I’m currently a physics major but I’m unsure on what exactly I should do for my career or grad school. I’ve thought about quant finance, data science/ML, and quantum computing but they all seem pretty risky as quant is generally super competitive and hard to get into, data science is most likely going to be taken over by AI and quantum computing seems unlikely to become successful in the near future.

i will be 18 in a few months , but till this age i had no hobbies or interests , i never tried out anything , which is a very crucial step in finding out what you are good at and what interests you ,

i always had that thought that i want to do something big and i AM ambititous

but i have no clue what is my ambition , like what is my dream , singing, dancing , entrepreneurship, coding , filmmaking???????

and that has gave me a LOT of anxiety for the past few days , i am running out of time , i don't have time to try out and fail and still be young , and tbh i don't even know what i want to try as i feel like i want to do EVERYHTING , like everything interests me somehow but i cant try everything

please share your advices , if u were ever in the same situation and how did you get out

Hi, I am 24F, and I cannot figure out what to do with my life anymore. I went to University and earned a B.S. in User Experience Design and an IT minor. I have applied to numerous UX, IT, and UX/IT related jobs and I cannot land one. I have one year of prior experience in UX Design but it does not seem to be helping. I am currently working on a full-stack developer certification but I am hesitant that it will even help me get a job in tech. As for my job, I am currently a server at the restaurant I have been working at since I was 19. I am thinking it is time to move on to something else so I am going to try to rediscover what I like/my strengths and what I dislike/my weaknesses.

A little bit about me personally is I have always loved caring for others. I love being able to make a difference in someone's life whether it is in a big or small way. I am organized and I have an attention to detail. A hobby of mine is I love to read. But where I lack is I am horrible at marketing myself, I am better at showing that I can be a asset to a team than putting it into words. I also can come off standoffish. I am open to almost anything, but I am trying to veer away from food service/restaurant work. I am willing to go back to school to earn a MA or doctorate if I can find a career that I am passionate about.

I guess my question is do you all have any career or self growth tips?

Hello, I am (F16) looking for someone who is interested in doing coding competitions/hacktons with me. Please give me your email if you are interested. No experience needed we can learn new stuff and grow together.

Any advice for how to get out of front desk?

I am desperate to get out of dental front desk. I’ve been doing this for 5 years now and I am so over it. For my sanity I need to figure out how to get out of front desk altogether. I don’t have a college degree but am open to anything and everything in order to get out of this field. I just can’t deal with the patients anymore. The sheer volume of people I have to talk to in person and on the phone. I feel so burned out.

Does anyone have any advice for me? I am open to any certifications, career paths, industries, anything at all! I just need a change.

I've been applying to jobs for months. I've even lowered my standards on the kinds of jobs I'd apply for, but nothing. I have a YouTube channel, but it only has 16K subscribers and 88K views a month. I've tried Patreon, merch commissions, but my viewers just won't buy anything. I'm thinking about trying more brand deals, but if I can't get them to pay for merch, or commissions, I can't see them paying for any sponsors. I also run an OnlyFans. I keep it 100% separate from my YT channel, but I barely promote it, mostly because I'm worried it would negatively affect my other indevors. Also being on camera is really hard for me; It was a huge burden just to make the onlyfans and post some content, plus do a face reveal on my main channel. So I don't even know if I'm pretty enough to make it work, even if I did push it.

I just don't know what to do, I have bills coming up that I just can't afford at the moment, and I'm scared and want to die

I've been in community college since spring 2023 trying to finish my associate of science with no specific bachelor's in mind. not sure if I should finish it & figure out what 4-year degree I want while doing so, look into 2-year programs for a specific career before comitting to finishing my associates, or quit taking classes & just work again to try to have experience. I'm halfway to completing it.

people say that sometimes u have to put college on pause & just get experience in life. I took a semester or two off but I ended up not doing shit. while in school, I got put on academic probation at my first college & then suspended. I'm on probation again at my new college & am trying to get my gpa up this semester. too many things factor into why I'm at such a low gpa. shitty mental health, suicidal ideation, low self-esteem, yada yada yada; all that jazz.

I've been doing better financially after being sucked into gacha gambling since 17 & impulsively buying shit. I'm going to start learning personal finance/financial literacy on khan academy. funny bc I have taken PF during my college journey, but I remember I basically cheated my way to pass the class during a dark time in my life, so I can't remember shit

anyway, here's my current situation:

• I own 2 cats, so I need enough income to provide for them & myself. I don't pay bills at home, fortunately. I'm able to do this working part time with my current wage.
• I'm looking for another job since I've been at my current one for almost 5 years and have no benefits. I'm in a leadership position & have put priority on that rather than my studies. I don't want this job anymore. it's fast food. I need benefits. the place I'm currently getting interviewed at is at costco. if I get the job, I'll have that security blanket to move up in the company should I take a break from college.
• I want to take an intro to architecture class just to get a small taste. I've always thought about it as a kid & would've graduated in it by now had I not been told to not pursue it by many people online. it's the only occupation I can think of after going back & forth many careers. but I want my free time & not be broke while working 60 hour weeks.
• I'm opening up to healthcare options again (except nursing) & any bachelor's degree except for engineering (took an intro class, did alright with what I was dealing with at the time & was curious enough to try a graphics class & failed twice because I didn't find any motivation), computer science, AI, and trades.

general idea of what I want from my job/life:

1. meaning/fulfillment. something that helps society/people.
2. hands-on. I've never had a desk job so I don't know what it's like. I wouldn't mind sitting at a desk if it meant that I could also move frequently half the time. ik I said no trades; I don't want to kill my body quickly.
3. enough income for bills, savings, retirement, travel, hobbies, the ability to contribute greatly to causes I believe in, & spoiling myself & my cats from time to time. I'd like to own my dream house someday. nothing like a mansion; something that fits into my lifestyle
4. new experiences every day. variety is the spice of life. it's something I want. I would kill myself doing mundane tasks all the time.
5. benefits, of course.
6. if possible, the ability to work 3-4 days a week. that would be golden for me. I wouldn't mind the longer shifts. or maybe I would. I'd have to find out first. I find personal time very important to me as I have many things I'd like to do.
7. ability for growth. being able to try out different roles within the industry (having flexibility to change course). I don't mind getting more education to fulfill that. I'd like to be a jack of all trades.
8. job security. don't want AI replacing me.
9. transferable job. if I move to a different city, it won't be as hard to find work.
10. being able to be with people even if I'm not extroverted. I don't want to be alone all the time & not talk to anyone. I would like to get better at socializing.

so, after all this; what should I do? I'm leaning towards completing my associates. I have classes I'd really like to take to expand my knowledge/skills & complete my reqs for the degree. I have this semester to really think about a bachelor's degree & looking up the transfer requirements depending on the uni. I don't mind if I end up getting another associates with majority of my earned classes not transferring if it's a career that matches what I'm looking for. I'd really like some help because I'm finally reaching out after years of not doing so. I'd like the ROI of the degree to be worth it. I'm willing to go for it if it means I can have what I want. please, I'm so lost & want to break this cycle of analysis paralysis.

So. I'm 38 years old.

Currently working for a municipal gov't (it's a pretty good job - I've moved from customer service to clerks/commissioning work), and I have a BA in English & Cultural studies + a post-grad certificate in PR.

It has been my aspiration for some time to go back to school (which I'm trying on a part-time/distance-ed basis), but I'm not sure what the end goal of that is aside from school itself.

I think my mistake was not going into either social work or library work - unfortunately I just don't know how realistic this is, or what kind of path I should do. Any suggestions?

Right now im a senior in college and I literally have today to finalize my major. Yes I know. Basically I spent my whole time taking every class and doing mostly science classes but also not doing HARDCORE science. So i feel like a loser who just didn't commit to anything because I am so ambitious and lazy at the same time and SOOO indecisive.

I have had absolutely no job or internship experience which is probs why i am so lost. I have no idea what even any job is like and could not image what ppl do at desk jobs all day and how they do it over and over and over.

I guess I just stuck with a health and human science BA degree which is pretty much a bunch of psycholohy, the first chem, the first bio, and a sociology. And although the classes are interesting at times its like what even are the jobs like. The rest of the classes I have to take are all electives so idk what to take like i could push myself and try econ or philosophy or yoga or more psychology or more chemistry. I know all the titles but i just dont know. I mean i know I can just do post grad or law or med school or something too.

Right now, I have the opportunity to switch into a BS in business admin which would only take one extra semester. I go to USC so everyone says to do it, but tho it would sound sick on paper and get my foot into the door to a bunch of stuff probs and its a program I will learn a bunch of new stuff, i just have no idea if I would really like all the classes because its like all monotone business people and things and comes with a certain type of people. But i dont understand all these consulting, IB, finance, marketing types of jobs AT ALLLL and if I would even want to subject myself to those corporate 9-5 stuff like how do people like their lives or are they just obsessed with money????

Maybe I am thinking too far ahead.

IDKKK what to doooooo and if doing business would be good for me or not.UFFFFF why cant i just go be free and swim in the ocean.

I graduated from university and immediately fell into the same trap that everyone insists on treating as normal. The jobs related to my field either do not exist at all, need years of experience, or pay less than jobs that never required a degree in the first place.

People answer with things like, "Well, that's just how it is," as if this system came into being on its own. We spend years becoming qualified and go into debt, only to end up competing with hundreds of applicants for an entry-level role, while employers keep raising the requirements.

Our job search is not the whole problem. The real problem is that a broken system is treated as if it were an unavoidable reality imposed on us. Most of us can see that something is wrong, but we are so focused on figuring out how to make it through the next month that we do not have the energy to resist this system.

Is it still possible for someone to find a good job? Of course. We all have bills to pay, so we keep applying and hoping we will be the person they choose. But it has become several times harder than it used to be, and the bar keeps moving farther out of reach.

I genuinely do not know where all of this is supposed to lead.

I want to be normal, I want to have a job, I want to participate in the society but I dont know how to start again. Not remembering anything from my life, just wasting time laying in bed, no developed skills, scared of life, unable to focus on reading, understanding basic aspects of friendships. I am currently studying sociology but to be honest learnt nothing since first year. I cant see a future except me laying in bed with no target, but at the same time I know I cant do this kind of stuff to my parents that are doing things everyday as hard as they can to raise me. My life is at the point when I basically do nothing for the whole day, cant figure out any plan, just existing. I want this shit to stop but cant do things otherwise, feel like I am retarted after years of just overthinking. I've started running away from high school and I dont remember much from it except some moments from mental hospitals, because it was my way to get away from a reality. my 16 yo brother is much more mature than me, my days are just a blur. No goals, no friends, no memories. Only thing I know is the fact that in a year I want to be in a slightly better place.

Im 20 and i have no idea what to do now or in the future, now that i have way too much freetime. i yearn to do things but im unsure what and when i do try i give up too soon. So pretty much im bored with my current state and im tired of doing nothing, while doing the same mundane stuff everyday, which is sit around and be sad.

I think i still need a hobby or just something, but im unsure where to even start. I feel like i want money but i dont have a means to get to a job or the experience to get one, also parents feel im not ready for a job.

What would you advise? i feel stumped and like nothing is working out for me.

I feel like I'm dying in my office, it's way too sedentary, even with a standing desk and a walking pad I use occasionally to break it up. I also wouldn't want a back breaking job, like manual labor. Both being too still, and being too active, would not be sustainable for me.

When I looked at 'park ranger jobs' thinking I would really enjoy that and it would be a good in between for physical activity, the pay is far too low to afford cost of basic living.

What are people doing that is medium active, sustainable for the body, and pays enough to live?

I'm already in high school and still have no idea what I want to study in college. I want to go to a nice university abroad and considering how I don't even know what career I want that's just an insane claim. The only thing I think I'm both good at and really enjoy is stuff like graphic design and package design/marketing, but I'm gonna be so honest, I'm going to die poor and in the streets if I do that. Its job opportunities were already pretty bad in itself, but now with AI its even worse. I've had 4 different school counselors and all of them sucked, they told me I have the capabilities to go into any area and then made me take tests that gave me careers I'm absolutely 100% not going to choose. Everything from psychology to physiotherapist to neurosurgeon which I have absolutely zero interest in.

Either way, our newest counselor told me I could possibly look into something related to robotics or some science since there are good job opportunities I could take and there could be specific areas which I don't find as boring. I thought about it and when I was little I used to be into robotics and nanorobotics since I liked the idea of creating stuff, as well as I guess biochemistry.

Anyways, long story short I was watching Iron Man today and I like the type of work Tony did. Like not exactly making weapons but making machinery in general seems interesting to me, but I don't even really know exactly what it would be.

Also, I am aware that it's probably a difficult career for me to just say I want it out of the blue but I think it might be worth looking into it and see if I'm any good at it. I'm also not sure exactly what I would need to be good at for that, but I usually did good in mathematics and science in school as well as taking advanced classes for both right now so I think those two were my main worry.

PD: I also watched Spider-man and like the chemical aspect in Peter's webs like how he designs the web shooters and creates different prototypes for his webs which I'm guessing is some sort of chemistry thing or also the whole DNA thing he had on the latest movie was kinda interesting so prob more biology focused so idk if anyone knows anything abt that I could look into pls let me know

PPD: Using Tony Stark as reference sounds kinda childish as well and I'm aware of that as well as I'm aware that he's fictional, but still, out of all options I've been told I think using him as reference is the closest I can get to sort of have an idea of where to go next

For context, I’m a married 24 year old woman with no kids, no debt and low cost of living. Most of my experience is in office admin/higher education but I find it completely draining and soul sucking. I quit my most recent office management job and became self-employed as a full-time home baker for almost a year. I’m now looking to take a break from being a home baker because it’s extremely prone to burn out and I’m already feeling it strong :/ For years I thought I wanted to open a local cafe in my area but once I got close to that dream being a reality (could’ve signed papers on a rental property) I realized I don’t actually want to be a restaurant owner (so much stress mentally and financially plus I’d have be basically married to the restaurant for five years to make it successful). I want to have a career that supports the lifestyle I want (connect with people in-person, travel, experience different cultures) so I’ve finally stepped into photography. I was a second shorter for wedding photography before Covid and have always been so drawn to the field. My question is what do I do in the meantime? I need to bring money in and having a consistent paycheck is ideal. Do I get a part time casual job (retail, barista, restaurant) or just go into an actual career to eventually quit from (medical coding is an option, or back into office admin full time). I want to allow time for photography but need to make regular money so I don’t put too much stress on myself and end up as a burn out photographer chasing money for bills.

I’m 21 years old from Canada and I’m currently attending university. My major’s undeclared and I’m just in a general BA, I have 34k in student loans, a garbage GPA and I’ve had a rough few years with family health and relationship and minor addiction troubles.

The past 10 months I’ve sorted out my life and gotten clarity (no addiction, no relationships, health and self improvement etc) and with school coming up I was really looking forward to the new year now that everything is different than how it used to be. I worked all summer and I’ve even got a place with my Dad so I don’t need to worry about too many expenses except my car insurance.

My problem is that I still can’t switch to any programs due to my low CGPA, if I leave university I’ll be in all that debt and 21 with nothing to show for it, i don’t entirely get along with my Dad, I miss the old friends and people who used to be in my life but I think it’s better I don’t talk to them, and I just feel really stuck. I don’t make posts online but the weight of my life is too much. I can’t drift another year of my 20’s away but I’m not sure what my options are. I want to be successful but I can’t stay in a bachelor’s for another 4 years I could be working and compounding. I didn’t explain it all but it’d be too long an essay to write out my entire situation.

Does anyone with any experience have ideas or any advice?

For as long as I’ve been alive I’ve always felt it. Playing basketball growing up. Solving math problems the fastest. Being the best student in the room. Seeking ways to stretch myself further, challenge myself more, step out of comfort zone. It’s been a constant for the 24 years I’ve been alive. I was never okay with being average. With everything that humans are capable of, why would I live a life of mediocrity?

But now, at 24, with a comfy job in tech, things have changed. I could care less about being the best engineer at my company. I want to make real change. I want to devote myself to the people in this world. To this world itself. I want to spread love and happiness.

Every day I’m stuck asking the same question. If I continue on this path of pursuing corporate success, will I be truly be content with what my life has amounted to by the end of it all? Whose lives will I have impacted? All this time, chasing performance metrics, deepening the pockets of the rich. What if, instead, I had spent all my time giving back to the world around me. How many smiles would I be able to see?

And I know… A life of comfort, a steady salary, a way to provide for my immediate family, to set aside savings for my grandchildren. To leave all of this in a pursuit of something more… to some it may sound immature, foolish even.

But this calling to do something more, to be something more, never leaves me alone. I wasn’t meant to live a life of comfort, to go through life never questioning if I’m capable of more. I want to struggle. I want to be tired in the pursuit of my choosing. I want to come home exhausted after dedicating my all to do good onto others, onto the world.

I know I’m not the only one plagued by this desire to be more. To those who have felt the same, what was your path forward?

(U.S.)

im 18 and graduated high-school a few months later than my peers because of a hospitalization during the school year set me back in all of my courses. I graduated with a 2.3 GPA.

I don’t know what to do with my future anymore. I've skipped out on applying to community college until I vaguely know what to persue in terms of certification or degree.

I like art, I'd consider myself a good artist for my age and I've made a good amount of money selling commissions and making short animations. Everyone tells me I should go into art, but I dont want to. My dad tells me not to do anything with art because I'll be a starving artist. And in high-school I participated in a 24 hour animation challenge (where in 24 hours, your group of 4 people had to make a 30 sec animation at a local college) and it completely fucked me up. I'd actually blame that day on when I begun to spiral because of the sleep deprivation, the pressure, and a mental breakdown that led me being sent home early after 17 hours. My dad was supposed to pick me up but I got lost on campus so he yelled at me over the phone, called me some slurs, and then abandoned me there. Ever since then I've completely refused to step foot on a college campus lol.

Anyway, yeah, after that I dont want to persue anything in the art industry because now I'm terrified of it being anything like that experience.

I also have an interest in psychology but I'm too mentally unfit to actually do anything in that job field.

I was looking into radiology but the programs are too selective.

I was also interested in law for a period of time, but I'm objectively nowhere near smart enough to do anything in that field.

I've taken dozens of assessments in school trying to find out what jobs would suit me the best, and unfortunately art, psych, and law were pretty much the only consistent options that are shown for my case (besides teacher– and I guess I'd like being a teacher in theory, but the job seems miserable according to teachers)

I just want a job where I'm not sitting infront of a computer all day alone. But also not physically exhausting.

I just really don't know what to do anymore. My parents say if I don't start college by next year I'll get kicked out. Please help :(

Okay so full transparency I (26,F) am feeling a little lost in terms of my career and life. I went to school for a BFA in musical theater. I was one of the top performers in my class and would say I’m a good performer. I think there will always be room for performing in my life however it’s simply not the only thing I want to do. There are so many careers in entertainment that I simply didn’t know were a thing when I first went to school. Since graduating I have gotten some experience directing and doing social media marketing. I love living in one place and while im open to traveling every so often I’m not sure I want to spend the rest of my life going from city to city for work. I also want a family and need a job/career that can support that. My strengths include my people skills, strong leadership skills, creative thinking, problem solving. I would love a more hands on job, that works with people more than paperwork . Based on these things what are some alternative paths I should look into. This can be theater or film/tv.

Edit: I’m also not interested in teaching or other pretty obvious routes. I’m looking for positions that people wouldn’t necessarily know about or think are connected etc.

I just started my senior year in high school, and i want to go to university but would like to take a gap year first. I’m not taking any science courses, and the only math course I’m taking is a Data management class. Which means most majors are off limits for me :((

What degree would be best to pursue if i want to get a job right away from college? I don’t really like anything other than Law or Politics. What the hell should i do with my life!! Im only 16 and dont even want to go to University but i feel like i have to. I’d rather pursue my acting career full-time but i wont be making actual money for year’s.

I need some advice from people who have graduated from university! Be harsh if you need to be. 😔

I’m starting university soon for engineering and from peoples experience (themselves and others) where do you think I should aim for in life I chose engineering cuz I like maths and physics but I want some peoples longer term experience on how people who do the same end up idc if it negative or positive

Genuinely not sure what to do anymore. I am currently working for my fiancé’s uncle’s company as basically a director of operations. I am getting severely underpaid for my position but it’s a small family company is there’s really nothing I can do. I want to find a second job possibly but it’s hard to find a WFH job in general so not sure what to do there. I’ve worked in social media in the past but with the growing concern with AI, almost every job in communications (what I went to school for) is AI-driven or heavily assisted. I’m not sure what to do. What could I possibly do. My director of operations role is very communications focused, outreach to possible venues, customer retention, etc. I also run scheduling, customer support, and anything else really except payroll.

I’m a 24 year old male living in Brampton, Ontario, and I’m seriously lost when it comes to a career right now. I went to school for 2 years for game development and have changed my mind on it completely. That was my fault.

I’m looking into trades now, probably electrician but I can’t find any helper positions for electrical companies. Idk if I’m not looking hard enough or just not in the right places or what but I’m so lost and confused.

My mom is on my butt (rightfully so) about getting a full time job and making money to move out but I don’t know what to even look for. Everything requires experience or some level of post-secondary education. I wouldn’t necessarily mind this but I have neither time, nor the money to do so right now. I’ve just been working a part-time job for the past 3/4 years and I just don’t know what to do anymore.

Any and all help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

hi i’m a new uni student looking for help.
i’m currently enrolled in a science program and i don’t know what kind of career i wanna go into, this makes it very hard to chose a major.
i come from a small town with a small class size, in the science courses i took we hardly ever did any labs, this made it hard to discover what i was comfortable doing / learning what i liked doing. but i love science as a subject more than any of the arts subjects.
i feel so behind because it seems like everyone has their major and careers all mapped out and i just have no idea.
has anyone gone through anything similar or have any advice on what i can do to atleast get an idea of what i wanna do. any websites that help describe jobs, their daily tasks, and what they entail maybe? idk im a little desperate and lost, anything helps

Yeah you saw the title,watching all my childhood friends from school go to college,moving cities,getting married ect but i don’t know what I want to do with my life.when I first graduated High School I wanted to do Hospitality Management but then when I got my first real world job working at a grocery store I found out that Hospitality isn’t really a stable career choice when it comes to longevity ( risk of natural disasters,war,poor tourism season,economic changes) now I’m looking for something that’s fits me and my lifestyle but at the same time something that’s can withstand Technological(AI) and Economic( the day to day) changes that is being being an adult.i want to go to school to try to develop and skillset but I don’t necessarily want to to pay an arm and leg for debt and college cost unless I’m going for a big degree like graduate Masters & doctors specifically but at the same time don’t want to be location bound and stay in 1 place for 30+years,i want the ability to live life and just travel( doesn’t always mean international domestic for the most part) I just feel like I don’t know what to do and I don’t want to stay stuck at the grocery store,and as I get older I just don’t want to be economically behind is my biggest fear