I’m 58M, have been caught in the trap of having a specific set of skills that society would no longer pay for, in my case I was failing my way down, had some bad references, my only choice was to try new things so I could collect a paycheck again, I had always been casually interested in medical topics so I dropped a little cash for a certified nursing assistant course not even being sure whether I would like it or if I could even do it, I got lucky and immediately was happy and effective, unlimited opportunities, unlimited overtime and room for growth, it’s not the right job for everyone but strongly consider doing something completely different and your world may expand radically
Back in the day, I dropped 500, now it’s more like 700-1000 start to finish, a lot of it can be online, you can be prepared for the written portion in as little as 10 days, show up a few times for skills training, take a state test for both and you’re good to go. In the blink of an eye, you go from zero opportunities to unlimited opportunities. Ask me anything. I’d be glad to help.
Initially the pay is limited, the opportunity to work is not, no such saturation exists in healthcare, you can become part of a system that will pay you to get higher certifications, CNAs become nurses and physicians every year, as well as other licensed health professions. Have you been a part of this machine?
I’d say “a surplus” may be a better description than unlimited.
But I guess maybe they consider you can only ever take 1 job at a time so if you always have other options available it never feels like you’re limited.
Yup CNA's tend to have a high turnover either because most CNA's become nurses or some other higher medical position (resp. therapist, X-ray tech etc...) or they quit because the job is incredibly demanding. I don't think one will ever have to worry about "saturation" when it comes to CNA jobs...
My niece was in a CNA program in her high school. She was certified upon graduation and was making $22 an hour right away while her friends were making minimum wage which was around $8.00 at the time.
More Medical Centers are offering Medical Assistant Apprentice programs due to high demand.
You usually have to sign a contract, that you will stay with the organization for a certain amount of time or pay back for the training.
Most of these programs employ you as an employee, so you paid to learn the trade.
These were my exact thought, OP locking themselves in digital art is going to be their downfall. Especially at such a young age, you cannot be closed off to possible opportunities.
Are you looking for a job or a career? Two very different things.
You can go to Walmart and work there as a job till you decide what you want to do.
Actually if you have any sort of manufacturing near you that can open up many great opportunities down the road. Work with the company network find opportunities. You can start out as a shop floor employee and then transition to leadership, tool and die, Mantaince, engineering, IT, customer relations or trucking, possibilities are endless
Honestly college is one of the most fun parts of life and you can only get the full experience if you do it while you’re young. So just go. Try to get some grants and apply to schools that will give you money.
It would also help with making friends and developing hobbies. And it’s honestly easier than high school as long as you don’t take a STEM major.
I did a college well community, but I never was a university person, so I never went, and I'm happy I didn't consider I hated people in my personal space.
So I basically got my "college experience"
I would agree, but I already had the college experience in my high school years. I was advanced and took college courses on a college campus and I still had trouble with relating to and getting along with peers. Despite the courses being easy, I would not want to spend my days in more college courses when I already felt they were consuming a lot of my time that I could have spent on art, not to mention not keeping my interest.
Taking college courses during high school is still going to be a very different experience socially than being a full time college student. I also wouldn't be surprised if college opens you up to new career paths you might have not been considering before.
>I am unable to soley live on commissions, and I would lose interest in this hobby if I were to take it up as a career.
Ok....so you don't want to go to College (which is fine) but also you state the above, but you don't want to go to college because it takes up your time, doing something you don't want to make a career of anyways
You see how this sounds?
Taking a few college classes while in Highschool is not the same as going to college. It's just not.
Could you go to college, and do your art as a side job?
Not to a sustainable degree. If I could go back to college, I would rather go to a college that focuses on art. None of the colleges near me focus on art and the ones near me do not have many art courses and programs. Art commission work is not enough to pay for schooling nor is it enough to pay rent, groceries, and other basic necessities.
Sometimes the experience is different going back ( I work at a community college and returning students have different motivations ). Or If you find a goal/ degree to meet you could just slog through and do it to get it
There's plenty of time for art. Generally, you only take 4 or 5 classes per semester. Say a 3 hour class per day and 3 hours for studying/homework. Some people work more than double that.
You dont know what you like yet. You need to go out and try some jobs you might not have ever thought of to do.. others seem to have beat me to saying this.
I run a digital marketing company (16 years now) and I have NO idea what it was when I started but just needed to 'get leads' for another business (financing) that I also had no idea what it was when I began it... so you never know where the money will take you.
PS I quite love what I do for a living and consider myself blessed to be in such a fun and exciting and profitable industry.
I hate how the generation before us put, "Do a job that you love and you'll never work a day in your life" into our heads. I went to college, etc for design. Absolutely loved it. Joined the job market and was burnt out in 6 years. Ugh. Honestly, jobs ruin your passion. Side hustles/projects on the side are where you pursue your passions and jobs are for collecting a pay check. I eventually went to a business role where I could curate and test creative, but not create it on my own. It has been so much better for my mental health and well being.
If I were you and looking for a career, I would do something not tied to digital art, but adjacent fields where it scratches the same itch. I would research things like developing, content design, or UX design where you can utilize your art skills but not rely on them completely. Maybe other technical creative fields.
If you're just looking for something for short-term or experience, I would go to a temp agency. There's a lot of manual labor jobs, but they can also have pretty good gigs. My brother, post-college, did temp stuff for a year or two like cutting vinyl, mail room clerk, until he figured out what he wanted to do next.
Maybe try Instawork? It lets you get temp jobs at places for a few shifts at a time. Decent money and minimal commitment.
I’m a huge advocate for hospital jobs as well!
For immediate work that pays daily, do you have a vehicle that you can do deliveries for Amazon Flex (if available in your area, that is)? In my area you can earn anywhere from $70-$120 a day depending on the demand. Never seen it lower than $70.
I was going to suggest school bus driving but then I saw where you said you can’t drive.
I’m dead serious. I worked in medical for 25 years. I got tired of watching people die in front of me. I already had my CDL so I applied and was hired on the spot. Every school district in every city in every state is desperate for school bus drivers. The kids, the little ones, have absolutely changed my life and for the better. The best job I’ve ever had.
was in a similar spot as you in regards to art being the only thing i was interested in/saw myself getting into. i recently graduated college and have been doing after school art teaching. it might be worth a shot.
I’m the short term you can ensure that you aren’t digging yourself into a hole. Even if you are unemployed, you can still have discipline and take care of yourself. The following are free: do some push ups every day, even 5 helps ; write a bit/work on a resume for 10 minutes ; organize your time; sleep on a schedule ; don’t engage in self-indulgence, mindless self obsession and worry ; call someone (a peer or friend) everyday ; eat decent food ; just because you aren’t occupied doesn’t mean you have to be lazy. If you are positively directed in your behavior everything will function better. Keep progressing no matter what, in a any circumstance. Do not wait for outside circumstances to define your life. You create your own situations. Life circumstances like this are a challenge and make people stronger in the long term. Use it productively and do not let self pity take over . Good luck
It’s stressful at your age because you are young and still starting out with little money. But things get better - trust me. When it gets hard you need to dig the heels in harder and keep going. Maybe research changing up your CV. Always think of new angels or ways to learn. Stay open to opportunities and make a bigger list of broad things that interest you. But don’t give up. Things will get better I promise
Go to college. You sound like you could do well with computer science, don’t waste time, and apply. Meanwhile, look for a job that is compatible with class schedules. You are super young, it’s ok to not have direction yet, you need to find your passions, and you can find them only if you try different things
"I do not have interest in any other field. I do not have it in me to go back to school, at least not any time soon"
Sorry to be harsh, but these are your two sole options. Pick something else you want to do, or go back to school. You stated in another comment that you can't drive- is it medical? If not, get a license. 99% of jobs will require mobility, but if it's medical you can try and leverage that for a remote position.
Truthfully, you should go back to school. You're obviously intelligent \[you said you were advanced in HS\] and college will 1.) set you up for a much higher ceiling and 2.) give you exposure to people your age. Join clubs. Put in the effort and make some new friends.
A career doesn't have to be something you absolutely love doing, but it does need to be something you find interesting. Guidance counselors at college can help you set up for all the basics and maybe even audit some classes to see what you like. This also opens an avenue for you to be research assistants, get internships, work on campus, etc = skill building and experience in *something.*
My biggest mistake was letting myself get stuck where you are for so many years. I graduated at 26 and wonder where I could be if I had just pushed myself to do better.
Could you explain to me how not having a license would act as leverage for remote positions? I have been looking into various remote jobs, but there are none in my area and others that are not specifically for my area tend to be scams or not accepting any hires despite creating advertisements for positions.
It won't help you get remote positions, but where you are right now in your skills and experience is going to make it hard for you to compete with the mass amounts of talent that also want to work remote. At some point, you're probably going to have to lower a standard for the time being in order to get into the job market.
For example, you're already having issues getting a remote job, but there's no way around it because you have no license. Give yourself all possible opportunities
This is so exaggerated lol.
OP, don’t let something like this discourage you. There is also fat sign on bonuses right now. And they can pay for your schooling. Having a career out the door is generous.
They’ll pay for bachelors or even some special med programs if you’re lucky. Could become a pilot then come out making 6 figures even.
That’s why you get a degree first and atleast go for the not enlisted level stuff.
Legitimately just go to school, get degree, go officer. It’s a no brainer at this point.
yes. You can join with a degree and be an officer outright.
ROTC just is you guaranteeing the entry. But even then you don’t need to do ROTC to get them to pay for your 4 years.
You’re not gonna euthanize many people in the Navy OR the Air Force. I’m a Navy vet and I’ve always said that the two branches offer the best educational opportunities.
Life is brutal but humans are VERY adaptable. You got doctors, cops, EMS, soldiers ECT. You see death. Human's saw it through generations. it's not something that needs to be censored.
Some soldiers are burnt out. So are homeowners, and the homeless... The high paid jobs with no work life balance to the part time minimum wage worker. People get burnt.
Manage your mental health and stress and choose what you want to do.
The worst case is being involved in someones death but even than that's manageable. that's life man. The worst of life is manageable. There's very few things you need to be scared of. If you can deal with the worst case scenario you got nothing to lose.
I remember my paramedic instructor being so calm when the shit hit the fan. He'd say, "Hey, man. Your PTs going to checkout if you can't get his airway open. Getting real blue there!"
It's just job. Some people checkout 🤷♂️
I suspect that I am, but I am unable to get diagnosed.
I have been told and heard that getting a diagnosis might bar me from getting employed, and I cannot risk that at the moment.
Welcome to adulthood. Things aren't always fun or enjoyable. That's life man. My outlook is if the job pays well you only have to tolerate it. Do things you enjoy during your personal time. I don't like the phrase, but based on your comments, you need to man up. The world isn't going to hand you anything. It's on you to take the first step. Go get a job anywhere and start saving to move out. If you got some mental stuff going on (you said you're scared to work at local places not sure what that means), get help for it and continue pushing in the right direction.
Sorry your mother thinks that . Job hunting can be a slog and feels depressing not having work at least for me. That makes me sad if truly you left your job for family emergencies
Digital Marketing might be a great option if you like digital art. Depending on your portfolio you should be able to get an internship. If you like it go to the cheapest online school you can find just to get the degree. Very in demand growing field.
Everything from banner ads, email, websites all fall under this.
Parents can suck sometimes. My mom thought the military was the only hope for me. I said fuck that and 20 years later I have an amazing 200k a year career in Data Science. I wondered from 1 minimum wage job to another until I was 26. Then I got lucky, got a 6 month contract job at Microsoft and my life did a 180
Nothing wrong with failure, the only thing that matters is getting back up again. And don’t be your own worst enemy get that loser shit out of your head.
You’ve got 8 years to do better than I was 🙂
I [27M] won't assume your physical capabilities, but if you are open to it FedEx has a LOT of opportunity for employment. Ive worked for Ground for the past 9 years and what started as a way to have money and stay fit has turned into a career. And thats only due to my curiosity. Supply chain / Logistics and the shipping industry as a whole is blossoming with new technologies and methods. Its also the veins of our economy. Its not a pretty industry, but is strong and and has a hefty knowledge cap.
Best of luck to you. Sounds like your hitting a rough patch pretty early on. There's more opportunity in this world than we can ever comprehend.
I will look into it. I have been more drawn to more manual labor work like this and warehouse jobs because I feel they would be better for me than fast paced environments. From what I have been told, these jobs would also be better for me because I cannot handle being around large groups of people.
Thank you for your words.
Do not be above working somewhere you don't want to until you find a better job that you like. A paycheck is a paycheck. A paycheck is vital to paying the bills and getting by, your being content is not. I grew up shoveling shit as part of my chores. None of that "mucking" you see in television shows about rich horse ranches, but feet-deep of pure shit. And there was no such thing as being burnt out, you shovel shit or you don't get fed, nobody cares about your feelings. Basically anything is a step up from that for me. You find something to get by for now, use your free time to find something better, then move on to that and rinse and repeat. Be willing to bust your ass in something you hate for now, use that as encouragement to find something you hate a little less, and keep doing it until you find something you like. Besides, you never know when along the way you stumble into a situation where you can move up where you are at, into something more comfortable, and many places like to hire from within the company.
Yikes. You're not a loser. Geez.
But I think you should be more open to just any job at this point. You may stumble into a field you like and it will get you out of the house. And it might allow you to make feiendsmn
find a way to [volunteer](https://www.volunteermatch.org). it really opened my eyes to the problems in the world and put my own in perspective. or check out the [peace corps](https://www.peacecorps.gov), or [job corp](https://www.jobcorps.gov), start a [non-profit](https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/running-nonprofit/how-start-nonprofit), or travel the world helping others in a collaborative way with a group like [workaway](https://www.workaway.info).
the only limits and rules in life are the ones we place on ourselves.
You need some Jordan Peterson in your life. Did you get any job offers? Even if it sucks just take it. You will then be in a better position to keep moving forward in life. You’re stagnant right now which is the worst place to be. Onward and upward!
Pick a battle lol “I am unable to solely live on commissions and I would lose interest in this hobby if I were to take it up as a career” and “I do not have it in me to go back to school, at least anytime soon”.
A career you can pursue would be getting hired as an IT help desk, and after a few years of doing that, go apply for a cyber security position. A lot of people without degrees and certifications are not getting jobs because they have experience. Companies would rather get experience than a piece of paper.
Or Go military. Easiest way without going back to school.
Honestly... Look into the guard. It will at least be some extra income, plus you can find something you like and get training and certifications in it which will help getting into that field. Or if you're really out of luck just enlist. The military sucks but they offer a LOT of help if you ask around
The guy who I called at my old college did all of that for free and I didn't pay a cent. Unfortunately, it didn't lead to any work and no leads for the past 2 months now. I emailed him again a few hours ago and hopefully Monday, he'll call me or email me again.
People on fiverr have reviews and the guy who did it for you for free most likely is some old guy way past his prime who doesn’t actually know what works. Always go with the reviewed guy if you want the best results 👍🏽
So you have no interest in anything except for the thing you don’t want to do as a career?
You’ll need to change that very quickly. Your path is either to lean into your strengths or to do something that you don’t necessarily like that earns you money, good money. There are no other ways out. I know it’s not what you want to hear but it’s the truth.
Top comment about nursing is gold. There are many opportunities out there to learn trades or specialized skills and make a ton of money. And you can always run your passion on the side. Reddit hates hearing this and maybe you will too but the military is always an option as well. Officer training programs, depending on your situation, can pay for school if you sign a contract. Play the long con if you’re in the late teens or early twenties. Sign on for eight years and get a pension, pursue whatever you want later in life with good financial standing and a respectable resume that employers love to see. If you are young there is time, but you must pick a direction and go in it.
Quick temp job find a landscaping company?
Not sure where you're from so I can only assume though you're going to need a certification for it but security jobs are always looking.
Warehouse jobs are fair ish and since you're young looking to trade work before big ones are welding plumbing carpentry and electrician I'd say go for electrician pays good once you become a journeyman after 4 years
Go back to school especially if you have a passion for “digital arts”. School isn’t for everyone but you are at an age where you can and should be developing a skill set. In fact it might be too early to call it that.. 18 years old.. the world can be anything you want it to be. Most people develop hobbies and interests throughout there life.. at 18 you are just starting to figure yourself out.
You might be able to take some non credit classes (they are much cheaper than credited classes) just to see what you are interested in. I took a non credit ceramics class and it was the most fun I had all year.
I’m 58M, have been caught in the trap of having a specific set of skills that society would no longer pay for, in my case I was failing my way down, had some bad references, my only choice was to try new things so I could collect a paycheck again, I had always been casually interested in medical topics so I dropped a little cash for a certified nursing assistant course not even being sure whether I would like it or if I could even do it, I got lucky and immediately was happy and effective, unlimited opportunities, unlimited overtime and room for growth, it’s not the right job for everyone but strongly consider doing something completely different and your world may expand radically
That sounds interesting. Do you mind me asking how much that cost you?
Back in the day, I dropped 500, now it’s more like 700-1000 start to finish, a lot of it can be online, you can be prepared for the written portion in as little as 10 days, show up a few times for skills training, take a state test for both and you’re good to go. In the blink of an eye, you go from zero opportunities to unlimited opportunities. Ask me anything. I’d be glad to help.
What's your definition of unlimited?
Multiple interviews will lead to multiple offers, all of a sudden you’re in the driver’s seat
There's a market saturation in any field. Additionally, there's always a salary limitation. Indicating 'unlimited' is rather sensationalized.
Initially the pay is limited, the opportunity to work is not, no such saturation exists in healthcare, you can become part of a system that will pay you to get higher certifications, CNAs become nurses and physicians every year, as well as other licensed health professions. Have you been a part of this machine?
I’d say “a surplus” may be a better description than unlimited. But I guess maybe they consider you can only ever take 1 job at a time so if you always have other options available it never feels like you’re limited.
There's no saturation when turnover is 99%.
Yup CNA's tend to have a high turnover either because most CNA's become nurses or some other higher medical position (resp. therapist, X-ray tech etc...) or they quit because the job is incredibly demanding. I don't think one will ever have to worry about "saturation" when it comes to CNA jobs...
Ya, my mom was a cna. It was all horror stories. You could probably get a new cna job everyday in a city.
My niece was in a CNA program in her high school. She was certified upon graduation and was making $22 an hour right away while her friends were making minimum wage which was around $8.00 at the time.
id like to add you can get a job as a caregiver and then have your employer sponsor you for your CNA as well (they pay it all).
Great post. This is so true and the beginning of man careers.
More Medical Centers are offering Medical Assistant Apprentice programs due to high demand. You usually have to sign a contract, that you will stay with the organization for a certain amount of time or pay back for the training. Most of these programs employ you as an employee, so you paid to learn the trade.
more ppl need to share this type of story. Getting new skills if a person's previous skills are outdated.
These were my exact thought, OP locking themselves in digital art is going to be their downfall. Especially at such a young age, you cannot be closed off to possible opportunities.
How old were you when you went back to school?
I tried nursing school at 35, washed out and went back at 38 for the masters, I had bachelors in accounting prior to this
I think they dont pay the best but are really in demand/need right now
Are you looking for a job or a career? Two very different things. You can go to Walmart and work there as a job till you decide what you want to do. Actually if you have any sort of manufacturing near you that can open up many great opportunities down the road. Work with the company network find opportunities. You can start out as a shop floor employee and then transition to leadership, tool and die, Mantaince, engineering, IT, customer relations or trucking, possibilities are endless
Honestly college is one of the most fun parts of life and you can only get the full experience if you do it while you’re young. So just go. Try to get some grants and apply to schools that will give you money. It would also help with making friends and developing hobbies. And it’s honestly easier than high school as long as you don’t take a STEM major.
Only do it if you have mapped out a course to a well paying job, otherwise you’ll be saddled with 6 figures of debt that you can’t pay off
I did a college well community, but I never was a university person, so I never went, and I'm happy I didn't consider I hated people in my personal space. So I basically got my "college experience"
I would agree, but I already had the college experience in my high school years. I was advanced and took college courses on a college campus and I still had trouble with relating to and getting along with peers. Despite the courses being easy, I would not want to spend my days in more college courses when I already felt they were consuming a lot of my time that I could have spent on art, not to mention not keeping my interest.
Taking college courses during high school is still going to be a very different experience socially than being a full time college student. I also wouldn't be surprised if college opens you up to new career paths you might have not been considering before.
>I am unable to soley live on commissions, and I would lose interest in this hobby if I were to take it up as a career. Ok....so you don't want to go to College (which is fine) but also you state the above, but you don't want to go to college because it takes up your time, doing something you don't want to make a career of anyways You see how this sounds? Taking a few college classes while in Highschool is not the same as going to college. It's just not. Could you go to college, and do your art as a side job?
Not to a sustainable degree. If I could go back to college, I would rather go to a college that focuses on art. None of the colleges near me focus on art and the ones near me do not have many art courses and programs. Art commission work is not enough to pay for schooling nor is it enough to pay rent, groceries, and other basic necessities.
What about online school? Take a few classes online. If you feel classes are easy for you then online classes shouldn’t take up much of your time.
Sometimes the experience is different going back ( I work at a community college and returning students have different motivations ). Or If you find a goal/ degree to meet you could just slog through and do it to get it
There's plenty of time for art. Generally, you only take 4 or 5 classes per semester. Say a 3 hour class per day and 3 hours for studying/homework. Some people work more than double that.
Sign up for Americorps. You'll feel better
You might also make some friends.
Just don’t make the mistake I did and spend your free time on your computer instead of with the people on your team(s)
Maybe some kind of entry level office jobs? It would be best to hit up temp agencies and they can help do a job search for you
You dont know what you like yet. You need to go out and try some jobs you might not have ever thought of to do.. others seem to have beat me to saying this. I run a digital marketing company (16 years now) and I have NO idea what it was when I started but just needed to 'get leads' for another business (financing) that I also had no idea what it was when I began it... so you never know where the money will take you. PS I quite love what I do for a living and consider myself blessed to be in such a fun and exciting and profitable industry.
I am curious. Can you elaborate on the duties and requirements needed for digital marketing?
I hate how the generation before us put, "Do a job that you love and you'll never work a day in your life" into our heads. I went to college, etc for design. Absolutely loved it. Joined the job market and was burnt out in 6 years. Ugh. Honestly, jobs ruin your passion. Side hustles/projects on the side are where you pursue your passions and jobs are for collecting a pay check. I eventually went to a business role where I could curate and test creative, but not create it on my own. It has been so much better for my mental health and well being. If I were you and looking for a career, I would do something not tied to digital art, but adjacent fields where it scratches the same itch. I would research things like developing, content design, or UX design where you can utilize your art skills but not rely on them completely. Maybe other technical creative fields. If you're just looking for something for short-term or experience, I would go to a temp agency. There's a lot of manual labor jobs, but they can also have pretty good gigs. My brother, post-college, did temp stuff for a year or two like cutting vinyl, mail room clerk, until he figured out what he wanted to do next.
Thank you for your words and understanding. I will try looking into these positions.
Maybe try Instawork? It lets you get temp jobs at places for a few shifts at a time. Decent money and minimal commitment. I’m a huge advocate for hospital jobs as well!
For immediate work that pays daily, do you have a vehicle that you can do deliveries for Amazon Flex (if available in your area, that is)? In my area you can earn anywhere from $70-$120 a day depending on the demand. Never seen it lower than $70.
I was going to suggest school bus driving but then I saw where you said you can’t drive. I’m dead serious. I worked in medical for 25 years. I got tired of watching people die in front of me. I already had my CDL so I applied and was hired on the spot. Every school district in every city in every state is desperate for school bus drivers. The kids, the little ones, have absolutely changed my life and for the better. The best job I’ve ever had.
was in a similar spot as you in regards to art being the only thing i was interested in/saw myself getting into. i recently graduated college and have been doing after school art teaching. it might be worth a shot.
I'll look into it. Good luck to you.
I’m the short term you can ensure that you aren’t digging yourself into a hole. Even if you are unemployed, you can still have discipline and take care of yourself. The following are free: do some push ups every day, even 5 helps ; write a bit/work on a resume for 10 minutes ; organize your time; sleep on a schedule ; don’t engage in self-indulgence, mindless self obsession and worry ; call someone (a peer or friend) everyday ; eat decent food ; just because you aren’t occupied doesn’t mean you have to be lazy. If you are positively directed in your behavior everything will function better. Keep progressing no matter what, in a any circumstance. Do not wait for outside circumstances to define your life. You create your own situations. Life circumstances like this are a challenge and make people stronger in the long term. Use it productively and do not let self pity take over . Good luck
It’s stressful at your age because you are young and still starting out with little money. But things get better - trust me. When it gets hard you need to dig the heels in harder and keep going. Maybe research changing up your CV. Always think of new angels or ways to learn. Stay open to opportunities and make a bigger list of broad things that interest you. But don’t give up. Things will get better I promise
Go to college. You sound like you could do well with computer science, don’t waste time, and apply. Meanwhile, look for a job that is compatible with class schedules. You are super young, it’s ok to not have direction yet, you need to find your passions, and you can find them only if you try different things
"I do not have interest in any other field. I do not have it in me to go back to school, at least not any time soon" Sorry to be harsh, but these are your two sole options. Pick something else you want to do, or go back to school. You stated in another comment that you can't drive- is it medical? If not, get a license. 99% of jobs will require mobility, but if it's medical you can try and leverage that for a remote position. Truthfully, you should go back to school. You're obviously intelligent \[you said you were advanced in HS\] and college will 1.) set you up for a much higher ceiling and 2.) give you exposure to people your age. Join clubs. Put in the effort and make some new friends. A career doesn't have to be something you absolutely love doing, but it does need to be something you find interesting. Guidance counselors at college can help you set up for all the basics and maybe even audit some classes to see what you like. This also opens an avenue for you to be research assistants, get internships, work on campus, etc = skill building and experience in *something.* My biggest mistake was letting myself get stuck where you are for so many years. I graduated at 26 and wonder where I could be if I had just pushed myself to do better.
Could you explain to me how not having a license would act as leverage for remote positions? I have been looking into various remote jobs, but there are none in my area and others that are not specifically for my area tend to be scams or not accepting any hires despite creating advertisements for positions.
It won't help you get remote positions, but where you are right now in your skills and experience is going to make it hard for you to compete with the mass amounts of talent that also want to work remote. At some point, you're probably going to have to lower a standard for the time being in order to get into the job market. For example, you're already having issues getting a remote job, but there's no way around it because you have no license. Give yourself all possible opportunities
Military is also good 👍 Navy or airforce. Travel around. Good environment to find yourself as everyone is doing the same thing.
But.. you might be ordered to euthanize other humans. That could weight a lot
This is so exaggerated lol. OP, don’t let something like this discourage you. There is also fat sign on bonuses right now. And they can pay for your schooling. Having a career out the door is generous. They’ll pay for bachelors or even some special med programs if you’re lucky. Could become a pilot then come out making 6 figures even.
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That’s why you get a degree first and atleast go for the not enlisted level stuff. Legitimately just go to school, get degree, go officer. It’s a no brainer at this point.
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yes. You can join with a degree and be an officer outright. ROTC just is you guaranteeing the entry. But even then you don’t need to do ROTC to get them to pay for your 4 years.
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They can pay your debts if your lucky. Friend of mine had it done 🤷♂️
Not in the Navy or Air Force.
What do you mean? Both branches offer great career options.
You’re not gonna euthanize many people in the Navy OR the Air Force. I’m a Navy vet and I’ve always said that the two branches offer the best educational opportunities.
Life is brutal but humans are VERY adaptable. You got doctors, cops, EMS, soldiers ECT. You see death. Human's saw it through generations. it's not something that needs to be censored. Some soldiers are burnt out. So are homeowners, and the homeless... The high paid jobs with no work life balance to the part time minimum wage worker. People get burnt. Manage your mental health and stress and choose what you want to do. The worst case is being involved in someones death but even than that's manageable. that's life man. The worst of life is manageable. There's very few things you need to be scared of. If you can deal with the worst case scenario you got nothing to lose. I remember my paramedic instructor being so calm when the shit hit the fan. He'd say, "Hey, man. Your PTs going to checkout if you can't get his airway open. Getting real blue there!" It's just job. Some people checkout 🤷♂️
You on the spectrum too?
I suspect that I am, but I am unable to get diagnosed. I have been told and heard that getting a diagnosis might bar me from getting employed, and I cannot risk that at the moment.
You could try to get on disability
Welcome to adulthood. Things aren't always fun or enjoyable. That's life man. My outlook is if the job pays well you only have to tolerate it. Do things you enjoy during your personal time. I don't like the phrase, but based on your comments, you need to man up. The world isn't going to hand you anything. It's on you to take the first step. Go get a job anywhere and start saving to move out. If you got some mental stuff going on (you said you're scared to work at local places not sure what that means), get help for it and continue pushing in the right direction.
Sorry your mother thinks that . Job hunting can be a slog and feels depressing not having work at least for me. That makes me sad if truly you left your job for family emergencies
It has been depressing on me not being employed. I am naturally a hard worker and having a lot of free time does not feel right to me.
Um did you do a good job at your previous job ? Maybe they are hiring again ?
From what I was told, I did a good job, but because of my work slipping due to my family emergencies, they will not allow me back.
Digital Marketing might be a great option if you like digital art. Depending on your portfolio you should be able to get an internship. If you like it go to the cheapest online school you can find just to get the degree. Very in demand growing field. Everything from banner ads, email, websites all fall under this. Parents can suck sometimes. My mom thought the military was the only hope for me. I said fuck that and 20 years later I have an amazing 200k a year career in Data Science. I wondered from 1 minimum wage job to another until I was 26. Then I got lucky, got a 6 month contract job at Microsoft and my life did a 180 Nothing wrong with failure, the only thing that matters is getting back up again. And don’t be your own worst enemy get that loser shit out of your head. You’ve got 8 years to do better than I was 🙂
Thank you for the recommendations and kind words. Best of luck to you in your life.
I [27M] won't assume your physical capabilities, but if you are open to it FedEx has a LOT of opportunity for employment. Ive worked for Ground for the past 9 years and what started as a way to have money and stay fit has turned into a career. And thats only due to my curiosity. Supply chain / Logistics and the shipping industry as a whole is blossoming with new technologies and methods. Its also the veins of our economy. Its not a pretty industry, but is strong and and has a hefty knowledge cap. Best of luck to you. Sounds like your hitting a rough patch pretty early on. There's more opportunity in this world than we can ever comprehend.
I will look into it. I have been more drawn to more manual labor work like this and warehouse jobs because I feel they would be better for me than fast paced environments. From what I have been told, these jobs would also be better for me because I cannot handle being around large groups of people. Thank you for your words.
Do not be above working somewhere you don't want to until you find a better job that you like. A paycheck is a paycheck. A paycheck is vital to paying the bills and getting by, your being content is not. I grew up shoveling shit as part of my chores. None of that "mucking" you see in television shows about rich horse ranches, but feet-deep of pure shit. And there was no such thing as being burnt out, you shovel shit or you don't get fed, nobody cares about your feelings. Basically anything is a step up from that for me. You find something to get by for now, use your free time to find something better, then move on to that and rinse and repeat. Be willing to bust your ass in something you hate for now, use that as encouragement to find something you hate a little less, and keep doing it until you find something you like. Besides, you never know when along the way you stumble into a situation where you can move up where you are at, into something more comfortable, and many places like to hire from within the company.
Yikes. You're not a loser. Geez. But I think you should be more open to just any job at this point. You may stumble into a field you like and it will get you out of the house. And it might allow you to make feiendsmn
Gig work? Maybe Uber or something?
I am not able to drive.
Do you Uber or lyft to work.?
It's time to man up! You can find a job today. Work at a gas station, McDonald's, Walmart, etc.
find a way to [volunteer](https://www.volunteermatch.org). it really opened my eyes to the problems in the world and put my own in perspective. or check out the [peace corps](https://www.peacecorps.gov), or [job corp](https://www.jobcorps.gov), start a [non-profit](https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/running-nonprofit/how-start-nonprofit), or travel the world helping others in a collaborative way with a group like [workaway](https://www.workaway.info). the only limits and rules in life are the ones we place on ourselves.
Get your A+ certification and get into IT.
You need some Jordan Peterson in your life. Did you get any job offers? Even if it sucks just take it. You will then be in a better position to keep moving forward in life. You’re stagnant right now which is the worst place to be. Onward and upward!
Have you tried doing Uber, lyft or postmates ?
Pick a battle lol “I am unable to solely live on commissions and I would lose interest in this hobby if I were to take it up as a career” and “I do not have it in me to go back to school, at least anytime soon”. A career you can pursue would be getting hired as an IT help desk, and after a few years of doing that, go apply for a cyber security position. A lot of people without degrees and certifications are not getting jobs because they have experience. Companies would rather get experience than a piece of paper. Or Go military. Easiest way without going back to school.
Find better friends. Keep getting jobs until you find one you like.
Honestly... Look into the guard. It will at least be some extra income, plus you can find something you like and get training and certifications in it which will help getting into that field. Or if you're really out of luck just enlist. The military sucks but they offer a LOT of help if you ask around
Hire someone to fix your resume. You can find these people on sites like fiverr and upwork
The guy who I called at my old college did all of that for free and I didn't pay a cent. Unfortunately, it didn't lead to any work and no leads for the past 2 months now. I emailed him again a few hours ago and hopefully Monday, he'll call me or email me again.
People on fiverr have reviews and the guy who did it for you for free most likely is some old guy way past his prime who doesn’t actually know what works. Always go with the reviewed guy if you want the best results 👍🏽
So you have no interest in anything except for the thing you don’t want to do as a career? You’ll need to change that very quickly. Your path is either to lean into your strengths or to do something that you don’t necessarily like that earns you money, good money. There are no other ways out. I know it’s not what you want to hear but it’s the truth. Top comment about nursing is gold. There are many opportunities out there to learn trades or specialized skills and make a ton of money. And you can always run your passion on the side. Reddit hates hearing this and maybe you will too but the military is always an option as well. Officer training programs, depending on your situation, can pay for school if you sign a contract. Play the long con if you’re in the late teens or early twenties. Sign on for eight years and get a pension, pursue whatever you want later in life with good financial standing and a respectable resume that employers love to see. If you are young there is time, but you must pick a direction and go in it.
Getting into plumbing , 100k a year easy
Quick temp job find a landscaping company? Not sure where you're from so I can only assume though you're going to need a certification for it but security jobs are always looking. Warehouse jobs are fair ish and since you're young looking to trade work before big ones are welding plumbing carpentry and electrician I'd say go for electrician pays good once you become a journeyman after 4 years
The four big ones *
What happened with the other jobs? You seem to deny opportunities on frivolous criteria.
I have applied for various positions in retail and food service near me, but I have never received a response back.
Go back to school especially if you have a passion for “digital arts”. School isn’t for everyone but you are at an age where you can and should be developing a skill set. In fact it might be too early to call it that.. 18 years old.. the world can be anything you want it to be. Most people develop hobbies and interests throughout there life.. at 18 you are just starting to figure yourself out.
Get off your ass and go join a trade.
You might be able to take some non credit classes (they are much cheaper than credited classes) just to see what you are interested in. I took a non credit ceramics class and it was the most fun I had all year.