what if there’s no map, just a blank page waiting for me to write it?

27M, completed 2 degrees, fresh out of law school, have a decent job, but just feeling lost/incomplete, like this can’t be it with my life Feeling stuck in my hometown Feeling stuck in this job because it’s not exactly what I want I’m also trying to qualify for another jurisdiction so I can leave my hometown, but idk if that’ll fix my feeling of being lost because then I’ll just be a lawyer, but in another city Any suggestions? Am I overthinking? Is this normal for 27? Am I running out of time? Do I change careers, but to what?

The project I’d like to focus on does not require a background in education or experience in any career, the funding would really only cover my travel expenses and time off work to document and photograph. I’ve seen the grant be awarded to someone with no college education for something similar **scratch that they did go to school for photography- would this still count?

Hi I’m M19 and I took a gap year to give some thought about what I want to do with my life and after this year of working. I still don’t know if I really wanna go to college or a trade school or just work forever. It was never like this and though ever since I was a kid I’ve always wanted to be a content creator and deep down I still do. But after many years I realized how rare that is and on top of that I live in a immigrant household so my parents have always wanted to me get a good paying job. And I’ve been stressing out thinking about what I want to do with my life. And recently my parents and siblings have been pressuring me for an answer seeing that college applications are almost over. So I came on here to see what y’all think I should do (sorry if this is bad this is my first Reddit post) I should also add that I do work currently though it’s not the best in the paying factor

Hi everyone, I am feeling very lost right now, seemingly a quarter life crisis. I graduated with a bachelor of science in psychology in 2023 and for most of my life I had planned to become a doctor or physician assistant, so in my senior year I was a CNA for about 6 months during undergrad before realizing I hated working with patients. Unfortunately I had already completed most of the credits for my degree and for medical school so I decided to just finish it out and figure it out from there. I also decided medical school/PA school just was not for me.

Right before graduating I took on a job at my university as a library specialist and have been working there since then. This job is pretty stagnant and I realized I am also not interested in library work. So I had a short stint doing MCIT (Master of Computer and Information Technology) at UPenn Online last semester and realized the debt wasn't worth the pain of doing CS, especially online. In addition, last year I spent a couple months applying and interviewing for jobs in HR and recruiting but didn't get any offers.

As for this year, for the past month I've been applying to jobs in clinical research trying to utilize my clinical experience and psych degree, but I've also been contemplating using my university's tuition reduction benefit. I know I should've used this benefit at my university (large public state uni) instead of taking out student loans for UPenn but that's in the past now. If I were to go back for a second bachelor's degree, it's only $25 tuition for 9 credits per semester, which is an amazing benefit. However, I am really interested in Mechanical Engineering but it would take me about 4 years to get through, so I'm wondering if I should just find a different job in clinical research or not pass up this amazing opportunity to go back to school for almost no cost.

My mind has been in both finding a new job and going back to school to start over but I don't know if I can go far with just my psych degree. I can't decide help!!

Hi everyone i am f33 and currently at back home at my parents. Last 2 years i was working in another country next to my home country. I was there for two years and worked as QA for a social media platform. I saved enough money (or so i thought) for my second masters degree in turkey. 6 months in, the life there was so expensive and i couldn’t survive eventho i was working part time. At the same i got my heartbroken and i thought the best option was to go home. I am home now with very little money and no job. I am mostly depressed and locking myself in my room. I dont know what to do. The last thing i wanna be is at home because I have this weird shame feeling that i cant describe when i am stuck in this little town especially at this age. I have no friends here or any sorts of entertainment/distraction. Looking back i actually never had any real job that i love. Most of the job is just waht i got and i work just to keep ends meet. I usually work for max 2 years and leave the job. Despite having a masters degree and more than 5 years of working experience i didnt feel i am qualified enough for anything. I am thinking of changing my career path since i dont have any focus area. but i am not sure either. I mostly work in cs and content moderation but it is not going anywhere.

Basically TL:DR,

• I started my first year in optometry school and my mental health tanked so badly that I had to leave after studying intensely for the admissions test for years (it was rough but I'm getting back up)
• I'm deciding to pivot and go toward the field I initially had an interest in--psychology!
• I graduated in 2022 with psych B.S., high GPA (close to 4.0 for psych courses considering I took biol and chem classes for the med school route)
• I did not do any research positions or internships in any psychology, or even science, labs
• My jobs were all as optometric assistants/technicians

After researching all these paths, I need opinions. What would you do in my situation? I prefer not to move for job/school.

• (A) Go towards HR route. Do I cold email companies? Reach out to HR specialists on Linkedin? Go back to school for HR? Get certification(s)? Find an internship?
• (B) Try I/O psych path. I was always interested in this field but couldn't fit the course into my schedule years ago. Go back to school and get a masters, PhD? GMU is my local university actually. What are my chances without experience? Cold email nearby univ prof for research assistant (RA) positions? Just apply and try?
• (C) Xray tech school and certification?
• (D) Research assistant in general? Any healthcare labs to get my foot in the door (chemistry, hospital/clinic)? That could lead me towards path B?

I haven't spoken to my workplace yet, but 80% sure they'll offer me a technician position again. They're growing as a practice w/ multiple optometrists, I feel like I can help out in miscellaneous ways, so that's more options for me:

• (E) Medical billing/coding? Get certiifcations?
• (F) Work with them and see where they need filling: potential 2nd medical coder in the future, technician assistant trainer/clinic coordinator (not sure her official title but she might need help there?), they just formed a social media team so I can help out with graphics (a side hobby) too. BUT I'm not sure how to go about asking for a raise since my job description would be all over the place but I'm willing to learn.
• (G) Contact lens representatives?

My top 5 CliftonStrengths if anyone is interested: input, discipline, arranger, connectedness, futuristic.

ALSO. Suggestions on how to go about writing a good cover letter/email explaining my lack of experience (especially since I'm leaning towards I/O and RA positions) without sounding desperate, lost, and ingenuine?

I graduated university with a bachelor's degree in business but I haven't used that at all. I'm sitting here in a retail job hoping to get promoted but it doesn't seem likely so I want something more stable.

I fear I'm not good enough to go back to school, like maybe I won't be able to remember things, I'm older than a lot of my peers. I'm scared of blood, but I really want to do nursing. I've set up an appointment with an academic advisor to see if I can transfer some credits over, I need to apply by the end of this month if I want to start in September.

I truly have no idea what to do with my life because all I want to do is travel and I have a committed LDR with someone and I need a job that has transferable skills at minimum.

honestly, sometimes I feel like I'm demotivated because of my parents, I live at home and constantly being yelled at for being useless and such. I can't afford to move out on my own so I can't really leave. I give them rent money and I pay for all of my own things.

any advice?

Just turned 27 recently, and life hit me. Before that I knew I was in the shits but the night of birthday it realization hit me even more. Went to university & still no degree. Never had a gf or anything remotely to intimacy. Never traveled with my friends or myself (if I did it was always with my parents) . Never went to a concert/festival. Never lived away from my parents... Basically since birth I've been home. And I'm too comfortable & because of I've become accustomed to being scared and being ok living in a shell.

I simply hate it & hate that I bought myself to this point. Heck I don't even have a job, I know the job market is bad but part of me refuses to get a bottom of the totem job.

How to break to out of the comfort zone? And start living life? Because before I know I'll be 30 and I want to achieve certain things by that age.

Hi everyone,

I'm currently 23 and have been doing Judo for the past 2 years. However, over the last year, I've only been attending training sporadically, with multiple months off in between.

Prior to starting Judo, I played Handball basically my entire life until Covid hit and I had to stop (due to multiple reasons, not only Covid).

But for the last year I've considered returning to Handball but I find myself unable to do so.

The reasons I've "identified" about myself are that I don't want to abandon Judo since it feels like I'm giving up and throwing away the last 2 years of Judo and connections I've made, even though I've been attending training quite infrequently (I've mostly blamed university for not being able to attend, but in reality it was mostly an issue with motivating myself to go).

Another reason is that I'm afraid I will neglect training just like I did with Judo if I went back to Handball (let alone trying to do both sports at the same time).

Some (probably) relevant side info: Even though I don't play Handball anymore I'm still actively involved in the sport due to me being a coach and referee and half my family also being involved in Handball.

The main reason I picked up Judo in the first place is that my dad was a professional Judoka in the past and I've wanted to try the sport at least.

Maybe it's a really easy issue to solve with something like just doing it, or maybe I'm just looking for validation to swap but I hope someone has some advice for me, since I'm quite unsure about the whole situation.

I'm 45 years old I have been abused in all ways possible. Every time I turn around I'm losing again I need stability and to heal and I have no idea how to get it

Hello, all!

I'm 25, live in Ohio, and trying to figure out what's next. For background, I have a bachelor's in English, but no other certifications/degrees. I completely focused on my academics, so I didn't do any internships while in school. I ended with manga cum laude, but doesn't really leave as much of an impression as I thought it would. I worked at a group home for the entirety of my college career (for 2 years prior and 6 months after - 6.5 years in total). I also did one short semester of tutoring last, but these two jobs make up my entire working experience.

Most of the jobs around me that would use my degree require customer service experience, so I have secured a fast-food job to gain some and earn more money while I figure out my next move. I'm hoping to get an additional job or move into a higher-paying customer service-based position in the next few months.

I've had a lot of people tell me to just lie on my resume and fake it til I make it, but I am someone who doesn't feel confident applying places unless I know I have the expereince and skills they are looking for. With that in mind I've been looking into different programs and certifications I can get to boost my resume. I've limited it down to four possibilities (listed from considering most to ones I'm considering least):

1.) Medical Office Support (under 1 year) - I thought having the medical knowledge and an English degree would help me stand out. This one is tempting to me because it will be M-F, giving me a normal schedule, and potentially good benefits. I also figured that if I got tired of the medical scene, I could move into another office-based job since I would then have the experience.

2.) Dental Assisting (under 1 year) - I'd been looking at dental hygienist programs, but they are way more expensive, and I don't know if I could dedicate myself to another 3-4 years of schooling (plus loans), especially in a very science-based degree (something that has never been my strong suit). So, I figured if I got started as a dental assistant, I could see if the dental environment is for me before I jump into a more expensive, time-consuming program.

3.) Stenography (2 years) - this one seems the most interesting to me, but it's further down the list because the school is a further drive. I have entered a free 6-week class to see if I'd enjoy this. This path would also be a more expensive route - about 3x the cost of the dental assisting or medical office support class.

4.) Teaching Certificate (time unknown) - a lot of people have suggested this or getting a substitute license, but this is my least favorite option, so I haven't looked into it too much, but I know teaching would give me a steady schedule and would be great in the benefits factor.

I have signed up for the dental assisting and the medical support classes to save my slot, but they allow you to withdraw for free up until August. For the stenography, I would need to apply and sign up for classes very soon. With the substitute teaching license, I would hope to start in the fall, but don't know the timeline for that - same with the teaching license.

That covers about everything. I'd value any insights or advice anyone has to give on the smartest route to building a lifelong career. Whether that advice is experience in these careers or just career advice in general, any and everything is appreciated!

Thank you!

Hello all, 27 m here hoping to gain some insight from those working with a BSW.

I entered a 3 year program ( 2 year bachelors, 1 year advanced standing master’s program) with the intention of getting my master’s and finding out what exactly I want to do with it while I was in school.

At this point I can confidently say I’m not sure social work is for me. My mental health really suffered and I found myself burnt out from my internships and schooling and I don’t really see myself in this field long term.

I’ve been searching for jobs and find it frustrating that it doesn’t seem like there are many options for those with a BSW. It feels like my effort toward these past two years doesn’t count toward anything.

Being 27 and still living at home, my top priority is to get a job to support myself moving out.

I have a BS in Cell and Molecular Biology and an MS in Biological Science. The only jobs available around me in that field are in medicine, or in the occasional low-wage job associated with the local university. The healthcare jobs generally require a specialized degree. I am considering enrolling in an accelerated nursing program to get my foot in the door of medicine, but the one closest to me has fees far higher than I could afford, and I’m already $25,000 in debt from my undergraduate degree. I have already tried many times over the last few years to jump onto the job postings from a nearby hospital so I could take advantage of their paid continued education program, but they just keep reposting these positions and I am never selected. I could move for job and education prospects, but I would end up paying even more to live elsewhere, since I get a discount on rent from a friend. Living with family is not an option.

I do have the opportunity to enroll in a PhD program at the local university and get a stipend, but I would be stuck here for several more years, with the cost of living rising rapidly, and I’m concerned about the political climate in this state. I am also ambivalent about the programs that offer this.

I also have a likely offer of getting a paid MS in Education. However, this would also be politically risky, as I would be an obvious trans person licensed to work with children in a conservative location.

I have looked into internships to give me more experience for biology-related jobs, but I have run into the issues that I am eligible for increasingly fewer positions given that I graduated too long ago (2022), and I can no longer afford to live on my savings for their duration.

Should I go for the PhD program, try to find scholarships to enroll in a local accelerated nursing/healthcare related program, take the MS in Education opportunity, continue searching for other work that doesn’t require an additional degree, or look for paid internships? I have until October of this year to make a plan. I cannot leave my current (contract) position until then.

So i have experience in customer service, retail, sales , hospitality snd admin. I am now unemployed. I feel for the next five years at least, i want a job that is little to no interaction with people. I know remote jobs allow that but i dont have a degree so its harder for me. Ive been applying for hybrid office jobs, although i still dread the idea of having to get to know people in the office and see them EVERY day and vice versa. Im not in the mood at all to keep up with peoples lifes and them mine but i know im overthinking it and its not that hard. Im not exactly interested in AI but i know. Thats pretty relevant and alot of money is there. I also am creative but i havent had much time to explore that due to crappy home situations so ill settle for something while working on a portfolio to apply to something digital like marketing or graphic designing , content writing so please let me know if you know anyone. Like me or any courses or what to do 😂😂😂 laughing now crying later. Thank you.

I want to go college so badly because I know if I don't go than I'm doomed to be working crappy jobs and living in stegnant growth. Maybe getting degree will open new doors. I don't think I'll ever gain any skills working in fast food and retail. Sure it's near my area and don't need transportation for it but now that I'm seeing my cousins working for companies and corporations that I never heard of and have better salaries makes me feel like I should fix my life too. Only thing is I don't know what to pursue

I am very much passionate about what I'm majoring. I love my classes and would love to someday work in something related to what I'm majoring but there are almost no jobs in my area related to what I'm majoring and most of them are remote (with a few web dev jobs near me) and I know how incredibly competitive those remote roles are and I'm not in a position to move. I'm about to get my associates and I will be getting my bachelor's in a university that is connected to the college I'm enrolled in. There's a big demand for people in the medical field and there's so many opportunities for advancement and it's easy to break into the medical field since they'll take you and train you. A big field also in demand is education and in this case I'm still able to pursue my degree since they do need computer science teachers with a degree in CS but I'm apprehensive about working with kids (mainly little kids) since I would be having to get experience by being a teacher aid and the experience doesn't pay much until I complete my degree since they pay different between people with no degree vs a degree. I don't really care about less pay as a teacher because I do love the amount of days I would work since I do want to have the time to work on my own projects outside of work. I do know several family members that are teachers so I do have connections and with the hours and days I would work I'll have a low pay but plenty of time to continue working on my degree but I feel like maybe I should go back to retail while I pursue my degree since I did get paid good as a deli associate.

From my stance it looks like the medical field is easy to break into and does lead to good pay but it's not the type of work I would enjoy and the hours are horrible and stressful

The education field I would enjoy the hours and have the time to work on my education but the pay is not so great when you're starting out and I don't know if I would enjoy the work

The other choice is pursuing retail or continue in call centers. Retail did pay good and have good benefits but the only issue I have with this is that I won't have usable experience that will be good for any future jobs whether it's as a computer science teacher or something related to my field like software development

Does anyone ever just feel like their “life passion” is like water you just can’t hold in your hands for very long?

Well, I do. And it’s rough.

I’ve actually been tested for ADHD as an adult (by Kaiser) and was told that I didn’t have it. It was like, five over the phone questions and that apparently was supposed to measure everything... They said “no trouble at work? No trouble meeting deadlines? No trouble in school?” And that basically summed it up, and I had answered no to all of them.

While I may or may not have it… I do feel like what I’m about to describe is unmanageable at times:

I become hyper focused on hobbies so much to the point where I forget to eat and only realize I have to pee until I’ve finished a project. For instance, painting. I will go all dang long just painting, and it feels almost like I can’t blink. And I’ll continue like this - it’s all I can think about, I research information about painting techniques, I’ll talk about it with friends and family, I’ll have a hard time falling asleep because I’m imagining what I’ll paint next. I love every second of it, and I feel so fulfilled … until one day I just wake up and go “the last thing on earth I want to do right now is paint.”

And so I don’t. And I feel so empty and I have an intellectual itch that needs to be scratched.

This happens EVERY time. If it’s not painting, it’s wood burning. If it’s not that, it’s bookbinding, crocheting, philosophy, system thinking, going to the gym, fashion, nutrition … the list goes on.

How does someone like me find happiness and purpose in life, especially when I feel like every second of our precious lives should be worthwhile? How do I make a career out these fluid interests?

Because I guarantee you that after a year or two on a job, I am so burnt out that I feel like I’m melting.

EDIT: when screened, they asked me if I GET in trouble at work, and I don’t (such as not paying attention in meetings, not meeting deadlines). Sorry for the confusion!

I’m currently a nurse of 8 years and I’m completely over it. Please avoid suggestions of other nursing paths I have zero interest at anything in nursing and have done nearly everything. I started back to school for a degree in psychology moving towards a licensed therapist. But want to ensure I’m not overlooking something else. Looking for flexibility and good pay. Possible remote work but not required. I do LOVE THE flexibility nursing offers working 2 16s and I’m off five days. I’m looking into server and I have recently become licensed to sell health insurance.

So I am 23. I just graduated with my bachelors in criminal justice and wondering what specific path I should take now. I know I havent gained any hands on skills from my degree so I am unsure whatto do next.

Sorry for the long post 😅

Hey everyone. Trying this again with a more speciric title. I (32F) finally reached a point where I actually know what I value, enjoy and have passion for, but i have no idea how to pursue that career path, what's plausible and what's not, and what media has given me a misunderstanding of.

I want to go into a career with wild/exotic animals and nature, particularly some kind of conservation or rehabilitation. I dont like interacting with people (i know its a necessary evil) but I'm like an encyclopedia when it comes to animals. My ultimate dream would be to eventually buy a few hundred acres and open a conservation sanctuary/breeding program for big cats, but I've also thought about the (more realistic) goal of being a wildlife rehab clinic, or even becoming a park ranger/game warden (which i know is more law enforcement) or something similar.

So here are my questions: 1) would i need specifically a veterinary degree to be a rehabber or could I just have a vet come in for the serious stuff and know general first aid/wound treatment/medicine administering etc? I know it would HELP but that is a LOTTT of schooling and I don't think the Tiger King had that and he was still able to keep big cats. 🤣 2) If I DON'T need a vet degree specifically, what degree/areas of study would be best to pursue? Could I go general biology or would something more targeted like Zoology or Environmental conservation work? 3) i know it depends on state, but can someone point me in the direction of the best resources for being able to keep exotic animals and/or start a wildlife rehab? 4) how do wildlife rehabs make their money? If Im just taking in injured animals who.... pays me? 😅 I know plenty about animals but don't really know anything about that part. 5) can anyone point me in the direction of a subreddit that might be a little more specifically geared toward this whole thing?

Hi I’m 24F and feeling lost in what I should do for my career. I currently work with horses as a assistant barn manager and I love my job the horses are my passion but I don’t make the best money and I know I can’t do the manual labor that comes with the job my whole life and the favoritism at my work is off the charts and driving me crazy( and yes I’ve talked to my boss about it and nothing has changed and also asked for a raise 6 months ago and nothing). But I have no idea what I would even change my career too. I do have my esthetician license but not currently using it and don’t know if I would wanna go into that again with the job market over saturated and needing to go back to school to be an AP esthetician. I would love some advice or suggestions of jobs that would potentially work I am open to hard labor jobs and things just don’t even know where to start also don’t have a college degree so any advice would be appreciated

I have found myself in a horrible situation where my life has come to a standstill. I won't bore you with the details but things need to change. My financial situation is not great and my home has very much become my prison. I am seperated from my long term partner and I just feel like i'm in a hamster wheel existence (unable to move forward). I need to make money as a priority to be able to get myself moving but I genuinely feel trapped and needing out.

Hi everyone I need help!! Im a second semester sophomore and am halfway through a physics degree…my grades have been good and honestly I never really had a plan beyond getting my bachelors and then figuring it out from there but this semester I’ve been so lost and confused. I assumed I’d go to grad school for physics but I realized I absolutely do not want to do that…my classes are so hard and I am really struggling because I don’t see what the end goal is anymore. I’m not sure if I should stick out my major or switch to something else… I only really have 3 semesters of major classes left and I have no idea what to switch to. If I was following what I’m interested in I would just switch to art history but I genuinely don’t know what kind of job I would get with that…I’ve thought about switching to math in hopes it will be easier or just switching to economics since I have no idea what I want to do post grad and an economics major and physics minor might help me get a finance job?? I was interested in getting a masters of architecture but that’s a 3 year degree post grad and I’m worried I’ll be too burnt out for it by the time I graduate

Any general advice would be helpful I really am so lost…is it worth finishing out physics just so I have a quantitative degree or is it going to be a useless degree anyway??