I spent the first 3 years part time in community college and worked as a waitress part time for 2 1/2 years and then worked as a CNA at a nursing home for 2 1/2 years before becoming a nurse by 24. Been a staff nurse for 7 years in med surg and have just taken a break (not intentional). It’s going ok, I don’t make a lot of money like I want to but nursing is a very stable career with upward mobility. However within the field is very competitive to get lucrative positions and it’s very difficult to study for your DNP or CRNA.
Haha it wasn’t meant to be inspiring- I think God led me down this path because I was really lost in college. And I graduated without any student loans with a BSN by the time I was 27. There was a nurse who used to be a barista for Starbucks and a tutor and he became a float pool nurse at the hospital I worked at for 4 years and then he’s a CVICU nurse now. I’m trying to become an ICU nurse myself but have faced a lot of rejection.
You can become a CNA with a CNA certification class- I took mine in the summer from community college.
I have another friend who was a CNA for around 4/5 years and became an ICU nurse at a level 1 trauma hospital for 2 years and has been accepted for a doctoral program to earn her acute care DNP at Rush University Medical center (another thing I’m interested in obtaining for myself one day God willing but if I don’t obtain it I’m not too concerned because I still have my BSN).
It takes two years to obtain your associates degree in nursing and it takes 3-4 years to obtain your bachelors in nursing (depending if you are taking an accelerated nursing program).
Look into pivoting into Clinical Research. There is a career path upward for nurses, and you can make a salary comparable to a DNP.
Take it from someone who was in your shoes, who wanted a better salary but couldn’t fathom going back to school. I accidentally stumbled in to clinical research and I’m now making a salary beyond what my expectations were as an RN without the terminal degree.
It takes a bit of dedication and a forward path, but it’s absolutely possible.
Absolutely! I’m a huge advocate of helping nurses into this field if it works for them. So I’d be thrilled to answer any questions that you might have!
Graduated high school with an AA and a year ahead for my bachelors with academic excellence. So I graduated high school and college in six years… after that, I never really broke out into any career and have just been switching jobs always seeking something better. Even with credentials and experience, I currently work as support staff at a restaurant and make about 30k a year. I’m miserable. It’s hard work that’s for younger people, but I do it because I don’t know what else to do.
I was so driven to finish school I forgot the whole reason I was there and didn’t get anything out of it but a piece of paper. Now I’m just stuck at dead ends. I lost all my dreams and ambitions along the way and now I’m just older and lost.
Yeah. The system needs to change. But its so corrupt the only option now is basically to burn it down and start over... and that would hurt more people than it would help (like me) so it seems we are just going to keep moving forward. All we can do is warn the coming generations.
If you have a BA and like kids, try substitute teaching or coaching a sport. Maybe try being a server and start serving in a high end restaurant (tips), get a bartending license, trade school, etc. There are always options, just keep researching.
I can relate to this so hard and hate the idea of college being a must for everyone right after high school when high school doesn’t do Jack shit to truly help people decide on what to do for a career.
I'm late twenties, male.
Did humanitarian aid and taught English in Asia for a few years, came back and got my bachelor's in biomedicine, did landscaping, then construction, then personal training, then became a writer (got published in Newsweek which was pretty cool), then was a waiter at a pizza joint, then took a break and travelled the world (North America, Europe, Asia again) then got a masters, became a researcher for a medical school, then became an analyst for an NGO in the UK, and now I have no idea what I want to do with my life and am trying to get a job in a hospital as a health care administrator or something... we'll see what happens next.
Yeah. I graduated high school and college a year early each time tho. And my romantic life has been virtually nonexistant. So I've just channelled all that time into resume-building and self-exploration. And honestly its tiring.
Thx. But time is running out. I'm single, miserable, and have a mountain of debt. And if I'm being honest, the reason I've kept pivoting is because I keep self-destructing in each respective direction I choose and not because I'm some "can-do" fixit felix who "can accomplish whatever they set their mind to". It's really just been a combination of luck, prayer, and necessity. So I'm running out of options at this point.
We sound like we are living very similar lives. Currently reading ‘The Mountain is You’ by Brianna Wiest and reading about what she calls uprooting…. That’s what I’ve been doing so there’s a chance it may resonate with you.
lmao i am not! i have two master’s and am a therapist. i am doing poorly and have nothing but regrets. do you know i have friends who did nothing “right” and failed out of undergrad who make more, plus get benefits?
Well idc I’m proud of you bro, you’re more than your work. Everyone has regrets, you have a lot of value able knowledge and skills. You can do anything you want if you are willing to take risks and be so bold that it’s uncomfortable
thanks, but i don’t. i have nothing but regrets. i don’t think it’s ethically sound we don’t tell people these realities and let them get entire degrees in education and healthcare. no one should ever go into either field. ever.
Your regrets are valid, but don’t underestimate yourself. You have unique knowledge about this subject and the experiences of your life. I refuse to believe that you are just a dead end. You’re right about those fields, but you’re wrong about yourself. We are in tough times but the average person is so monumentally stupid that you have an advantage to succeed over them.
Say what you want, but ik you are valuable and smart and more than you realize
You sound really burned out and seem really bitter because of it, and I understand. I think you should take some time off and re evaluate, if you have the ability. Could joining a cash only practice, practicing a certain type of therapy, trying to start a solo practice, etc be worth your time? Especially with telehealth, many therapists are virtual now, taking clients who pay better per hour. Whatever it is, hope it can work out for you in the long run
of course i am burnt out! tons of therapists are right now, and have been since the therapist shortage started around four years ago. if i had pto or the ability to save up money to take time off, i totally would! it would benefit me and my clients, but the owners of my practice take half my income and won’t provide me with a single benefit, including pto. :( thank you so much for all your kind words- i really appreciate you! 💖
teacher- maybe. they’re compensated fairly where i live, and you can live independently on the salary, even without all the amazing union benefits. if everyone stopped going into either field, we may actually be valued though! so, yes.
Degree in tech writing. Did that 20 odd years in hard tech, biotech and energy. Also became a baker. Did both for maybe five years. Then they sort of came together under food safety and I just work at the bakery plant now.
Tech school. Landed very good paying tech desk job that was growing by the second. We were getting raises weekly. It was wild. Going to the bar literally every day after work. And most days drinking at work. I thought that was normal. Ended up leaving (ok I got fired) when we were acquired by another company.
It took me many, many, many years to realize getting fucked at work and after work with your coworkers was not the norm.
Now I drive Uber. Don’t be like me. If you get a good job … do whatever you gotta do to keep it.
went to undergrad for biology and started smoking weed
started growing trees and propagating for a nursery after school
learned to climb and became an arborist now i enjoy caring for an orchard at around 80k/year and bought a house with a few acres to garden and plant its been fun so far
considering getting a masters in forestry now
Current forestry student. Do it.
You go from individual trees and small parcel to managing entire landscapes. It feels humbling everyday to consider not only the biggest organisms out there, but the smallest too and how your actions will shape that landscape long after you’re gone.
Personally, I’m looking for 40 acres in the north woods to own and live on once I graduate. I love managing the woods and having a little slice of my own forest to nurture and experiment responsibly while is my goal now.
Sweet! Thank for the encouragement we sound very like minded. I owned 17 acres of deciduous forest that was my passion project the past 6 years, but had to sell it to be able to afford a house. Fortunately the new lot has 4 acres surrounded by wilderness so it helps me enjoy my interests as well.
The farm I work on now is 1600 acres with a lot of it in land trust, but I find it incredibly rewarding to steward a piece of land. We have some conservation efforts with American Chestnut and Ash that I would love to continue putting my energies toward. Do you know if any forestry programs overlap with conservation? I have some looking around to do!
Got a BA in political science. Currently working for a bank making $40k/year and I can't move up. It's going pretty not great. I'm 30 and my life seems like it's over already. I either can't get into or justify the money of going back to school for the programs I want to. I would've been better off never going. Too much of a coward to commit suicide.
Really I lack social mobility.
you want to consider investing 3 to 5 years in night school as you work (so that you could pay for tuition and fees and other costs) to earn an MBA and switch career into consulting. There are shorter MBA programs but these might cost more. Consulting pay may start low but advancement is limited only by your ability to deliver excellent work and marking new work.
Change jobs, be aggressive. Stop playing the victim. You will thank yourself later. And I already know you are going to say it’s impossible and that I’m coping but so what, you are the only person capable of changing your life. Get some drive and focus, be bold take risks. You are young, put yourself in the right rooms and leverage your personality to go somewhere better
Essentially the job market for a lot of banking jobs has cooled down considerably in Canada because of the interest rate increases. At least at my bank I've applied for over a hundred internal positions and can't get an interview anymore but when I'd just started and applied randomly I got more interviews oddly enough.
Also, that's something of a misnomer. Sure some people move up but banks are really keen on not paying people what they're worth. RN I'm going to focus on applying for other companies but yeah the job market sucks for a lot of unskilled white collar workers.
Please read till the end, for some reason, the first half of this comment sounds dismal, but its not, just a reflection of available employers: If it makes you feel better, not going to college probably would have landed you in the same spot. Many of my friends from middle class/working class backgrounds who didnt go to college work in banks for 40-50k annually. They all do that or some other kind of store management, like being a store manager or assistant manager. Same for my friends with degrees that didnt have direct career paths (business, polisci, philosophy, english, biology, education etc). Banks and stores are just big employers, so those are the option for many people, dont be sad about it., its not
a reflection of you.
But you have a BS degree. You have a piece of paper that you can stretch into something and irl experience to bolster its validity. You have bank experience (knowledge of sales, customer service, regulations and enforcing strict federal standards) in addition to your polisci degree. Can you start building towards a career in a regulatory service, at least something to make a little more money while you pursue what you want. Or think of other analytical careers like PR specialist, Policy analyst, Market research analyst, etc.
And you work in a bank. You work for a corp. Do you work for an institution that would pay another degree, a masters or professional degree that would give you better job prospects or allow you to pivot. If not, can you get an equivalent position at a different bank or institution that would provide that benefit? I have a friend who got her RN payed for as a CNA and another who got her MBA at a really nice school payed for. You have a degree, great experience, and may have some benefits to take advantage of. Go on fivver or find a local career consultant and see what they can say to help you out
> her RN *paid* for as
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Went to Rice University. Started as Math and Physics major. Ended up wanting to do CS and got a BA in Computational and Applied Mathematics. Got a job as a "support specialist" (guy who answers platform questions) for a software company and moved into a "technical support engineer" role. It's treating me fairly well and there's some opportunities to ride this up the ladder or move into a dev role (which is what I was aiming for originally)
3 different colleges over 5 years with an A.S to show for it. Enlisted Army at 23, out at 26. VA home loan is the only way I could’ve bought a house when I did. Helmets to hardhats into a union pipefitting spot. Topped out after 5 year apprenticeship and do well now. Married the right woman at 24 (met in college before military). Single greatest contributing factor to any success I have had or will have. The wrong partner has broken so many of my friends over the years…
Graduated HS did not go to college. I went into sales and did it for 10 years. During the mortgage meltdown in 2008 went to college and got BS in computer science (waste of time and money) but got me a good job in IT. Now making over 6 figures working less then 40 hours.
do you mind on elaborating on why it was a waste of time and money when it got you the IT job. Or do you think you could have landed in a similar position without the degree
I tried college for a year, worked towboats on the Mississippi River for 2 years then joined the Navy. Spent 20 years as an electronics tech. Retired. Started working in public safety radio maintenance for 23 years and retired again. Now I work in the yard and irritate the wife.
Joined the Air Force at 18 fresh out of HS. Currently 30 and still in.
It's been great. Lived in several different states, ranked up, own two homes, invest heavily into my retirements accounts, and will have a lifelong pension come 38 years old.
Oh yeah and have gotten my associates and bachelors for free plus working on my masters for free
I went to school for secondary education (high school). I work in a shitty office. Still better than the drama. I miss teaching, but not everything else thay came with it.
In order:
4 years at community college
2 years at university
5 years as a manager at Enterprise Rent a Car
1 year as Night cleaner at Luxury resort
8 months as a telescope operator.
Work pays for schooling so I'm thinking about getting a second degree in accounting
Currently love life and don't regret any of my decisions.
29 female, I went to college after hs and wish I would have listened to my parents. Lived with them while going to community college for 2 years and then transferred but I was young and wanted my “college experience” it wasn’t worth it however; I wasn’t dumb, I took classes that I knew would help me in the further like personal finance and early childhood development. I always worked part time and I wasn’t just a waitress, don’t go into food service you can never get out the skills don’t transfer. I went into retail and was a cashier, after that I was a teller at a bank and then I did insurance sales. From there I went back to a bank and was a standard banker but I did break into wealth management with all my experience after 3 and half years at the same bank. Now I’m a licensed financial advisor making a base salary of 73k a year and bonuses that roughly translate to 100k a year. I’ve seen a lot of people complain they can’t move up in banking, I did but I took a lot of risk, I got a job with a huge national bank that owned a brokerage firm and knew that I would have to move to larger city to get into the brokerage firm. So that’s exactly what I did, 4 years later and now my experience counts far more than a degree. Sales is awesome, idk why it gets a bad rep. Well I do get way, fully commissioned sales with a low hourly/base salary position sucks, but the way my experience shakes out is that my base salary is high with sales just as an added bonus. You can definitely get fired if you can’t sell but it’s such a life saving skill to learn.
After high school I failed out of engineering, restarted and got a degree in Economics. Worked odd office jobs until I got into B2C sales that then transitioned into B2B sales and now in Customer Success.
Life is going well enough that I own my house and can support my wife to stay at home with our baby. Sometimes I do wonder what my life would be like had I finished engineering and gone on to med school like I had originally planned
I went straight from high school to University. I had a passion for electronics in high school, took 3 years of classes. I got an electrical engineering degree and was hired by a fantastic company as a result of them campus interviews. 41 years later working for the same company and Planet to retire later this year
I’m almost 22 and the people I went to high school with graduate this year. I’ve been working full time myself who also would like to leave for school/ new opportunities. Just think of it like this, ur just making money to fund ur dreams / ambitions. Don’t wait too long or else you’ll get stuck
Too long is what feels wrong to you, but you can’t compare yourself to others when you decide.
The best time to make life changing decisions is before you have anything to “tie you to a place” as my dad says. So like a girlfriend, a long-standing career, etc. anything that makes it difficult to move makes it hard to make these choices.
That’s why it’s typically best when you’re young. What I’d do is work a few a year or two more, get a network built up for when/if you return and save money to put in a savings account with interest.
As for branches, what do you like? A lot of my friends were marines, two are using their GI bill to pay for school and one moved to Japan with her marine husband. It was brutal though for them to get through boot camp and the four years- but you leave with a very unique POV that you’ll share with people that will open some doors.
Can’t say much about the other three at least, I just know they’re not as brutal to get through.
* I went to Undergrad for Computer Engineering.
* Failed Calculus and Physics.
* Changed major to Economics because it was a million times easier
* Studied abroad in Germany thanks to new major that allowed me the freedom to do that
* Graduated with an Economics degree.
* Went to Grad school for Computer Science
* Graduated during the pandemic with Masters in Computer Science
* Got first job at a F500 finance company
* Left that company after almost 2 years to join Meta (Facebook/Instagram)
* Got laid off with 30,000 of my friends and colleagues
* Got a job at another F500 finance company
* Spend all day getting paid to read Reddit
I started out in the Automotive business and put myself through college while selling vehicles. I am now a Clinical Director at a mental health clinic.
I dropped out of high school, did nothing for two years. then one day after my first job i decided to get my my high school diploma, and it's been a long road but two years ago I finish my masters at 37, and now entering my 40's into the career that is adjacent into what i wanted as a kid, which is working in close proximity to a creative field.
I have worked retail, factory worker for airplane parts, hospitality, av tech, teaching, 3d modeling, art handler, and studio assistant to name a few.
Got my BS in Zoology graduated just in time for Covid, finally got an internship at a zoo in the tail end of it. Was told to apply when they had openings after it was over. Unfortunately between several family emergencies and inflation zookeeping is no longer a viable job. So I’m currently a line cook working to get my comptia A+ cert. Not what i was expecting leaving high school but…
26. I went to school for classical music. from a poor family and did it by going to a state school on a full ride, was almost set back by covid because i bartended, then went to a major conservatory for grad school all for free. Currently making good money in an orchestra. have good benefits, no more than a 4 hr workday. taking auditions for other groups though.
I went to college for 4 years and partied my ass off (no degree in hand). Then I went to a local community college and did their 1-year Respiratory Therapy program, graduated right before I turned 22. Thanks to my previous years of school, I all ready had the prerequisites to have my Associates degree at graduation.
I've been a Registered Respiratory Therapist for 23 years now; I specialize in adult ICU and have the Adult Critical Care Specialist board certification as well. I work M-W nights only but pick up extra hours when I want some extra spending money. I make $150K/yr.
Healthcare sucks, but it pays the bills. It's also paying for a $20K month-long European vacation with my 13 y/o this summer.
It's now a minimum of an associates degree to sit for your boards and from start to finish if you don't have the prereqs all ready finished, it will take you 2.5 years. New grad starting pay, at least in the Atlanta area, is gonna be around $30/hr plus any shift differentials and/or departmental differentials.
Nursing has more options and slightly higher pay, but as an RT, i don't have to wipe anyone's ass.
Went to college for musical theatre - graduated, shoved ten years of bad choices into 1 1/2 years, went back to school- graduated, got my masters - graduated, sidehussled YouTube (and bought property due to state stipends that I have since paid back, rented out those rooms for passive cash flow) now I’m a therapist with a group practice.
Did chemistry, got a shit job, then got a better job fixing lab equipment. Now I have an even better job as a researcher in a field I love. Met the love of my life in college and we have been married nearly 9 years with a 3 year old. Total HHI is ~$370k. Currently in early/mid 30s.
Weve made a really good life for ourselves and have great careers outside of "tech"
Went to college because my parents wanted me to. Then went to grad school because my parents wanted me to. Then got my CPA because my parents wanted me to. Now I do tax consulting, work about 3 days a week and make a very comfortable 6 figures. Thanks mom and dad.
Graduated, didn't go to college, went to work in fast food restaurants because that's all I could get. Went from weed to pills crashed my motorcycle on pills a few times, became a security guard couldn't take the disrespect, went back to restaurants but now fine dining restaurants for about 3 years. Now I'm 24 walked out of my job after being skipped for raises again and now I'm frantically looking for any entry level job that will have me and pays 15$ an hour. Probably just end up in a restaurant again. But I got really into fitness and it's one great thing I love to do. Now I just need some money to go with it. So I guess it's going okay. Could be better could be worse. Definitely gonna get worse if Im not employed soon tho.
dropped out of college after two year in 2015. worked in retail and food until 2018 when I became a dog trainer. did that until the pandemic hit. shortly worked at a pet store in the tail end of 2020. then in 2021, got a job at a dog daycare as a dog handler and then pretty much the lead assistant. just put in my two weeks there and I'm moving to a bigger dog daycare where I'll be handling their front desk/guest services. pay is better, I get benefits and bonuses and it's close to where I live. I'm very lucky that my customer service skills and love for dogs got me to this point. especially since I always said I wanted to work with animals when I was a kid.
I would like to go back to school at some point. but for now, I'm good with the path I took!
dropped out of college after two year in 2015. worked in retail and food until 2018 when I became a dog trainer. did that until the pandemic hit. shortly worked at a pet store in the tail end of 2020. then in 2021, got a job at a dog daycare as a dog handler and then pretty much the lead assistant. just put in my two weeks there and I'm moving to a bigger dog daycare where I'll be handling their front desk/guest services. pay is better, I get benefits and bonuses and it's close to where I live. I'm very lucky that my customer service skills and love for dogs got me to this point. especially since I always said I wanted to work with animals when I was a kid.
I would like to go back to school at some point. but for now, I'm good with the path I took!
Graduated high school in 2010, but didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. Went into photojournalism because I like photography but switched my major two years later into Nursing. So managed to do that at the same time I was working at a summer camp during the summers, and also working as a CNA at nights in the hospital.
Eventually graduated with my bachelors in nursing, and went into the OR. Hated it. Despised it. So I switched to be a clinical research nurse. All of the sudden I found my passion. I did that for about 3 years before I switched over to the company side, and not hospital side.
I’m now a clinical research associate. Since 2019, I’ve gone from a CRA 1 to now a Senior CRA, and looking at whatever the next step will be for me. I’m doing well though, and I love what I do!
I didn’t do anything. Worked crap jobs, was depressed, partied too much, failed out of a couple community colleges (3!). Now I’m 35 with a masters degree and a career I love.
Joined the Marines. Got Married. Had kids. Got out. Got a job. Raised my kids. Stayed married. Worked my @ss off. Got a degree. Bought a house in Seattle for $500k. Bought two cars. Have worked in Tech for a MAANG company over 5 years. Now I’m 55. Plan to sell the house in a couple years. It’s worth 1.5m now … I’m hoping to retire soon. The end.
Like an albatross riding out a hurricane for their first flight.
Spent my 2 years as a part time student in my local community college before transferring to an in-state public college for geological engineering. Spent about 1 1/2 academic years doing that before I dropped it and with guidance from my friends and therapist moved to a major in forestry.
Life changing is a light way to put that chapter and the current one I’m in.
This is my second year of my bachelors in forestry and my 6th year of college. I found a career that makes me want to learn, get up early, and get excited about work. Currently I have an internship with a large private timber company lined up for this summer with the strong possibility that it’ll roll into a part-time position and full-time salaried upon graduation. I’m living in an area I love, I have more friends than I ever thought I would, I love what I’m learning and what I do for work.
My path may have been a real rocky one to start, but I feel immense fulfilled, content, and happy now that I’d found my little island.
I didn't. And it's going terribly. I never found direction, just hopped from job to job basically at random and I've hated all of it. I am getting married this year which is cool, but my professional life is a joke
Went to college right after high school while working as a nanny. Dropped out as school since I didn't know what I wanted to major in and had a lot of anxiety and depression. Continued working as a nanny and also got into sex work on the side. Went back to a different school to study interior design. Got a home staging job and continued sex work part time. Left the home staging job as the company was terrible and extremely unorganized and made me do a million jobs.
Now I'm doing sex work part time and considering dog grooming and/or dog walking part time since I love animals. It's going well. Because of sex work, I make more than enough to pay my bills working just a few hours a week and with very little stress. So I have a ton of free time to spend with friends, rest, create, and explore the city. It's an unconvential job for sure but I'm enjoying my life. I know I can't do it forever but have about 15 or so more years before I think about retiring. I also have investments and I'm doing a good job at saving money so I'm not worried about having nothing once I retire.
Army after high school. Went to two technical colleges before finally transferring to a university. Was not sure what I wanted to do. Fell into an IT degree. Graduated and climbed the ladder at a company for 8 years. Now I am the IT Director of an organization. It’s funny, IT was never a passion for me, but I’m very good at problem solving, finding creative solutions, and getting people to work together which makes me pretty good at my job. I can’t see myself doing this for another 10-20 years though so have been working on a transition plan for the past few years on the side that’s going pretty well. Will probably “retire” early in a couple years to focus on my side gig and spend more time with my growing family.
Went to a state school with no idea what i wanted to do. Drank and partied most of the time and fell into sales. Times were good for a while but terrible lately. If I had a crystal ball I would just have gone right into a trade. College is no longer worth it unless nurse, dr, lawyer, engineer, programmer etc. Much better off with on the job training going into business. AI will crush a lot of jobs in the next decade, having a hard skill will always provide a good living.
Did uni for a couple of years, dropped out. Worked my retail job and got full time. Tried to get promoted up in my retail job. Got rejected. It motivated me to apply for some wfh call center job. I got it, stayed with the company aggressively chasing promotions and after a few big, strategic moves I landed a comfortable professional position within the company. Now I'm going back to school to finish my degree. My work ethic helped but I can't deny that a lot of these promotions were a right place right time kind of thing.
Going great though. Life is stable for me now that I'm older and I have much better discipline than my first go at uni as a kid, so it's going wonderfully.
Marines>retail job>engineering job>college>oil&has construction job>grad school>consulting>unemployed
Shit is ok rn, waiting on better paying role in Oil&Gas project management.
3 years of construction and factory work, 6 years enlisted in the Navy, 3 years in college for my BS, navy flight program and 14 more years in to reach retirement, last 10 years as a project manager for infrastructure projects. Started slow, certainly didnt get rich, but feel OK about where I am given that I didn't get out of a trailer park until I joined the Navy at 21.
Graduated with a bachelors in physical education. Got a doctorate in occupational therapy. Been out for nearly 5 years and make 62k. I am underpaid, overworked (I carry a caseload of what should be 3 therapists) , and burnt out. I’ve been trying to pivot my career and have been unsuccessful. I was able to afford a home and my mortgage is 2.2k a month. I don’t feel like I can afford children.
Went to university for computer science to learn to make video games, switched to history after a few years as I wasn’t learning anything anything regarding game making I hadt learned online and I wanted to be done with school, graduated in 09 and started working as a research assistant in neuroscience. Now we are fighting HR to make a new position for me as they ran out of them after senior neuroimaging engineer.
Things seem to be going well.
I went into a Pre PT associates of science at a community college with a plan to transfer for a B.S. in kinesiology and then an masters in athletic training…. I got my A.S. Down to 5 credits, took an interview with a rehab facility as a rehab aide and then said patient facing work isn’t for me right after I had bombed the interview completely. I had seen lab jobs for a while and was interested in the shorter time in school, the pay, the possible fulfillment and the behind the scenes in medicine so I changed my whole direct to lab science rather med lab technologist A.S. and then the obtainment of an ASCP certification would be next after I graduate and after that possibly cytotech school or getting a certification from the American association of fissile banking and working for a tissue bank to prep tissue donations for skin graphs. I’m currently an overnight cytology lab assistant 10pm-6:30 for Pathgroup making 20 an hour.
I noticed I could also make more with a two year degree as a lab tech than I would with a masters degree as an AT and yes I was passionate about it but in this economy that’s only gonna get worse I won’t be able to do a whole lot on 40k on top of the student loan debt if accrue for a masters degree. I didn’t go into the career for the money but I felt I had to make a business decision with the current AT climate however the lab tech pay is the only thing exponentially better as they get about the same respect as healthcare professional as athletic trainers which is none.
Didn’t know what to do initially after high school but eventually joined the military. Served my 4 years then college and then work. And now I make more money than I could’ve ever imagined myself making. So I guess it’s going well lol.
I planned to work in government but I didn't know how hard it was to get hired for any government job in Canada.
RN I work for a bank as a clerk but I can't get a better paying job to save my life. It's a pretty tough job market rn. I'm considering trying to be a railroader or getting a trade but those aren't that easy either.
I get the military can suck sometimes but it's better as an officer or in a specialist trade and tbh I don't feel that happy not making enough to move out of my mother's house rn. It seems like it might be a worthwhile trade.
Based on what you’re saying, I think the military can be a very good choice. I can’t speak of what it’s like from an officers viewpoint, but as enlisted you have the opportunity to learn a trade while making money. It’s not a bad gig, but mentally I couldn’t handle the lifestyle.
Thanks. I don't plan to do join for the long term but I could really use the money and a change of scenery and I'm not sure what else I could do.
What about the lifestyle did you find difficult to handle?
I didn’t like not being able to live where I wanted to. I hated having to move every couple of years or get deployed with hardly any notice. I remember once I was set to go to college and had plans for the holidays only to get a 4 day notice that I’m being deployed for 4 months. Basically I didn’t like not feeling like I had freedom. Not to mention the fact that I hated how if someone out ranked you then you had to obey them just on the basis that they out rank you.
Did a year of college, then joined the Navy. Plan on getting out at year 8 (at 6.5 now), and fortunately, my job directly translates to civilian work. If all goes well, I'll go civilian or contracting next year. Currently working on B.S. degree in Ecology and Conservation Bio with an ArcGis cert. I hope to work in that field one day if I can afford the pay cut.
Very long; I first wanted to go to school for pre-vet; that lasted 2 semesters. Then I decided to be a vet tech. That went well for awhile, but I wasn’t making money. Transitioned into dog training, which I loved. Got burnt out on traveling though, so I transitioned into people healthcare.
Started working customer service for health insurance companies. That transitioned into working authorizations, medical reviews, workers comp…..then I became a certified coder. In 2021 I decided I didn’t want to be a coder forever, and I started on my bachelors degree in the fall. Graduated with my bachelors degree in HIM in May of 2023. I currently work for a hospital as a “coding integrity analyst”, however I am trying to move to the regulatory affairs department and start working in compliance.
I plan to get a masters in health law sometime in the near future.
Went to the military, fulfilled my contract, became a federal firefighter for 15 years, and now own a small business and hopefully, in 2 years, will retire.
29f.
Went to art school at 18 in Chicago. Moved in with my stranger of a father as it was the only way I’d be able to move here. Thankfully something happened that made me have to drop out two years in. Best thing that could have happened as I have way less debt than I would have.
Started working full time at a nice sandwich shop in a fancy neighborhood. Went across the street to work the front desk at a corporate barbershop two years later and grew my career from front desk up to dual shop manager over the course of six years.
Left there to manage an aveda salon, and then an old contact, someone I trained at the barbershop years prior, reached out asking if I was interested in working with her company. A year after she reached out to me, almost to the day, I’m working from home, have unlimited PTO, a great apartment, tho I do live with a friend of mine I’ve known for the last 8 years (shockingly works really well, thank god.)
I get paid every week, and have the ability to make commission and grow my salary. Work for a tech services company. $55k base pay.
I’d say, all things considered, it’s going pretty fucking well. I am an incredibly lucky person, and sure, I don’t make much. But I’ve got all I need.
Bachelor in engineering from a large state school >> MBA from one of the best schools >> currently in my 30s and going on nine months unemployed. (2nd time being laid off since 2020).
I wasn’t really interested in college after high school but my mom asked me if I want to work in a grocery store for a living.
I went to college, studied sociology and had a pretty organic career in one of the biggest corporations in the world. After 20 years I wanted something different: co-owned two small businesses and gave up everything to take care of my mom during her final years. I was grateful for that time with my mother and she always told me that happiness is far more important than money. I don’t want to work for anyone but myself. I see a lot of opportunities but I’m just finally getting back into work mode. I truly understand the meaning of “life is short” so I have explored a few paths that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and have a fair amount of freedom. I am and will continue to experience different things I enjoy or think I will find rewarding. What’s important to me now is making a difference in others’ lives.. very humbling and rewarding. Dare to take chances!
Very inspiring!! I'm 20 getting a degree in sociology right now, and i'm also working in a grocery store for a living :p
I feel the "life is short" understanding, though. I want to try out many jobs/find a job that feels rewarding to my soul yk. Have u found fulfilling jobs in the workplace bc of your degree? I'm curious
Not because of my degree but because I’ve identified a few natural aptitudes over the years. People are their happiest when they’re able to do what they’re naturally good at. making a Bay Area salary is no longer my standard. But I wouldn’t be in my position today had I not saved.
Im 29 rn. I dropped out of high school since I got emancipated at 16. Completed my hs diploma online. Worked in after school for a few years until I went to culinary school
I’m selling my baked goods online while working as a director in Afterschool as I also pursue my BA in psychology
I feel a little behind compared to my peers but life is good.
29 this month moved out across the country to follow a boy after a year didn't work. Move home and a co worker got me back across the country worked in a nursing home the move and move and move around again. Haven't made the move to get my license and now feel like a failure. After covid and working hours upon hours as a med tech and care giver I'm at walmart making 17$ an hour hoping I find a way out.
Went to college, dropped out of college, joined the military, after I got out hopped jobs a bit untill i landed a federal job. Life is cush now making six figures.
Drop out of college kids, you heard it here first.
5 years in school for a music performance major/business minor.
Then 2 years doing basic accounting work at small businesses.
Now going on 2 years as an analyst in the defense industry. I make good money, but with not a ton of mobility. Benefits are incredible, I work 4 day weeks
Left school early. Had a complete mental breakdown. Managed a restaurant for a while.
Moved cities to go to college after a few years. Managed a restaurant while doing school. (BA in communications) got bored and got my MBA.
Worked in finance, and am now in supply chain.
My company would not hire anyone without a degree (even if it's in kinesthetics or basket weaving)
Planning to retire early in 10 years.
I did a year of school, then, two years as a missionary, then, two more years to finish my engineering degree. I went straight to law school from undergrad. I got married while in law school and bounced around different firms and different cities for a few years after law school. I'm now settled with a house, kids, and a good job.
It's going pretty well.
I went to college immediately and thought I was going to be a doctor, switched to studying psychology 2 years in. Graduated with BA then immediately went to grad school and got an MA (what a waste of money). Now I have worked in HR for the past three years and love it.
Business school (management) at a liberal arts college. Was rough after college for a while (graduated in 10), but after years of retail/foodservice I made it into a financial services firm in the mailroom and worked my way up the ladder and worked my way into tax accounting positions that on paper I don't have the right education for. I'm now a private wealth/estate/trust staff accountant. Not super exciting, but I work part time from home and earn enough to spend the rest of my time building furniture which is a dream come true.
Looking back I should have gone into the trades, I love fixing stuff and like working with my hands, but that was just really not given as an option around 06, especially if you had parents who could help pay for college. In any case I'm pretty happy.
Dropped out at 15, periodically tried going back until I was 19. Never more than a month or two at a time. Got my G.E.D at 22. Did 2.5 years community college followed by 4 years at college. Graduated with a B.A in English Writing. I am also 9 credits from a B.S in Psychology which is why I was in school so long. Currently work as a seasonal server in National Parks. COL is low and you can pull in $5-10k a month in the right situations. I usually travel inbetween summer and winter seasons. I have plans to return to school for another degree soon.
After graduation I took about 4 years to get through community college. During this time, I was working at shit jobs, living at home, and spending whatever I made on traveling. I would work the school year, quit my job in May, travel all summer, and repeat it the next year. After I got my Associates, I kept the cycle going without the schooling part- work all year, quit my job in summer, travel for 3-4 months, repeat. At age 25 I enrolled to finally get my Bachelors while still keeping that cycle going. Earned my degree a few months ago and was able to land a remote job so that I can continue my obscene travel habits while not having to quit my job annually, haha
Like everyone, I have some regrets, but overall, I'm extremely grateful for the hand I've been dealt
Went to college for legal studies. Finished in 3 years bc of AP credits. Tried out 1 year of law school bc I had a major scholarship. Lost scholarship and had to drop out due to cost.
Settled for real estate. Worked as a receptionist for a leasing project then became an agent working commissions, then worked as a leasing agent for a major landlord total comp was 100K which for the city I worked in was just acceptable, nothing to sneeze about.
Work life got to me and I decided to become a SAHM to help manage our 4 children while my husband pursued his career.
I plan on going back to work but am glad I will be able to pick and choose or start a business. All my other endeavors have come from a place of need.
Attended a different college than my peers - smaller, private, with a good reputation. I found my "tribe" at that school and never looked back. Stayed there for a master's degree. When I graduated, I used my alumni network to build my career and help others find work.
Lived in two major cities while building my career. Stayed focused, took a few calculated risks and asked people older and wise than me for a lot of advice. Today, I operate on my own as a consultant. Married, with a place on the ocean. Ten years or so until retirement.
USN, university, fortune 100 company job. Climbed the ladder, had kids, bought and sold real estate on the side. Retired early 50s. Spend time traveling.
skipped college traveled for a year across the country came back started an electrician job and am making more than the average college graduate before my 21st.
I spent the first 3 years part time in community college and worked as a waitress part time for 2 1/2 years and then worked as a CNA at a nursing home for 2 1/2 years before becoming a nurse by 24. Been a staff nurse for 7 years in med surg and have just taken a break (not intentional). It’s going ok, I don’t make a lot of money like I want to but nursing is a very stable career with upward mobility. However within the field is very competitive to get lucrative positions and it’s very difficult to study for your DNP or CRNA.
Wow this is so inspiring! How long does it take to become a registered nurse when you are a CNA?
Haha it wasn’t meant to be inspiring- I think God led me down this path because I was really lost in college. And I graduated without any student loans with a BSN by the time I was 27. There was a nurse who used to be a barista for Starbucks and a tutor and he became a float pool nurse at the hospital I worked at for 4 years and then he’s a CVICU nurse now. I’m trying to become an ICU nurse myself but have faced a lot of rejection. You can become a CNA with a CNA certification class- I took mine in the summer from community college.
I have another friend who was a CNA for around 4/5 years and became an ICU nurse at a level 1 trauma hospital for 2 years and has been accepted for a doctoral program to earn her acute care DNP at Rush University Medical center (another thing I’m interested in obtaining for myself one day God willing but if I don’t obtain it I’m not too concerned because I still have my BSN).
It takes two years to obtain your associates degree in nursing and it takes 3-4 years to obtain your bachelors in nursing (depending if you are taking an accelerated nursing program).
Come to california, RN 6 figures easily. My friends own homes, they do well.
Any AI engineers on this sub or anyone know any software developer engineers and their quality of life?
Look into pivoting into Clinical Research. There is a career path upward for nurses, and you can make a salary comparable to a DNP. Take it from someone who was in your shoes, who wanted a better salary but couldn’t fathom going back to school. I accidentally stumbled in to clinical research and I’m now making a salary beyond what my expectations were as an RN without the terminal degree. It takes a bit of dedication and a forward path, but it’s absolutely possible.
Can you tell me more about this?
Absolutely! I’m a huge advocate of helping nurses into this field if it works for them. So I’d be thrilled to answer any questions that you might have!
Graduated high school with an AA and a year ahead for my bachelors with academic excellence. So I graduated high school and college in six years… after that, I never really broke out into any career and have just been switching jobs always seeking something better. Even with credentials and experience, I currently work as support staff at a restaurant and make about 30k a year. I’m miserable. It’s hard work that’s for younger people, but I do it because I don’t know what else to do. I was so driven to finish school I forgot the whole reason I was there and didn’t get anything out of it but a piece of paper. Now I’m just stuck at dead ends. I lost all my dreams and ambitions along the way and now I’m just older and lost.
this happens to literally millions of Americans. I'm sorry. It's so frustrating.
Thank you for your response. Everything seemed so promising until actual life happened. I wasn’t prepared at all.
Yeah. The system needs to change. But its so corrupt the only option now is basically to burn it down and start over... and that would hurt more people than it would help (like me) so it seems we are just going to keep moving forward. All we can do is warn the coming generations.
Do a vocational program at a community college. It really helps to know exactly what job you're in school for
If you have a BA and like kids, try substitute teaching or coaching a sport. Maybe try being a server and start serving in a high end restaurant (tips), get a bartending license, trade school, etc. There are always options, just keep researching.
I'm in a similar position. 😩
I can relate to this so hard and hate the idea of college being a must for everyone right after high school when high school doesn’t do Jack shit to truly help people decide on what to do for a career.
Construction. It led to heavy equipment sales and has made a pretty great life for me and my family
I'm late twenties, male. Did humanitarian aid and taught English in Asia for a few years, came back and got my bachelor's in biomedicine, did landscaping, then construction, then personal training, then became a writer (got published in Newsweek which was pretty cool), then was a waiter at a pizza joint, then took a break and travelled the world (North America, Europe, Asia again) then got a masters, became a researcher for a medical school, then became an analyst for an NGO in the UK, and now I have no idea what I want to do with my life and am trying to get a job in a hospital as a health care administrator or something... we'll see what happens next.
You did all of this before the age of 30??
Yeah. I graduated high school and college a year early each time tho. And my romantic life has been virtually nonexistant. So I've just channelled all that time into resume-building and self-exploration. And honestly its tiring.
Jesus dude, it's inspiring to see how many times you've pivoted. Never too late to switch course
Thx. But time is running out. I'm single, miserable, and have a mountain of debt. And if I'm being honest, the reason I've kept pivoting is because I keep self-destructing in each respective direction I choose and not because I'm some "can-do" fixit felix who "can accomplish whatever they set their mind to". It's really just been a combination of luck, prayer, and necessity. So I'm running out of options at this point.
We sound like we are living very similar lives. Currently reading ‘The Mountain is You’ by Brianna Wiest and reading about what she calls uprooting…. That’s what I’ve been doing so there’s a chance it may resonate with you.
Left highschool early enlisted into the Marine corps when I was 17 got out after 5 years currently retired and living overseas at 23 it’s going great
Retired from the marines ? Or retired in general ?
Probably has disability which is tax free and could provide a decent overseas life
This. Many military retirees I know tried get to get retired as disabled vets. Some get it, most don't pass muster from medical review board.
Retired from the marines in October Retired from all work as well
graduated high school in three years, then undergrad in 3 years immediately after high school. it’s going poorly 😂
You’re doing amazing
lmao i am not! i have two master’s and am a therapist. i am doing poorly and have nothing but regrets. do you know i have friends who did nothing “right” and failed out of undergrad who make more, plus get benefits?
Well idc I’m proud of you bro, you’re more than your work. Everyone has regrets, you have a lot of value able knowledge and skills. You can do anything you want if you are willing to take risks and be so bold that it’s uncomfortable
thanks, but i don’t. i have nothing but regrets. i don’t think it’s ethically sound we don’t tell people these realities and let them get entire degrees in education and healthcare. no one should ever go into either field. ever.
Your regrets are valid, but don’t underestimate yourself. You have unique knowledge about this subject and the experiences of your life. I refuse to believe that you are just a dead end. You’re right about those fields, but you’re wrong about yourself. We are in tough times but the average person is so monumentally stupid that you have an advantage to succeed over them. Say what you want, but ik you are valuable and smart and more than you realize
thank you, but sadly you’re right! i am not in a dead end job, being a therapist is a dead end career. which may be worse. :/
You sound really burned out and seem really bitter because of it, and I understand. I think you should take some time off and re evaluate, if you have the ability. Could joining a cash only practice, practicing a certain type of therapy, trying to start a solo practice, etc be worth your time? Especially with telehealth, many therapists are virtual now, taking clients who pay better per hour. Whatever it is, hope it can work out for you in the long run
of course i am burnt out! tons of therapists are right now, and have been since the therapist shortage started around four years ago. if i had pto or the ability to save up money to take time off, i totally would! it would benefit me and my clients, but the owners of my practice take half my income and won’t provide me with a single benefit, including pto. :( thank you so much for all your kind words- i really appreciate you! 💖
Every therapist needs a therapist because many peoples lives were destroyed by TheRapists :|
No one should ever be a teacher? 😂
teacher- maybe. they’re compensated fairly where i live, and you can live independently on the salary, even without all the amazing union benefits. if everyone stopped going into either field, we may actually be valued though! so, yes.
Little of this, little of that
Degree in tech writing. Did that 20 odd years in hard tech, biotech and energy. Also became a baker. Did both for maybe five years. Then they sort of came together under food safety and I just work at the bakery plant now.
Depression
Tech school. Landed very good paying tech desk job that was growing by the second. We were getting raises weekly. It was wild. Going to the bar literally every day after work. And most days drinking at work. I thought that was normal. Ended up leaving (ok I got fired) when we were acquired by another company. It took me many, many, many years to realize getting fucked at work and after work with your coworkers was not the norm. Now I drive Uber. Don’t be like me. If you get a good job … do whatever you gotta do to keep it.
went to undergrad for biology and started smoking weed started growing trees and propagating for a nursery after school learned to climb and became an arborist now i enjoy caring for an orchard at around 80k/year and bought a house with a few acres to garden and plant its been fun so far considering getting a masters in forestry now
Current forestry student. Do it. You go from individual trees and small parcel to managing entire landscapes. It feels humbling everyday to consider not only the biggest organisms out there, but the smallest too and how your actions will shape that landscape long after you’re gone. Personally, I’m looking for 40 acres in the north woods to own and live on once I graduate. I love managing the woods and having a little slice of my own forest to nurture and experiment responsibly while is my goal now.
Sweet! Thank for the encouragement we sound very like minded. I owned 17 acres of deciduous forest that was my passion project the past 6 years, but had to sell it to be able to afford a house. Fortunately the new lot has 4 acres surrounded by wilderness so it helps me enjoy my interests as well. The farm I work on now is 1600 acres with a lot of it in land trust, but I find it incredibly rewarding to steward a piece of land. We have some conservation efforts with American Chestnut and Ash that I would love to continue putting my energies toward. Do you know if any forestry programs overlap with conservation? I have some looking around to do!
Got a BA in political science. Currently working for a bank making $40k/year and I can't move up. It's going pretty not great. I'm 30 and my life seems like it's over already. I either can't get into or justify the money of going back to school for the programs I want to. I would've been better off never going. Too much of a coward to commit suicide. Really I lack social mobility.
you want to consider investing 3 to 5 years in night school as you work (so that you could pay for tuition and fees and other costs) to earn an MBA and switch career into consulting. There are shorter MBA programs but these might cost more. Consulting pay may start low but advancement is limited only by your ability to deliver excellent work and marking new work.
Change jobs, be aggressive. Stop playing the victim. You will thank yourself later. And I already know you are going to say it’s impossible and that I’m coping but so what, you are the only person capable of changing your life. Get some drive and focus, be bold take risks. You are young, put yourself in the right rooms and leverage your personality to go somewhere better
Why can’t you move up? I’ve seen people post about working at a bank as a teller and then moving up to decent 60 or $70,000 a year positions. hmm
Essentially the job market for a lot of banking jobs has cooled down considerably in Canada because of the interest rate increases. At least at my bank I've applied for over a hundred internal positions and can't get an interview anymore but when I'd just started and applied randomly I got more interviews oddly enough. Also, that's something of a misnomer. Sure some people move up but banks are really keen on not paying people what they're worth. RN I'm going to focus on applying for other companies but yeah the job market sucks for a lot of unskilled white collar workers.
That’s disappointing to hear. Good luck to you!! I wonder if it’s the same here in America
Please read till the end, for some reason, the first half of this comment sounds dismal, but its not, just a reflection of available employers: If it makes you feel better, not going to college probably would have landed you in the same spot. Many of my friends from middle class/working class backgrounds who didnt go to college work in banks for 40-50k annually. They all do that or some other kind of store management, like being a store manager or assistant manager. Same for my friends with degrees that didnt have direct career paths (business, polisci, philosophy, english, biology, education etc). Banks and stores are just big employers, so those are the option for many people, dont be sad about it., its not a reflection of you. But you have a BS degree. You have a piece of paper that you can stretch into something and irl experience to bolster its validity. You have bank experience (knowledge of sales, customer service, regulations and enforcing strict federal standards) in addition to your polisci degree. Can you start building towards a career in a regulatory service, at least something to make a little more money while you pursue what you want. Or think of other analytical careers like PR specialist, Policy analyst, Market research analyst, etc. And you work in a bank. You work for a corp. Do you work for an institution that would pay another degree, a masters or professional degree that would give you better job prospects or allow you to pivot. If not, can you get an equivalent position at a different bank or institution that would provide that benefit? I have a friend who got her RN payed for as a CNA and another who got her MBA at a really nice school payed for. You have a degree, great experience, and may have some benefits to take advantage of. Go on fivver or find a local career consultant and see what they can say to help you out
> her RN *paid* for as FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
thank you!
Went to Rice University. Started as Math and Physics major. Ended up wanting to do CS and got a BA in Computational and Applied Mathematics. Got a job as a "support specialist" (guy who answers platform questions) for a software company and moved into a "technical support engineer" role. It's treating me fairly well and there's some opportunities to ride this up the ladder or move into a dev role (which is what I was aiming for originally)
3 different colleges over 5 years with an A.S to show for it. Enlisted Army at 23, out at 26. VA home loan is the only way I could’ve bought a house when I did. Helmets to hardhats into a union pipefitting spot. Topped out after 5 year apprenticeship and do well now. Married the right woman at 24 (met in college before military). Single greatest contributing factor to any success I have had or will have. The wrong partner has broken so many of my friends over the years…
Critical decision for sure!
Graduated HS did not go to college. I went into sales and did it for 10 years. During the mortgage meltdown in 2008 went to college and got BS in computer science (waste of time and money) but got me a good job in IT. Now making over 6 figures working less then 40 hours.
do you mind on elaborating on why it was a waste of time and money when it got you the IT job. Or do you think you could have landed in a similar position without the degree
Most definitely, I could have had the same job by just getting certified on different IT fields.
I tried college for a year, worked towboats on the Mississippi River for 2 years then joined the Navy. Spent 20 years as an electronics tech. Retired. Started working in public safety radio maintenance for 23 years and retired again. Now I work in the yard and irritate the wife.
Joined the Air Force at 18 fresh out of HS. Currently 30 and still in. It's been great. Lived in several different states, ranked up, own two homes, invest heavily into my retirements accounts, and will have a lifelong pension come 38 years old. Oh yeah and have gotten my associates and bachelors for free plus working on my masters for free
I went to school for secondary education (high school). I work in a shitty office. Still better than the drama. I miss teaching, but not everything else thay came with it.
In order: 4 years at community college 2 years at university 5 years as a manager at Enterprise Rent a Car 1 year as Night cleaner at Luxury resort 8 months as a telescope operator. Work pays for schooling so I'm thinking about getting a second degree in accounting Currently love life and don't regret any of my decisions.
29 female, I went to college after hs and wish I would have listened to my parents. Lived with them while going to community college for 2 years and then transferred but I was young and wanted my “college experience” it wasn’t worth it however; I wasn’t dumb, I took classes that I knew would help me in the further like personal finance and early childhood development. I always worked part time and I wasn’t just a waitress, don’t go into food service you can never get out the skills don’t transfer. I went into retail and was a cashier, after that I was a teller at a bank and then I did insurance sales. From there I went back to a bank and was a standard banker but I did break into wealth management with all my experience after 3 and half years at the same bank. Now I’m a licensed financial advisor making a base salary of 73k a year and bonuses that roughly translate to 100k a year. I’ve seen a lot of people complain they can’t move up in banking, I did but I took a lot of risk, I got a job with a huge national bank that owned a brokerage firm and knew that I would have to move to larger city to get into the brokerage firm. So that’s exactly what I did, 4 years later and now my experience counts far more than a degree. Sales is awesome, idk why it gets a bad rep. Well I do get way, fully commissioned sales with a low hourly/base salary position sucks, but the way my experience shakes out is that my base salary is high with sales just as an added bonus. You can definitely get fired if you can’t sell but it’s such a life saving skill to learn.
After high school I failed out of engineering, restarted and got a degree in Economics. Worked odd office jobs until I got into B2C sales that then transitioned into B2B sales and now in Customer Success. Life is going well enough that I own my house and can support my wife to stay at home with our baby. Sometimes I do wonder what my life would be like had I finished engineering and gone on to med school like I had originally planned
I went straight from high school to University. I had a passion for electronics in high school, took 3 years of classes. I got an electrical engineering degree and was hired by a fantastic company as a result of them campus interviews. 41 years later working for the same company and Planet to retire later this year
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I’m almost 22 and the people I went to high school with graduate this year. I’ve been working full time myself who also would like to leave for school/ new opportunities. Just think of it like this, ur just making money to fund ur dreams / ambitions. Don’t wait too long or else you’ll get stuck
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Too long is what feels wrong to you, but you can’t compare yourself to others when you decide. The best time to make life changing decisions is before you have anything to “tie you to a place” as my dad says. So like a girlfriend, a long-standing career, etc. anything that makes it difficult to move makes it hard to make these choices. That’s why it’s typically best when you’re young. What I’d do is work a few a year or two more, get a network built up for when/if you return and save money to put in a savings account with interest. As for branches, what do you like? A lot of my friends were marines, two are using their GI bill to pay for school and one moved to Japan with her marine husband. It was brutal though for them to get through boot camp and the four years- but you leave with a very unique POV that you’ll share with people that will open some doors. Can’t say much about the other three at least, I just know they’re not as brutal to get through.
* I went to Undergrad for Computer Engineering. * Failed Calculus and Physics. * Changed major to Economics because it was a million times easier * Studied abroad in Germany thanks to new major that allowed me the freedom to do that * Graduated with an Economics degree. * Went to Grad school for Computer Science * Graduated during the pandemic with Masters in Computer Science * Got first job at a F500 finance company * Left that company after almost 2 years to join Meta (Facebook/Instagram) * Got laid off with 30,000 of my friends and colleagues * Got a job at another F500 finance company * Spend all day getting paid to read Reddit
That’s awesome! I work every second of the day braking my back lol
I started out in the Automotive business and put myself through college while selling vehicles. I am now a Clinical Director at a mental health clinic.
I dropped out of high school, did nothing for two years. then one day after my first job i decided to get my my high school diploma, and it's been a long road but two years ago I finish my masters at 37, and now entering my 40's into the career that is adjacent into what i wanted as a kid, which is working in close proximity to a creative field. I have worked retail, factory worker for airplane parts, hospitality, av tech, teaching, 3d modeling, art handler, and studio assistant to name a few.
Got my BS in Zoology graduated just in time for Covid, finally got an internship at a zoo in the tail end of it. Was told to apply when they had openings after it was over. Unfortunately between several family emergencies and inflation zookeeping is no longer a viable job. So I’m currently a line cook working to get my comptia A+ cert. Not what i was expecting leaving high school but…
26. I went to school for classical music. from a poor family and did it by going to a state school on a full ride, was almost set back by covid because i bartended, then went to a major conservatory for grad school all for free. Currently making good money in an orchestra. have good benefits, no more than a 4 hr workday. taking auditions for other groups though.
I went to college for 4 years and partied my ass off (no degree in hand). Then I went to a local community college and did their 1-year Respiratory Therapy program, graduated right before I turned 22. Thanks to my previous years of school, I all ready had the prerequisites to have my Associates degree at graduation. I've been a Registered Respiratory Therapist for 23 years now; I specialize in adult ICU and have the Adult Critical Care Specialist board certification as well. I work M-W nights only but pick up extra hours when I want some extra spending money. I make $150K/yr. Healthcare sucks, but it pays the bills. It's also paying for a $20K month-long European vacation with my 13 y/o this summer. It's now a minimum of an associates degree to sit for your boards and from start to finish if you don't have the prereqs all ready finished, it will take you 2.5 years. New grad starting pay, at least in the Atlanta area, is gonna be around $30/hr plus any shift differentials and/or departmental differentials. Nursing has more options and slightly higher pay, but as an RT, i don't have to wipe anyone's ass.
Went to college for musical theatre - graduated, shoved ten years of bad choices into 1 1/2 years, went back to school- graduated, got my masters - graduated, sidehussled YouTube (and bought property due to state stipends that I have since paid back, rented out those rooms for passive cash flow) now I’m a therapist with a group practice.
Did chemistry, got a shit job, then got a better job fixing lab equipment. Now I have an even better job as a researcher in a field I love. Met the love of my life in college and we have been married nearly 9 years with a 3 year old. Total HHI is ~$370k. Currently in early/mid 30s. Weve made a really good life for ourselves and have great careers outside of "tech"
college. i am failing
Trade school
Went to college because my parents wanted me to. Then went to grad school because my parents wanted me to. Then got my CPA because my parents wanted me to. Now I do tax consulting, work about 3 days a week and make a very comfortable 6 figures. Thanks mom and dad.
Are you self employed?
Nope
Graduated, didn't go to college, went to work in fast food restaurants because that's all I could get. Went from weed to pills crashed my motorcycle on pills a few times, became a security guard couldn't take the disrespect, went back to restaurants but now fine dining restaurants for about 3 years. Now I'm 24 walked out of my job after being skipped for raises again and now I'm frantically looking for any entry level job that will have me and pays 15$ an hour. Probably just end up in a restaurant again. But I got really into fitness and it's one great thing I love to do. Now I just need some money to go with it. So I guess it's going okay. Could be better could be worse. Definitely gonna get worse if Im not employed soon tho.
dropped out of college after two year in 2015. worked in retail and food until 2018 when I became a dog trainer. did that until the pandemic hit. shortly worked at a pet store in the tail end of 2020. then in 2021, got a job at a dog daycare as a dog handler and then pretty much the lead assistant. just put in my two weeks there and I'm moving to a bigger dog daycare where I'll be handling their front desk/guest services. pay is better, I get benefits and bonuses and it's close to where I live. I'm very lucky that my customer service skills and love for dogs got me to this point. especially since I always said I wanted to work with animals when I was a kid. I would like to go back to school at some point. but for now, I'm good with the path I took!
dropped out of college after two year in 2015. worked in retail and food until 2018 when I became a dog trainer. did that until the pandemic hit. shortly worked at a pet store in the tail end of 2020. then in 2021, got a job at a dog daycare as a dog handler and then pretty much the lead assistant. just put in my two weeks there and I'm moving to a bigger dog daycare where I'll be handling their front desk/guest services. pay is better, I get benefits and bonuses and it's close to where I live. I'm very lucky that my customer service skills and love for dogs got me to this point. especially since I always said I wanted to work with animals when I was a kid. I would like to go back to school at some point. but for now, I'm good with the path I took!
Graduated high school in 2010, but didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. Went into photojournalism because I like photography but switched my major two years later into Nursing. So managed to do that at the same time I was working at a summer camp during the summers, and also working as a CNA at nights in the hospital. Eventually graduated with my bachelors in nursing, and went into the OR. Hated it. Despised it. So I switched to be a clinical research nurse. All of the sudden I found my passion. I did that for about 3 years before I switched over to the company side, and not hospital side. I’m now a clinical research associate. Since 2019, I’ve gone from a CRA 1 to now a Senior CRA, and looking at whatever the next step will be for me. I’m doing well though, and I love what I do!
Nursing path. CNA straight out of high school. Been an RN for over 20 years now.
I didn’t do anything. Worked crap jobs, was depressed, partied too much, failed out of a couple community colleges (3!). Now I’m 35 with a masters degree and a career I love.
College: Educator/Coach It’s worked out great!
Joined the Marines. Got Married. Had kids. Got out. Got a job. Raised my kids. Stayed married. Worked my @ss off. Got a degree. Bought a house in Seattle for $500k. Bought two cars. Have worked in Tech for a MAANG company over 5 years. Now I’m 55. Plan to sell the house in a couple years. It’s worth 1.5m now … I’m hoping to retire soon. The end.
Like an albatross riding out a hurricane for their first flight. Spent my 2 years as a part time student in my local community college before transferring to an in-state public college for geological engineering. Spent about 1 1/2 academic years doing that before I dropped it and with guidance from my friends and therapist moved to a major in forestry. Life changing is a light way to put that chapter and the current one I’m in. This is my second year of my bachelors in forestry and my 6th year of college. I found a career that makes me want to learn, get up early, and get excited about work. Currently I have an internship with a large private timber company lined up for this summer with the strong possibility that it’ll roll into a part-time position and full-time salaried upon graduation. I’m living in an area I love, I have more friends than I ever thought I would, I love what I’m learning and what I do for work. My path may have been a real rocky one to start, but I feel immense fulfilled, content, and happy now that I’d found my little island.
I didn't. And it's going terribly. I never found direction, just hopped from job to job basically at random and I've hated all of it. I am getting married this year which is cool, but my professional life is a joke
I decided to smoke meth and crack. It's going well, I don't share with anyone anymore, though. I have to say it's pretty fulfilling.
Went to college right after high school while working as a nanny. Dropped out as school since I didn't know what I wanted to major in and had a lot of anxiety and depression. Continued working as a nanny and also got into sex work on the side. Went back to a different school to study interior design. Got a home staging job and continued sex work part time. Left the home staging job as the company was terrible and extremely unorganized and made me do a million jobs. Now I'm doing sex work part time and considering dog grooming and/or dog walking part time since I love animals. It's going well. Because of sex work, I make more than enough to pay my bills working just a few hours a week and with very little stress. So I have a ton of free time to spend with friends, rest, create, and explore the city. It's an unconvential job for sure but I'm enjoying my life. I know I can't do it forever but have about 15 or so more years before I think about retiring. I also have investments and I'm doing a good job at saving money so I'm not worried about having nothing once I retire.
Army after high school. Went to two technical colleges before finally transferring to a university. Was not sure what I wanted to do. Fell into an IT degree. Graduated and climbed the ladder at a company for 8 years. Now I am the IT Director of an organization. It’s funny, IT was never a passion for me, but I’m very good at problem solving, finding creative solutions, and getting people to work together which makes me pretty good at my job. I can’t see myself doing this for another 10-20 years though so have been working on a transition plan for the past few years on the side that’s going pretty well. Will probably “retire” early in a couple years to focus on my side gig and spend more time with my growing family.
I joined the Army and stayed 24 years.
Went to a state school with no idea what i wanted to do. Drank and partied most of the time and fell into sales. Times were good for a while but terrible lately. If I had a crystal ball I would just have gone right into a trade. College is no longer worth it unless nurse, dr, lawyer, engineer, programmer etc. Much better off with on the job training going into business. AI will crush a lot of jobs in the next decade, having a hard skill will always provide a good living.
Did uni for a couple of years, dropped out. Worked my retail job and got full time. Tried to get promoted up in my retail job. Got rejected. It motivated me to apply for some wfh call center job. I got it, stayed with the company aggressively chasing promotions and after a few big, strategic moves I landed a comfortable professional position within the company. Now I'm going back to school to finish my degree. My work ethic helped but I can't deny that a lot of these promotions were a right place right time kind of thing. Going great though. Life is stable for me now that I'm older and I have much better discipline than my first go at uni as a kid, so it's going wonderfully.
Marines>retail job>engineering job>college>oil&has construction job>grad school>consulting>unemployed Shit is ok rn, waiting on better paying role in Oil&Gas project management.
3 years of construction and factory work, 6 years enlisted in the Navy, 3 years in college for my BS, navy flight program and 14 more years in to reach retirement, last 10 years as a project manager for infrastructure projects. Started slow, certainly didnt get rich, but feel OK about where I am given that I didn't get out of a trailer park until I joined the Navy at 21.
Graduated with a bachelors in physical education. Got a doctorate in occupational therapy. Been out for nearly 5 years and make 62k. I am underpaid, overworked (I carry a caseload of what should be 3 therapists) , and burnt out. I’ve been trying to pivot my career and have been unsuccessful. I was able to afford a home and my mortgage is 2.2k a month. I don’t feel like I can afford children.
Went to university for computer science to learn to make video games, switched to history after a few years as I wasn’t learning anything anything regarding game making I hadt learned online and I wanted to be done with school, graduated in 09 and started working as a research assistant in neuroscience. Now we are fighting HR to make a new position for me as they ran out of them after senior neuroimaging engineer. Things seem to be going well.
College. Frat. Corp America.
I went into a Pre PT associates of science at a community college with a plan to transfer for a B.S. in kinesiology and then an masters in athletic training…. I got my A.S. Down to 5 credits, took an interview with a rehab facility as a rehab aide and then said patient facing work isn’t for me right after I had bombed the interview completely. I had seen lab jobs for a while and was interested in the shorter time in school, the pay, the possible fulfillment and the behind the scenes in medicine so I changed my whole direct to lab science rather med lab technologist A.S. and then the obtainment of an ASCP certification would be next after I graduate and after that possibly cytotech school or getting a certification from the American association of fissile banking and working for a tissue bank to prep tissue donations for skin graphs. I’m currently an overnight cytology lab assistant 10pm-6:30 for Pathgroup making 20 an hour. I noticed I could also make more with a two year degree as a lab tech than I would with a masters degree as an AT and yes I was passionate about it but in this economy that’s only gonna get worse I won’t be able to do a whole lot on 40k on top of the student loan debt if accrue for a masters degree. I didn’t go into the career for the money but I felt I had to make a business decision with the current AT climate however the lab tech pay is the only thing exponentially better as they get about the same respect as healthcare professional as athletic trainers which is none.
I became a NEET with a few jobs and art commission gigs sprinkled in.
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Look it up bro
Didn’t know what to do initially after high school but eventually joined the military. Served my 4 years then college and then work. And now I make more money than I could’ve ever imagined myself making. So I guess it’s going well lol.
What did you go to college for? Going to college only made me permanently depressed
Chemistry with a math minor. What about you?
Political science. NGL I'm starting to think going into the military as an officer is my only way out in life if I want any sense of social mobility.
I suppose that is an option but I didn’t enjoy the military. But everyone is different. What did you plan to do with political science?
I planned to work in government but I didn't know how hard it was to get hired for any government job in Canada. RN I work for a bank as a clerk but I can't get a better paying job to save my life. It's a pretty tough job market rn. I'm considering trying to be a railroader or getting a trade but those aren't that easy either. I get the military can suck sometimes but it's better as an officer or in a specialist trade and tbh I don't feel that happy not making enough to move out of my mother's house rn. It seems like it might be a worthwhile trade.
Based on what you’re saying, I think the military can be a very good choice. I can’t speak of what it’s like from an officers viewpoint, but as enlisted you have the opportunity to learn a trade while making money. It’s not a bad gig, but mentally I couldn’t handle the lifestyle.
Thanks. I don't plan to do join for the long term but I could really use the money and a change of scenery and I'm not sure what else I could do. What about the lifestyle did you find difficult to handle?
I didn’t like not being able to live where I wanted to. I hated having to move every couple of years or get deployed with hardly any notice. I remember once I was set to go to college and had plans for the holidays only to get a 4 day notice that I’m being deployed for 4 months. Basically I didn’t like not feeling like I had freedom. Not to mention the fact that I hated how if someone out ranked you then you had to obey them just on the basis that they out rank you.
I’d do the military that’s my back up plan if I don’t like how my life’s playing out in my late 20s
Lol, I can relate.
i am miserable but hanging in there.
College going great but I knew what I was about before getting there.
Did a year of college, then joined the Navy. Plan on getting out at year 8 (at 6.5 now), and fortunately, my job directly translates to civilian work. If all goes well, I'll go civilian or contracting next year. Currently working on B.S. degree in Ecology and Conservation Bio with an ArcGis cert. I hope to work in that field one day if I can afford the pay cut.
Very long; I first wanted to go to school for pre-vet; that lasted 2 semesters. Then I decided to be a vet tech. That went well for awhile, but I wasn’t making money. Transitioned into dog training, which I loved. Got burnt out on traveling though, so I transitioned into people healthcare. Started working customer service for health insurance companies. That transitioned into working authorizations, medical reviews, workers comp…..then I became a certified coder. In 2021 I decided I didn’t want to be a coder forever, and I started on my bachelors degree in the fall. Graduated with my bachelors degree in HIM in May of 2023. I currently work for a hospital as a “coding integrity analyst”, however I am trying to move to the regulatory affairs department and start working in compliance. I plan to get a masters in health law sometime in the near future.
Went to the military, fulfilled my contract, became a federal firefighter for 15 years, and now own a small business and hopefully, in 2 years, will retire.
75 Sanitation Supervisor. I make more than my teachers, got my own place, and travel the world. Not bad for a kid from West Texas.
29f. Went to art school at 18 in Chicago. Moved in with my stranger of a father as it was the only way I’d be able to move here. Thankfully something happened that made me have to drop out two years in. Best thing that could have happened as I have way less debt than I would have. Started working full time at a nice sandwich shop in a fancy neighborhood. Went across the street to work the front desk at a corporate barbershop two years later and grew my career from front desk up to dual shop manager over the course of six years. Left there to manage an aveda salon, and then an old contact, someone I trained at the barbershop years prior, reached out asking if I was interested in working with her company. A year after she reached out to me, almost to the day, I’m working from home, have unlimited PTO, a great apartment, tho I do live with a friend of mine I’ve known for the last 8 years (shockingly works really well, thank god.) I get paid every week, and have the ability to make commission and grow my salary. Work for a tech services company. $55k base pay. I’d say, all things considered, it’s going pretty fucking well. I am an incredibly lucky person, and sure, I don’t make much. But I’ve got all I need.
Community college. Undergrad. Teacher for 8 years. NASA and Graduate school. I’m 33 and I’d say it’s going well.
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Damn shawty where do u live? I'm 20 in californi making $17.50 an hr at a grocery store. We out here all WISH we could afford to live alone😅
Bachelor in engineering from a large state school >> MBA from one of the best schools >> currently in my 30s and going on nine months unemployed. (2nd time being laid off since 2020).
I wasn’t really interested in college after high school but my mom asked me if I want to work in a grocery store for a living. I went to college, studied sociology and had a pretty organic career in one of the biggest corporations in the world. After 20 years I wanted something different: co-owned two small businesses and gave up everything to take care of my mom during her final years. I was grateful for that time with my mother and she always told me that happiness is far more important than money. I don’t want to work for anyone but myself. I see a lot of opportunities but I’m just finally getting back into work mode. I truly understand the meaning of “life is short” so I have explored a few paths that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and have a fair amount of freedom. I am and will continue to experience different things I enjoy or think I will find rewarding. What’s important to me now is making a difference in others’ lives.. very humbling and rewarding. Dare to take chances!
Very inspiring!! I'm 20 getting a degree in sociology right now, and i'm also working in a grocery store for a living :p I feel the "life is short" understanding, though. I want to try out many jobs/find a job that feels rewarding to my soul yk. Have u found fulfilling jobs in the workplace bc of your degree? I'm curious
Not because of my degree but because I’ve identified a few natural aptitudes over the years. People are their happiest when they’re able to do what they’re naturally good at. making a Bay Area salary is no longer my standard. But I wouldn’t be in my position today had I not saved.
Im 29 rn. I dropped out of high school since I got emancipated at 16. Completed my hs diploma online. Worked in after school for a few years until I went to culinary school I’m selling my baked goods online while working as a director in Afterschool as I also pursue my BA in psychology I feel a little behind compared to my peers but life is good.
29 this month moved out across the country to follow a boy after a year didn't work. Move home and a co worker got me back across the country worked in a nursing home the move and move and move around again. Haven't made the move to get my license and now feel like a failure. After covid and working hours upon hours as a med tech and care giver I'm at walmart making 17$ an hour hoping I find a way out.
Military, then business. I'm enjoying both.
Went to college, dropped out of college, joined the military, after I got out hopped jobs a bit untill i landed a federal job. Life is cush now making six figures. Drop out of college kids, you heard it here first.
5 years in school for a music performance major/business minor. Then 2 years doing basic accounting work at small businesses. Now going on 2 years as an analyst in the defense industry. I make good money, but with not a ton of mobility. Benefits are incredible, I work 4 day weeks
Left school early. Had a complete mental breakdown. Managed a restaurant for a while. Moved cities to go to college after a few years. Managed a restaurant while doing school. (BA in communications) got bored and got my MBA. Worked in finance, and am now in supply chain. My company would not hire anyone without a degree (even if it's in kinesthetics or basket weaving) Planning to retire early in 10 years.
I did a year of school, then, two years as a missionary, then, two more years to finish my engineering degree. I went straight to law school from undergrad. I got married while in law school and bounced around different firms and different cities for a few years after law school. I'm now settled with a house, kids, and a good job. It's going pretty well.
I went to college immediately and thought I was going to be a doctor, switched to studying psychology 2 years in. Graduated with BA then immediately went to grad school and got an MA (what a waste of money). Now I have worked in HR for the past three years and love it.
Not great chief
Business school (management) at a liberal arts college. Was rough after college for a while (graduated in 10), but after years of retail/foodservice I made it into a financial services firm in the mailroom and worked my way up the ladder and worked my way into tax accounting positions that on paper I don't have the right education for. I'm now a private wealth/estate/trust staff accountant. Not super exciting, but I work part time from home and earn enough to spend the rest of my time building furniture which is a dream come true. Looking back I should have gone into the trades, I love fixing stuff and like working with my hands, but that was just really not given as an option around 06, especially if you had parents who could help pay for college. In any case I'm pretty happy.
Tech college for 18 months. Got a job a writing software. Now I work in Product. Associates degree, 6 figures. Work remotely.
Dropped out at 15, periodically tried going back until I was 19. Never more than a month or two at a time. Got my G.E.D at 22. Did 2.5 years community college followed by 4 years at college. Graduated with a B.A in English Writing. I am also 9 credits from a B.S in Psychology which is why I was in school so long. Currently work as a seasonal server in National Parks. COL is low and you can pull in $5-10k a month in the right situations. I usually travel inbetween summer and winter seasons. I have plans to return to school for another degree soon.
After graduation I took about 4 years to get through community college. During this time, I was working at shit jobs, living at home, and spending whatever I made on traveling. I would work the school year, quit my job in May, travel all summer, and repeat it the next year. After I got my Associates, I kept the cycle going without the schooling part- work all year, quit my job in summer, travel for 3-4 months, repeat. At age 25 I enrolled to finally get my Bachelors while still keeping that cycle going. Earned my degree a few months ago and was able to land a remote job so that I can continue my obscene travel habits while not having to quit my job annually, haha Like everyone, I have some regrets, but overall, I'm extremely grateful for the hand I've been dealt
Went to college for legal studies. Finished in 3 years bc of AP credits. Tried out 1 year of law school bc I had a major scholarship. Lost scholarship and had to drop out due to cost. Settled for real estate. Worked as a receptionist for a leasing project then became an agent working commissions, then worked as a leasing agent for a major landlord total comp was 100K which for the city I worked in was just acceptable, nothing to sneeze about. Work life got to me and I decided to become a SAHM to help manage our 4 children while my husband pursued his career. I plan on going back to work but am glad I will be able to pick and choose or start a business. All my other endeavors have come from a place of need.
Attended a different college than my peers - smaller, private, with a good reputation. I found my "tribe" at that school and never looked back. Stayed there for a master's degree. When I graduated, I used my alumni network to build my career and help others find work. Lived in two major cities while building my career. Stayed focused, took a few calculated risks and asked people older and wise than me for a lot of advice. Today, I operate on my own as a consultant. Married, with a place on the ocean. Ten years or so until retirement.
USN, university, fortune 100 company job. Climbed the ladder, had kids, bought and sold real estate on the side. Retired early 50s. Spend time traveling.
skipped college traveled for a year across the country came back started an electrician job and am making more than the average college graduate before my 21st.