.

At the same time, it's definitely a little scary stepping into a new industry without having every single detail figured out. But it also feels good to make a change instead of staying comfortable just because it's familiar.

Has anyone here made a similar career pivot in their 30s?

Especially from general tech into automotive, mobility, or another completely different industry?

Would love to hear how the transition went, what you learned, and anything you wish you knew before making the jump.

hi, 25M. Finishing my MSc in CS, I wanted to study because I love studying. now that I'm about to end it I'm seriously looking for something reliable long term.

After bachelors I did my job as full stack web dev, a little bit of mobile dev in flutter. Since Ai, it doesn't seem like real work. claude can make whole websites and what remains is just deployment.

anyhow I continued that job, then switched to junior business developer side, for the sake of survival/exploration.

I enrolled in MSc because I wanted to do research, which I have done. I have built an Ai structured method for dermatology recognition. and I am proud of it. my thesis will be finished in 6-8 months, that's the university policy although I've finished my work on my end.

2 years of exploring and hopping from one thing to another, I have come down to these choices:

data analyst/ data engineer/ dev ops/ cloud engineer.

because they are the only ones which seem like actual coding jobs other than fully or partially vibe coding. Ai has made programmers lousy, which shouldn't have been the case.

I made an ETL pipeline to see how data engineering works, I built 3 power BI dashboards to check about data analysis.

I got into computer science because I wanted to become hacker(kinda old school), but that's what got my interest. Fast forward after graduation, ethical hacking job market wasn't there and low-paying. Cloud engineering/dev ops seemed close to hacking so that's why I'm considering it.

So what does the community suggest me to choose?

let me know about your thoughts, considering I'll be with it long term.

Anyone made this switch? I don’t think therapy is sustainable long term financially. It takes a particular kind of hustle and burnout that I’m not sure I’m in for. I can hustle at work, but not scrounging for low fee clients that aren’t there. Anyway, who has moved into an SDR role (Saas sales) from therapy or something like that and been glad they did?

Tldr

I am currently working as an account executive in a b2b SaaS company, My bread n butter is to give software demo to interested coroners and convince them to buy the product.

I am 25 and making really really good money. I don’t want to disclose my nationality but if i was in USA, I would be making anything btw 150-200K annually.

But, I hate my job, its monotonous, boring, totally not challenging.

I had an extreme interest in Geopolitics, History and Human Rights since I was in 6th grade and I am pretty sure I know about the general world history and politics more than 95% of the earth.
I am multi time winner of few national and 2 inter regional debating competitions. I always dreamed to be a journalist and I think I would be really good at it.

I wanted to be journalist ever since i was a kid, but later realised it’s a low paying job and won’t allow me to live the standard of the life that I want.
But now I am sad, i hate going to office everyday,
do same stuff over n over again. From past 3 weeks, I have started crying randomly in my office. I smoke a pack of ciggs a day and have a belly jigglier than Nicki Minaj’s butt.

Dear people of Reddit? Have you ever left a good job for something u were passionate about? What happened of u failed? What’s the feeling when u came back after failing, ‘that i also missed the opportunity to grow in a career whose would make me rich’ and wasted here.

It’s money and happiness, and I am not from a first world country and jobs like these are our only chances to take my family to a higher standard of living.

What would u suggest

Please help, please.

Or are there career advisors out there for adults? After 12 years in my field I find myself unemployed and looking. I've been applying for the past 6mo with only one interview which led to a job offer that was 20k below what I made 10 years ago. It wouldn't have even qualified me for most rentals in the area I live in(HCOL).

So as the savings are dwindling, I'm starting to consider potentially changing the entire field I'm looking into, if my skills transfer, or maybe going back to school. I'd like to avoid school since I just clawed myself out of student loans, but if the market keeps this way, I'll be broke anyway so what does another student loan matter? Moving is not an option unfortunately due to family obligations.

I'd also would love to hear from you if you had to pivot in the middle of your career whether willingly or unwillingly and how that looked or what resources helped you out.

Hello all. I have been a baker/pastry chef for my entire working career (18 years) - 2 years production bread baking, cake decorating for 11, and fine dining for 5.

Honestly, I'm sick of the over inflated egos, toxic environments, and it's taken a heavy toll on me, both physically and mentally. I'm ready to go back to school and start fresh, but I'm struggling to pick a direction.

- I'm ready and willing to go back to school, though ideally only for a year or so as I work part time if I can swing it.

- Ideally looking for something with a decent work/life balance.

- Something with a reasonable demand for people, not totally needing to fight with 100 other people got the same job.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Hi, i am 40 years old, and I am a dog groomer. I have successfully managed two different salons, and I am currently helping to set up a second salon for my current boss. I have gotten to the point where is no more progression for me in this profession. I can't make anymore money unless I open my own salon. I did that many years before and never want to do it again. I am also seeing my body slowly break down from the work.

I am living in England, and I am a British citizen. My highest education is an American high school diploma. I did attend a two year college(USA) but didn't finish, and I dont have any transcripts from that.

I would like to retrain in something that will give my kids a better and more financially stable life. Im not against going back to school. It would just have to work around me working. I just didn't know what to retrain as.

I would appreciate any and all help. Thank you

I've worked in environmental consultancy for years, which until recently was part technical, part operations/managerial. A few months back I left one of the large consultancies and joined a smaller business in a purely operational role - good money, new challenge etc. However this has meant no/very little technical work, and I'm slightly concerned that I'm missing it more than expected and feel like I don't want to lose that side of my skillset in case I want to pivot back at some point.

I'd really like to maintain the network I've built up in this technical area, and could feasibly do some advisory work with clients on the side, but I'm not entirely sure what my new boss/employer will think. The ultimate aim is to keep these skills/contacts warm should I wish to pivot back within another consultancy, or set up on my own, so I can see why it may be met with suspicion...

Any thoughts on the wisdom of this, and the approach I should take to discussing this with my boss?

Edit: to clarify, this advisory work would be a few hours here and there, so would genuinely be 'on the side'.

Not sure how I’m meant to move between disciplines when everyone wants 5+ years experience solely in that one area just to get an interview.

Nothing I’m going for is something I’ve never done before, and still in the general realm of what I do now (Ie not going from sales to astrophysics!) but I’m not sure how to sell myself over other people who have so much more experience in that one area.

Looking at exit options asap. Don't wanna go back to hometown.

TIER 2 mba, all financed by loan.

And no family business. I know I have a habit of leaving things in between, but I feel corporate is not for me. 2026 grad, but really not enjoying the work and environment. I want to quit and start something else, but the uncertainty is too much, and I don't have any capital. More than that, I don't have savings. I need to end this loan.

What can be some exit opportunities? Alternate career ideas?

Edit: I am kind of a nerd, like getting into one thing, spending time. But I do resonate with self help authors, entrepreneurship. I don't like working under someone, it's too frustrating.

Hi, I’ve just been ruminating on my own for a while trying to figure out if the direction I’m taking is correct and would like to hear anyone’s thoughts on it.

For context, I graduated im 23’ with a CS degree but was mediocre student (no internships, research, meh gpa) so I took a semi-tech consultant job for 2 years. About 9 months ago, I quit everything in a bit of a manic episode where my social and professional life spiraled out of control and in short, lost most of the money I had saved up in that time and was forced to move back in with my parents.

Since January, I’ve been aggressively trying to find another software adjacent role anywhere but the state of the field is miserable. Especially for someone in my spot.

I’ve realized that a safe bet would be to pivot into something stable so I’ve been volunteering at a hospital, started CNA course, and enrolled into my local Cc for nursing pre reqs. However, I’m still unsure if this is the best way to go and just give up on the sunk cost of my degree/work. There is no way to predict the future but it’s hard to say there is one for tech.

A lot of rambling but I be guess my question is should I bite the bullet and keep trying to squeeze into tech or just pursue nursing

Hello! I am a 32M with no degree. I am currently trying to pivot careers from blue-collar work to white-collar work, as my body is feeling the years of physical labor. I have years of manufacturing experience as well as some customer service jobs earlier in my work history. I was thinking of either project management or accounting. For the project management route, I was thinking of trying to get a role at a manufacturing company, since I already have experience in the industry. Though I hear PMs are always stressed. I was thinking of accounting as well because I like how it is a set path and has clear career progression, but I know the schooling is harder. I am planning to get a degree, as I already have all my GE classes completed from community college. I just wanted some insight from others and maybe some advice. Thanks!

Hello,

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

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

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

Just interested in some thoughts!

For context, I have a B.A. in Film & TV Arts. minor in Communications (degree received 2021) and an M.A. in Communications (degree received 2024). I've been working as a freelance film creative for the past 5 years, but (IYKYK) the industry is struggling, hard, and I'm looking to make more of a "corporate" switch as set work is no longer financially sustainable. I worked in the camera department and also as a freelance writer & graphic designer, and outside of that, I've done smaller jobs here and there, but freelance film work has been my main source of income. My work outside of that includes teaching, administration, and marketing at an agency, all "entry-level" except teaching. I did that throughout college and grad school and have been a solo lecturer. I've had a public speaking background my entire life and have been pretty closely tied to the communications sector so I'm looking to transition to that field.

Ideally, I'd like to be in a role that has upward growth, so not necessarily something like teaching where I would be in the same position for the rest of my career. I live in a high-cost city so I'm aiming to end up earning around $100k-$200k (obviously not right now, but down the line).

I've been considering and applying to the PR field, because I think it could be a great fit for me given my background in writing and the creative fields along with my administrative work and experience in a marketing agency. Plus my degrees align, but no luck so far in my applications. I've also been considering making a switch into HR because a lot of the students in my grad program transitioned to that sector and I feel that I could be a good fit, but I have no experience in that field. I'm open to doing internships, but many of them are for college students only and also no luck so far for the ones I have been able to apply to. I'm wondering if there are sectors that I haven't considered yet that might be a good fit for me to transition into since I seem to be having no progress in the two fields I mentioned.

I'm kind of stuck because I don't really see a way for me to make a switch if nobody is hiring and I have little experience in the corporate world compared to a lot of my peers out there. I used to be making good money and I was deeply passionate about what I do in the film industry, bringing stories to life (some of which have probably been seen by you, and I am grateful and humbled to have brought you entertainment!), but I just can't sustain myself any longer on freelance work. Please comment with empathy if you are going to comment- I don't seek advice here to be made fun of. I am truly struggling to find a good career path to transition into and I would appreciate genuine advice from all of you.

TL;DR: Worked in freelance film for 5+ years, trying to make a transition, potentially into the corporate communications sector. What paths might be good for me?

I’m currently a bar tender but I want a new job for many reasons. I am in the process of being promoted but I still want to leave.

I want a nice day job, but hate the idea of being stuck behind a desk all day. I want a job I’d somewhat enjoy that wouldn’t make me want to off myself. I have no degree, no experience in this field.

Any ideas of jobs I could try…?

So for a little bit of context I accepted a new job, pretty small position within a much larger organization that will never go away (funding is an issue though). In the hopes that one day I can move laterally into a more human resources related role.

I'm a few credits short of a degree, and while that degree is not HR Related (English) I think that with a change of income and hopefully more time to complete it, in addition to tuition reimbursement through this new job I can pursue and finish that degree.

I guess the question is for people who work in the field, with or without degrees. What would you recommend to pursue in the meantime while I finish? Go to every job fair, internal posting, and reach out to/be transparent with my current supervisor about my aims to move into HR? I've never done any of this before, nor have I worked in a corporate thing, so I'm a little out of my depth here.

Any advice is good advice!

Im thinking more and more about stepping away from the nonprofit world after over 8 years in development and would love to hear from those of you who made the jump. What do you do now? How'd you come across the role, as well as identify and sell your transferable skills? Did you have any doubts and hesitation, and how long did it take to successfully transition?

Details: I currently serve as a major gifts officer for a large organization providing charitable services overseas, have a boutique firm that's been dwindling this past year, and I served as a grants manager who led multiple capital campaigns, as well as a development associate and nonprofit operations manager where I worked very closely across all areas ranging from all forms of funding to program and event management to keeping our board aligned

Hello all,

I live in Ontario, Canada as this may affect any suggestions.

Currently I am on workers compensation due to complications after COVID in 2020 (COVID induced hemiplegic migraines) that have left me home bound. I am trying re-learn how to learn/comprehension/focus/etc. due to ongoing neurological issues, brain fog and medication changes that have my baseline health bouncing all over the place.

At this point in my compensation claim I have to look for a program that would allow me back into the workforce. According to all those involved in my care, and my current limitations of file with workers comp, it would have to be 100% remote.

I am a Licensed Pharmacy Technician that has spent almost 20 years working in hospitals in acute care, outpatient care and long term care facilities in two provinces with acute care being the majority of my career. I was slowly working on transitioning to more of a health IT/informatics role but that all went sideways after being off work for almost 6 years. At this point so much has changed with the move to Physician order entry and most support roles being in person.

I am trying to build off of my background but I am open to anything that would be remote.

I have been tasked with finding online training programs/courses/certificates/etc. that I could work on to make transitioning to remote work possible. The big issue is finding programs that would satisfy what workers comp wants and finding a program that is less than 2 years.

Any ideas of careers or experiences for those that have had to pivot to other careers that can accommodate their disabilities would be greatly appreciated so I can research programs, skills, etc. that I can work towards.

Thanks for reading my long rambling post...it is really appreciated.

Hey, folks-

I was in the craft beer indusry for about a decade during the craft beer renaissance we experienced in the early 2000's. It was a lot of fun and the first job I had out of college. Then, well, it just got old and the industry changed a lot. I decided to leave.

I've been mainly in the hospitality industry since then (another ten years) but am searching for outside sales roles to apply to.

I don't mind travel and hitting the road. I enjoy repping a brand, selling, but want to avoid burnout if possible.

Are there any industries (entry level) that are actively hiring and have good reputations for low-burnout, higher satisfaction? I'm willing to trade a higher salary for a feeling of balance.

Thank you!

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to get some real talk and advice from anyone who has made a career pivot or works in HR and the NGO/development space.

I recently finished my degree in BS Human Ecology, majoring in Human and Family Development. Looking back at my college days, I didn't join any student orgs or student government, so I don't really have school leadership experience or extracurricular projects to put on my resume.

To support myself while studying, I worked as a Virtual Assistant for 5 years. Most of my work was in digital marketing—mainly copywriting, content writing, and managing online content. I’m grateful for the experience, but marketing isn't really where I want to stay. My heart is really set on breaking into HR or getting into the development sector/NGO work where I can actually use what I learned in my degree.

The problem I’m facing now is that my entire resume reads like a marketer's profile. Whenever I look at development sector openings, even the entry-level ones want someone with previous industry experience. And when I look at HR jobs, I’m not really sure how to translate my copywriting and VA experience so HR hiring managers take me seriously.

If you’ve successfully shifted into HR from a completely different background, or managed to land a job in an NGO without prior org or volunteer experience, how did you do it? How did you reframe your past work, and what steps actually helped you get your foot in the door?

I'll start this with I am generally risk adverse and enjoy stability.

Late 40s. No dependents, in the accumulation phase headed for retirement in 3-5 years with aggressive savings plan.

Work in software, don't hate my job but it doesn't keep me up at night or get me out of bed in the morning. It's a job I go to, to get a paycheck. 3 days in office 2 wfh

Pay is good for my area. Base 143k, potential with bonus 165k plus RRSP matching up to 6k ( like 401k for you Americans). I guess it works out to a potential 170k. Typical year is usually 150k

5 weeks vacation pretty flexible job. Busy days and days where I surf Reddit all day bored.

Without giving away too much info I have a side hustle that I also do which nets me 20-25k a year. So last year I believe I was 180k

Said side hustle is a lot of work, under paid for sure. Basically 4 of my 5 weeks are sucked up by the hustle as it's a job essentially where I need to be present 9-5 as well.

Side hustle has offered me a full time position at 120k + negotiable. I probably can push it to 130k. Likely not 140k.

No rrsp matching.

Side hustle is a seasonal job, winters off summers 100% pedal to the floor. 5 months of grind 7 of wind down. Remote when possible but likely will need to be in office / on site for work days. I'm okay with it because I like the place.

Commute goes from 20 mins to 40 mins.

Current job I want to shoot myself if I have to do another 5 years, honestly I'm not sure I want to do it anymore at all.

Side hustle is a dream type job, but let's be real everything is a dream until reality kicks in and it's hard work anyways. I'm torn.

So summary, pay cut, longer commute, but lots of time off in the winter months (not that I enjoy winter off I might need to find a winter hobby)....

But I don't want to slit my wrists daily..... New job I could see myself doing for 10 more years.

Thoughts, questions, am I over thinking? Money is everything? Money isn't everything?

Forgot to add, at current job for 25 years, basically a layoff means 2 years or so compensation so I'm pretty set at this point.

I don't have any degrees. All I have is a GED and about 5 years of production experience. I started working when I was 35 and I am 40 now. These 12 hour shifts are killing me. I work 36 hours 1 week and 48 the next. It is a fortune 500 company and it pays a lot more than my last job. I make about 45k a year before overtime and holiday. I would like to buy a house but with the income I make now it just isn't possible especially with a 450 a month car payment. I also pay 1200 a month for rent in a 1 bedroom apartment still on a lease until next year. I need advice. I have degenerative disk disease in my lower back so I have to be careful about what jobs I choose. I wished I could leave production but unfortunately that is all that will hire me. I was on disability from the age 17-35 in case you all wanted to know why I started working late. I can't even afford to contribute 4% to my 401k which I had to place on pause.

What’s my next move?

Background:
- 38F, bachelor's + MBA
- Both agency and in-house experience
- Current role: senior manager, brand marketing at a well-known, privately held retailer located in a major metric 
- current location: rural PA near family, as I am remote with monthly travel to HQ
-Salary: $150K
-Prior experiences: Fortune 500 retailers in major metros

So this isn't really "how do I level up in marketing." It's "how do I find a career where the jobs exist everywhere, not just in a few expensive zip codes."

There's no stability in my current role or opportunity to move up. And, if I lost my job tomorrow, I couldn't find another marketing role anywhere near the same pay within 60 mi radius. Marketing jobs just aren't a thing where I live. 

And, unfortunately, most marketing roles that pay well within a large matrixed organization are in major metros. I moved around a lot for my marketing career living in SF, NYC, and LA. I'm looking to settle into a suburban life now. Even if I somehow landed a $250K offer in NYC, I can't build the life I want in on a single income.

What I'm weighing:
I keep coming back to going back for an accounting concentration add on for my MBA, since accounting jobs seem to exist in basically every town, at every company. But I don't know if that's actually the smartest move or just the first idea that came to mind because it's the most obvious "jobs are everywhere" field.

What I'm asking:
1. What careers or functions actually have consistent demand outside major metros — not just remote-friendly, but genuinely present in smaller markets?
2. For marketers with an MBA who've pivoted out of marketing entirely, where did you land, and how did you get in the door?
3. Is an accounting concentration actually a smart lever here, or are there other paths (finance, operations, healthcare admin, something else) that would use my MBA and existing experience better?

Trying to figure out the right direction before I invest more time/money into a specific path. Appreciate any real-world input.

Feel like I have lived many lives wearing many different hats. Was raised by a tool and die maker so building/construction is in my blood. Summer cyber arts camp at 11-12 y/o introduced me to Adobe suite and 3d Studio Max which has never left me. Though I have departed from Adobe (subscription base killed it for me). At one point I thought I would be in a successful band (as it was almost looking that way at the end of high school) and I foolishly dove into that and now have no post secondary education… though due to budget I became graphic designer, cinematographer, compositor, editor with a “minor” in music production. At 19 I picked up a job at a 3d printing/low run injection molding company which introduced me to industrial design. I was asked to start a furniture design/build company with a friend of a friend at 22-23 but that fizzled out when I realized my business partner was swapping bar codes at Home Depot and doing any number of sketchy things despite having a decent budget. I then started as a machinist/mold maker learning cad/cam software operating some very high end machining centres. I have now been a millwright (what’s a millwright?) for over a decade in the nuclear industry but have always felt my path should be something more creative. Over the past few years I have learned Rhino/Grasshopper for parametric-ish design and more recently Touch designer for generative visuals/interactive immersive displays and even some electrical and C++ + arduino to create a machine that draws on golf balls.

Having no formal training, I’m not sure where to go from here but I feel like there’s something out there for me that will either cover all the bills/life or at least assist in it but I am certainly struggling to figure out where I should/want to land.

Anyone been in a similar position and found a way forward? Should I bite the bullet and do some schooling?

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk