Last Tuesday my vice president called me into a meeting to announce that I was being elevated to "Senior Team Lead." He went on and on about how much they value my leadership and presented me with a list of four direct reports I would be managing starting next month.

When I asked what the adjusted salary band for this new title looked like, he chuckled and said compensation reviews were frozen until Q4, but this would look "phenominal for my internal resume." I politely smiled and told him that while I appreciated the gesture, I would decline the title change and stick to my current individual contributor duties until budget opened up.

you would have thought I set the building on fire. He turned red, went dead silent, and told me that turning down added responsibility shows a "disturbing lack of ambition and loyalty."

Since then HR has scheduled two separate meetings to talk about my "team alignment," and my manager is giving me the cold shoulder. Am I actually ruining my reputation here, or is management completely out of line?

Ive taken a job offer in Papua New Guinnea. Its not going to be easy considering everything ive read about the country. Im actually looking forward to it but would like to know if you guys feel if its a bit extreme doing it for so long? Ive just turned 35 in Sept. No kids.

Looking for outside perspective on a decision I'm weighing.

Current situation: I live in a small town and my office is 5 minutes from my house. I make $134K base plus a 10% bonus. The job is relatively low stress and the commute basically doesn't exist. Honestly I've gotten comfortable, but I'm not growing much anymore.

New opportunity: $175K base plus a 15% bonus. It's hybrid, 2 days a week in a downtown Chicago office. My commute options on those two days:

1. Drive straight in, about 1.5 hours each way (and that's on a good day)
2. Drive 45 minutes to the train, then an hour on the train

The company is flexible on hours and leave, so I'm thinking the train could be usable time. Knock out email, catch up on work, or just decompress with a book or podcast. and get credit at work so that it is considered a "working hour"

leave home at 5:40am hop on train @ 6:30 arrive at 7:30 work and leave at 3 get to the station at 4 and drive 45 min home. so be home right at 5PM. on the days I am going into the office.

On paper it's roughly $40K+ more in total comp for maybe 6 to 7 hours of commuting a week.

Appreciate any thoughts insight or suggestions.

I’m a TPM at a mid-sized tech company in the greater Seattle area. I’ve been here for almost 3 years and, objectively, I have a pretty great setup.

I make around $200K total comp, work from home, travel maybe 20% of the year, have genuinely good work-life balance, and I’m on a solid growth trajectory internally.

Lately, though, I’ve started getting recruiters/interview opportunities from FAANG/MANGOS-type companies.

Obviously, the potential upside is significant. I could probably make substantially more money, work on bigger-name products, and having one of those companies on my resume could open even more doors down the road.

But I’m struggling with whether I actually want that.

My wife already works at one of these companies and deals with a shit ton of stress. Long days, constant pressure, work bleeding into personal time, etc. If we both end up in demanding jobs like that, I worry that we’ll make a ton of money but barely have time or energy for each other.

The weird part is that I don’t really want to leave my current job.

But there’s this nagging feeling that I should. Like I’m being complacent or wasting my earning potential if I have the opportunity to make significantly more money and choose not to.

At the same time, $200K with WFH, good WLB, manageable travel, and career growth feels pretty damn hard to walk away from.

For people who’ve been in a similar situation: Did you choose the higher-paying/high-stress job or stay with the comfortable job? Looking back, are you happy with that decision?

At what point does maximizing compensation stop being worth optimizing your life around?

Growing up, people always told me I had a lot of potential and could do something big with my life. Now I am older and I honestly feel like I have done very little with it. A big part of it is fear. Fear of failing, taking risks, putting myself out there and making the next move. Looking back, there were so many moments where I could have moved forward but chose the safer option instead. I am curious what life looks like for people who were considered gifted or full of potential as kids but now feel like they fell behind. What do you do now? Do you regret not taking more chances? Do people around you treat you differently or make you feel like you wasted your potential? And do you still think you can turn things around?

Around 3.5 years ago, I was the first intern at a biotech company in my area. After working a full-time role the past 3 years (and honestly growing up), I’ve realized how lazy and immature I was as an intern. I had a great friendly relationship with my coworkers, but I mostly just did bare minimum of what was expected of me, showed up late occasionally, did work incorrectly or later, and I never finished a final project because I spent way too much time dwelling on it instead of communicating that I didn’t fully understand what was being asked of me. Looking back, I should’ve asked more questions, communicated better, and put a lot more effort into the role.

Now that I’m older and actually disciplined, I realize how disrespectful some of that was, especially since everyone there was really nice and it was such a generous opportunity.

One of my former coworkers still lives in the area, and I’ve thought about reaching out to apologize for how poorly I handled the internship. I’d also genuinely like to catch up with her, but I’d completely understand if she didn’t want to. Would it be weird or inappropriate to reach out after 3.5 years and apologize? Or is this something I should just acknowledge to myself, learn from, and leave alone?

I’m trying to figure out what careers would fit the things I naturally enjoy and am good at.
I love investigating, researching, and solving things. I like having a challenge or a question I need to find the answer to. Give me a person, company, situation, or mystery and I can easily go down a rabbit hole looking through social media, public records, lawsuits, business records, reviews, old websites, and whatever else might lead me somewhere.
I’m good at noticing small details, making connections, verifying information, and putting pieces together that might not seem related at first.
I definitely prefer problem solving over math or working with numbers. I also don’t want a career that involves being on the phone all day or constantly dealing with people. I’d rather work independently and have something specific I’m trying to figure out.
I also don’t think I’d enjoy just sifting through hundreds of pages of documents every day. I like researching when there’s actually something to uncover or solve.
Being able to work remotely eventually would be a huge plus, although I’m open to starting out in person.
What careers would you suggest for someone like this? I’m especially interested in jobs I might not even know exist.

Thank you!

I've been wondering about this alot lately lol

If you work at a desk 8-10 hours a day, how do you actually deal with your lower back getting stiff or uncomfortable?

I feel like I always hear the same stuff... better chair, better posture, stretching, stand up every hour, work out, etc.

But realistically, what actually helped you during the workday?

And is anyone else struggling with actually sticking to these things? Like you know you should get up and move but then you're busy and suddenly 3 hours went by 💀

Curious what you guys actually do, not just what you're supposed to do.

What are some possible jobs/careers ideas for introverts, or some chill, maybe not so people facing jobs?

After 25 years in IT, I’ve worked across various roles, most of them technical and hands-on.
I’m currently on a somewhat forced sabbatical, and it has given me a lot of time to think about what I want to do next.
Looking back, I realize I’ve often chosen roles fairly cautiously—positions where I knew I could perform well, rather than roles that would really stretch me or push me outside my comfort zone.
Now, with perhaps 10 years or so left in my career, I’m seriously considering taking on something much more challenging. Something that would force me to learn, adapt, and test my limits.
The question I keep asking myself is: Can I still reinvent myself and take on a role that genuinely challenges me at this stage of my career?
Would love to hear from people who have made a significant career shift or taken on something completely outside their comfort zone later in their careers. How did it work out for you?

(16F) I really have a huge interest in being a science researcher like conducting experiments,plans and designs them ,you get the jist. I, hereby ask you as a community to know what I need to do to get into space research as that is what I'm most interested in, what course do I need to study?, what subjects do I need to do (what science subjects biology/physics/chemistry) and is this a job in demand ? Will this be taken over by AI?

Title. TLDR below.

I dislike software engineering. I don’t like the stand-ups, the constant learning, my growing reliance on AI, the bugs, etc.

To keep it simple, I just want a job that I’m proficient at and well-respected for. I don’t have the time to get good at programming. I feel like I’m working at a sweatshop. Just churning through tasks and producing sloppy stupid AI-written code no matter what. I don’t have the opportunity to pause, learn, or wait. I have to study during weekends.

I’m exhausted. Maybe it’s the company. Maybe it’s consultancy as a whole. But whatever it is, I just want out. I want to be good at something again.

I can’t get another job, software engineering or otherwise. I liked maths in school, so I thought I could pivot towards that, and I’ve applied, applied and applied, to both maths and software engineering, but I can barely get an interview. And when I do, I bomb the interview because I was suppose to grind LeetCode constantly as prep. I’ve done 150 questions, likely more. How many CV variations do I need? How many cover letters do I have to write?

The most devastating thing is that all career advice feels vague and amorphous. It’s not as simple as something like financial advice or taxes are. It’s wishy-washy, cloudy witchcraft. There’s no magic bullet. I feel like I’m letting everyone (co-workers included) down if I leave my current role. Or really, even if I stay, as I’m disappointing them now too with my work.

TLDR; I just don’t have the energy anymore. Is there anything I can do? Any sites or companies to help figure out a pivot or direction? In particular, websites with clear actionable advice? CV writing? Role direction? I just wish things were easier.

I'm planning to start uni next year when i'm 25. Unfortunately, the past 6 years are pretty much a write off socially / work history wise (other than working at my dad's convenience store) and so i'm literally no different to when i was 18 and it is permanently on my mind. I want to make use of my time from now on, but it feels more difficult than had i just went at 18-20.

I have to let go of the idea of working entry level in the city in my early 20s, instead i'll be late 20s / early 30s and i dread the feeling. I know it probably isn't as bad as i'm thinking but i'd love hear from people who've done something similar - i.e a delayed timeline or entering their first career in their late 20s / 30s. Maybe i'm just still in the school mindset and life is meant to be different for everyone post 18?

Thanks!

I am a 20F currently working full time as an EMT and not in college. After graduating I attended nursing school for a semester but I couldn't envision myself ever working as a nurse and decided to drop out before building more debt.

I have always been a 3.5+ gpa student and great at memorizing things. I've also always had an interest in anatomy & physiology and excelled in A&P courses. I would love to pursue a career that would allow me to make use of this interest but I'm not sure what all options are available or even obtainable. Recently I have been doing research about radiology and it seems like a field I'd quite enjoy. I'm not really interested in becoming a radiology technician since that seems to revolve around operating the machinery more than examining the results.

My current plan is to find a local college and get a bachelors in biology before moving on to med school. My biggest worry is setting my sights on something that is unrealistic. I am aware that becoming a radiologist would take an upwards of 12-13 years, and its no easy task. However I think it is entirely worth doing if it allows me to follow something I'm passionate about. Am I making a wise choice? Is there anything I should be aware of during the journey?

Hey guys! As the title reads, I’m 25 and I feel so lost about a career. For the past year or so I really don’t have any idea what career I want. I went to college and studied business and got my degree, worked in the office for 4 years and absolutely hated it (an office setting is not for me). I then left and went travelling for a while and have been working odd jobs since.

I really don’t know what career I want and because this has been going on for so long I feel as if, the only to way to describe it is like as I’m paralysed and just can’t make a decision or take a next step because I don’t know what direction to take that first step in. I feel I have so much to give to something but I don’t know what it is. I have a strong work ethic and always pride myself on my work but I’m really struggling to figure it out, I feel ashamed that I still don’t know at 25.

I'm a 3rd year pharmacy student ( we study for 6 years here ) and I'm wondering what should I do to keep up with new studies and all that , and what books do you recommend to develop myself in the field because i feel if i don't give it 100% of effort I'll be left out of the race and therefore i won't even win the residency exam .

Thank you

I recently had to “quit or be fired” from my nursing job which is on a point system. I have epilepsy which, of course, doesn’t exactly give me the “2 hour heads up” that HR requires so I wouldn’t get pointed. Anyway, they were going to terminate me because I called out with my seizures so I quit before they fired me. I have the FMLA paperwork and everything where I documented it. My manager told me to my face that I could absolutely get pointed for that. I’m unsure what to believe?

eta: I did have intermittent leave, the managers knew, and I was within my parameters for the month

For Context: CFS & Fibromyalgia and Dyslexia, Irlens, Visual Snow and Migraines - been working on my health for 5 years after a few severe episodes.

I moved to another "government" department last week on a development programme. I was excited.

My last role was relatively easy but I felt "bored" and it was people focused (5years, less admin more bdm) - new role, same pay but with a different "gov body" development style job you don't know that much until you start but have an idea-ish.

I didn't realise how data heavy, excel spreadsheets, processes, laws and paperwork-esque it was, I've done 4 days "effectively learning"/shadowing and I've left each day, with panic attacks, severe migraine and crying.

I've never felt like this from any job and I'm just drained.

Because well, despite all my conditions, I know I struggle, I try and truthfully I just feel real stupid and I know I'll suck/struggle at the role and get fired soon when left to my own devices.

It's the feeling stupid and knowing I suck that hurts.

I left something perfectly suitable for my circumstances because I wanted to see if the grass was greener and try something new.

What do I do?

Part of me thinks I leave and take time out and find something small even if it's any job like a checkout assistant.

I've emailed my old boss but I think that's impossible due to internal processes.

I don't really have anyone else to talk too.

Thank you xox

I’m currently finishing my degree in Music (I know) at a top 5 music school in the U.S.

Honestly if I had known the state of the world would end up like this I probably wouldn’t have pursued music but I’m sticking with it to get my bachelors regardless because I’m already too invested.

I’ve been working at a veterinary clinic part-time as a receptionist for 2 years while I finish my degree. I’ve been told that there aren’t very many pathways for my position unless I want to be a business manager for a vet clinic. Are my skills transferable to being a medical receptionist? I’ve been interested in marketing as well and have gotten some digital marketing certificates for fun. Working in the music industry through marketing sounds great but I honestly wouldn’t even know how to get my foot in the door. I hate working in a customer facing job but I also know I don’t really have many choices to work with right now.

I don’t need a gigantic salary, I’m just hoping to get something to land on something that’s at least 50k minimum in the next 5 or so years. My partner has graduated with his bachelors already in a science related field, he’s been struggling to find work but I know his degree will benefit him more in the long run.

I have a new job offer that I am considering taking but unsure what to do. For some info on me: I work in the healthcare field as a 33 year old man with a wife and no kids. My wife owns a business so her income is uncertain at the moment. I currently work two part-time jobs and was just offered a full time position for a pay cut. I am also limiting myself in that I don't drive, I never have. I moved across the country from a place that was fully walkable to a place that requires a car to get around. I can drive if needed but will need another car if I do take that route so I'm keeping that expense in mind.

Some info on where I'm at and the offer:

Job A: 31/hr Part time, no benefits, 4 minute walk from home, easy job that I love with consistent hours. If I go full time I will likely get a pay cut and have to travel to other offices, so I will have to purchase a car. No upward mobility at this company. I've been told the owner can also be very vindictive when trying to leave the company. If I could stay at one office full time with current pay I would stay here no questions asked but it's not possible with how they are set up.

Job B: 33/hr Part Time, no benefits, 10 minute walk from home, difficult job physically and mentally, work drama that I avoid, inconsistent hours; might be full hours or I might get nothing for a week because I'm not needed. Could go full time for similar pay and benefits but hours can still be cut out of nowhere. I do have upward mobility opportunities that can get me into the administrative side, but no timeline on it. I can stay here Per-Diem instead of quitting to pick up hours when needed for supplemental income.

Job offer: 28/hr, Benefits, 12k sign on bonus for 1 year contract, consistent hours. Will most likely have to purchase a car for travelling between offices, main office is a 5 minute walk, the other a 30 minute drive. Physicality and mental load will likely be about as difficult as Job B if not harder due to productivity demands. No more room for pay negotiation and no upward mobility unless I continue to med school (I'd rather change careers at that point though).

I really just want stability, healthcare, and to provide for my family. I would enjoy not driving but that's not looking feasible at the moment, and that's okay. Would you stay where I'm at now, try to go full time with job A/B, or take the new offer?

I’m looking at switching career fields and completely starting over. I’m not sure if it’s worth the pay cut. I’m so burnt out and dread going into work every day. I feel like I have no time or energy to take care of household chores or do anything I enjoy. I’m working roughly 7am-6pm Monday-Friday, sometimes later. A minimum of 50+hours a week, responsible for everything and it’s a huge ask to take any time off. But I’m making great money. It’s completely commission about $125-$140k/year. I have the opportunity to take a low stress hybrid remote position in finance. This position comes with 4 weeks PTO and holidays, other benefits are similar. But it only pays about $55k/year. There is potential to grow in the next year or two but it wouldn’t be a giant pay raise for a long time. I can afford to pay all my bills off of this and have a decent savings. Is it worth making the switch for work/life balance or should I suck it up and keep things how they are? I’m in Denver, CO

I am early in my career, about to hit a year in packaging procurement with a year prior of professional supply chain experience.

I have been given the opportunity for an internal move to packaging sustainability, despite my lacking the experience they’re asking for (BSE, I have a BA). I currently enjoy my job and have no reason to leave.

A career in sustainability has always been my long term goal and I did not think I would have the opportunity so soon. The position is expected to pay more (10%+) at the lowest end of the pay scale. This would be a promotion from my current position.

However, given that I am early in my career, I am worried I will not like the work and will have niched down without enough experience in procurement to fall back on. I know what to expect from my current workload and make a fair amount (could always do with some more, of course!)

I’ve spoken to my manager, who has been encouraging of me to try it, albeit I do not know his motivation, as well as the manager of this position, who thinks very positively of my procurement experience, although she has not seen my resume yet.

i’m stuck between optometry and pharmacy

my thoughts-

optom:
better worklife balance
more chill
less stress
appointment based
shorter degree
better pay
can get socially draining
can get repetitive fast
harder to get out of “test room”
saturated
often working alone
time pressures for appointments
can result in longer commutes for good pay
better locum pay
not the most interesting per se but i can see me liking it
can get dull and mundane with little no no progression
quite introverted so can see myself dreading it or becoming socially draining

pharmacy:
can wfh
can move away from patient facing roles
includes opportunities to specialise into diverse fields
worse pay for longer hours and stress
more interested
intense memorisation
can go into a lot of different fields other than being a pharmacist
saturated
can get treated badly especially in community
however pay elsewhere is not the best
interested in the different fields worse pharmacy can take you e.g legalities, industry, project management, corporate

my main wants
good/ ok worklife balance
opportunities to wfh would be amazing but not necessary if impossible
career progression/ stability
salary progression
ability to possibly work in corporate/ office job (edit- sorry i meant for like industry work obvs ik health is not going to get me an office job)
salary to reflect effort
not mentally draining or too stressful

edit:

i still have no clue
legit each hour i change my mind completely
what should i do???? i’m panicking

with pharmacy i find the content more interesting compared to all the physics in optometry however the mpharm degree is harder and longer that moptom,
also don’t really like the idea of community or hospital pharmacy as i feel like it would be very draining and stressful, but with optometry the main high street job: hospital job seems doable for me.
i’m mainly interested in the alternative careers pharmacy i can get with pharmacy but with optometry im interested in the main “ test room “ job as id feel like its chill. obviously industry work would be nicer in both fields
i’ve also heard that especially for pharmacy the pay is decreasing and the responsibilities are increasing. but idk with optometry ik the pay is better with less stress but idk if i’ll be happy always testing eyes and having limited remote opportunities

Sorry for the v stupid title but that sums up how i feel.

Graduated last year in msc biomedical genetics, got a 5LPA job then switched to well known research institute offering 5.5LPA.
I thought I’d be happy but being a material girl in a material world isnt helping me because I have a million things I want to do and a million bills to pay for. And I’m truly worried about my future. I dont want to be in a research setting for a long time as i find it quite monotonous.

Trying to get part time jobs to help pivot myself and for extra dough but it’s not going good so far. Why is finding part time jobs so difficult?

Any advice?

I''m a plant gene editing research scientist in industry, paid £38k a year to manage a team and deliver projects. I don't have a PhD.

Unfortunately, my company is making decisions that I don't morally agree to, so I'm looking for an out. I'm also struggling in my current role with people management, in that I'm a good people manager, which means lots of responsibility is put onto me to support others. I'm working on boundary setting, but this is received poorly by management as lack of ambition/drive/resilience etc. repeated increases in responsibility, restructuring, lack of support, and my own inability to set boundaries is causing me to burnout to the point where I feel shut down.

I'd like to shift into charity focused work ideally. Wildlife trusts, RSPB, RHS etc. I'd love a job with time outdoors and with less people management, I'd also be interested in continuing research and science if possible. this will mean pivoting out of my field, I imagine, and probably taking a pay cut. I've seen some ornithology jobs open at RSPB, but obviously that's different to my field! Has anyone gone through a similar situation? I'm looking to hear from industry/academic scientists who have jumped ship, how they did so, and what their experience has been like.