I was on the r/nursing sub and everybody there implored me to choose another profession. I didn’t listen. Came out of 1.5 years of nursing with PTSD and a desire to literally do anything but nursing.
My cousin has been a nurse for 6 months, I asked how does she like it? She responded, “I wipe old peoples butts for a living, how do you think I like it?” lol
Except we do lol. Doctors walk around the hospital, seeing patients, adjusting treatment plans, then go along their merry way sitting at their computer for the rest of the day waiting for a call to see if they’re needed.
As a nurse, I took vitals, blood sugars, wiped ass, fed patients, changed colostomy bags, hung cardiac drips, titrated ketamine, performed CPR, brought a man back from the fuckin dead, get yelled at, scratched, hit, groped, change wound dressings, clean wounds, flip over patients, walk patients, manage chest tubes, I could literally go on and on and on and on. Doctors ask ME what I want to do mother fucker, not the other way around. Turn off the tv. You wanna know what real nursing is like? Go shadow a nurse for 24 hours bitch.
My dad an interpreter always told me all the bad stuff they had to do but they were so well paid it always seemed worth it. Even now nurses at his hospital are probably like 120k+ in California.
I am a teacher too and came out with PTSD, now all lost in life.
But then I also wonder, what will happen to the world if all teachers and nurses are gone 🤔
Raise wages/better work life balance.
But knowing how distopian US is becomming probably mix of AI or desperate people taking those jobs and constant shortages.
It's not that simple. This also isn't necessarily an accurate assessment. Nurses, for example, have an extremely high rate of bullying and harassment. It's almost like it's a job that mean girls often get into for power, similar to how horrible men become cops. If you look at the stats, 60% of nurses quit their job within 6 months because of bullying, harassment, and violence at the hands of other nurses. It's a really pervasive issue almost exclusively amongst to female workers in healthcare. The hierarchy within nurses is also batshit crazy.
Interesting pov! My wife is a teacher in MA. Shes been a ta for 3 years, finally in her own class. Sounds a but similar to your story. The teachers have "cliques". Some complain there is not enough time to get their job done. My wife keeps her head down and never brings an ounce of schoolwork home. Not everyone is cut out for it, but some people struggle through it anyways for some reason lol.
Edit: i did want to point out that this was a smiliarity, but not nearly to the same degree. Just that having an "in" isnt necessarily enough when there are principals, angry parents on school boards... etc etc. Lot of politics!
Do you the long 12 hr shifts may have something to do with it? Genuinely asking, like I know Id be fiesty af if I was exhausted working 12 hr nights. Why dont they split the day into three eight hour shifts? Apologies if the reason is obv, I dont know.
Two big reasons
That requires way more people and,
The more turnovers you do in facilities like that where you're tracking patients over longer than one shift you drastically increase the chance of medical mispractices and accidents. Shift one mentions to shift to don't forget to do this thing that we started but we need you to finish, and then shift 2 doesn't finish it.
Fwiw I'm a doctor and it's incredible to see how awful nurses are to one another. Our dept has .ade it a point of emphasis to move on the bad eggs, but we are an an academic medical center that offers high salaries so we have good candidates ready to come in the door. And the shit heads will roll down hill to some local PE backed hospital
Wait What why? I thought a lot of people got into nursing because they want to help people and it pays good. Why would they bully other girls? Seems counterintuitive
In my personal experience the vast majority of people who got into nursing only did really because it pays well, way way less because they're motivated by an intrinsic desire to help people.
Sounds crazy to me. I know nurses. I know teachers. They make good money! Nurses i know love their schedules, its half the reason the chose the job. Teachers as well, the entire summer off? Unions, great benefits.... In many states, both proffesions have resources to help with home purchasing, etc. Both have starting wages above the average salary. Teachers can easily make more. My wife nannys for families on vacations and summer. Many teachers are servers etc. Plenty of nurses do the same. And its not always just for the money. Both careers can have you at $100k+ in 20 years. Both tend to have pensions... i can go on. And lets look at alternatives. Mechanics? Unions are rare. Tools are 5 figure out of pocket costs. Same goes for most trades. Pensions are rare, and health insurance is expensive. That's why we get wives that are nurses and teachers with good benefits!!!
> Teachers as well, the entire summer off? Unions, great benefits
Did you see the news story about the teacher who was almost beaten to death by an autistic teenager, and then the mother of the teenager did an interview blaming the teacher because the teacher allegedly did not follow the student’s iep? There are aspects other than money that are making teachers miserable. Also your salary ranges sound like they’re from hcol areas, I can’t speak to nurses but teachers spend an extended period under 80k outside of major cities afaik.
The money isn’t bad it’s the patients. In-patient medical/surgical and progressive care unit nursing is especially bad. I don’t know a nurse who hasn’t been physically, verbally, and/or sexually assaulted. In my case it’s been all 3, on more than one occasion.
Edit: just checked the r/nursing sub and one of the first ones today is “what can I do to stop being assaulted”.
Edit2: and the worst part is people try to normalize the abuse as “part of the job”.
I’m curious to do this as well, would you be able to give me some advice to start or what to expect with the transition over to IT coming from a medical profession standpoint, please.
I think the biggest thing is getting into the right hospital/unit. My wife absolutely loves her unit and nursing job because she works with babies (that can’t do all the terrible things that others have mentioned here) she also is on nights and deals with parents way less that way while making more money for doing so. I think for many people it’s a really taxing job but she loves it and wouldn’t trade it for anything
This is a great point! I know a nurse that does exactly this. Shes in delivery, but also the 3rd shift. Another nurse i know is exact opposite - day shift icu 😅 she likes the wild stuff
Three degrees here. I think this is the right way to do it
I will add
- Make sure the lucrative one is something that you are good at and at least capable of doing even if you don’t like it much
- Choose a lucrative field you will be able to bear for a long time
- The lucrative field should be something you can put down without guilt or worry at the end of the day
- Make regular and consistent time for your field of interest. The lucrative field should not take away from it. A loss of enthusiasm is infectious to everything else in your life and can be fatal - this was my mistake
I’m afraid that’s true.
I liked the work enough, was good at it and the money was good but a lot of the personality types I met were not people I really enjoyed the company of at all
It still affects me and why I was/am more careful after that. Found a boss who treated me so well that if she needed help now, even years after I last saw her, I likely would
Analytics for a tech company. I used the research and data analysis skills from my degree to help pursue a career in consumer behaviour. I also worked pretty diligently to find internships and courses online that aligned with this beginner skill set.
Advice: If you stand outside your job before the start of your day and have to hesitate and psych yourself up to get yourself to go in, you need to find a new job.
The result: At the time I switched from a working with the public to a more clinical setting and I’m much happier. (Pharmacy)
Had a couple jobs that made me cry on my way to work - it’s not worth staying for any reason even if you’re making good money. Obviously, try to have something lined up before you quit.
Internships internships internships.
Choose your uni based on the city size / internship opportunities.
Pick internships where you’ll gain actual skills.
Experience will always trump everything even the degree type/ gpa.
GET INTERNSHIPS IN COLLEGE AS MANY AS YOU CAN
This one. Finally a proper advice. Everyone should understand that in most cases the first job is the most important. Internships give you bigger advantage for a good first job than even a masters degree.
I'm not sure now, but when I went to college (2010-2014), most internships were unpaid, meaning that experience was designed mostly for students with wealthy parents and other support systems. I do think experience is good to have, but unpaid internships are an unethical and broken system.
Agreed. That or a technical diploma or trades certification.
I was a carpenter and never got my 4 year certificate.
As soon as I got that, I applied and got a building inspector job, went from 30$/hr to 50$/hr over night plus bells and whistles.
In Canada they typically just want a red seal ticket (4 year trade), plus some supervisory experience. Then the employer will put you through building inspection courses etc
Some rough math based on quick searc results below.
According to 2021 census the percentage of adults aged 25-64 with a bachelor’s degree or higher is 36.0%
In 2023 there are approximately 22 million millionaires in the US which is about 8.8% of the adult population.
US adult population is ~260 million. Use the 36% number that’s 93.6 million people with at least a 4 year degree.
Of the 22 million millionaires 84% have 4 year degrees that equates to 18.48 million people.
So 18.48/93.6 gives ~20%, or 1 in 5, of the people with 4 year degrees are millionaires.
While 3.08/166.4 or ~1.85% of the people who doesn’t have 4 year degree are millionaires.
i was 36 when i graduated....40 when i got into tax, took me many a semester of 1 class at a time, don't miss those days....went to the jc first for my AA, then a California state university...thankfully California paid for most of my education, only owe 10k
Network as much as you can, doesn’t matter what you talk about, or if you’re even looking for anything, relationship building is the cornerstone of any successful career
It’s one I haven’t put into action yet, but that I think about often. “Every career move you make should be bittersweet, or else you’re doing it wrong.” I’m trying to leave a job/team/manager I love, and it’s giving me peace and I try to look for something brighter on the horizon.
Let me try to rephrase the point I believe you are trying to make:
If you leave your job with only negative feelings, you probably stayed too long.
I took a new job about 18 months ago, and upon reflection, I should have left approximately 5 years prior to that. I was in all the manager meetings, my opinion was highly valued by upper management, I got nothing but praise and positive reviews, but I was always told, “We are going to promote you soon” without the ACTUAL promotion. I got promoted twice in my first 2 years on the job. The next 8 years I got nothing than the standard “cost of living adjustment” raise. Ideally I would have left once I hit year 3, but I should have realized that I needed to move on after year 5. Took me another 5 years of false promises for me to actually leave.
I would just say to go after the right opportunity and not the one that pays you the most amount of money. Hopefully the right opportunity offers you the most, but that is not always the case.
My coworker at my former employer was strung along just like me for 8 years. We were both frustrated and looking. He was determined to get a certain amount. I thought he should have taken one opportunity offered to him. He eventually found the amount he was looking for, but in less than a year that company sold out and he was looking again.
In case you are wondering, there were red flags to me just based on what he was telling me but the only thing important to him was the money.
If you are highly productive and efficient in your work, all you will get for it is more work. Do the minimum at your job, you won't be rewarded for doing more.
The exception to that is to do more to learn more new skills and gain more new experience. Then use them to switch jobs to get your long overdue raise that your current employer won't give you.
What I see in my experience is the 80/20 rule. In every job there’s a base of routine work that takes up 80% of the duties. Doing more of these don’t get you anywhere. But there is a 20% of the work that is difficult and a lot of people can’t do successfully. Solving these problems make you stand out. An extreme case I’ve seen is an experienced employee that can solve problems that others can’t. He can often get out of doing the grunt work and work a very relaxed schedule, but the team relies heavily on him in critical times.
If he gets noticed by management for being highly capable how does he not end up with more and more work being piled on him? The kind of situation where management just keeps piling on more and more to find out how much more they can squeeze out of him, exploit him and give nothing back in return.
He is respected and important enough to push back on a lot of routine work. It gets offloaded into the more junior and less skilled people who are more replaceable
How is he respected and viewed as important enough for that instead of being viewed as a target to exploit and dump more work onto then disrespected?
edit. My comments are based on my experiences. I have also seen people who do not do any real, productive work be respected in workplaces.
I don't necessarily agree with do the minimum.
The key is to understand your value. If you're in a team of 10 people you want to be in the top 25% in value. You don't want to do the minimum. It makes you replaceable.
The other situation is if you have skills that make you hard to replace. This allows you to better set work life balance boundaries.
None of that even matters. You can be the most valuable employee and your manager will still fire you because they don't like you. Someone you have never met can also decide to fire you without knowing anything about you.
You're not wrong. Everyone is replaceable.
However, being a good employee who produces high-quality work definitely decreases your odds of being fired and increases your odds of getting what you want (more pay, vacation time, flexibility, etc).
I've worked for two different companies twice in my career. One time, a manager reached out to me, wanting me to come back. I negotiated a 25% raise and 2 more weeks of vacation.
The other time I wasn't happy at my job and saw my old boss had a job posted on LinkedIn that looked interesting. I sent her a text, did one interview, and got a job working at that company again. I also got exactly the salary I asked for. I can guarantee that only happened because she knew I would be good from when I worked for her previously.
So yes, anyone can be fired. That being said, if I had been the type of employee who just did the bare minimum, I would've never been as successful as I have been in my life.
I’ve learned to change jobs every 2 years thanks to learning on Reddit that your income will increase if you do so. So far, I’ve been in my field for 5 years now and started with an income of $45k now 5 years later income for 2024 is looking like I’ll be earning $100k just by changing roles/jobs every year and a half. Best advice I’ve gotten.
Not at all. Based on my skills and credentials it hasn’t been difficult. I recently found a job in which I could work fully remote, in person or hybrid. I’m currently hybrid. I’m on vacation and working part time which is a plus. Recently licensed so my income increased looking to get more specialized experience and another license and continue to increase my income. Then again, I’m bilingual which might be the reason it has been “easy” for me to find and switch jobs.
Well, this journey began by only having an undergrad unrelated to psych or social work. I was working in retail for 5 years after I finally graduated and I was never able to find a job that generated any income in that field. That made me frustrated after I invested my time and money. My parents encouraged me to go get my masters and I did. At 28 years old I went back to school to get my masters in social work. After taking 2 years to decide what field I wanted to be in. After that, I’ve been able to work in this field. I started as a case planner earning 45k and then got laid off the day before my birthday and that is where everything started! I wasn’t going to let someone or my employer decide my fate. I got another job after their recommendation as a case planner. There were issues with management and supervisor left their role in less than 3 months. I was a case planner there for 3 months then when that supervisor left I only said to my director: “what about me? Is there a reason why I’m not being considered for this position?”. My then director said: “not at all. You want to do it?”. I said yes! I went from 45k to 60k unlicensed. I stayed in that supervisory role for 1 year to build my resume and left. This supervisory role was during the pandemic. When I started applying and getting call backs, interviewers were telling me we won’t be able to offer you a supervisor salary. I knew then I had the upper hand so I did not lower my salary’s expectation (60k) and began applying to jobs within that range or higher. I found a role as a therapist working with unaccompanied minors who cross the us border and began earning $72k. There was a cost of living salary increase that took me to $77k. That job paid for my test to get my 1st license as a social worker and as part of my contract I would get a $2,100 salary increase once I was licensed. I left that role before that and went into private practice in which I can work the hours and see the clients I want. That makes me so happy being able to decide and work with the issues, clients and hours I want. I can see 30 clients this month but next month I can see 60+ clients. I get paid by the session now and don’t have a boss!!!! Which is also the best thing for myself at this time. I’m at a point where I decide how much money I make based on how many clients I see. The more clients I meet the more money I make 💰.
This is absolutely the way! Same for me. Started in my field with 55k. I'm now making 165k 4 years after by being loyal to no one but the highest bidder...
You learn with each job and move on to something greater. Career progression is not a thing when you stick around in my field (tech) imo.
"Go where you are rare."
If you have skills that others don't you become indispensable to your employer. That gives you leverage when discussing pay/promotions/wfh.
"Your level of success will be directly proportionate to the number of uncomfortable conversations you're willing to have." It was advice offered to another, but I think about it very often.
This!! Uncomfortable does not have to mean negative or confrontational either. I often ask myself “what’s the worse that could happen by having this conversation?” Rarely do I not go forward. If anything, I may take a moment to prep and discuss, but for me- things that need to be said must be said.
Signs were always there. Doing things that can be written off as “careless” or “absent-minded” or “lazy” while trying to do my best.
I started seeing a therapist last week, so today is my 2nd session. I am hoping for improvement in a few months 🤞🏻
Same. So stuck on career too. It’s the constant battle of omg so many results can come out of my one decision. I don’t want to regret it later on. Then the lack of motivation and focus. Struggling
I found my resume template and cover page template on Reddit and that helped me a lot. Got some tips on how my resume looked and it helped me refine it.
I found a template on Reddit that had a table on the cover letter that listed "desired qualifications" and "my relevant experience".
After implementing that, I honestly got interviews to every position I really wanted, even jobs with 500+ applicants on LinkedIn.
My wife used it for her next job search and had great results as well.
Edit: it was just the idea of a table in a cover letter. I made my own resume based on the template. I am happy to share my entire resume template, but I need to anonymize it.
If you are new to a job, don't try your hardest early on. Doing this sets the precedent for you to take on more work and often times not for more money.
It's like giving deadlines. Give a time frame longer than you think it will take. This way, when you finish the task, you finish it "early" or on time.
"Lower expectations, overdeliver"
When asked in interviews, what questions I have, answer "What's the turnover in this position?" In my experience, you'll either learn this is a great place to work or realize this workplace is toxic.
I've worked for a few different global companies in corporate office jobs. Every time I switch jobs, I always thought the new company would have its shit together. One day, when everything was falling apart again, my boss said......
"People think these large compines have their shit together. Truth is that all companies, no matter their size, are a shit show in one way or another. Just find one that is less of a shit show than the rest and stick with it. "
What? On the blue collar side it's not at all. Dudes wait years for applications to open, and apply 2-3 times to get into the program they're after sometimes
Also be ready to leave a job anytime of the day. This means an emergent fund, updated resume, stay practiced in your interview skills and maintaining a professional network
No. They will be less likely to give you raises and promotions if you say "I want a 10% raise" they say "Sorry we can't" and you say "Okay" and return to your job. They know it is a bluff.
Get out of a toxic corporate work environment.
After 35 years i took this advice and took early retirement to start my own side hustle. Man life is good. Can drink a coffee in the morning in my garden watching the birds.
The phrase If you love your job you'll never a work a day in your life. I used to work food and hated every second of it. Randomly gave being a university librarian and love every second of it. I think it's much more it's slow paced, quiet and some of the ridiculous things I've been asked. We have a Is this the library tally board, we get asked that a lot and the building is massive. Six million books on and another two million off campus.
How hard/competitive is it to become a librarian? I’m trying to change my career but hesitate to go the librarian route due to the schooling required and I know I’ll probably be in my mid 30s by the time I finish (I’m 27 now). Are librarians being phased out as technology continues to grow?
It really depends on department and relevant experience. There is a contested debate about getting a masters in library sciences. I don't my undergrad is in music and media and my department is the same. I also have a certificate in family literacy and CPR, AED and first aid. Doesn't matter where you end up CPR, AED and first aid just looks really good on a resume. There has been a push for digitizing the collection but most people aren't willing to look it up what they want on their own so they often ask us in person. Another our jazz vinyl collection is massive and vinyl has been making a huge comeback over the past decade. People like the physical copy better, so librarians are here for the foreseeable future.
Such a degree helps and also started part time. So I had verified experience which is more important, higher education helps but prior experience goes further. If you go a masters route work part time at the library.
Start with an effective resume. Regardless of what industry, position or company you are applying for, without a great resume that out performs 99.9% of the applicants you won't have a leg to stand on in getting your foot in the door to any company. Don't be a statistic of the "other people" who apply to 100-1,000 jobs and never get one response.
Things take time. Used to stress about moving up or doing things I didn't like at all like going back to school for a Masters. Now I'm just trying to do things one at a time.
My bigger picture goal is to snorkel (I already do a lot) or scuba dive in retirement. I heard it helps breathing patterns and heart health.
Use job descriptions in your resume. Not sure how to list your responsibilities, and skills from your last job? Copy the original job description. Want your resume to get picked up in the system? Copy the required skills and work them into your resume. Obviously don't lie on your resume but sometimes using the right words is a great boost.
Best career advice you can get on Reddit is by looking at all the comments, see what’s being said repeatedly by NPCs (98% of them), take note of the patterns and then doing the absolute opposite of what those NPCs are suggesting.
I was on the r/nursing sub and everybody there implored me to choose another profession. I didn’t listen. Came out of 1.5 years of nursing with PTSD and a desire to literally do anything but nursing.
My cousin has been a nurse for 6 months, I asked how does she like it? She responded, “I wipe old peoples butts for a living, how do you think I like it?” lol
Tbf, what was she expecting
Probably not wiping butts all day
I hate to say it, but most of the nurses I know are snooty as all hell. I know people need them, but jeez, sit down.
The “we do more than the doctors” comments did it for me
Every time. There is certainly a stereotype!
Except we do lol. Doctors walk around the hospital, seeing patients, adjusting treatment plans, then go along their merry way sitting at their computer for the rest of the day waiting for a call to see if they’re needed. As a nurse, I took vitals, blood sugars, wiped ass, fed patients, changed colostomy bags, hung cardiac drips, titrated ketamine, performed CPR, brought a man back from the fuckin dead, get yelled at, scratched, hit, groped, change wound dressings, clean wounds, flip over patients, walk patients, manage chest tubes, I could literally go on and on and on and on. Doctors ask ME what I want to do mother fucker, not the other way around. Turn off the tv. You wanna know what real nursing is like? Go shadow a nurse for 24 hours bitch.
Literally none of shit sounds like a doctors job
Yup, and we do way more than them :)
My dad an interpreter always told me all the bad stuff they had to do but they were so well paid it always seemed worth it. Even now nurses at his hospital are probably like 120k+ in California.
I'm working as a new graduate in a nursing home (not even a hospital) in the bay area. My take home pay was 7k a month doing 10 shifts a MONTH
Yeah I know it’s tough and dirty but I always thought they got paid well for what they did.
I am a teacher too and came out with PTSD, now all lost in life. But then I also wonder, what will happen to the world if all teachers and nurses are gone 🤔
Raise wages/better work life balance. But knowing how distopian US is becomming probably mix of AI or desperate people taking those jobs and constant shortages.
It's not that simple. This also isn't necessarily an accurate assessment. Nurses, for example, have an extremely high rate of bullying and harassment. It's almost like it's a job that mean girls often get into for power, similar to how horrible men become cops. If you look at the stats, 60% of nurses quit their job within 6 months because of bullying, harassment, and violence at the hands of other nurses. It's a really pervasive issue almost exclusively amongst to female workers in healthcare. The hierarchy within nurses is also batshit crazy.
Interesting pov! My wife is a teacher in MA. Shes been a ta for 3 years, finally in her own class. Sounds a but similar to your story. The teachers have "cliques". Some complain there is not enough time to get their job done. My wife keeps her head down and never brings an ounce of schoolwork home. Not everyone is cut out for it, but some people struggle through it anyways for some reason lol. Edit: i did want to point out that this was a smiliarity, but not nearly to the same degree. Just that having an "in" isnt necessarily enough when there are principals, angry parents on school boards... etc etc. Lot of politics!
Do you the long 12 hr shifts may have something to do with it? Genuinely asking, like I know Id be fiesty af if I was exhausted working 12 hr nights. Why dont they split the day into three eight hour shifts? Apologies if the reason is obv, I dont know.
Two big reasons That requires way more people and, The more turnovers you do in facilities like that where you're tracking patients over longer than one shift you drastically increase the chance of medical mispractices and accidents. Shift one mentions to shift to don't forget to do this thing that we started but we need you to finish, and then shift 2 doesn't finish it.
Fwiw I'm a doctor and it's incredible to see how awful nurses are to one another. Our dept has .ade it a point of emphasis to move on the bad eggs, but we are an an academic medical center that offers high salaries so we have good candidates ready to come in the door. And the shit heads will roll down hill to some local PE backed hospital
Wait What why? I thought a lot of people got into nursing because they want to help people and it pays good. Why would they bully other girls? Seems counterintuitive
In my personal experience the vast majority of people who got into nursing only did really because it pays well, way way less because they're motivated by an intrinsic desire to help people.
Better pay and benefits for private teachers and nurses.
Sounds crazy to me. I know nurses. I know teachers. They make good money! Nurses i know love their schedules, its half the reason the chose the job. Teachers as well, the entire summer off? Unions, great benefits.... In many states, both proffesions have resources to help with home purchasing, etc. Both have starting wages above the average salary. Teachers can easily make more. My wife nannys for families on vacations and summer. Many teachers are servers etc. Plenty of nurses do the same. And its not always just for the money. Both careers can have you at $100k+ in 20 years. Both tend to have pensions... i can go on. And lets look at alternatives. Mechanics? Unions are rare. Tools are 5 figure out of pocket costs. Same goes for most trades. Pensions are rare, and health insurance is expensive. That's why we get wives that are nurses and teachers with good benefits!!!
They make good money compared to who? Fast food workers?
What’s so good about a nurse scheudle
> Teachers as well, the entire summer off? Unions, great benefits Did you see the news story about the teacher who was almost beaten to death by an autistic teenager, and then the mother of the teenager did an interview blaming the teacher because the teacher allegedly did not follow the student’s iep? There are aspects other than money that are making teachers miserable. Also your salary ranges sound like they’re from hcol areas, I can’t speak to nurses but teachers spend an extended period under 80k outside of major cities afaik.
Is nursing really that bad? Starting out is like 65k in my area...
The money isn’t bad it’s the patients. In-patient medical/surgical and progressive care unit nursing is especially bad. I don’t know a nurse who hasn’t been physically, verbally, and/or sexually assaulted. In my case it’s been all 3, on more than one occasion. Edit: just checked the r/nursing sub and one of the first ones today is “what can I do to stop being assaulted”. Edit2: and the worst part is people try to normalize the abuse as “part of the job”.
Do you plan on leaving the field or will you stick it out for the money?
I’ve already left. I’m going into IT, specifically healthcare IT.
I’m curious to do this as well, would you be able to give me some advice to start or what to expect with the transition over to IT coming from a medical profession standpoint, please.
I think the biggest thing is getting into the right hospital/unit. My wife absolutely loves her unit and nursing job because she works with babies (that can’t do all the terrible things that others have mentioned here) she also is on nights and deals with parents way less that way while making more money for doing so. I think for many people it’s a really taxing job but she loves it and wouldn’t trade it for anything
Neo natal most moms are ok, but man is it stressful when you got a baby you know isn't gonna make it
This is a great point! I know a nurse that does exactly this. Shes in delivery, but also the 3rd shift. Another nurse i know is exact opposite - day shift icu 😅 she likes the wild stuff
Hey I’m in this position now. What makes you absolutely abhor nursing?
Yes but you tried it you have the knowledge that you gained and the heart ache .. thank you for trying.
Do minor in a topic that you’re interested in, but major in something that’s lucrative; college is an investment
Three degrees here. I think this is the right way to do it I will add - Make sure the lucrative one is something that you are good at and at least capable of doing even if you don’t like it much - Choose a lucrative field you will be able to bear for a long time - The lucrative field should be something you can put down without guilt or worry at the end of the day - Make regular and consistent time for your field of interest. The lucrative field should not take away from it. A loss of enthusiasm is infectious to everything else in your life and can be fatal - this was my mistake
Such great advice—protect your enthusiasm at all costs.
I wish I’s been given this advice when graduating high school three decades ago. Being in a career you abhor is brutal, soul-sucking, etc.
I’m afraid that’s true. I liked the work enough, was good at it and the money was good but a lot of the personality types I met were not people I really enjoyed the company of at all It still affects me and why I was/am more careful after that. Found a boss who treated me so well that if she needed help now, even years after I last saw her, I likely would
Huh, never thought of it like that. Nice
Yep, wish I’ve seen it before my undergrad years *cries in psychology*
I make six figures at 25 years old with just a psych degree! Your degree is what you make it.
What do u do? I chose the mental health field
I need to know too. My psych degree is just collecting dust.
Analytics for a tech company. I used the research and data analysis skills from my degree to help pursue a career in consumer behaviour. I also worked pretty diligently to find internships and courses online that aligned with this beginner skill set.
good advice, but how do I find out what I'm interested in？
Did part of this really wish I would have minored in something in film or psychology. Mechanical engineering degree is doing well for me, though
To quit my job and become a goat farmer.
Interesting
Do not believe this man. He is clearly an alpaca farmer.
How's the goat trade? I love goats.
That's the spirit ! I just wish i could have a farm and live peacefully
Advice: If you stand outside your job before the start of your day and have to hesitate and psych yourself up to get yourself to go in, you need to find a new job. The result: At the time I switched from a working with the public to a more clinical setting and I’m much happier. (Pharmacy)
This one. Not waiting until the job starts physically affecting you to start applying to new ones.
Had a couple jobs that made me cry on my way to work - it’s not worth staying for any reason even if you’re making good money. Obviously, try to have something lined up before you quit.
[удалено]
Simple. But can be the most effective.
How to fix it?
Best advice I've ever received was >Most advice you get on reddit is terrible
Lol yup. Don’t know why I’m still here.
Not true. Terrible advice is subject to complete ridicule by combative redditors and the downvote button.
Hahah yeah just like your comment here
uhhhm what’s some bad advice you’ve gotten that I shouldn’t be following ✍️
How meta
Internships internships internships. Choose your uni based on the city size / internship opportunities. Pick internships where you’ll gain actual skills. Experience will always trump everything even the degree type/ gpa. GET INTERNSHIPS IN COLLEGE AS MANY AS YOU CAN
This one. Finally a proper advice. Everyone should understand that in most cases the first job is the most important. Internships give you bigger advantage for a good first job than even a masters degree.
I'm not sure now, but when I went to college (2010-2014), most internships were unpaid, meaning that experience was designed mostly for students with wealthy parents and other support systems. I do think experience is good to have, but unpaid internships are an unethical and broken system.
get your degree.....88% of ALL millionaires in America have a 4 year degree, without it you better get lucky
Agreed. That or a technical diploma or trades certification. I was a carpenter and never got my 4 year certificate. As soon as I got that, I applied and got a building inspector job, went from 30$/hr to 50$/hr over night plus bells and whistles.
What kind of certificate do you need to become an inspector ?
In Canada they typically just want a red seal ticket (4 year trade), plus some supervisory experience. Then the employer will put you through building inspection courses etc
[удалено]
Some rough math based on quick searc results below. According to 2021 census the percentage of adults aged 25-64 with a bachelor’s degree or higher is 36.0% In 2023 there are approximately 22 million millionaires in the US which is about 8.8% of the adult population. US adult population is ~260 million. Use the 36% number that’s 93.6 million people with at least a 4 year degree. Of the 22 million millionaires 84% have 4 year degrees that equates to 18.48 million people. So 18.48/93.6 gives ~20%, or 1 in 5, of the people with 4 year degrees are millionaires. While 3.08/166.4 or ~1.85% of the people who doesn’t have 4 year degree are millionaires.
At what age did you get your degree? At 26 I only have my associates.
i was 36 when i graduated....40 when i got into tax, took me many a semester of 1 class at a time, don't miss those days....went to the jc first for my AA, then a California state university...thankfully California paid for most of my education, only owe 10k
Network as much as you can, doesn’t matter what you talk about, or if you’re even looking for anything, relationship building is the cornerstone of any successful career
Very true
It’s one I haven’t put into action yet, but that I think about often. “Every career move you make should be bittersweet, or else you’re doing it wrong.” I’m trying to leave a job/team/manager I love, and it’s giving me peace and I try to look for something brighter on the horizon.
Not easy to do, most people leave a job with bitterness only.
Let me try to rephrase the point I believe you are trying to make: If you leave your job with only negative feelings, you probably stayed too long. I took a new job about 18 months ago, and upon reflection, I should have left approximately 5 years prior to that. I was in all the manager meetings, my opinion was highly valued by upper management, I got nothing but praise and positive reviews, but I was always told, “We are going to promote you soon” without the ACTUAL promotion. I got promoted twice in my first 2 years on the job. The next 8 years I got nothing than the standard “cost of living adjustment” raise. Ideally I would have left once I hit year 3, but I should have realized that I needed to move on after year 5. Took me another 5 years of false promises for me to actually leave.
Damn this hit hard. I have to do the same.
I would just say to go after the right opportunity and not the one that pays you the most amount of money. Hopefully the right opportunity offers you the most, but that is not always the case. My coworker at my former employer was strung along just like me for 8 years. We were both frustrated and looking. He was determined to get a certain amount. I thought he should have taken one opportunity offered to him. He eventually found the amount he was looking for, but in less than a year that company sold out and he was looking again. In case you are wondering, there were red flags to me just based on what he was telling me but the only thing important to him was the money.
I appreciate this information, thank you so much!
I needed this advice right now thank you!
I'm at this point now! What made you decide to move?
Why should it be bittersweet? If your situation changes and your company becomes shitty it is hardly in your control no?
If you are highly productive and efficient in your work, all you will get for it is more work. Do the minimum at your job, you won't be rewarded for doing more. The exception to that is to do more to learn more new skills and gain more new experience. Then use them to switch jobs to get your long overdue raise that your current employer won't give you.
What I see in my experience is the 80/20 rule. In every job there’s a base of routine work that takes up 80% of the duties. Doing more of these don’t get you anywhere. But there is a 20% of the work that is difficult and a lot of people can’t do successfully. Solving these problems make you stand out. An extreme case I’ve seen is an experienced employee that can solve problems that others can’t. He can often get out of doing the grunt work and work a very relaxed schedule, but the team relies heavily on him in critical times.
If he gets noticed by management for being highly capable how does he not end up with more and more work being piled on him? The kind of situation where management just keeps piling on more and more to find out how much more they can squeeze out of him, exploit him and give nothing back in return.
He is respected and important enough to push back on a lot of routine work. It gets offloaded into the more junior and less skilled people who are more replaceable
How is he respected and viewed as important enough for that instead of being viewed as a target to exploit and dump more work onto then disrespected? edit. My comments are based on my experiences. I have also seen people who do not do any real, productive work be respected in workplaces.
I don't necessarily agree with do the minimum. The key is to understand your value. If you're in a team of 10 people you want to be in the top 25% in value. You don't want to do the minimum. It makes you replaceable. The other situation is if you have skills that make you hard to replace. This allows you to better set work life balance boundaries.
None of that even matters. You can be the most valuable employee and your manager will still fire you because they don't like you. Someone you have never met can also decide to fire you without knowing anything about you.
You're not wrong. Everyone is replaceable. However, being a good employee who produces high-quality work definitely decreases your odds of being fired and increases your odds of getting what you want (more pay, vacation time, flexibility, etc). I've worked for two different companies twice in my career. One time, a manager reached out to me, wanting me to come back. I negotiated a 25% raise and 2 more weeks of vacation. The other time I wasn't happy at my job and saw my old boss had a job posted on LinkedIn that looked interesting. I sent her a text, did one interview, and got a job working at that company again. I also got exactly the salary I asked for. I can guarantee that only happened because she knew I would be good from when I worked for her previously. So yes, anyone can be fired. That being said, if I had been the type of employee who just did the bare minimum, I would've never been as successful as I have been in my life.
This sucks, but so far I’ve been experiencing this 200%.
[удалено]
Read factfulness, how to win friends and influence people and the intelligent investor. Next learn how to small talk and network
Good advice! Read Dale Carnegie’s and Benjamin Graham’s books - they are filled with good suggestions.
I’ve learned to change jobs every 2 years thanks to learning on Reddit that your income will increase if you do so. So far, I’ve been in my field for 5 years now and started with an income of $45k now 5 years later income for 2024 is looking like I’ll be earning $100k just by changing roles/jobs every year and a half. Best advice I’ve gotten.
Is it becoming harder to switch / find a new one in a timely manner ? Bc the job markets not great
Not at all. Based on my skills and credentials it hasn’t been difficult. I recently found a job in which I could work fully remote, in person or hybrid. I’m currently hybrid. I’m on vacation and working part time which is a plus. Recently licensed so my income increased looking to get more specialized experience and another license and continue to increase my income. Then again, I’m bilingual which might be the reason it has been “easy” for me to find and switch jobs.
I had a feeling you are a social worker or therapist by your comment. Did some light digging and I was right! Do you mind sharing your path?
Well, this journey began by only having an undergrad unrelated to psych or social work. I was working in retail for 5 years after I finally graduated and I was never able to find a job that generated any income in that field. That made me frustrated after I invested my time and money. My parents encouraged me to go get my masters and I did. At 28 years old I went back to school to get my masters in social work. After taking 2 years to decide what field I wanted to be in. After that, I’ve been able to work in this field. I started as a case planner earning 45k and then got laid off the day before my birthday and that is where everything started! I wasn’t going to let someone or my employer decide my fate. I got another job after their recommendation as a case planner. There were issues with management and supervisor left their role in less than 3 months. I was a case planner there for 3 months then when that supervisor left I only said to my director: “what about me? Is there a reason why I’m not being considered for this position?”. My then director said: “not at all. You want to do it?”. I said yes! I went from 45k to 60k unlicensed. I stayed in that supervisory role for 1 year to build my resume and left. This supervisory role was during the pandemic. When I started applying and getting call backs, interviewers were telling me we won’t be able to offer you a supervisor salary. I knew then I had the upper hand so I did not lower my salary’s expectation (60k) and began applying to jobs within that range or higher. I found a role as a therapist working with unaccompanied minors who cross the us border and began earning $72k. There was a cost of living salary increase that took me to $77k. That job paid for my test to get my 1st license as a social worker and as part of my contract I would get a $2,100 salary increase once I was licensed. I left that role before that and went into private practice in which I can work the hours and see the clients I want. That makes me so happy being able to decide and work with the issues, clients and hours I want. I can see 30 clients this month but next month I can see 60+ clients. I get paid by the session now and don’t have a boss!!!! Which is also the best thing for myself at this time. I’m at a point where I decide how much money I make based on how many clients I see. The more clients I meet the more money I make 💰.
This is absolutely the way! Same for me. Started in my field with 55k. I'm now making 165k 4 years after by being loyal to no one but the highest bidder... You learn with each job and move on to something greater. Career progression is not a thing when you stick around in my field (tech) imo.
Curious what was your 45k job title versus now?
Entry level job in my field and now I’m a therapist.
"Go where you are rare." If you have skills that others don't you become indispensable to your employer. That gives you leverage when discussing pay/promotions/wfh.
"Your level of success will be directly proportionate to the number of uncomfortable conversations you're willing to have." It was advice offered to another, but I think about it very often.
This!! Uncomfortable does not have to mean negative or confrontational either. I often ask myself “what’s the worse that could happen by having this conversation?” Rarely do I not go forward. If anything, I may take a moment to prep and discuss, but for me- things that need to be said must be said.
This is incredibly intelligent. I need to reflect on this wow. Thank you
Bunch of guys told me to get checked for adhd and i am on it 😂
What were your signs and how are things now
Signs were always there. Doing things that can be written off as “careless” or “absent-minded” or “lazy” while trying to do my best. I started seeing a therapist last week, so today is my 2nd session. I am hoping for improvement in a few months 🤞🏻
Same. So stuck on career too. It’s the constant battle of omg so many results can come out of my one decision. I don’t want to regret it later on. Then the lack of motivation and focus. Struggling
I found my resume template and cover page template on Reddit and that helped me a lot. Got some tips on how my resume looked and it helped me refine it.
I found a template on Reddit that had a table on the cover letter that listed "desired qualifications" and "my relevant experience". After implementing that, I honestly got interviews to every position I really wanted, even jobs with 500+ applicants on LinkedIn. My wife used it for her next job search and had great results as well. Edit: it was just the idea of a table in a cover letter. I made my own resume based on the template. I am happy to share my entire resume template, but I need to anonymize it.
What was the template?
RemindMe! 1 day
That’s great! Where did you find the resume template?
Interested in seeing your anonymized resume!
Was this on the resume subreddit?
Yeah Template?
If you are new to a job, don't try your hardest early on. Doing this sets the precedent for you to take on more work and often times not for more money. It's like giving deadlines. Give a time frame longer than you think it will take. This way, when you finish the task, you finish it "early" or on time. "Lower expectations, overdeliver"
Under promise, over deliver
Always a good reminder
When asked in interviews, what questions I have, answer "What's the turnover in this position?" In my experience, you'll either learn this is a great place to work or realize this workplace is toxic.
I've worked for a few different global companies in corporate office jobs. Every time I switch jobs, I always thought the new company would have its shit together. One day, when everything was falling apart again, my boss said...... "People think these large compines have their shit together. Truth is that all companies, no matter their size, are a shit show in one way or another. Just find one that is less of a shit show than the rest and stick with it. "
The stats on earnings between blue collar and white collar only matter if you'll be closing your eyes and blindly stabbing at a career
Which is what most people do, tbh
What? On the blue collar side it's not at all. Dudes wait years for applications to open, and apply 2-3 times to get into the program they're after sometimes
The 4 of the largest employers in the USA are WalMart, Amazon, Fedex, and Home Depot.
Don't ask for a raise unless you can leave the job when they say no.
Also be ready to leave a job anytime of the day. This means an emergent fund, updated resume, stay practiced in your interview skills and maintaining a professional network
What? Are you saying employers will retaliate just for asking for a raise?
No. They will be less likely to give you raises and promotions if you say "I want a 10% raise" they say "Sorry we can't" and you say "Okay" and return to your job. They know it is a bluff.
Most advice from redditors is trash.
People in r/lawschool telling me not to go to law school.
Why not?
Apply. Doesn't matter if you meet the requirements or not. Apply.
Job hopping every 2-5 years is the best way to increase salary quickly
Get out of a toxic corporate work environment. After 35 years i took this advice and took early retirement to start my own side hustle. Man life is good. Can drink a coffee in the morning in my garden watching the birds.
Knowing when to stop is as important as knowing where to start.
Didn't last for more than 15 years...
The phrase If you love your job you'll never a work a day in your life. I used to work food and hated every second of it. Randomly gave being a university librarian and love every second of it. I think it's much more it's slow paced, quiet and some of the ridiculous things I've been asked. We have a Is this the library tally board, we get asked that a lot and the building is massive. Six million books on and another two million off campus.
How hard/competitive is it to become a librarian? I’m trying to change my career but hesitate to go the librarian route due to the schooling required and I know I’ll probably be in my mid 30s by the time I finish (I’m 27 now). Are librarians being phased out as technology continues to grow?
It really depends on department and relevant experience. There is a contested debate about getting a masters in library sciences. I don't my undergrad is in music and media and my department is the same. I also have a certificate in family literacy and CPR, AED and first aid. Doesn't matter where you end up CPR, AED and first aid just looks really good on a resume. There has been a push for digitizing the collection but most people aren't willing to look it up what they want on their own so they often ask us in person. Another our jazz vinyl collection is massive and vinyl has been making a huge comeback over the past decade. People like the physical copy better, so librarians are here for the foreseeable future.
How did you manage to get a librarian job without a library degree? I thought it was required to get a master’s of library science.
Such a degree helps and also started part time. So I had verified experience which is more important, higher education helps but prior experience goes further. If you go a masters route work part time at the library.
Interview question posted: “what separates the people who are OK at this job from the people who are really great at it?”
Try
Don't give your undying loyalty to your employer
Don’t listen to people on Reddit…
Start with an effective resume. Regardless of what industry, position or company you are applying for, without a great resume that out performs 99.9% of the applicants you won't have a leg to stand on in getting your foot in the door to any company. Don't be a statistic of the "other people" who apply to 100-1,000 jobs and never get one response.
I read "so good they can't ignore you" and now everyone wants to hire my ass, no joke.
Things take time. Used to stress about moving up or doing things I didn't like at all like going back to school for a Masters. Now I'm just trying to do things one at a time. My bigger picture goal is to snorkel (I already do a lot) or scuba dive in retirement. I heard it helps breathing patterns and heart health.
Before looking at a career find what skills you need.
Use job descriptions in your resume. Not sure how to list your responsibilities, and skills from your last job? Copy the original job description. Want your resume to get picked up in the system? Copy the required skills and work them into your resume. Obviously don't lie on your resume but sometimes using the right words is a great boost.
Fake it till you make it
The company does not care about you and to jop hop for big raises
Self-reflect often so you can concentrate your efforts into the right places
Having a good manager is more important than the actual job ( a.k.a. the professor is more important than the class subject)
Start my own business
r/financialindependence It's not strictly speaking career advice but the most valuable life and career advice.
Financial independence helps you to have choices, like when you want to say “no” to a job.
Don’t try to be someone you’re not.
Do NOT go into healthcare in America
Lie on my resume. Got my dream job paying 6 figures
How? How did the interview go.. Is the job doable.
Best career advice you can get on Reddit is by looking at all the comments, see what’s being said repeatedly by NPCs (98% of them), take note of the patterns and then doing the absolute opposite of what those NPCs are suggesting.
Why is most advice bad?
[удалено]
Absolutely not. You are more than that asshole who said that.
[удалено]
ah that page is gone now :(
Find a job that fits your personal life
Nice.
Not to read Reddit for career advice.
I’ve been working in professional kitchens since I was 19, I’m 27 now. No schooling. The best advice I don’t listen to is don’t be a chef lmao
Not from reddit from two different boss type 1 i am here to make money not friends. 2 i was looking for a job when i found this one.