When I started my career, the managers were in their offices or in meetings all day. As a peon, I hardly ever saw them. They did next to nothing, in terms of employee engagement and development.

I worked hard to learn everything I could about my job, and slowly moved up the ladder. I got a relevant degree and certifications and developed informal personal and group training sessions. A management position opened up and my feedback was rough, to say the least.

Apparently, knowing how your team runs and what everyone's job is antithetical to being a manager. I was told that managers utilize a different skill set, which I hadn't demonstrated. They mentioned employee engagement and development being more important than technical expertise.

I know that they were just giving me bullshit reasons to justify why the job went to a crony. In that same discussion, they would say that credentials don't matter, if the person is a good fit, but also claimed that they only promote the most qualified individuals.

My reading through the lines has lead me to believe that:

1. There was nothing I could have done in that interview, to get the promotion.

2. They will change the rules to promote whoever they want.

3. I will never be that person.

Since then, I've been doing my bare minimum (which is still more than anyone else in the department) and hoping that I can retire as soon as I am eligible (still years away, unfortunately). What can I do, in the meantime to keep my sanity? It makes me so angry each time they promote someone less deserving, who is already overpaid.

Still in high school, i don’t know if this is the right place to ask..

But im wondering, what are some really high paying careers? The only thing is, I do not want to take chemistry or biology again.

So probably not something in the medical field.

Also, something that is actually achievable, id consider myself a pretty decent student, i have a mid 90s average. But this isn’t about grades it’s more so future careers.

I only have a few more months to decide, because then I have to start applying to universities.

I don’t have much of a passion for anything, besides being rich. That said, I don’t really care what specifically my job is.

I know that’s what everyone says, but I’m just wondering what are some really high paying career paths that I should consider looking into? While i’m still young.

Background: 4 years college, 3.2 gpa (I know not the greatest) bachelors in finance and banking, minors in economics and military science. I graduated just about a year ago, been working in sales first it was insurance heavy with some finance then switched companies changing to about 50/50 insurance/finance. I worked for about 6 months at a financial advising firm in mostly the Midwest. Not a big name investment bank but a subsidiary of MassMutual. I did army rotc in college and joined the infantry in the National Guard, I’m currently a platoon leader within the guard but getting qualified in my MOS.

Rationale: I think military pairs well with these kinds of jobs and may put me ahead when trying to be hired, although maybe my gpa will set me back, and probably the fact I’m young. I already have a secret clearance, for what that means in the real world I don’t actually know.

I’ve always wanted to be a financial advisor and that was the route I was on but the sales grind is difficult and even more difficult when you have military obligations that affect your business. I’m looking at more financially stable options and preferably something interesting or unique. The military/infantry represents a good baseline for my interests in life. I argue I’m more ambitious and adventurous than my friends at home. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, just want to describe myself.

I think working for these agencies sound cool, a couple people in my training pipeline work for an agency or department and I began to reflect on what I am doing. I would like to learn more about what to expect if I apply for an agency like the ones in the title, I know life wouldn’t look like “Point Break” every day.

I don’t exactly know where to begin when looking at federal jobs outside of the military but these seem to be the ones that may fit someone like me.

I need some human perspective on a situation that transpired weeks ago at my job, which I just found out about today.
To give some context, I am a very unfiltered, direct person. I value objective truth, logic, and efficiency over superficial social pleasantries. I don’t care about playing political games at work; I just want to get tasks done correctly. If something is wrong, I say it's wrong because hiding errors to spare feelings feels counterproductive to the work. This is the third time in my career I’ve gotten into trouble at a job for my "unfiltered principles," and honestly, the whole dance of trying to act "nice" and tip-toe around emotions feels exhausting and unnatural to me.
Weeks ago, I was criticizing a female coworker's work. What I said to her was logically true and accurate regarding the task at hand. However, my communication style didn't match the level of empathy she needed, and she ended up crying.
The worst part is that I didn't even know this happened until today. For weeks, everyone else in the office apparently knew about it and talked about it behind my back. The one person at work who used to have my back is gone, so I was completely blindsided, isolated, and left defenseless when it finally brought up.
Thankfully, the big boss pulled me aside today. I think she might have been kept in the dark a bit too, but she handles it directly and gave me some actual constructive criticism.
Here is my dilemma: I feel genuinely bad that I caused someone human distress and made them cry. I am not malicious and I don't want to hurt people. But at the same time, I do not regret what I did or said. My intent was right, and the critique itself was factually correct. I can't fathom changing my core soul to accept this modern corporate reality of sugarcoating everything.
Why does this keep happening? How do other direct, task-oriented people survive in a workplace environment built entirely on emotional cushioning when all you want to do is fix the errors and do a good job?

I’m seeking guidance from anyone who has navigated a similar situation.

I’m a state employee (keeping the specific state private just in case), and I’ve been out recovering from an injury that occurred at work. The injury required surgery, and my recovery timeline has been longer than anticipated.

At this point, I’ve officially exhausted my 12 weeks of FMLA, all of my paid leave, and my short-term disability benefits. HR recently informed me that they "can't hold my position" any longer and expect me to return to full duty soon. My union rep hasn't been much help in clarifying my options, and I'm worried about wrongful termination. 

I’m trying to figure out my legal standing and protect my job while I heal:

• EEOC / ADA Protections: If HR fires me simply because my FMLA ran out without engaging in an interactive process, can I file a charge with the EEOC for disability discrimination or wrongful termination? Is extended medical leave or light duty considered a reasonable accommodation under the ADA? 

• Workers' Comp Retaliation: Since this stems from an on-the-job injury, does firing me while I'm still under doctor-ordered restrictions count as illegal workers' comp retaliation?

• Handling HR & Union: How should I document my communications with HR regarding my restrictions, and what's the best way to escalate this beyond an unhelpful union steward?

• Doctor's Documentation: What exact language should I ask my surgeon to put in writing to prove I cannot perform full duty yet without risking immediate job abandonment claims?

Any insight, personal experiences, or advice on navigating an EEOC complaint or consulting an employment attorney would be greatly appreciated!

I’m currently 17 years old and graduated high school early, I don’t know what career path I want to pursue, what degree I should get, any ideas ? I would like to make about 130k Minimum with less than 6-8 years including getting my degree, I’m not into computers and stuff like that or sales, but I have been looking into becoming a dental hygienist but the salary was too small for me. Any idea on what I should consider going with ?

I was at my old job about 5 years and while I had my ups and downs, I was a mostly-high performer on a team that specialized in dealing with some of the more complex issues/cases within my department. It was a little monotonous and boring, and I really wanted more stimulation/challenge at the time (and I really wanted to raise my income as well, as I’ve got a dependent now).

My old job was wfh, decent pay, great benefits low stress although boring. My new job is in office (20 mile commute, 35-45 minutes usually) 20% higher pay, slightly less in benefits, very high stress and very complex and difficult work. They never trained me, they believe in “trial by fire”

My question is would it be weird or crazy to reach out to my old boss and express interest in coming back?? I left on good terms. Only thing is I have not seen any openings in our department on the website. It’s a pretty large department around 70 people so I’m hoping someone will leave or get promoted or potentially the department grows.

Training for my old position takes about 3 months + another 3 months to ramp up to speed. So I think they would save a ton of money and time if they hired me vs anyone else without experience in the company.

How would I even approach that conversation??

There’s a luxury car dealership local to me that sells some seriously high-end and exotic cars, including brands like Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren, etc. I’ve always been really interested in cars, and working somewhere like this is something I’d genuinely love to get into. I’m 18 and this would be my first proper job, so I have absolutely no experience in car sales or the motor trade. The role I’m interested in is the sales position.

For anyone who works in luxury/exotic car sales, or has experience hiring salespeople, what would be the best way to approach a dealership like this with no experience? It’s a little application on their website that doesn’t really let you add much information so it’s hard to tell if I’d get an interview or not.. Of course they’re quite prestigious but it’s quite tucked away and I feel like it’s probably got a relatively small workforce. And realistically, what could I do to make myself stand out despite having no previous experience?

I’m willing to start at the bottom and learn, I just don’t really know the best way to get my foot in the door.

NOT A SOB STORY, JUST GIVING BACKGROUND

I'm 34 and have had an extremely suppressed life - abusive, neglectful parents who never tried to help me in life then jumped into long term relationships with men that I helped grow instead of myself. I've spent my entire life focusing on everyone else, what they need, how to achieve their dreams. Would love to hear if anyone else here experienced that high level of suppression.

I finally enrolled in college 2022 and went through 4 majors finally landed on Communications which I thought some kind of writing is where my passion lied.

Then literally this month I had my best friend straight up tell me dude you need to be a cosmetologist. I thoroughly enjoy doing everyones hair (dye, cut, etc) makeup, lashes, the works. Everyone comes to me for that and I'm good at it. BUT what's more is I always provide a therapy session during - I'm one of those people you WANT to open up to because I provide a safe gentle space to do so with my natural aura. So when I do that for anyone they open up quickly and deeply, share heavy things with me, and walk away feeling better. It occurred to me OMG I think that's the universe telling me my purpose. But I'm 34.

I guess I'd love to hear others experiences that didn't "figure it out" until this much later in life. Am I starting too late? Anyone else go into this field? I'd be so appreciative of any insight and will gladly answer any questions as well.

Thinking of choosing the salon & makeup industry as a career? Read this before you spend years—and lakhs—on it.
We see the luxury side of the beauty industry:
✨ Beautiful salons
✨ Bridal transformations
✨ Influencers
✨ Expensive products
✨ “Earn ₹50K–₹1L+ per month” promises
But nobody talks enough about what happens before you get there.
You can spend years learning, practising, assisting and building yourself, only to end up earning around ₹10K as a fresher or ₹16K–₹20K even after gaining experience in many salon jobs.
And then comes the expensive part.
Courses.
Academies.
Masterclasses.
Makeup kits.
Hair tools.
Products.
Certificates.
You can easily spend lakhs of rupees trying to become “industry ready.”
And when you finally start working?
Unpaid work. Underpaid work. “Do it for exposure.”
Sometimes you don’t even get paid properly for your time, skills and products because you’re “still building your portfolio.”
Everyone wants makeup to be cheap.
And sometimes, if you’re doing it to grow your page or portfolio, people expect it for free.
Then comes another reality:
Clients don’t always choose you based on how talented you are.
They often look at how many clients you’ve already done.
“How many brides have you done?”
“How many clients have you worked on?”
“Show me your work.”
And suddenly, you’re stuck in a cycle:
You need clients to build experience.
You need experience to get clients.
And doing a few models for your portfolio doesn’t necessarily solve the problem—because clients want to see real clients, real faces and real transformations.
And here’s something people don’t tell you:
You can get a job in retail as a beauty sales advisor without spending lakhs on a professional makeup course.
Yes, experience and skill matter.
Yes, some people build incredible careers in this industry.
Yes, owning a successful salon or building your own brand can be financially rewarding.
But being an employee and being an owner are two completely different realities.
As an owner, you have the potential to earn from multiple services, employees, products, training and your brand.
As an employee, you’re often exchanging your time and skills for a fixed salary.
So before you spend 3–5 years chasing the “luxury beauty industry” dream, ask yourself:
What is my actual career path?
What will I realistically earn in 1, 3 and 5 years?
How much will I spend on education and products?
How long will it take to recover that investment?
Am I building a business—or just buying certificates?
Because the reality you see on Instagram is often the final result, not the years of struggle behind it.
I’m not saying DON’T choose this career.
I’m saying:
DON’T choose it blindly.
Research the income.
Research the job market.
Talk to working professionals.
Calculate your investment vs. return.
Because loving makeup is one thing. Building a financially sustainable career from it is another.
Don’t spend years and lakhs just because someone sold you the dream of a glamorous career.
Know the reality before you invest your time, money and youth into it.
What do you think—is the salon/makeup industry actually worth it as a career in 2026?

I’m trying to decide between two very different career paths and need some outside opinions.

I’m in my early 40s and don’t have a college degree. I spent approximately 17 years with one company and worked my way into management. I was successful, managed multiple teams, and had responsibility for staffing, coaching, scheduling, customer service, performance metrics, and process improvement. However, much of my experience is specific to one industry and one longtime employer.

I recently started an entry-level customer-service position with a large, utility company. It’s a union job and appears extremely stable. Starting pay is approximately $64K, with regular raises that should bring it to around $80K within a couple of years, then 90k at three years, and room for additional growth. This is a job I can stay at until retirement and not have to job hunt again.

Getting into the union utility position was not easy. These jobs are highly competitive, and I needed a connection inside the company to get my foot in the door. If I leave now, I have to assume I won’t be able to return, which makes the decision feel much more permanent.

I’ve accepted another offer from a smaller company for a broad management position. It pays a $120K base salary plus a potential 10% performance bonus. The company was recently acquired by a private equity firm, and the position is in the same industry where I worked for 17 years.

The process moved quickly: phone screen, virtual interview the next day, and an onsite interview the day after that. I spent two hours with the owner, and they offered me $115K the following day. I said I wanted the weekend to think it over, and five minutes later, I received a text increasing the offer to $120K. They clearly wanted to close the deal and hire me. They had been trying to fill the position for months and believed they had finally found the right fit.

The new role would involve managing several teams and operational functions. Some responsibilities directly match my previous experience, while others would be new and require me to learn quickly. I made them aware of this and their goals now are what I am strong in.

Financially and professionally, the management position is clearly better. The current job offers unusually strong long-term security.

If the management position were guaranteed to last, I would choose it immediately. My hesitation is entirely about giving up a stable union job and possibly struggling to replace it if the new position doesn’t work out.

Would you keep the secure job that should eventually pay around $90K, or take the $120K management opportunity and accept the additional risk?

Thanks Reddit!

Hey guys! I’m kinda a first time redditor here and I have a question. I am a fresh graduate of undergrad and after finishing I had a 3.0 gpa while also still being apart of several different extracurriculars in college. To preface my gpa is so low because college was my first time away from home and I was struggling with change of environment. It also didn’t help that accounting was whooping my behind from the second I got to school. I was a transfer student so I also have a AS degree. My degree is in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources. I am struggling to find an entry level position for preferably HR but I am willing to just be an associate for any business job except finance(it’s my weak subject). I really want to gain experience in my field because I also want to do more school and go for my MBA and JD. I want to go into corporate law and it would be great if I found a job that would help put me through school (i’m looking at dual enrollment programs where you can get your MBA/JD at the “same time”). My academic profile isn’t strong enough to apply straight from undergrad and I never had a formal internship in school. I was looking for any advice on how to get an entry level position in my field and still put me in a good position financially and career wise so I can pursue my goals and aspirations. HR is everywhere so I was thinking of working in the law industry but it’s hard to penetrate. If any professionals could give me any advice and insight that would be great! Please give me advice yall im desperate. (I graduated last May)

I just want to give some background on my situation. I am in federal law enforcement and under the system will be eligible to retire at 50 with the LEO pension and FEHB healthcare. I have been in this job for a few years and am 30 years old.

However, I am miserable. The work/life balance is awful. I do 5 10s which turn into 5 12s if I factor in commuting. This is also a very niche type of LE, so I have no meaningful skills and very much feel like a captive audience.

Should I just push through misery until I am 50? Or should I go back to school and invest in myself?

Would you stay in a career you hated for a pension? I am open to advice from all ages, but am especially interested in what older people have to say.

I’m 34F with a 16-month-old and I’m trying to figure out what to do with the next chapter of my life.

I worked as an AI research engineer for about 5 years, then took the last 3 years off to focus on family. I was honestly pretty average at my job — not terrible, not exceptional. After 3 years away, I’m rusty and would need to study a LOT to get back into AI, especially with how much the field has changed.

Financially, I’m in a fortunate position. My husband makes around $400k/year, we have no debt, and we’ve saved enough to buy a house in the next couple of years with money left over. So I’m not desperate for a paycheck. I’m trying to choose the path that makes the most sense long term.

After leaving my job, I got really into day trading. I studied it seriously and genuinely loved it. At one point I was making good money, then gave it all back. It was an emotional roller coaster. Eventually I stopped after having my baby. Overall, I lost about $25k — roughly half my trading account.

Ironically, the money I simply invested long-term from my corporate-job savings has almost doubled.
Now I want to work again, but I’m torn.

Do I spend the next 6–12 months grinding to get back into AI, deal with a difficult job market, and rebuild a stable career?

Or do I use the fact that we’re financially comfortable to seriously try day trading again and see if I can actually become consistently profitable?

There’s also another factor: I want a second baby. Last time I had no income of my own, and I really don’t want to be in that position again.

Part of me thinks the sensible answer is: get the AI job, rebuild my career, keep investing, and trade on the side until I can actually prove I’m consistently profitable.
But another part of me wonders whether this is the rare time in my life when I have enough financial security to take a risk and really give trading a shot.

If you were in my situation, what would you do?
I’m especially interested in the long-term 5–10 year perspective, not just which option could make more money next year.

We had a major reorganization in our department and I found out that I would be losing my direct report because it didn't meet the threshold for the new standard which is three direct reports. My immediate bosses were going to assign another person with a third in the near future. This appeased HR but I would need to have sign off from my executive leader and then CEO. My executive leader was on board but they won't take the request to the CEO. Why? Because I am a remote worker and the RTO policy that was implemented this year was that remote workers would need to have the CEO signoff. I thought this meant promotions or lateral job movements, but apparently that means that major scope changes to existing jobs. My executive doesn't want to take this to the CEO since no has yet and they don't want to be first. In the meantime, I am being cockblocked.

The changes would set me on the right direction for a promotion within the next year or so. My boss and his boss are being great and I know it isn't their fault. They are offering me to change my workload and scope within reason to what I want to do. They are trying to make the best of this. But this puts me in a major bind. I don't know if this is a temporary thing or not. I am assuming it is going to be the way it is for at least a year or two before get a final answer. I could wait it out but with the re-org, my bosses are going to re-org the team and I am going to miss a chance to get to the next step in my career. No guarantee if and when this gets lifted, and if it does, I am not at the front of the line for a promotion.

I have 10 years with the company and overall, my work-life balance is great. I am remote and paid very well. I love working with my team and the work is great. I have gotten excellent reviews for several years and been awarded stock awards on top of that. I asked to be submitted for my case to be pleaded to the CEO but doubt they will do it. If I give my remote status, I can't ever get it back and going into the office is not sustainable. I live too far away.

I am updating my resume and going to start looking for other roles, but how should I approach my job in the meantime? I have taken extra responsibilities and project on top of my current role with the hopes it would show off my skills and position me better for work. My boss still wants me to manage my direct report even though they won't report to me in the system. Going back to an individual contributor and giving up the extra duties feels kind of childish but I see the logic in it if I am not going to be considered for promotions. I could take the blank check they are giving me and carve out work that would look great on my resume but I am not sure if need it.

I’ve been with the same company for about 10 years and have been promoted several times, but I haven’t had the opportunity to move into a supervisor or manager position.

My current management believes I can eventually get there, but realistically they’re telling me maybe 2 more years in the best case and potentially 4 more years in the worst case.

Current situation:

- $150k base salary

- 12% annual bonus

- Benefits are good

- Live about 2 hours from a major metro area

- Close to both my parents and my in-laws

- My wife stays home with our three kids, under 5

I recently received an offer for my first manager position:

- $180k base salary

- 20% annual bonus

- $12k sign-on bonus

- Other benefits are roughly comparable

Financially and career-wise, it seems like a significant step up. The biggest downside is the location.

The new job is about 12 hours away from where we currently live. It’s in a small town, with a city of around 50k people about 35 minutes away. The nearest major city is roughly 3 hours away. We would also be moving away from both sets of grandparents, which is a big consideration with very young kids and my wife staying home.

My long-term goal is to continue moving into higher-level leadership roles, so I’m concerned that turning down my first real management opportunity could mean waiting another 2–4 years where I am. At the same time, I don’t want to underestimate what moving my family to a remote area without our support network would be like.

For those who have made a similar decision: would you take the manager role as a career accelerator, or stay where you are and wait for a management opportunity internally?

Also, for those who moved to a remote/small-town location for a promotion, was it worth it in the long run?

In the March and June, I suffered two times being laid off during the probation. I was complained by my supervisors that they think my working performance was unsatisfied.

The first company I worked for only lasted three months.

I was hired as a Sales Manager, but the actual work I was assigned was quite different from the position I applied for. Instead of doing sales, I was mainly doing marketing-related tasks, such as promoting the company, editing videos, and handling customer service.

My direct manager often complained about me over small mistakes, such as spelling errors. I was also once criticized because the code on a company document did not follow the company's rules — even though nobody had ever told me what the document coding rules were.

I worked hard, often stayed late, and actively asked other departments for help whenever I didn't understand something. I genuinely tried to learn from my mistakes and fix every issue that was brought to my attention.

In the end, despite all my efforts to improve, I was fired because they said I did not meet the requirements of the position.

Looking back, what I find most frustrating is that I was hired for one position, asked to do something quite different, and then eventually told that I wasn't suitable for the job.

My second job only lasted one month and ten days.

The situation was similar to my previous company — but this time, it was even more painful.

On my eighth day at the company, my manager told me that she was very frustrated because I kept making mistakes when calculating figures on quotation sheets. It was my first time doing this kind of work, and I had already spent several days trying to learn how to do it correctly.

At that point, I actually considered leaving immediately. But I hesitated and decided to stay and try harder.

After that, I was mainly given various document-related tasks. My manager didn't trust me and didn't give me opportunities to communicate with customers directly.

Eventually, I was given an unsatisfactory performance rating and had part of my salary deducted.

Both of my managers at these two companies told me that I was not suitable for sales.

So I ended up being unemployed for more than two months.

After these two experiences, I started to become afraid of looking for new job. I was afraid that I would make mistakes again, be blamed again, and eventually be told again that I wasn't good enough for the job.

Do you know how to solve it?

I know this has been a debate online, "passion or practicality? What should I choose?" I am grateful to have your thoughts and advice. I'm really having a hard time deciding. Time is ticking, and I still haven't found the things that are for me.

Hello everyone, 16F here. Money is really something if you came from a poor family. Growing up independently, I am trying to be wise on my decisions. Choosing the right path is what I am worried about since this is a once in a lifetime thing. Actually, I dont like either of them, but harsh reality, I need to work.

Passion

There are some choices that I would choose like;

1. I'm a big fan of K-pop, and K-pop is the only thing that I am interested in so far. I was thinking of becoming a K-pop idol. But this dream job is too impossible to reach and too unrealistic. Though I am untalented, I could really work hard for it. Sometimes, choosing this would be too depressing.

2. Multimedia arts/ anything that is arts related job. I think I have something for the arts. If you know, since I was in elementary school, my favourite subject was arts. But the thing is, I haven't potentially awakened my skills yet. But for me, this is too unrealistic. I don't know any job related to it that can feed me and my family. I'm the eldest child.

3. Chef. I have a background for cooking. It's not like I am good at it. I somehow don't want this because I don't want someone to rush me. In short, i move like a sloth. Too easy. But this was my third option if I won't pass that exam.

Practicality

1. Nurse. I have an auntie who's a head nurse in a hospital in california. Where they say I could like easily get in..

I’m 24 years old just graduated from medical school and in September I start my master in biomedical engineering. I don’t want to pursue a clinical career and I want to study the brain via computational neuroscience. The past year I study linear algebra differential equations programming with python and libraries(numpy pandas PyTorch). I study everything that gets into my hands (statistics, machine learning, discrete mathematics. I’m afraid no one is going to take me seriously without a cs degree and I have 0 direction. That’s why I’m thinking a PhD so I can get deep domain expertise. I want neuroengineer and software engineer roles in the industry but I don’t know if I will be employable even with my PhD. My ultimate goal is to start my own startup but until then I have 0 clue how to move forward. Please help.

Hi guys,

I’m kinda in a difficult situation. I’m currently in a radiation therapy (the ones that kill cancer, not take x-ray images) program. I have a bachelors in health science. I wanted to go back and study to get a clinical job where I can work with patients and work in the healthcare field. My husband is helping me pay for schooling so i’ll be graduating without any debt. But the problem is since I went into this program, i can’t help but to think maybe i should have went the nursing route. Firstly, from radiation therapy, i can go and get my mri license or ct license so there is a little bit of leeway if i were to get bored of the profession and want to change it up or want the 3x12 schedule, but in nursing theres much more space to change specialties. However, i’ve never really experienced what it may be like to be a nurse and work that closely with patients ( you may say go and try to shadow but i’m kind of in a tight schedule right now with deciding so i wouldn’t be able to shadow). I always see mixed reviews of people either loving nursing or hating nursing and telling people to do anything else. If i were to decide nursing, that would mean dropping out of my program that i just started and applying to either an accelerated BSN or a MSN (which i haven’t even decided which one I would go for) and it means having loans because the only schools near me are private and expensive. I’m scared i make the decision to go to nursing school and then regret it or i make the decision to stay in radiation therapy and then regret that. I also get told by people that i shouldve gotten a masters after my bachelor’s not went backwards and gotten an associates. I try to ignore talk like that but it stays on my mind. Also financial stability is also important to me, so i’m also considering which pays more. For nurses, I want genuine opinions on how you like your job, if you would recommend going into nursing.
What would you do in my position?

I’m currently a BPharm student, and honestly I’m still trying to figure out which direction makes the most sense for me.

I’m interested in areas like nanotechnology and immunology because I genuinely like science and research, but I don’t have a particularly strong background in either yet. At the same time. I’m thinking about an MBA or even economics/finance because I want to start earning relatively early and eventually be financially successful enough to give my parents a really comfortable life. So I’m stuck between two very different paths: 1. Science/research: BPharm-> build my foundation -> Master’s in something like nanotechnology, immunology, drug discovery, etc. 2. Business/finance: BPharm -> MBA/economics/finance-> move toward pharma management, consulting, healthcare business investment, etc. I don’t want to choose a field just because it sounds prestigious. I want something where I can actually become highly skilled have strong earning potential and still feel like I’m building a meaningful career. If you were in my position with a BPharm background and not much experience yet which route would you choose and what would you start doing right now to make that route work?

I dont wanna regret letter im soo anxious i do have adhd issues too why im writing this 😭

Anyone who have been in same situation and what you did ?

I’m 27, a U.S. Army veteran, and currently work as an Assistant Project Manager in civil construction.
My bachelor’s is a B.B.A. from American Military University, and I’m currently working on my M.S. in Construction Management at Texas A&M.

I recently left a civil contractor where I had been for about a year and had built a really good situation for myself. I knew the processes, customers, vendors, and projects. Leadership trusted me, I had already moved from Assistant Superintendent into an APM role, and I genuinely felt like I had momentum and a clear path forward.

The main reason I left was because I was being moved onto a massive data center project about 1.5 hours from home.

I had already expressed concerns about balancing that assignment with graduate school, and at one point I was basically told that maybe I didn’t need to take classes.

Financially, staying probably would’ve been the better short-term move. I would’ve made slightly more money and collected per diem while working at the data center. And I know the experience of working on a huge data center project could’ve been extremely valuable.

But honestly, I’m not chasing every possible dollar right now.

I’d rather be close to home, close to family, have somewhat of a normal life, finish my master’s, and still continue building good construction experience. The data center project already felt like it was draining the life out of me during pre construction, and I knew it was only going to get more demanding once construction really ramped up.

So I made the decision to leave for another civil contractor closer to home that does earthwork, utilities, and concrete.

Now I’m second-guessing the hell out of myself.
I’m realizing how much I had already built at my previous company. I had relationships, trust, familiarity, leadership visibility, and I felt like I was moving up. At the new company I’m starting over completely — new people, new systems, new processes, and learning the concrete side.

One of the main reasons I’m pushing so hard to finish the master’s is because I already have real construction experience and want to stack education on top of experience, not replace experience with a degree.

As a veteran with my bachelor’s from AMU, getting my master’s from Texas A&M also means a lot to me personally. I want to earn my Aggie ring and tap into the Aggie network, especially because construction is so relationship-driven. I want to continue building relationships in the industry with contractors, owners, developers, engineers, and other construction professionals.

Long term, my goal is to go:
APM → PM → Senior PM → Project Executive / Operations / Leadership
So I’m genuinely curious what people further along in the industry think:

Did I overvalue the master’s and undervalue the experience I was about to gain at the data center?
Would you stay at the new company, learn concrete, finish the degree, and reassess afterward?

How much does an M.S. in Construction Management actually help when you already have real field/project experience?

How important is staying with one company early in your career versus gaining broader experience across earthwork, utilities, and concrete?

And for anyone who’s been through something similar:
Have you ever left a really good situation, regretted it at first, but later realized the move still helped your career?

I'm an inhouse lawyer at an energy company.(1 year) (It is not a global brand like EY, EY looks better in CV) Got an EY offer (Tax/Corporate Law, Senior-2) — better brand, hybrid work, but ~15% lower net pay and confirmed heavy overtime culture (weekends, midnight hours). My current company countered with a 30%+ raise to keep me... I have a mortgage and want stability for the next 5 years. Everyone I know is shocked that I'm leaning toward staying. Am I making a mistake, or is turning down "Big 4 prestige" for more money and stability in my current company actually the smart move here?

The single biggest reason people fail at re-entry isn't the resume gap. Employers deal with those constantly now. It's that most people try to close the skills gap with a self-paced course, alone, at 9pm after the kids are asleep, and they quietly stop around week two when they hit something confusing and there's no one to ask. The isolation is what gets them, not the course itself.

If you're looking at a field switch rather than just going back to what you did before, look for programs that are live and cohort-based rather than a library of pre-recorded videos. That's a real distinction, not just marketing spin. A live cohort has a fixed schedule, an instructor you can ask in real time, and a group of people hitting the same wall as you at the same time. That makes it a lot harder to quietly disappear from your own education.

I teach IT audit, and this matters a lot for re-entrants specifically. It's not entry-level in the "no one will hire you" sense, but it also doesn't require a technical background or a coding bootcamp. The curriculum starts from zero and builds up. Average pay in the field runs $72K to $112K (ZipRecruiter, 2026), and it's remote-friendly, which matters if you're managing childcare around a job search. I'm not saying it's the only path back in, but "live instruction with real accountability" is the filter I'd apply to whatever path you pick, IT audit or otherwise.

Whatever you choose, don't buy the $20 self-paced course and assume willpower alone will get you through. What actually gets people through is structure, not willpower.

I want to hear from managers/bosses who has an employee that wasn’t performing well and you were gearing up to send them in their way out. Like you were not happy with anything they have done the last 30 days and the last day of work was spent riding their butt. Not always a person facing role, lots a behind the scenes work then meetings and some presentations. Mostly remote.

Would you be relieved if they quit the next work day? Would you want them to still give two weeks even though the hiring process for this role takes at least a month? Would you want them there a month if you didn’t like their work anyway? What if they had everything they were working on laid out ready to pass on? Would you even want to see them again after giving their resignation?

Curious if you’ve been in this situation as a manager.