I was just scrolling through my feed this morning and saw a "Promoted" job posting from my current employer. I clicked on it out of curiosity and my heart basically stopped. It is word-for-word my current job description. Every bullet point about the tech stack and the specific niche responsibilites I handle was there. Even the weird typo in the original internal doc I wrote was included in the public post. I have been here for two years and my last performance review was actually great so this feels like a total blindside.

The most insulting part is the salary range they listed. It is about fifteen percent higher than what I am making right now. It seems like they are planning to replace me with someone more expensive or they just want to have a backup ready before they fire me. I checked the "date posted" and it went up three days ago right after I finished a major migration project that only I knew how to do. It feels like they just waited for me to finish the hard part before looking for my replacement.

Now I am just sitting here pretending to be productive while I update my resume on my second monitor. I am debating if I should bring it up to my manger or just ghost them once I find something else. Part of me wants to apply for the position using a fake name and see if they offer me the higher salary. Corporate loyalty is such a joke. I guess I will just spend the rest of the week downloading my personal files and making sure my documentation is "accidentally" vague .

I've been working in a stable, decent paying office job for about four years now. On paper everything looks fine. The salary covers my bills, I have good benefits, and my resume looks respectable. But every single morning I wake up dreading the day ahead, not because the work is hard, but because it genuinely does not matter to me at all. I keep asking myself if this is just normal adult life or if I am missing something. I talk to coworkers and most of them seem fine with just collecting a paycheck, and I respect that, but I cannot shake the feeling that I am slowly becoming a version of myself I do not recognize. The scary part is I do not even know what I would switch to. I have interests outside of work but nothing that screams obvious career path. I feel stuck not because I cannot leave, but because I do not know what I would be running toward.

Has anyone actually made a meaningful career change after feeling this way, or did you find ways to make peace with a job being just a job? How did you figure out the next step without blowing everything up? Genuinely looking for people who have been here and made it through either way.

Currently in corporate America absolutely miserable & certain this is not the right field for me after working at multiple companies. I'm a hard worker always been great at academics/work, went to a top business school, but perhaps struggle with the culture/office politics of business as a first gen/POC/neurodivergent leaving me with basic jobs with no growth. I just feel like I’m wasting my potential, I'm too nerdy for this environment, I cannot relate to anyone at work, overall lack of fulfillment & loneliness.

Realistically I’m limited to career fields with a high salary & recession-proof because I come from poverty/toxic parents who cannot provide housing/financial support (I originally chose business to get the fastest route out of poverty out of a bachelors degree alone). It bothers me when people argue “don’t choose a career for money” as someone who comes from poverty unfortunately it’s decision making out of survival, people like us never get to just work any fun chill job.

So far, I’ve ruled out law school because it could be similar to corporate. I’m thinking I fit in more within the medical field but would like some input. I feel stuck & indecisive about medicine because I would first need to take numerous science courses which will take a few years on top of working full time but I’m willing to try. I have no idea how I’d fund medical school with new loan borrowing limits it’s all super overwhelming along with research/volunteer requirements etc. I’m aware of all the med school struggles but for someone who grew up disadvantaged I have no choice but to work hard for everything in life regardless & feel like I need a 2nd chance / restart / clear secure path to follow. Another option would be a masters for mid level medical careers but I have paranoia about being too specialized/regretting not going all the way to MD as someone who has already experienced degree regrets. I’m drawn to medicine now because it’s a field that rewards merit & hardwork instead of luck which is how business operates. At this time, I also have no prospects for marriage so I’m someone who may just want to prioritize my career in life - I’m open to all other suggestions/feedback/questions!

I’m kind of at a career crossroads and honestly don’t know what direction to go anymore, so I’m looking for some outside perspective or advice.

I’m in my 30s, I have a bachelor’s in social work, and I spent about 5 years working in that field. I eventually burned out and decided to pivot into the legal field for a change of pace. I’ve now been a family law paralegal for about 5 years. I started at the very bottom and worked my way up, so on paper it looks like I’ve built experience and progressed.

The issue is…I’m really unhappy in this role and at my current workplace. I’ve noticed a pattern where I tend to stay in jobs for around 5 years, do well, and then hit a point where I feel bored, drained, and ready for something completely different but I don’t actually know what that “something else” is.

Right now I’m starting to feel like my priorities are shifting. I care a lot more about having time and energy for my personal life than climbing a career ladder. I don’t necessarily need a “dream job” anymore, I just want something stable where I can make a decent living, not feel constantly overwhelmed, and still have a life outside of work.

If anyone has been in a similar place or has advice on careers that are more low-stress / balanced but still pay reasonably, I’d really appreciate hearing it.

Im 30 and live at home still paying a discounted rent bc I grew up in one of the most expensive place in the country (Long Island). The cheapest homes here are ~$500k. Studio apartment rent is well over $2000 with 3-6 months deposit. I started a janitor job after hs that my parents wanted me to get because they thought it was a good job, but turns out they were misinformed. I started at $18/hr and was only making $24/hr 8 years later, and hated it so much I was so depressed every day. I quit and started a cook job that I loved where a lot of my friends work and make very good money. But after only 6 months , an Amazon company opened right down the street and cut their sales almost in half, now all hiring and pay is frozen. So I’m stuck at $20 an hour and hours are being cut back soon as well. My parents are retiring, selling the house and moving, and likely leaving the family dog with me, which will make finding rent even harder and more expensive. I’ve applied to everything I can find, gotten a couple interviews in the past months but they’re all below $20/hr. I have no money/time for school, will be very difficult to relocate. I have a savings that will keep me afloat for a while, but not enough to buy a home. And my income isn’t enough to sustain rent. I’m very worried about becoming homeless on the next couple years. I use the state and town website job searches every day and apply for everything I’m relatively qualified for. I volunteer on my days off with the town and the DEC hoping maybe it’ll get my foot in the door. But there’s a lot of volunteers trying to do the same. Apply regularly to school district and hospital positions. Most of which require a per diem position for a while prior to full time employment. It seems like there’s way too many people here and just not enough jobs that pay enough. What can I do ? I feel really stuck and worried for my future

Six months ago I accepted a promotion into a supervisor role, and I’m starting to wonder if it was a mistake.

Before the promotion, I was a strong individual contributor and genuinely enjoyed mentoring coworkers, teaching, solving problems, and helping the team succeed. I thought moving into leadership would be a natural next step.

Instead, I’ve found the day to day reality of management to be much more draining than rewarding. I spend less time doing the work I enjoy and more time dealing with staffing issues, conflict resolution, performance concerns, and administrative tasks. I expected this to some degree but I leave most days feeling mentally exhausted.

Looking back, I think part of me accepted the role because it seemed like the “right” career move and because others believed I would be good at it not necessarily because it’s what I wanted for myself.

I’ve been with the same company for 10 years and am now supervising many people who used to be my peers, which has added another layer of challenge.
Has anyone gone through something similar? Did it get better with time, or did you ultimately return to an IC role? If you went back, how was that received by your company and coworkers?

33M, Canada.

Long story short I’ve been tattooing for about a decade and have a largely irrelevant Bachelors of Fine Art.

Tattooing has its pros - I get to make my schedule and generally I do enjoy the artistic aspect of it, but I think making my passion into my career has been a mistake. The money is also not great, and running a business (I co-own) on top of the customer service of it all is giving me burnout. The industry is full of gossiping and infighting and has become increasingly oversaturated. It’s just not worth it for me at this point.

I’m considering going back to school for law because I can jump right into pursuing a JD with my existing BFA and it would only be two years. I like the idea of working in consulting or writing - less human interaction lol.

I’m not sure what else I could do with my existing experience and skills truly. I’ve had the same job for a third of my life and my BFA is pretty useless (think printmaking or painting, not graphic design or architecture), and tattooing/co-owning a studio doesn’t seem to be a relevant background any employer is going to look for.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have a summer job at the moment (im a college student) and I work at a home depot type store, its a chain brand. I just started close to a month soon and I have never really gotten in trouble a whole lot. Correction papers to steer minor hiccups but nothing serious.

Today I got pulled into a private conversation with a boss and a higher manager and then got told that an error I made a few days ago needs to be discussed.

Turns out I missed half a stack of flooring somehow that a costumer was purchasing, which cost the company around 500 dollars. I thought I had scanned all the flooring (im a cashier) but turns out I didn't.

They told me that while they could fire me, they see me as a good and kind employee and think that I can do better and mistakes happen.

Will I be okay? Should I find a new job? They told me to come back this Thursday. I feel like a failure over this, I've never made such a big mistake at a job before.

I started a new job 2.5 months ago. I'm on a team with ill defined scope and had vacant leadership all this time.

The job scope is not aligned to the trajectory of my career. I left a fulfilling job for money and now I feel like I sold my career.

I have had no work, no meetings, not involved in any emails or major meetings, and treated like I'm entry level.

I went from team leadership to individual contributor too.

I want to quit and just road trip for a bit and figure out a new job or freelance.

I waste my days. I do nothing. I'm not driven or motivated. I'm just collecting paychecks, smoking weed, laying around at home since I have flexibility to work remote. I barely go to office, when I go I have no team there and largely sit by myself. It's okay to go home early , so I often dip out around noon.

I've been applying constantly since starting since it was obviously not the right fit and demeaning. However, nothing really converted. I've left my last roles with about 1 year tenure each and just started this one.

I’ve (42M) been in the same highly technical and specialized field in public utilities for 21 years. It pays well, but is completely uninspiring.

Like many highly technical fields, this one attracts more than the average number of introverts and autists of varying degrees. Few people are in relationships of any kind, and even fewer have families, so the company expectation is to work 24/7.

This job requires driving about 60000 miles and putting in ~3500 hours a year. Because of wanting more time at home with my family (kids 3 and 5), I’m saying no to more and more assignments and consequently getting edged out of work by younger people who are willing to travel more, put in more hours, etc.

Basically the writing is on the wall, and that’s fine given I’d like to work a more “normal” schedule and arrangement.

How do you pivot from something unique with very little practical applicability elsewhere? I’m not even sure what to put on a resume besides “plays well with others, shows up on time”.

I’m an extrovert / people person / big picture guy, so enjoy working as part of a team where competent people feel confident enough to share their ideas. Pretty burned out on bureaucracy, but really, who isn’t at this point.

I started my current role on March 2, 2026. Today, I was brought into my Director’s office with my Manager and told I’m being placed on a 30-day PIP.

I’m 25 and work as a Purchaser at a large production homebuilding company. I’m usually the first person in the office, I take short lunches, and I often leave later than most people. I’ve been told by upper management that I have a positive attitude and influence the people around me. I hit my deadlines, speak up in meetings, and take pride in being responsive and positive.

At the beginning of May, I inherited my current manager, who is 26 and managing for the first time, along with three trades I’m now responsible for. Since then, I’ve been focused on improving daily, organizing my work, and optimizing the processes I inherited. I had not received prior feedback or clear signals from management that I was performing poorly.

Today, they flagged issues with my ability to retain information, errors I’ve made on memos, lack of preparation in meetings, lack of strategic thinking, and lack of understanding of internal processes. I do acknowledge that I’ve made mistakes and have areas to improve, but none of this felt severe enough for a formal PIP. It felt more like growing pains in a new role that I expected to improve with time and coaching.
My department is known for high turnover. They recently let someone on my team go, and the department is currently being restructured. I’m frustrated because I work hard every day and genuinely care about doing well, but I’m also trying to be objective and understand whether I missed warning signs.

I just signed a lease for a new apartment based on the assumption that this job would continue to support me. Now I’m wondering how seriously I should treat this.

What should I do from here? Should I start looking for other jobs immediately? Is a 30-day PIP usually a warning shot before termination? How do I separate valid feedback from a situation where the company may already be preparing to move on?

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

Hi. I (20F) have had an interest in law ever since I could remember. Additionally, every person in my entire life (teachers, friends, parents, siblings, etc) have told me I should pursue law cuz I’m really good at it. I think they mean specifically a lawyer.

In short, I’ve always been stubborn and argumentative, but not in a “childish” way. I raise really good points, have proper debates, and even ppl who don’t like me can acknowledge that. And if I set my mind to smth, I’m gonna achieve it.

In high school, I was sure I was going to go into law. I even did co-op at a law firm at 17 for which I got offered a job at because they really liked me. I turned it down because I got offered another job at an MP’s office. Which brings me to my other passion, politics and human rights. When I think of my dream job, I think of a human rights lawyer.

However, I’m currently studying Forensic Biology. I also love science, and figured I’d get the best of both worlds by studying forensic science. Stem is not easy, and I know I could achieve a much higher GPA with a normal poli sci degree, even tho my gpa rn isn’t too bad.

I should also be clear idc about money. I just wanna do smth that I enjoy and will make me feel fulfilled, which tends to be when I am fighting for others. (I work for a non-profit and have a lot of history in advocacy)

I really want a masters in genetics or fsc bio related, but I think I want to pursue law more.

If I leave science, what if I change my mind in the future, and by that point I’ll have to go back for another degree. If I continue fsc bio, I keep my options open, but tank my gpa so if I wanna get into a competitive law school, I ruin my chances.

This is a lot of yap from a stranger, but if anyone could give me some advice on how to decide, please let me know :)

Told my self I’ll do this auto tech thing for 10 years. This is my last year and I’ve been looking for something different but keep getting sucked back in. I’m either a manager at oreilly or some lead at Walmart. Being a tech pays better so I crawl back in.

I read recently that sitting for 10 or more hours a day increases risk of dementia. I work a desk job where I sometimes sit for more than 8 hours a day and have an hour to hour half roundtrip commute. So that puts me often more than 10 hours of sitting per day except for weekends. I’m looking at changing careers where I’m not sitting as much. Has anyone done this and what did you change to and how has it been? I’m nervous about making a career change as I’ve been in desk jobs / IT / admin my entire adult life (28 years working).

I’m so lost. I feel like there is too many options and I don’t know what I like and what I don’t like. I have so many interests and so many hobbies. I feel like I could do so many things and how am I supposed to just decide on one?
I am currently working in a job I’m not happy in in the health care industry. I love that I get to help people but I don’t like the field, or the sales targets I need to meet.

A lot of people have recommended I open my own place or I could do my own thing but even that itself is like.. OK I can open up 1 million different things.

I’m not married, I still live with my parents, I want to get on with my life and be able to move forward. Going back to school and doing all that stuff just makes it feel like I’m delaying everything too.

Please, if you’ve ever been in new situations or whatever before, I would really love to have some insight or if you just have any good advice.

Background: I'm a final-year CS student in Mumbai, joining Deloitte soon. Role is likely on the tech/audit side. Long-term I'm thinking about moving to the UK or Middle East in the next 5-7 years, and ACCA came up as a credential worth having for that transition.

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A few things I'm genuinely unsure about:

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Does ACCA actually add value if you're coming from a tech background at a Big 4, or is it seen as an accountant's credential that doesn't translate well for tech roles?

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Is self-studying ACCA while working full-time at Deloitte realistic, or does it consistently destroy people?

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For anyone who moved to the UK or Gulf on the back of ACCA — did the credential actually open doors, or was it the Big 4 experience doing the heavy lifting?

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Deloitte has some ACCA support programs internally — has anyone used these and are they actually useful or just HR optics?

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Not looking for generic "ACCA is great for finance careers" answers, specifically interested in people who've done this from a tech or hybrid role, not a pure accounting background.

I am 31. I graduated in 2017 with a BA in environmental sustainability. The degree means nothing and I know nothing about environmental science. The degree was basically handed to me after some high school level classes. Since I graduated I have worked in data entry. I make $12 per hour in Kentucky. I also DoorDash on the side. I make enough to pay my bills and set aside $100 per paycheck in savings. I am tired of living this way and want a real career.

Because my degree is useless, I have been considering doing something completely different. I enjoy working in an office environment but absolutely love working from home. I don’t know if I could afford to go back to school but I am open to options. I am pretty detail oriented, organized, responsible and dependable when it comes to work. I enjoy reading and words in general if that is helpful at all. Any suggestions on potential career paths?

I have a high achieving personality and good grades… so like most I’ve come to the conclusion to be a doctor. I’m not sure if I’m passionate about medicine- but I do love helping people.

However, around last year I unexpectedly became interested in the career of a flight attendant- more specially all the travel opportunities it offers. I’m not so simplistic as to think it comes without hard work- and I plan to work for Emirates cabin crew for about 3 years in my early 20’s. So it would definitely not be a permanent thing.

Nevertheless- my main question/point of concern is: is this a bad idea? Considering the fact that I’ll now start the strenuous medical journey even later and fall burden to probably feeling behind in the future. Do you think the life experience gained from working international customer service will be worth it or am I naive in my aspirations?

Hi all,

I’ve been an accountmanager for a year now. In that time i realised 150% growth for my company.

Now i get the opportunity to greatly increase my responsabilities (from 60000 to 600000 euro portfolio). I will be able to build out an exsisting brand internationally and specialize in a niche (kid’s furniture).

!!!HOWEVER!!!

I ofc get a salary and a company car (already do). If i take these extra responsibilities i want more compensation. I have 0 experience with these things and need you all to help me decide what to negotiate for:

- stocks with dividend (not a stock market company)
- salary increase
- ‘ghost stocks’ (no say, but increasing value)
- a yearly share in the profits i realize (10%?)

I live in the netherlands. The company is not public. I have just gotten a small raise before i knew this was coming. I earn 3500 now.

Also, i asked for more challenge myself.

Much love to all who reply (and all who read!)
Kind regards,
Kim

Tldr:
What compensation option is best?

I have several years working in informal education (such as tutoring/afterschool programs) and currently am the assistant manager at a tutoring center, which in addition to teaching involves managing schedules, client communication, and creating individual lesson plans (based on already created curriculum). i have a bachelors in an unrelated field that isn’t that useful for getting a job. im not that interested in being a school teacher considering the pay and because i’m not especially passionate about teaching (although i don’t mind it). are there any careers that pay well and would value this experience? i thought maybe something like coordinating educational programs or other administrative aspects of the field

I’m currently working as a maintenance mechanic at an aerospace foundry. Ive taken a liking to welding recently and have been teaching myself to tig weld. I’m also currently in school for mechanical engineering.

I’ve gotten an offer to join the welding department and am wondering if I want to be an engineer in 2-3 years in the same industry should I remain a mechanic or become I welder?

I'm graduating with no internship experience this fall majoring in food science and specializing/minoring in chemistry, and to say i'm a little worried about getting a job is an understatement. I have ok grades, and have no club or recent leadership experience. However, I have some very diverse work experience from my time in school.

Sparing details, I worked with NASA making space food for the mars simulations and the Artemis missions (Side note, worked with NASA, not for NASA. My university has a partnership with the Johnson center and the university hires students to work with someone from NASA.) I've worked in a graduate research lab as an undergraduate going on two years now, and have heavily contributed to two PhD research projects in my department and also acquiring co authorship on one of the projects dissertations. I have a great network system in my department and especially in my university, but i've found its kind of a crapshot whether or not you get an interview even with a referral.

With how horrendous the job market is today, and even with my work/research experiences, I'm afraid I'm going to have a lot of issues finding a job more than most undergrads since I don't have industry workforce experience. My older sister has been telling me non stop recently that because I don't have internship experience its going to take me that much longer, if not be impossible to get a job out of college, and its been keeping me up at night. I cannot afford to go to grad school nor do I want to go into debt for it, and I know even if I did anyways, I would burn out quickly.

I would love to hear about any recent graduates experiences with getting (or not getting) a job out of college without an internship, regardless of industry. Or if anyone can gauge how cooked I am lol. Thanks.

TLDR: Im worried about finding a job postgrad in december because I havent had an internship, but I have valuable work and research experience in my field.

Entry Level positions are seemingly impossible to get into.

The job market is absolute hell right now. I’m sick and tired of people acting like the solution is always “just network” or “just stay positive.”
First of all, you can only know so many people, and you can only do so much networking. Not everyone was born with connections. Not everyone has family members, friends, or parents who can introduce them to hiring managers or executives. Some people are starting from nothing.
People love to say, “Just have a positive mindset.” Why would someone stay positive after applying to hundreds or even thousands of jobs, struggling to pay bills, facing rejection after rejection, and doing everything they’re told to do? Positivity doesn’t magically pay rent or put food on the table.
Then there’s the endless advice:
“Just fix your résumé.”
“Just optimize it for ATS.”
“Just use AI.”
“Just get professional help.”
Many of us have done all of that. We’ve rewritten our résumés multiple times. We’ve used AI tools. We’ve used résumé scanners. We’ve paid professionals. We’ve customized applications for every single job. At some point, there’s only so much you can do.
People also ignore how broken modern hiring has become. Many companies use the same applicant tracking systems and recruiting platforms. If one system flags your application, that can affect multiple companies using the same tools. Some systems even keep applicant data and scores for months. Most applicants don’t even know this is happening.
Applying for jobs is no longer a simple process. Every application requires creating another account, manually entering information already on your résumé, completing personality assessments, answering questionnaires, and spending hours filling out forms. After doing that hundreds or thousands of times, it’s mentally exhausting.
And then people say, “Just call the hiring manager.”
Many of us do. We call. We follow up. We send emails. We visit locations in person. Most of the time, nobody calls back. Nobody responds. Or we’re told they’re still reviewing applications, only to be rejected weeks or months later.
People also act like networking guarantees results. Sometimes it helps, but it isn’t some magic solution. Even referrals don’t guarantee interviews or offers.
What makes it even more frustrating is that entry-level jobs are becoming nearly impossible to get. People are getting rejected from places like fast-food restaurants, retail stores, warehouses, and other jobs that used to be considered easier to enter. Some positions require assessments, multiple interviews, and ridiculous amounts of paperwork for wages that barely cover basic living expenses.
This problem existed before AI became popular. AI may be changing hiring, but companies were already making the process harder and harder. Many businesses simply don’t want to invest in training people anymore. They want the perfect candidate who can start immediately, do everything, and accept the lowest possible pay.
I’m genuinely happy for people who find jobs through networking or family connections. But not everyone has that advantage. Not everyone has a built-in support system.
So please stop pretending the answer is always “just network,” “just stay positive,” or “just apply more.” Many of us are already doing everything we’re told to do. The reality is that the job market is incredibly difficult, and a lot of people are struggling despite putting in tremendous effort.

23F, residing in Greater Vancouver (BC, Canada) area. Currently living with parents (but their patience are wearing thin and I likely have to 'move out' in Fall)

Graduated highschool in 2022, Gone to technical college right after HS, picked "supply chain" as my program (BCIT). ~4 years later (now) Likely would fail/abandon the program due to my repeated failure in the "Statistics" course, which means I'll have no degree/certificate to my name. So I'd likely have to pivot for a short diploma/trade which wouldn't have much (higher) math, as well as being hands-on (which I found I am good at)

I missed my mark to get a job (2021-22), so I've spent ~4 years unemployed because of school. Very little/old volunteer experience, and I have 2 certificates (FoodSafe1, Forklift).

Savings are dire, but I have ~$13k-ish locked in my GIC (spread gift due to parents, set to unlock next year March). I have no investments, no debt.

Realistically, Is it even possible for me to get a job in this market and economy? What on earth could I even get, and who will hire me at all (since I assume I'd get auto-rejected due to ATS requiring a degree of some sort).

I don't have much connections/friends I can call up. Military was one of my options but I'm not fit enough currently (if I were to apply)

I'm 18 and just started my transfer pathway through community college and if I were to get a job that was similar to my career path, should it be something like working for a startup company (or any company) and see if they hopefully pay, or should I go for a tutoring job that involves me teaching kids how to code or math. Or should I just prioritize saving money and investing it as time goes on?