I need someone to explain to me how this corporate logic makes any sense, because my brain is melting.

Last year during my annual review, my director looked me in the eye and laid out the rule. He told me that in our company, you don't get promoted to Senior Analyst and then start doing senior work. You have to "demonstrate capability at the next band" for at least six to nine months first. Basically, do the higher job at your current pay grade to earn the title.

i took the bait.

For eleven months, I took on lead projects. I ran the weekly stakeholder meetings, trained two incoming associates, and handled client escalations that were previously above my pay grade. I worked late. I hit every single milestone.

Yesterday was my year-end performance check-in.

I brought up the promotion and the salary bump we discussed. My manager gave me an eighty-page deck of compliments, told me I was doing fantastic, and then dropped the hammer. He said: "Well, since you have been doing this scope of work for almost a full year now, this is just your established baseline. To justify a promotion to the board, we need to see you stretch beyond this current baseline for another cycle."

Are you joking?

I gave this firm a year of free senior-level labor, and now its just my new normal. I should of never taken on a single extra responsibility without signed paper.

It is completely EXHAUSTING chasing a finish line that moves every time you take a step. Why is this even a thing?

I'm 29 and currently making around $54k managing operations at a hotel. Applied for a resort operations manager position and somehow made it through three interviews.

The offer is $95k plus free accommodation, which sounded almost too good.

Then they explained the winter arrangement. The resort closes to guests for 4 months and whoever holds this position stays on the property alone to oversee maintenance, check for storm damage and coordinate contractors when needed.

It's a large property on a lake, about an hour from the nearest proper town. They casually mentioned the previous manager left halfway through winter because he couldn't handle the isolation.

My family thinks I'm insane for even considering it. I see a chance to nearly double my salary and finally get a general manager title on my resume.

Has anyone taken a career opportunity this unusual and actually benefited from it? Or am I getting distracted by the salary and ignoring a massive red flag?

I've been an account coordinator at a marketing agency for almost 4 years. Last week I ran into a client at an industry event who looked genuinely shocked to see me. He said my manager told him I'd left the company months ago.

Thought it was some weird misunderstanding until I contacted another client I used to work with. Same story.

Confronted my manager and he admitted he'd been telling certain clients I was no longer with the company because he wanted communication going directly through him. Apparently it was easier than explaining our internal restructuring.

The crazy part is there was no restructuring. I'm still doing the same job, sitting 20 feet away from him every day.

I'm now wondering how many professional relationships he's damaged without me knowing.

Would you take this straight to HR or start looking elsewhere? I'm worried about what else he's been saying about me.

Hello! I am 19F, and am currently in my sophomore year studying Biology. Im pretty much at a crossroads for picking a career to go into.

I have looked into a lot of different fields, and have consistently came back to healthcare. As cliche as it sounds, I feel so drawn to helping people in the physical aspect. I’m also so intrigued by the way the human body functions and how it heals itself.

That being said, I have looked into so many difference careers in healthcare. MD, DO, Pa School, radiology, pharmacy, PT, OT, DMD,OD, DPM, Pharma, you NAME IT!!!!!

What doesn’t help is the job market. Some of my values in finding a career are: a predictable schedule (im very family oriented and would love to live for my family), job stability, good salary, good debt to income.

Now I do understand we can’t have the best of every world, and I’m flexible on some of those more than others.

But I just wanted to hear from some people in the field and their careers! To hear a bit about your life, what you love about it, etc.
Thank you guys!!!

Yesterday

I was called to head office by HR. I had to sign a written warning, resulting in disqualification for year end bonus.

Tomorrow

I've asked my HOD for a face to face meeting. I will start by saying that we have to have a difficult conversation, I have 2 points and 1 question.

1. David you employed me, there were many applicants, but you chose me. Surepy there is a reason for that.

2. On the few times I've recieved feedback from you. It has always been positive.

I don't want to go into too much detail but since starting at this company I've accomplished..... and ..... Both times you told me how well the projects went.

David are you trying to get rid of me? Why have you gone straight to HR, twice now, to complain about a minor thing a phone call would have resolved.

Edit; First warning - I did not have money for fuel to get to work. I informed and asked my HOD if he could possibly borrow me a couple bucks till pay day (which was a few days later) when I pay him back. Didn't even respond, went straight to HR.

Second warning ‐ I was absent from work Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Each of these days I informed both my HOD and HR that I am unable to get to work this morning, I have exhausted every possible way to get money but I simply cannot afford the fuel costs. And that i would will try my best to get something together to make it to work tomorrow. (Thursday evening was pay day)

Why I want to say the 1st point. Because even if I was a bad hire, I want to learn, eager to improve and will literally fill ANY role they need for a fucking decent salary

I'm 30, originally from a developing country, and spent several years in Canada. Currently making around $60k USD working remotely, barely 1–3 hours a day, very few meetings, and can pretty much live anywhere. I also have a potential 5% stake in the company if it eventually sells.

I know this sounds like a dream job, and I'm grateful for it, but honestly, I'm miserable because I don't feel like I'm growing professionally.

I've tried travelling (Digital nomad stuff) , hobbies, and enjoying all this freedom, but none of it really replaces the feeling of being challenged or working toward something. I'm tired of just having fun. I actually want to build a proper career.

A bit about my background:

• Business bachelors degree and PMP certification.
• One year of Big Four audit experience, although that was seven years ago.
• Current role is a mix of operations, project management, occasional customer support, and now it is is mostly building internal tools and automations using AI/Codex.
• I enjoy solving business problems and building things, but have very little mentorship or career progression.

Here's where I'm confused. What should I actually invest my free time in?

• AI and automation: I enjoy building tools, but worry AI will eventually make a lot of these skills less valuable.
• AI governance, risk, compliance: Seems interesting and potentially more AI-resilient, but I'd be starting almost from scratch.
• GMAT/MBA/master's: Considering going back to school in 2027, possibly in Europe, but unsure about the return on investment.
• Something completely different? I'm open to suggestions and careers I haven't even considered.

I'm willing to dedicate 3–5 hours every day to learning, studying, building projects, or whatever helps me move forward.

My biggest fear is waking up at 35, losing this comfortable job, and realizing I haven't developed the skills or experience to find another good one.

I don't necessarily want to quit my current job. I just want to use this opportunity wisely and build a stable, fulfilling, long-term career.

If you were in my position, what would you focus on for the next 6–12 months?

Right now I do a technical job, with more focus on tools and technology. I am a technical person with attention to detail and I do my job very well.

However, I’ve never wanted to settle as an individual contributor for long. I am a bit more ambitious in terms of how I want to climb the career ladder. I always thought I want to take on a leadership position, however in the work environment that I am in; I’m starting to doubt that it’s possible. I do my job well, and I am the only one in the company who does this job. Letting me progress to leadership won’t meet the business needs. Moreover, although I see myself becoming a manager, I can’t help but feel we have a culture that values social skills and being constantly talkative with everyone around than being competent as a leader. And I have a healthy balance of that but I tend to come off as intimidating to others so I am not approached as much, plus my work is back office so it doesn’t allow me to develop my people skills. I am not bad with people, it’s just that I don’t engage with everyone every day and talk about every little thing, and management doesn’t like that. In fact I got a comment that I work in silos although that is literally the nature of my job.

I have seen two of my colleagues be very appreciated and trusted with sensitive work and they both happen to be extremely loud and also good at their work. I have professional boundaries, they have alot less boundaries. One of them is included in leadership meetings as she is one of the favorites with the higher manager, and the other one was given a promise to be a VP in a few years; both if them are also given important and insider insights frequently so they get to know the business in better detail. I was once given an opportunity by chance to present and everyone was blown away by my performance, 5 years in this job and they only now realize I might actually have other skills if given the opportunity. When I was seeking opportunities and trying to create them myself, I was viewed as stubborn by upper management and the highest level manager was making it difficult for me to get anything, but those who are “easy to talk to” can be opinionated and not be judged. I am opinionated but it doesn’t work on my favor like them.

I would leave to another place if I could, but unfortunately there are limited job opportunities where I live, especially for less experienced employees. Should I give up the hopes of going into leadership?

And my motivation to be in leadership is to be able to have an impact on people, to build them and to support them. I want my impact not to be limited to tools and systems, but to people as well. I know it might sound cliche, but it’s just how I think lol.

Hello,

After a job loss, I've been trying very hard to get back into the workforce for the past 3 years. Yes, a little over 3 years. No luck. I'm 60-plus and looking for contact/call center jobs.

What are the chances of being employed in any job that will help me earn money for 50- and 60-plus workers and professionals like me?

Hello! I dont want to make this too long as I just need some quick advice.

My current job is crap, im not happy with their payment system and they are hardly scheduling me. I have bills that I need to pay, and either way I already dont enjoy this job. Ive already been offered another job at Starbucks which pays $2 more than my current one, i want to take it but ive only been working at my current job for 3 weeks. How do I go about this? This is my first time quitting suddenly and so quickly like this, i honestly feel like an asshole. My schedule doesnt look like its going to get any better either, another girl who started at the same time as me was only scheduled for about 3 hours this week. They do not have the hours for the amount of workers that they have, i do not want to be here and I have no idea how to go about this. Everybody at this place has been insanely kind to me which is another reason I would hate to leave, i just need some advice on how to go about this. Also, is this even okay for me to do? Will this look terrible on my record? I apologize if I sound stupid, im a teenager whos in poverty and desperately just trying to survive.

Hey everyone,

I'm in my early 20s and recently graduated with a bachelors degree in technology. Honestly, I don't really know where my life is going anymore.

A few months ago, things looked very different. I landed a six month internship at a FAANG company, something I had never imagined myself achieving. I learned a lot, enjoyed my work, and genuinely felt like I was finally moving in the right direction. I was so invested in what I was doing that I often worked long hours, even on weekends, simply because I enjoyed it.

Almost everyone around me thought I'd get a full-time offer, and I believed it too.

I had a dream of pursuing my master's in computer science in the United States someday. It might sound childish to some people, but it's something I've wanted for a long time. I imagined working for a few years, gaining experience, and eventually moving closer to that dream. For the first time, that future felt achievable.

But things didn't go as planned. I didn't get a full-time offer.

It hurt more than I can explain. I cried, asked for feedback, and struggled to understand what had gone wrong. Eventually, I picked myself up and told myself I'd find another job. I still had my degree, the experience I'd gained, and my entire career ahead of me.

But it's been four months since my internship ended, and I still don't have a job.

I'm applying and preparing, but interview opportunities have been incredibly rare. When I do get an interview, things haven't worked out so far.

The worst part is that I haven't been able to make as much progress as I wanted to over these past few months. I try to study and improve my skills, but my mind is constantly occupied with thoughts about my career and my future. I feel anxious about falling behind, yet that same anxiety makes it difficult to concentrate and actually make progress.

It's become a vicious cycle. I want to move forward, but I can't seem to get myself out of this mental state.

Being at home all the time has also started affecting me. I love my family, but lately, I've become withdrawn and irritable. I barely talk to my parents or brothers, and sometimes I find myself getting angry at them over things that wouldn't normally bother me. They aren't responsible for my situation, and I don't understand why I'm behaving this way.

I just want to find a job, become independent, and have a life of my own. Staying at home every day without a clear direction is getting to me.

Meanwhile, I see my friends moving forward. They're working at good companies, earning money, travelling abroad, and experiencing new things. I'm genuinely happy for them, but comparing my life to theirs makes me feel worse about my own situation.

I know everyone has their own timeline, but it's difficult to believe that when you feel like you're standing still while everyone else is moving forward.

What hurts the most is that this isn't just about not having a job. It's about the future I had started imagining for myself.

I thought I was finally on my way somewhere. Now, I find myself questioning whether I'll ever get there. Will I be able to pursue my master's? Will I ever get the opportunities I've been working towards? Will I be able to move abroad and experience the life I've always wanted?

I know that not getting a full-time offer isn't the end of my career, and four months of unemployment doesn't determine the rest of my life. But knowing these things intellectually and actually believing them when you're going through it are two very different things.

I feel stuck, anxious, and increasingly disconnected from the person I used to be. I miss the person who was excited about work, had goals, and genuinely looked forward to the future.

I don't know what I'm expecting from this post. Maybe I just needed to get these thoughts out somewhere because I've been keeping a lot of them to myself.

If you've been through something similar, especially after graduating or losing an opportunity you thought was almost guaranteed, how did you deal with it? How did you get yourself out of that mental state and start moving forward again?

I don't need someone to tell me that everything will magically work out. I'd just like to hear from people who've genuinely been in a similar position and found a way through it.

Because right now, I feel like I've lost my direction, and I don't know how to find it again.

I just graduated this spring with an Econ degree, and it seems like my degree essentially means nothing nowadays as I don’t have any internships, because those are hard to get as well.

I have a general interest in Econ, finance, and accounting but I’m not completely sure which one would best suit me.

I’ve thought about getting enough units to sit for the CPA exam as it looks like it makes it much easier to land a job.

I’ve done all the resume and interview workshops and it’s incredibly hard as nothing on my resume particularly stands out, and I’m pretty introverted so the aspect of selling myself in an interview is very tough for me.

Is there any way I can build upon my degree with any kind of certifications? It feels like there’s not much I can do to stand out as I didn’t have a super high GPA or do any internships. Would getting a master’s degree be worth it?

Emphasis on energy. I have AuDHD and I want to explore career options that let me set aside energy to focus on ceramics, painting, and film. I have a BA in psychology and a certificate in data analytics. However, I have found that my 9-5 office job gives me little energy to focus on my art which is more important to me now. I find focusing on analyzing data and sitting still at work in an office setting for many hours drains me. I would love to explore careers that have worked for neurodivergent people who need to pay their rent, but who can still set aside time and energy for their hobbies.

If it helps, I find that tactile tasks where I can give my mind a break seem to not drain me as much as sitting still at a desk and concentrating intensely. I feel like my AuDHD has gotten worse over the years even with therapy and medication, and I want to find a new path to prevent more burnout so I can have energy for art when my job is done for the day.

I'm 26 and have been having a hard time figuring out what to do with my life. I was in mortgage and was promoted 2 months ago and they ended up doing a mass layoff

I have been an events coordinator and front desk at two hotels, worked for the court as a legal assistant, admin assistant for a corporate company and dealership, and lastly a loan processor assistant for a mortgage company.

It was my favorite job I've done so far because there was so much to learn, problem solving, communication within different departments and had various deadlines and required me to be very organized. I love when everyday is different and I also wouldn't mind doing something that involves me being slightly active. I am introverted and enjoy working on my own and not being around many people.

I am also good at helping people but have no interest in Healthcare or working at a hospital.

I've done research on programs at different universities and nothing seems to interest me.

I live in California and I feel like every job posting requires so many years of experience. I am interested in an non management role and don't need a rich lifestyle. I'm tired of being an admin assistant and would like to do something else. Mortgage is not consistent so I probably won't go back to doing that

I have tried so many different careers I feel like I'm running out of options and I have no idea what to do anymore. I'm getting anxious since I'm seeing there's a decline in administration roles too.

Every time I look for reviews of majors I’m interested in such as biomedical science, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, etc., it’s always the same thing : unemployed, unhappy people saying that choosing these majors was the biggest mistake of their lives.
Then you have people who have never studied finance or computer science telling you to go into those fields because they’re supposedly the only ones hiring in 2026. But when you check the subreddits for those majors the CS guys tell you that a CS degree is the new high school diploma

while the finance guys say their field is going to be fully replaced by AI soon (which I honestly believe).
So wtf am I supposed to study?

Yes, I have interests I want to pursue but at the same time, I don’t want to spend years studying something that won’t even allow me to make a living.

Title.

It’s such a stupid amount of money that I’m prepared to move, but I love product marketing. My general company right now isn’t the best in terms of responsibilities and org structure and practices, so I would have to put in a few years before I could become a product marketing manager somewhere else. All the while I doubt I’d even touch 70-75K.

My old boss offered me this job and I’m down to take it and pivot to comms for a few years but I’m scared. Will I ruin my product marketing streak and not be able to come back or become a PMM? I’m sure it’ll be more difficult to come back compared to if I was just a product marketing specialist, but again, the money is CRAZY.

Please help, I’m literally panicking over what is the right choice!

Hey everyone! I’m 28 live in Los Angeles
Area and looking for advice on choosing a career path. I’ve worked in retail for about 10 years, including around 8 years in management, but I’m looking for better pay and long-term growth.
I took college classes after high school, so most of my general education requirements are already completed. Ideally, I’d like to earn an associate degree without spending another 4–6 years in school, but I want to choose a field where I can realistically find a job after graduating.
I’m considering Computer and Networking Technology and getting into IT. I’m interested in the field, but I’ve seen a lot of discouraging information about how difficult it can be to break in. Ideally, I’d like to find an entry-level IT job while attending school so I can gain experience before graduating.
I also considered radiology, but the programs near me are impacted and aren’t currently accepting applications.
My goal is to find a career with good pay and room for growth without needing years of schooling just to get started. School has always been difficult for me, but I really want to go back and pursue a career. I’m open to other options as well.
Would not pursuing a bachelor’s degree hold me back, or would an associate degree be a reasonable place to start? I feel an associate degree would be more manageable for me right now. For those who have changed careers or work in IT or similar fields, would you recommend IT, or is there another associate degree or career path I should consider?
Any advice is appreciated!

As the title says, I (26F) am mentally checked out of my job, yet it does still stress me out. I have been at my job for about a year and a half, however, I had a weird start as something happened in my life shortly after starting which resulted in me needing to take 4 months off. I was on modified hours and working less than full time for about 9ish months. I've been back to full time for a few months now and that's mostly fine but I just feel like I have been checked out since last year. This is my first job out of school, in my field. When I started it was a very hard time in my life - my mom was very sick. After she passed and since coming back I just feel like I'm not fully in this but I promised I had to give it a real shot. I feel like I'm at the point now where I have and I'm trying to like what I do but I can't seem to. I am either board or stressed. The role is a little different from what I studied in school, however, I'm not sure things would be completely different if I was in another role. I've been building my passion for travelling and trying to find purpose there. I've also been trying to think if there is anything else I could go back to school for but I'm just not sure. I guess since her passing It's really made me confused about my career but I can't seem to figure out what I want. I want to do my best at my job but I feel like I can't even give my best to myself. Frustrating, not sure if I want advice, or just to know if anyone else has felt this way and/or had a big life change that affected it.

I’m 26 and have spent the last 7 years working in the oil and gas industry as a design engineer. I’ve recently completed my degree apprenticeship and have a mechanical engineering degree.

Although I’ve built up a good amount of experience and have a reasonably secure career, I’m starting to question whether engineering is what I want to do long term.

I get a decent wage but would (obviously) like more. The current situation at this company means progression is extremely slow, with many hoops to jump through for not much reward it seems.

I’d like to explore a career change into something that feels a bit more exciting, creative and people-focused, ideally something that involves less maths, physics and technical design work.

I’m interested in exploring different industries, but I’m struggling to work out what I’d genuinely enjoy and what careers would be realistic to move into without starting completely from scratch.

Ideally, I’d like to make the switch without taking a significant pay cut, as I’ve spent a long time building my career and would prefer not to lose that financial stability. I’m open to different paths, whether that’s something in business, marketing, media, sales, project management or an industry I haven’t even considered.

Has anyone made a similar career change, particularly from engineering into something completely different?

I’d be interested to hear what you moved into, how you went about it, whether you needed additional qualifications, and whether you’re happier for making the switch.

Any advice or suggestions for careers worth looking into would be appreciated.

I'm curious how others feel about a situation where a company hires fully remote employees while requiring existing employees in the exact same role to come into the office every day.

My company has been hiring remote employees to fill what you could call a specialized position, which I understand from a recruiting standpoint / challenge. The problem is that we already have employees doing essentially identical work who are required to be in the office simply because they live within commuting distance.

We're talking about a jobs that is entirely computer based with very little need for face to face interaction. Even when we're physically in the office, much of the communication happens virtually or with remote employees.

Meanwhile the office employees are spend thousands of dollars a year on commuting expenses and lose hundreds of hours of their life each year sitting behind the wheel. Obviously it goes without saying that this could be time spent with family, sleeping, exercising etc.

Now where it gets especially frustrating:

• My understanding is employees doing the same job remotely and in the office have a pay difference somewhere around $0.50 an hour.
• I've personally seen employees quit, move away, and get rehired into fully remote positions.
• Employees who stay with the company and live near the office aren't offered / have never been offered that same flexibility or a remote offer.
• There doesn't seem to be any path to becoming "remote eligible"... unless you leave the company and relocate.

The company has already proven these jobs can be done remotely because it's literally paying other employees to do them remotely.

So for me it's difficult to understand why two people performing the same work should have drastically different working conditions based on where they live, especially when there's little to no difference in compensation.

It almost feels like employees who leave and come back are rewarded with better working conditions while those who stay are punished for their loyalty and solely due to their proximity to the office.

So...Am I wrong for thinking this is unfair? Would I be wrong to voice a concern on this?

I recently accepted an offer to join one of their early career oppertunity programs in financial advising.

Total comp estimate $88,000 all in

How does bonus and base pay look like as you get promoted into mass affluent advisor, HNW advisor etc? Want to get an idea of what partnership and performance bonuses look like as you stay with the company.

I understand they don’t pay top of the line but their WLB, culture, and benefits all seem really great. I’d be proud to stay at a company with their methodology.

I’m almost 28 and have had 7 jobs in the past 6 years since graduating college. I got my degree in a social science that I never worked in, and ended up going back for an accounting degree recently.

My most recent jobs have been accounting related (2 yrs with a promotion and current position is 4 months). 2 years has been my longest role, but I felt ready to quit well before then.

At every job I was either promoted or discussed getting promoted soon before leaving, and I always received good feedback, so it’s not a performance issue.

I’m at the point in my current job where I’m looking to leave, and there are definitely issues with the company, but maybe I just need to suck it up.

After this many jobs, there’s no way it’s really been an issue with the environment every time. I think it’s just hard for me to actually settle in somewhere.

I don’t want to keep feeling this way, but I also don’t want to accept having to dread going to work every day for the rest of my life. Is this just what life is, or can find a job/workplace I’ll tolerate? I probably need to shift my mindset but it feels so easy to blame the outside factors that make me frustrated.

I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who has felt similarly or has any advice.

I've been considering medical coding for a while now and am finally in a position to start taking courses for it. But I do wonder how much of it is being outsourced by AI and whether or not it will continue being a stable career.

I've been a PM for over 20 years in half a dozen industries: engineering, telecom, and fintech SaaS. I love the work but despise the multitude of horrible bosses and companies that seem to be everywhere. I've been looking for comparable jobs with nonprofits but they're hurting with this economy.

I need to find something unique. I'm done with being a drone. I've tried working with AI to find choices, but it likes to stick with stereotypical office job suggestions. I'd love it if anyone has any input. Thanks

My major is in Integrated Marketing Communications. This prepares one for roles in fields such as copywriting, marketing, advertising, and public relations. I've realized (too late) that most of these jobs don't necessarily require a degree and the ceiling on earnings often isn't too high.

I'm studying for the LSAT to see if I could get into law school, but from what I hear, a lot if lawyers outside of big law barely make six figures. I'm set to graduate with a 3.0 GPA, so even if I have an excellent LSAT, it'd be hard to get into a law school with a big law pipeline.

If I could do it over, I'd major in something STEM related. I've thought about maybe trying to do a masters in engineering or even going to Physican's Assistant school. The thing is, both of those would require me to take a year's worth of math and science courses at a community college because my degree only required very basic math and science courses.

I know many people will tell me to pick a path that I enjoy. I get that this is important, but part of me feels like work is work, no job is ever going to be "fun" all the time. I really just want to make as much money as I can.

I feel even more uneasy about all this considering I am a few years older than most are when they receive their undergrad degree. I know 25 is still young, but I still feel so behind.

So should I go to law school or make the pivot to healthcare or STEM?

I'm a college student and am looking for a job to have while I finish up school. I am a business major, and am thinking about getting a job that could help me build some basic experience while taking classes. I have retail experience currently and would be open to pretty much any field related to my major to try it out. I just struggle finding any entry level job that isn't just basic minimum wage work like being a cashier. I want something that can at least give me some experience for a more advanced or higher paying job in the future.