Many graduates spend years earning degrees only to struggle to find employment, while some self taught individuals land high paying jobs through skills and experience alone.

In today's world, what matters more: a university degree, practical skills, or networking? If you were advising a student today, what path would you recommend?

Hey everyone. I’m in college right now, at a good school, on a path to become a lawyer. I’ve never fully had my heart in it but I’d always known I was far too bad at mathematics or sciences to pursue anything containing those fields. Lately, I’ve realized that I really value career paths where coworkers bond and connect deeply, things like emergency rooms or food service or military work jobs, but I don’t want to be a line cook for the rest of my life, nor do I think I have the brains, bravery, or dedication to be a doctor.

What do you guys think I should do? Is it worth not pursing this vibe because I just am not sure what could possibly be similar? Am I bound to doing something I’m not satisfied or pleased with, because I know lawyers, especially corporate or contracts, don’t do much bonding, rather they spend most their time with long pieces of writing.

Bit of an odd situation and hoping for some outside perspective.

I'll have my CS degree in hand soon (T150 public university). One semester of credits left. Not very motivated on the software side anymore; the last few years of school have felt like a drag and I have no interest in going the dev route. On paper I have 5+ years as a technical support specialist, but it's in a niche corner of the industry (game server hosting support) that doesn't translate directly to corporate IT.

I'm currently doing an IT co-op where I've been given a lot of freedom. More sysadmin-level exposure than I think is typical for a co-op. Examples: packaging/deploying a laptop OEM's firmware and driver auto-update tooling through Intune, deploying an emulator application fleet-wide for a business need, and writing PowerShell remediation scripts to make sure machines properly check in and report to our Tenable vulnerability scanner. Also general Intune app deployment, AD/Entra ID/Okta identity work, and ServiceNow ticketing. Goal is a systems administrator role. Resume included for context.

Worth mentioning: this isn't a typical co-op with a set end date, and the overall vibe on return offers doesn't feel that promising. The last 3 co-ops before me never got a return offer , 2 left for other companies, and 1 only ended up staying by getting picked up by a different department. My manager and the team genuinely seem to like me and my work, but based on that history the odds don't feel great, and I can't help but wonder if it's a budget/HR thing where interns get treated as a rotating cycle of cheap labor rather than a pipeline to full-time. That said, my manager has been genuinely supportive and has made clear I can stay as long as I need until I land a full-time role. So even with the return-offer uncertainty, there's no immediate pressure to rush out the door. I really like my manager and the team, and I'd take a return offer in a heartbeat even if the salary came in lower than what I could get elsewhere.

Right now I'm studying for AB-900, then MD-102 next since it lines up with my daily Intune work.

I've also got two interviews lined up and could use outside perspective on how they fit my path:

1. IT Support Specialist at a smaller company in a unique industry (satellite/space-based connectivity). More entry-level. Helpdesk tickets, onboarding, workstation deployment, basic network troubleshooting. 1 year helpdesk experience required, Network+/Linux+ as bonus points, no hard degree requirement.
2. Jr. Systems Engineer at a national MSP. More senior scope. Level 2 escalations across client environments, M365/Entra ID/Exchange Online admin, Windows Server/AD/DNS/DHCP/GPO, network troubleshooting, RMM/PSA platforms, some on-call. Requires 3+ years experience and at least 3 of: Network+, Security+, MD-102, AZ-900, or SC-300 (or equivalent experience + cert commitment within 6 months).

Given where I'm at, which would you prioritize if I get offers from both? And anything you'd change about my cert sequencing or overall approach given these are the roles I'm actually interviewing for right now?

Also, even if I manage to convert one of these into a full-time offer, should I just prioritize finishing my degree first, or is it reasonable to take the job and finish the semester alongside it or even put school on pause?

I dont know what to do. I want to have a high income job and i dont mind working or studying for a long time for it unless im working at the same time. My intrests are psychology (top of the ladder since im doing it right now and is also conviently a high income career path), interior designing, science and real estate.Something to do with those im fine with doing. It seems as if im starting to be intrested in marketing or entrepreneurship. So what now? What can help me be atleast sure of where im going next

Please help. I am a 17F and not able to figure out what to do after 12th. I have taken pcm but I don't think I can persue it further because I'll always be average in it as I'm not good at studies now. I don't think I want to do engineering. I have thought of designing but I think I should explore for fields.

I currently work full time for a retail company, I’ve been there for 5 months now it’s an okay company nothing amazing but it pays fine. My only issue with it is that one they are a dying company and they require us to get membership from people. It’s to the point there they will write you up if you can’t meet a goal but the membership is bullshit, and we don’t get anything for pushing it. Other then than the jobs fine……. With that being said I got an interview at a new retail company but upon the interview I was told that the position I’m applying for (assistant manager) only pays minimum wage and the I have to earn the rest on commissions supposedly I get a percentage of the store and about 4% commission on the sales I make too which the person interviewed told me I could make up too $1,200 during there busy season. One thing I noticed was that they always have up too 5-6 people working at a time and I’m not sure if I’m comfortable fighting for customers to make up the rest of my paycheck since minimum wage is 16.50……well they called me back 3 times and left 2 voicemails and sent me an email about the position and if I’m still interested…..I guess im hesitant on taking it because of the idea that I will be stressed having to be extremely pushy to make my personal sales goal if not I’ll get paid less, as to where at my current position I get about 20 an hour and that’s a guarantee. But I still deal with memberships and the possibility of the company not being around for long. I just need help on deciding what to do, should I stay at my current employer and keep looking or should I go with this new one that pays minimum wage for an assistant manager position and have to worry about commissions.

Also forgot to say with the company I interviewed with has weekly pay. there slow season is a big majority of the year the busy season where I’d see paycheck like 1,200 would be during Christmas or tax season. So I assume I’d make like 500 a week during the slow time or less

Hi guys!

I need help making a decision about grad school. I was accepted into Boston University's online M.S. in Criminal Justice program, as well as Northeastern University's online M.S. in Criminology & Criminal Justice program (with a concentration in Cybersecurity). I have been doing research on both schools and these two programs but keep getting very mixed reviews.... My goal career wise is to go into law enforcement or a gov agency, I am more intrigued with things such as criminal profiling than I am in leadership or admin roles.

I am stuck deciding between these 2 schools because I don't want my money to go to waste on a program that isn't "reputable" once I graduate and go into the workforce. I want future employers to look at the school I graduated from and be impressed from the school alone, in addition to my academic achievements. I have asked around and keep getting mixed reviews on both schools. I asked a few friends that I know that attended one of the two uni's and they shared their experiences. On one hand, I was told that BU's M.S. program is tailored more towards admin and leadership roles but that it is globally known and reputable/ impressive. On the other hand, I was told that Northeastern's courses are more so tailored to reflect what will be asked of me in the actual workforce, and actually give you better opportunities work wise in law/ government, but its not as well known as BU and its "up and coming." On some other Reddit posts, people were comparing Northeastern to a "temu version of Boston"... I am not sure how to feel about this as I do not want to go to a school that is deemed this way, especially after going to a pretty good top university for my undergrad. I want to attend a Uni that looks impressive to people, and in general, and not attend a "bootleg" version or a low tier university where people may say "they couldn't get into Boston so they had to settle for Northeastern". I know this is weird thing to say and people may not understand exactly what I am trying to say, but for me the University being an impressive and reputable university is important to me. In addition to this, I did manage to speak to 3 individuals who are in the line of work I am looking for and they did state that the employers at these organizations do take into account what type of university you attended, so it is a good thing that I want to impress my employers with this process. If anyone could share their thoughts or if they have experience with these two Uni's please let me know.

I'm confused between this 4

Cyber security

AI

Data science

Creative computing

Pls tell me about the job scopes and salary

I have a golden opportunity to study any major I want for free. This includes dentistry, medicine, physical therapy essentially any field you can think of. I however have always seen myself studying computer science, throughout high my favorite subject was always mathematics and I've really enjoyed programming, even though my experience has only been at a basic level. Even though I have only ever seen myself going into cs/computer engineering I am starting to question my decision given Ai and it's affects on the market as well as the opportunity to become a dentist for basically free. Even though I've always seen myself in computer science or computer engineering, I'm now torn between following the field I've been passionate about for years and choosing a career that may offer more stability. I'd really appreciate any advice from people who have faced a similar decision or have experience in either field.

I’m currently working as a cabin crew and I really enjoy the job but I don’t want to stop learning. Because of my schedule I need something flexible that I can study while working preferably something that leads to a recognized university degree or a certificate that will actually help me later if I decide to change careers or move into management or another industry.
Has anyone been in a similar situation What did you study Was it worth it and what would you recommend if you could start over

I've been in operations (specifically FinTech) for 15 years across a variety of roles and am looking to find a senior operational management / head of operations role in the UK - specially London.

My worry is I have little technical skills. I can't code for example. All of my working career has been spent solving or managing people solving problems in customer service, onboarding, logistics and operations in general. Because of this, I never think I deserve a well paying job role but I'm sure that's just imposter syndrome.

On top of that, the market seems horrific at the moment. Has anyone else in operations found decent well paying operational roles?

Hi all, so as the title goes, I'm a Physician who completed an Internal Medicine residency and worked 2 years.

I unfortunately have big loans, 370k and Its calculated to be 2 thousand ish .. I mean I can work multiple part time Physician jobs without a big full time job to avoid burn out to cover my loans and my living expenses...

But I don't know what else to do. I really don't like my job, and I'm dealing with pretty bad depression and anxiety. I do see a Psychiatrist and a therapist that are trying to manage the depression.

I just don't have a passion for practicing the 9-5 pm medicine job and I'm sick of it. I want to have an easy life and just an easy job and easy schedule.

I want to do something I love. I just have no idea where to start...

I love mathematics, I like biology/science, but I don't know what exactly to do. Please can someone help?

I’m trying to figure out what careers I’m naturally suited for. Based on the profile below, tell me:
What jobs I would likely excel at.
What jobs I should avoid.
My strengths and weaknesses.
Careers that fit my personality, not just my resume.
Careers with long-term growth and good pay.
About me:
I have a degree in Fashion and Applied Arts.
I’m an exhibiting fine artist and enjoy creating meaningful artwork.
I’ve worked in hospitality for several years and currently manage a front desk team.
I also have experience in hotel sales, customer service, operations, and running my own Etsy business.
I enjoy writing reflective essays and artist statements.
I’m organized, calm under pressure, empathetic, and good at solving problems.
I like strategy, creativity, psychology, and understanding people.
I don’t enjoy aggressive sales or repetitive work.
I’m looking for work that combines creativity, communication, organization, and meaningful impact.
Please be brutally honest. Don’t just recommend jobs because they’re on my resume—recommend careers where my natural strengths would make me thrive. Rank your top 15 recommendations and explain why each fits me.

So I’m (F48) am 50 soon and have realised I am leaving it late in life to find a job that is a vocation.
I have no idea what I would want to do and money or training was no object!
Currently work in a office with a good work life balance, I like the work and people and it’s a short commute but I feel like I am missing out, but I don’t know what on?
Is this standard midlife crisis’ territory?
Based in the uk.
No decent qualifications, no degree etc.

I have enrolled in the digital marketing course of Boston institute of analytics when I know about marketing but because of fees hesitating but when my hsc exam end I need to do something big for my family and start earning early as possible so when the councellor of bia call start manipulating me that u will earn your fees amount in 3 to 4 month our minimum pakage of salary will be 5 lpa so I think I can make good amount for my family so insist my parents for payment of the fees and they paid

But the thing is different no practical are there

And I have enrolled for digital marketing masters means 6 month of on job training are in it

When the course over they are giving me project not any real that I can gain and implement in the job

Now fell like a wasted my parents money I fell literally demotivated because every where u apply they want experience

What to do now please help ?

Sorry for my English

I had two jobs: one as a video editor and the other as a manager and administrator for several YouTube channels. I’ve been doing this for the past 8 years. Unfortunately, this last job as a manager—which was my main source of income—no longer exists. I’d like to use this free time I now have to find something new. I don’t live in the United States, so my only option for getting a decent job is to work remotely. I have experience as a video editor, but I’m not interested in the current market. I no longer want to edit TikTok Reels or YouTube videos. I think I’ve just grown tired of the world of content creation. I used to be interested in programming, but with all the changes in AI, I see that the market is complicated. Plus, one of the things I liked most about programming—thinking and solving problems with code—seems to be the most affected. I don’t find it fun to be an AI supervisor. I also like math to a certain extent, and I’m very organized and detail-oriented. Anyway, I’ve been looking for options and doing research for months, and nothing has really convinced me yet. Do you have any suggestions?

I’m looking for some advice because I’m really torn.

I’m currently making $27/hr, 40 hours a week, plus $140 weekly per diem. My take-home pay is about $1100-1200 a week, and my monthly bills are around $2,700 to $3,000.
I have an opportunity to take a city equipment operator job that pays $20-30 a hour, has a pension, good benefits, and I’d be home every night.
My current job is as a foreman, very niche, physically demanding, disorganized, dangerous and they send me out of state for every week for a 3 and a half days or across the United States for several weeks (3 weeks). If I don’t go, I’d be off work without pay for a few weeks.
I also have a newborn daughter, so being home with my family is a big factor.
If the new job offered me around $25-30, would you take it for the long-term stability and pension, or stay where the pay is currently a little better and “promises” of pay raises?

hello, i have been asked to do the revolut test as part of the interview process via Criteria. it should last 20 minutes and i have 24 hours to do that.

do any of you have an idea of how is structured? any tips?

Hi to all,

So, I really appreciate this community of helping one another with career guidance.

Well, I'm an IT graduate from Asia with 4+ years of freelancing experience working with clients globally, primarily in the US market, offering different services that I really enjoyed, like the whole sales process of converting and closing.

Now, I'll be moving abroad, maybe the US or Europe, for further studies, so I needed to select a career option which can best suited and offers stability and good job market even for entry-level.

With Tech sales, I do enjoy learning about and I've seen content and interacted with a few tech-sales people and they surely say that the job is good and rewarding but stability is a concern like, one month you had the best closing and the next month you've rough patch, and there you go fired. So, the sense of job security in tech sales is always lacking. Is it really like that? can this career path be good for a long period of time or it's always stressful?

With cybersecurity, I see the potential and demand growing but at the same time, the entry-level space is filled with tons of certs, yrs of experience, and people with experience unable to land a job role too. So, in terms of stability, cyber can be better, but the barrier to entry- certs + experience is what a major hurdle.

With my background or future plans, what would you suggest the most and put some light on both of these career paths? Would love to know more guidance.

Thank you!

Currently I am just a a button pusher at a CNC factory. I wanted to get in to robotic, so I got a degree in robotics, mechatronics and automation. I want to find a new job that utilizes my skills but all the jobs I can find are 12 hour night shift for maintenance technician. I don't know if i can do those hours, but I like taking things apart and putting them together. What if there is some other job out there that would be a good fit for me? or should I go back to school to become an engineer or a programmer but after all that I will be back in the same bout of not know what job to look for. Not matter what path I take it will take a lot of time and effort. Have any advice for someone who likes machines, electrical, and programing how to find a job with no experience?

I just graduated from high school, but I don't even know what to do rn, I mean I don't wanna go to college, cuz u know its too expensive, (im in the USA) so I wanna go to a trade school, but idk what careers, can anybody help me, like what careers are there, or personal experiences please

Im 24 M, ive been in the field for 3 months. I am in Resi and ive learned very quickly. Im not in love with resi install its too repetitive. I love service but i want to make the most of this career. By 35/40 i want to be out of the physical work and more mental work. What should i focus on. Should i start applying to industrial while im new to the career?