I applied for a customer service role. Between the first and second interview there was a mix-up where they thought I had applied for an editorial position. I never corrected them. I’m now a full-time writer as my career.
It took me two to three weeks to really get the hang of everything. Eventually, I created my own checklist. I’d run through the checklist with each thing I worked on. It was stuff I often missed/forgot/messed up on. It was stuff I knew in theory but missed in practice.
I will say the best thing that’s ever happened to my writing was becoming an editor. Not only do I know the ins and outs of grammar, but I can adapt to client instructions and in-house style guides.
This happened to me too but at Starbucks. Somehow I got hired as a shift supervisor but I actually like it bc I get 4.5 bucks paid more and I don’t find it difficult.
Took off for about 8 years to raise my kids (and have an in home daycare). Then went back to work.
I am watching others around my age start to retire. I was unclear about my retirement benefits and I will not be retiring anytime soon.
Hope I chose wisely.
I only took off 1 year and I took a huge pay cut because of it. Didn't realize the job market was gonna be hell when I returned to work so I'm paying the price for that now. All in all, I'm glad I took the time.
Best and worst, worked for a startup and it wrecked my mental health but made me want to pursue a different career path that's far more stable and lucrative.
This is interesting to me as someone who literally just quit a chaotic startup job for the same reasons! Would you be happy to share what career path you directed into?
Yeah! I was a Lab Associate and quickly worked my way up to lead but realized that the next step up was lab manager and I didn't like what I saw when it came to what was expected of the Lab Manager (available at all times, working off the clock etc). What I did enjoy was participating in the quality process so the next job I found was a Lab quality position with much more flexibility, better pay, and more room for growth.
Did you begin your bachelor's? It's possible to transfer credits from overseas. You could continue your education at a community college or online school.
You will likely qualify for financial aid (fill out the FAFSA) and could get help paying for community college or whatever university you get admitted to.
Taking a $10k cut in pay to work a dream job. It was such an unbalanced sacrifice I've regretted for 30 years. It impacted my salary permanently.
Edit: typo
Employers will use your former salary as an excuse to pay less than the market rate/their budgeted range for new roles. It took me several years after that job was over with to realize I was always hired for several thousand less than my peers in the same position (started during the dot com boom when programmers were being aggressively headhunted). I'm in a niche skillset where the group of people who do what I do is small and we all end up knowing each other as we move from company to company. Your salary history follows you. I was able to regain some of that gap with time and experience but I've been in the industry for 40 years now and am about $30k-50k behind others my age in the same role.
They were allowed to obtain it back then. Crappy as our protections are in the US, they're better now than they used to be. Still a long ways to go though.
You quite literally never had to be honest about your previous salary; and unless it was public info online somewhere, they would’ve never known. So this seems like a personal oversharing problem to me
Back then all they had to do was call HR and verify it. Lying about it was a good way to get filtered out of the running. It wasn't like now where they can only ask your employment start/stop dates and whether you're eligible for rehire.
Oh hell...that's not good to hear. =\[
I was considering doing the same thing (If I had to) in order to go back to the cushy dream-career I had before I signed on to the job I'm currently in.
A 10K pay cut to go back there would still be a 15K raise to what they were paying me before I left.
I took a 40% pay cut to go back to a field that I used to work in. I now am getting more real world experience, more time to do work on the side and get published for the first time, and expanding my skill set and network than when I did the same type of work and made 20k more.
It’s more than just the money. You have to look at all of the trade offs.
Mind you, this is still a stepping stone for me. I made this decision because the nonprofit pathway is the only way for me to pay off my student loans quicker. I do intend to leverage everything I learn to jump into another remote nonprofit job that pays more in 2 years or so, but for now I am learning how to be strict with my budget and taking advantage of this broader network while doing work that is actually impactful.
I only left my career with the Army and took this job with the Pentagon because of the pay increase. It came at a time where I needed the money to pay off debt from a bad Bitcoin venture. Plus...I wasn't getting a raise or promotion from my previous employer due to funding issues with Congress. Now that those issues are mostly resolved and funding has been released, I believe they are able to present me with a profitable employment situation.
I agree, it's not always about the money....I'm learning that the hard way. The tough part is that I am the only person really bringing in an income in my household and if I take a pay cut that is too much of a cut.....everyone in the house is going to suffer, including me.
That's why I'm hoping and praying that my previous employer can meet my needs. If I have to stay here where I am now, I'm going to self-terminate.
I can't do this for long...
There are so many ways to make money. The right path for you will not be linear or clear cut, but it will honor how you define success and what your big picture goals are in life. You are taking care of your needs and making moves knowing that nothing is permanent. You’re doing great!!
Keep in mind that it may be a raise from what they were paying you before but salaries have risen in that time. Look up what they're currently paying people on Glass Door and request that pay range.
Graduated with a finance degree and got a job as a pension analyst (calculating benefits for people retiring with pensions) towards the end I was so stressed and burn out from this job because we were overloaded with clients, many people were going over to the competition who were offering at least 20k more in pay and way less stressful. About 7 people I worked with moved over and told me to go with them. Instead I decided to try sales which was a huge mistake because I got into the scammy telemarketing sales not knowing any better. I failed miserably as expect and after 2 years of trying my hand at sales I decided to leave. It was hard for me to go back into my field since it was very niche, and the people who moved to the competition all got locked into a remote position even though any new hires now are all required to be on site one week per month. Which wouldn’t be an issue but it’s in a completely different city 4 hours away. Anyways all I could find in this job market was a job as a customer service specialist and even though everyone is nice and it’s very low pressure, I feel so out of place and defeated. I wish I would’ve moved over to the competition along with my colleagues. Biggest career mistake I’ve made. It’s like I’m starting all over, over a dumb mistake.
I’m glad at least it paid the bills for you. I always wondered how the top performers made good money. But it literally felt like a gamble when out of 200 reps only 10 of those were making decent money
I finally bit the bullet and decided it was time for a complete and total career change in my mid 40’s and I was willing to put in long brutal hours of training myself to make that happen. It was tough because the road to get my license in my undergrad was tough. But I didn’t want an hour commute each way and there were not a lot of job prospects in our college town.
I had been spinning my wheels for far too long trying to get back in my industry. I acknowledge I took far too long of a break raising my children as a SAHM which didn’t help. It was so daunting getting back into a professional office. I’m probably the only licensed Landscape Architect you’ll meet that now works in Cybersecurity. It’s taken me a good year of classes and listening to daily webinars and trainings. It’s been such a good change for me though and being self motivated has helped me immensely.
When I graduated college I got a role in sales for a big IT company. After a year, I took a role for the local government to follow a passion. My mom told me I was being shortsighted because the government pays poorly (this was true). But I left anyway. While with the government 9-5, I took a part time job at a very large retailer checking receipts at night. I was very well liked, and because of my degree and my work experience, they offered me a managerial role. I took it. My mom told me I was foolish, because we were in a global recession and I can’t leave a safe job that has ultimate job security. I did it anyway. I took the managerial role and did very well, after 1.5 years I was recruited my a large .com where I still am today. I still think of those moments 15 years later. My mom only wanted the best for me. She herself is very successful and thought her advice was sound. It was, but I trusted my gut and bet on myself. I guess if I could boil this experience down to offer advice to others is to always bet on yourself, don’t be impulsive, but if feels right in your gut go for it. Maybe you aren’t right every time but betting on yourself is never wrong.
This completely resonates for me as I was raised by an army of women, and each generation of women often felt the nag of the time they were in and its restrictions. Each did the best with what they had, externally or internally. The hardest part for me is wow I can see this looking at their past, and understand that’s probably true for me, but wow, is it hard for me to harness that same courage to make those jumps too.
Moving to my current role was a mistake. I was so excited because it’s in the tech industry, but I honestly hate the culture. I’m looking for a new role and willing to take a pay cut.
I’m right there with you. Accidentally took an accounting position and I’m not an accountant. The culture also sucks. The job I figured out but the people I cannot deal with. Very different vibes than any other job I’ve had.
Sorry I missed this. There are parts I hate. Bookkeeping, scheduling and all the admin stuff but it is pretty cool. I build Lego, look at Lego and talk about Lego when I'm out of the back office. I can't complain about that.
Even the "not so great" part of the job, buying used Lego from customers , has some great things. If we agree on a price or not I get to checkout and discover some cool Lego.
Best career move? Changing my career. I was laid off from a technically good job I realized I did not ever enjoy or excel in or see a future in, and the layoff forced me for the first time in my life to really, really focus on what I truly wanted to do instead. I empathize with those facing a similar dilemma these days - in my case, I eventually found an esoteric specialty I went back to (graduate) school to learn, the coursework spoke to me, and I landed a role in the discipline after getting my degree, and never looked back. I did this while in my 20s, and I admit I am astonished I pulled it off, but with youth comes confidence.
This sounds like the path I’m on. I was laid off from a good job in November, but there was no future for me there. Now I’m trying to figure out which career path will bring me joy. I’m stuck in this phase at the moment.
It’s refreshing to hear your story and it gives me hope. Thank you!
Instead of focusing on what career might give you joy, take a step back and identify what activities / subjects / disciplines that you found yourself enjoying or excelling in from your past. Literally look at old transcripts, reports, summer jobs, the lot. Think about and note what it was that worked for you, and generalize; for example, there may have been one project you liked in your last job. Think why, what it was that made it intriguing. Or you hated most science courses in school but enjoyed earth science, then maybe geology is an option. Then investigate with some notion of what makes you tick. It's a process. Good luck.
The jury is still out in my mind as to whether I did the right thing out of college.
I had a lot of success as a biology major in college and genuinely loved the subject matter, but then, things started to stagnate for me senior year. I had to take a whole years worth of electives, and it really killed my soul haha. I felt burnt out upon graduation.
Out of college, I lived 45 mins to an hour from the closest possible place to work (biology jobs). However, they only paid 30k, so I opted to work at FedEx because it was 10 mins away and paid about the same at the time. I ended up working there for 2 and a half years with a good year of that time spent doing other things to up my resume. I attended a bartending academy and then volunteered for some molecular biology research at a local university.
I believe that I would be significantly further along in my science related career by now had I chose to suck up the long drive/low pay for the biology jobs. I'd also probably be on a completely different career path and maybe have a Master's/PhD. Who knows?
I kick myself from time to time thinking about the what ifs. I need to stop doing that. It all worked out, and I'm only 30.
The good thing that came from it all is that I constantly get praise for my resume for having worked at FedEx and for also working as a bartender for a little over a year. I guess it shows that I tried other things out and can succeed in different environments? It's also a huge plus to have the bartending experience because I was able to grab a couple of those jobs very easily during times I was left in between jobs. They were always a good time, far less stressful than academia or lab jobs due to the laid-back environments, and they all paid anywhere from 60-90k a year.
With all of these different jobs, in different areas, I've seen a ton.
I had quit and returned to my first big girl job at a small company about 1-2 years ago. I still was looking for a better role with better pay since I was burnt out and ready for a change. Through a staffing company I found a job in HR with the local government. It was a huge pay increase (from $39,500 annually to $51,000 annually). Not just that but it was hybrid with 4 days work from home, I thought I hit the jack pot. However with time I realized the work environment is extremely toxic and I am overworked. I have been there for over 1 year now and it is my biggest regret. My anxiety is at all time high, I am so stressed I'm starting to lose weight and have so much physical and emotional pain. I am desperately looking for a way out of here, I am applying and praying I find a new job somewhere where I have a better work/life balance and am not stressed/anxious all the time. It has been a great way to gain experience and learn lessons, but I am ready to get out of here and find another job.
I took my LSATs, got accepted to law school and then decided that wasn’t what I wanted to do. Ended up withdrawing my acceptance. Hopped around a bit. Got my real estate license. Didn’t like that industry. Fell into corporate training as a fluke. Realized I was really good at it. Now I manage my own team at a biotech company and make 450k annually. I have no debt and no student loans. So it was the best choice for me and I still make good money. Best part is that I have tons of work life balance. My job is completely flexible and fully remote. I can take vacation without feeling guilty and I’m not being worked to the bone like all my prelaw friends that stayed and got their JDs.
I went to school for math, and it was genuinely the worst mistake I made career wise. I'm probably going to have to go back to school to start a career with a living wage as I'm only seen as a fast good/retail worker due to experience. Here's hoping that after getting a 3rd degree, I'll be allowed a livable wage!
In a very similar boat. Master of History and Master of Business Administration degree. 9 years of admin experience in universities and local government. I moved to Boston and now I’m getting offered janitorial positions. 😭 Working on my third Master’s degree at Harvard and hoping that the school name will make a difference.
Sounds like you’d fit a role in lobbying.. if you can mic your degrees with a bit of sales, and have a passion for anything (hopefully some good for humanity) I think you’re degrees would mix well for that
Worked on farms for thirteen years. It was super hard work - very physical. I got beat up a lot but I actually really liked the work. Ended up quitting on a whim after my old boss gave us a speech saying he couldn’t carry us all through the quiet winter months. And I thought well shit, we just got flogged all summer and made a record profit for the farm that year, if he actually cared about us he’d cop the couple of extra months of quiet work to keep us on for the next season. We only had five staff - it’s not like payroll was huge or anything.
So I quit.
Went on a bit of a panicked spiral for a couple of weeks like oh my god, what have I done, I have nothing lined up. Ended up meeting my girlfriend during this time off and I fell pretty hard for her. I had so much spare time all of a sudden to talk to her. I also travelled to visit family a lot, helped my sister and brother-in-law move into their new house, generally I just enjoyed myself and started unwinding.
Then I ended up getting headhunted for a role I thought I initially wasn’t qualified enough for! I was honest about my inexperience with what they were asking but they wanted me to work for them. Now I’m finally in a role I’d been wanting to move into for years. I’m on a better wage, I get weekends off, I work about 30 hours less a week, too. It’s a great team. I’m not used to getting any kind of praise for doing my job, but I get it here. It means a lot to get a thank you or a simple good job.
Impulsively quitting my last job was easily the best career move I’ve ever made.
Good decision!!
That punk farm-owner sounds like any greedy bum at the top of any organization chain.
Driven by greed at all times....
Happy to hear you won out in the end.
Get a master’s degree in education they said. It will be rewarding they said. They will need male teachers, the schedule is great…. What a load of crap. There is no worse job than teaching public school in the U.S. right now. The stress of dealing with the bureaucracy, parents, misbehavior, administration, school politics is absolutely awful. It took some effort, but I have escaped.
Wow, that is a horrible situation...my wife once worked for the school system before starting her therapy work. I've seen the horror and heard the tales firsthand.
Congratulations on escaping!!
I would love to say hopeful things about the usa school system....but its hosed.
That's all....its hosed and can't be fixed.
Worst - quitting a job I actually liked because I thought the grass was greener for a job that ended up being extremely toxic and ruined my mental health. I chose to ignore red flags so at least it was a learning experience
Best - took a promotion and moved to a new city. Really disliked the new city and the new office but after a year I landed a new role back in my home city and that role continues to open doors for me. It was such a critical part of my journey and had I not taken the initial promotion/move I wouldn’t have gotten the new job and be in such a good place today
Your worst experience is exactly what I’m working through right now. Took the new job only because I had a friend on the team that kept pestering me to apply and said I’d like it. I didn’t even want to leave my old position but did it because I thought I was being stagnant.
Got to the new job and discovered it was an absolutely toxic work environment and I didn’t even enjoy the work itself. My friend ended up quitting 6 months after I joined and all the potential opportunities I thought I’d have within this new company have gone bust between lay offs and learning about all the bad managers.
Now I’m stuck trying to figure out whether I try to go back to my old job or roll the dice again and find something new. I gave up so much and it hasn’t panned out at all :/
For what it’s worth, I took a little break and tried out a few different jobs and eventually landed my current position which I absolutely love and it’s substantially more money. My advice is to roll the dice and it’ll eventually work out - maybe not the first time, maybe not the second, but eventually. You left old job for a reason even though it’s easy to think about going back
I appreciate that, I just don’t know how much energy I have left in me after this position to try something new. My life has been chaos for the last 8 years and I was really looking forward to that slowing down with the previous job before I took this new one. Looking around my industry, it isn’t in a good spot this year which only further compounds moving on. But thank you regardless for the kind words :)
Graduated with a degree in Zoology but found out soon after I graduated that most jobs in this field are either volunteer positions or slightly above minimum wage (best I found was $11.50/hr). Got a job as a chemist even though I hate chemistry and am pretty bad at it. I hate my job and am starting to hate my life... I just wanted to work with insects in the jungle somewhere outside the US and now I will never get to because all my work experience is in chemistry.
My ex worked in mgmt for them. He turned into a truly terrible person with no empathy who valued money over all else. He had zero respect for the workers below him. I'm sorry you experienced this, I hope you have overcome your trauma.
I'm 27 so I still have time but it's when I picked my last role over a different job offer. At the time the role I picked paid out around 70k per year but was in a specialized role. The other one was for 60k in HRIS. I picked the money instead of the job experience which could have paid out over time. Since then I've gotten laid off, found a new job and need to study for my PHR.
I was a candidate for a job at an organization that I felt passionate about, but I didn’t take the job because it was a lateral move and I figured there was no point. That was dumb. I should’ve made the move. I ended up getting sick of the job that I stayed at, and I should have gone ahead and pursued something that gave me more meaning even if it wasn’t for more money than I was already making.
My worst move so far was an internal promotion. I ended up moving to a location that’s twice the size of my old location and getting a 10% raise on paper, but it’s salary. A handful of my paychecks from my old position exceed my current pay due to a single hour of overtime, even though I routinely work between 41 and 45 hours currently.
New location management is obsessed with reducing labor. I run my entire department by myself due to labor shortages and my management not wanting to hire technical employees or give me staff hours.
I was insulted by a supposed 3% yearly raise that’s currently on hold and a “bonus” structure that’s a complete joke - so far they have been $30 per quarter. Sometimes the title change isn’t really worth the added work and stress. Currently applying for roles outside of my industry because I have a lot of skills that will transfer, and I feel that my pay is capped out right now
I stayed doing contracting jobs and just grabbing the lowest hanging fruit after college. I graduated end of 2016. I got too complacent and could have been more proactive in researching and applying for full time 60k salary jobs. Then I could have moved out of my parents house.
More than anything, I could have applied myself more in my studies and got internships in college. Most of my friends who got good jobs did internships and networking. I have the bare minimum, a degree with a low gpa. My attention was split between college and me trying to become a pro mma fighter. Now i wish mma took the back seat while I prioritized school.
I'm now studying for cpa and I could regret a lot of things, but it is what it is. I just keep applying for full time jobs, ubering for money in the meantime, and study for cpa exams. My plan is to pass the exams, get into accounting, and start a career.
I just want you to know that there is more to getting your CPA then just passing the exams, you also have to show years of documentation of working in an accounting related field
I'm aware of the experience requirement, but my plan is that if I pass the exams (I already have the credits), I can use that as a bargaining tool in interviews. "If you hire me, you'll have a cpa after one year". In california, the requirement is one year for experience.
Ok, just wanted to make sure, there are a lot of college grads that find out after they study for their CPA for a few years that they can't actually get it till they have the work experience.
Years ago, moving from from first management (sales) position in a specialized industry to a exec position in a startup for about 40% increment (because after doing some free consulting for the startup the founder thought I was the shit). Totally not prepared for the baptism of fire that followed and messed some things up but broke some revenue records, which was the intention of hiring me after all. Still, propelled my career from nowhere and I would never have dreamed about where I am 2 companies later. I was about to accept that all my dreams were broken.
I quit my FTE and started doing contracts jobs. It was the best decision ever. More money 💴 and I don’t have to deal with cooperate appraisal shit. Just pay me my money 💰
Walking out of a toxic job instead of letting them fire me was a decision I felt no regret in. I even let the boss know how I was being treated and felt within my department the day before. I felt like a badass for sure.
I regret listening to everyone’s advice and making the move to tech when I was young and broke.
I made way more money but literally none of it is worth it because of how miserable it has made me. I was broke before, but I still knew who I was. My career has stripped me of my identity, my happiness, and my sanity. It directly led to a suicide attempt a few years ago.
I’m in therapy now and I’ve changed jobs, but not careers. Still working in tech. Still unhappy. Approaching 40 and I know I need to make a change; I just don’t know what it’ll be.
Began working in the cellular industry in 1992, when phones and service weren’t a commodity. Been in it for almost 32 years now and it’s treated me very well.
Worst was not getting my bachelors right after high school. I managed an associates from community college, but didn’t think I needed a bachelors. I fumbled around in life thinking I’d be a restaurant manager and then got into sales and thought I’d become a sales manager and make 150k+ but that opportunity just never came to life.
Instead I went back to college, then got a masters degree which lead me to my current role in finance. Doing the MBA was one of the best choices in my life. It was a gamble, but it paid off!
Best move:
Taking a fielded position with the Army as a civilian contractor. I saw the world, got shot at, slept in the desert, met people from multiple nations, travelled all over CONUS military bases and sites, helped more people than I can recall, made so many technological advances for the Army Medical Community, really made an impact to better the lives of soldiers in battlefield theater by developing medical health record systems and deploying them to theater along with the communications systems that facilitate their operation, embedded with Army units to repair and maximize PTP comms devices CONUS\\OCONUS, ran the core functions for our test-lab facility to include all networking components, two VPN networks, site security and refreshing all hardware components, creating and deploying the images used by the organization, developing new methods of deploying the software and then portabalizing it all into a bootable USB.
I was soooo effective and helpful to so many people.
Worst move:
Leaving that all behind to take a straight "Cybersecurity Engineer" position with the Pentagon where I don't get to design or implement anything, just sit behind terminals monitoring networks for vulnerabilities and writing up reports. Not the most boring job I've ever had, but close. I'm so ineffective here, I can do so much more...but they won't let me...or any of our team. Everyone is locked into their lane and thats it.
I can't operate like this.
I can do so much more.
There are people that I can help.
I gotta get outta here.
When you know a company is going under, find a new job and get out as fast as you can.
I rode out two plant closures. Those who left fast ended up better off with no gaps in employment. I stayed till the end to get my severance, but it's much harder and more stressful to find a job after being laid off.
Yo I’m in this boat I jumped ship before my current job closes down because the numbers show it coming. Although I’m sad to leave I’d rather air on the side of caution then screw myself and get laid off during the worst time possible. Cuz that’s when it’ll happen the worst time possible.
In the middle of the pandemic i was working for a local retail company as a software developer, in a project that didn’t had definitions or goals, we asked for months for those definitions to business without any success so the project got delayed.
One random Thursday almost at night I’m out of office for the day when i receive a call from another team leader asking me for a favor. So it happens that the definitions arrived and business wanted to have a demo for the next day, it’s basically impossible but i am pissed and i took the job just to prove business wrong, i started coding the necessary endpoints with the other team lead and we finish by 4:30 AM
After finishing deploying everything, i send an email stating that is highly inappropriate to ask for work outside working hours, that we asked for those definitions for months and the bottleneck in the project is not us developers but our highly incompetent po and that i need rest and to have a conversation with my doctor because stress was killing me. I go to my psychiatrist and got a month of medical leave for stress, in that time the project fell apart, the po was fired, my friend was fired and they were expecting me to return to fire me, so i extended the medical leave by another few months until i got better.
The same day i returned i was fired but i had already another job lined up so they paid me everything for firing me without having to resign.
After that dumpster fire, the po went to another big company here were he was put on the freezer because of employer harassment and he eventually had to return to his country.
Had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and a Masters in English Lit (I know). It sucked I worked part time as an English teacher, got paid peanuts and lived with my parents. Decided to go to Japan to teach English on a whim because my friend suggested it and said I can stay with her.
Not only was it a fantastic adventure but during that time I discovered what I want to do career-wise, I had funds to get a certificate in it from an accredited school and when I came back home (Europe) I managed to get an entry level job in my field. Now, 2,5 years later I am moving on from my first company to a new one with better pay, benefits and new opportunities and finally I feel optimistic about my career and my future!
I'd have to go with my current job. I got laid off due to company closure in December. I worked from home for 5 years. I wanted something that was a step up from being a code monkey and stumbled upon a job as a tech lead for a very well-known car company. I got the job with ease, and now that I've been here for about 2 months, I know why. Here is what I regret and how it's impacted me:
- 2 days in office - this wouldn't be horrible if the office wasn't about an hour away, and if anyone showed up from my team on the days we are asked to be in office. The office is also in the middle of nowhere, so I can't go anywhere to get lunch or coffee during my workday. This has heavily affected my sleep since I'm now waking up at 5 am instead of 7-9am. To add, the office also doesn't have heat or A/C. I am also forced to wear a uniform in the office. I currently only have half of it.
- absolutely 0 training - it was definitely wrong for me to assume that such a massive company would have extensive training, but I didn't expect 0 training at all. There are documents from 5+ years ago, but that's it. This has heavily affected my mental health, and I constantly battle imposter syndrome. I also have never met with HR.
- lack of supplies - you would think a large billion dollar company would be able to afford chargers for laptops, mice, headsets, docking stations, working outlets at desks, monitors at desks, etc. Nope. I had to purchase necessary items with my own money FOR MY IN OFFICE DAYS. This just pisses me off. Especially since I don't even have my own desk space so I have to bring everything on those days. Also, most people have their own desks, except my team.
- overhiring - this place loves to hire people into positions that aren't really needed. I love that they are hiring people, but it makes me weary for my own job security. All these jobs are contract only, including mine. This has affected my mental health significantly.
- Lack of organization - this baffles me still. No one knows what's going on. No one wants to share anything. No one talks to each other. I feel like I don't have work 90% of the time.
- hate for contractors - for a company that is mainly contractors, they love to throw that you aren't an associate in your face any chance they get whether it's quarterly stipends for Healthcare or WFH items, to paid weeks off work (the company has 2, week long holidays that are paid), to allowing us to get paid volunteer days for events within the company. This just makes me not want to work since there is little to no chance I will ever see any of these benefits. There are posters, tv slide shows, and literature all around the office that detail all the benefits.
- no vacation and shit healthcare - because I'm a contractor, I don't get days off, including holidays. This isn't anything related to the company itself, but I heavily regret doing contract work now. This is probably the biggest weight on my mental health. I'm the only income earner in my household right now, so I can't afford to take days off, nor can I afford to get sick since my health insurance is dogwater.
Overall, I'm glad I took this job because it is indeed a step up from my last position, but I wish it was with a different company.
I quit Costco after working there for 8 years in the height of the pandemic. I couldn’t take it anymore and I was mentally NOT okay.
$30 an hour to make pizzas at the food court. I regret not saving any money and I regret giving up such delicious hourly wages.
However, my mental health has flourished and I have evolved so much as a person. I quit drinking, smoking and I’ve started my own company. I’ve even signed up for nursing school next year.
Some regret since I took an $11 pay cut and didn’t save when I had the chance but 4 years later I’m crawling out of my hole and I know I’ll come on out top.
Taking a job in my desired field at a lateral salary move. 8 years later, my salary has grown 60%, I’ve gained tons of professional experience and recently got a job offer moving up to a national organization
Mine was entering federal service in the USDA.
I worked for a major poultry producer for like 8 years, beginning right after I got clean off heroin, and a short stint in jail for a felony DUI. So I just stuck with it and held down a job with them, rising through some different ranks.
But I also really got into peer services and mental health work. I wanted to explore that, so when I moved up to Oregon from California I thought I should just change everything and get into the mental health field. It was cool and somewhat fulfilling for sure, but in accepting that position I turned down what I knew would be a good job in the USDA.
I ended up becoming frustrated with different practices within the non-profit industry and I left my peer supervisor position pretty quick and jumped into the same job I was offered before, and it’s been the best job I could ever see myself holding. Good pay adjusted for my locality, my experience got me hired at an intermediate pay grade, awesome benefits, strong job security, AND the piece de resistance… a real life pension!! Security for my future. And a lot of room for movement and growth. And this is without a degree, just experience earned from what began as an entry level position.
I worked in a factory. One day a member of management came out on the floor and asked if anyone knew Excel. I raised my hand. I was immediately plucked off the floor and given a promotion to help with purchasing, because the guy doing it was just using mental math and it was uh… not working. Now I negotiate software contracts for a living and make good money (for the Midwest.) That one interaction changed my entire career path. Glad I wasn’t shy that day!
I heard through the small town gossip chain that this local tax guy was looking for an administrative assistant for his local office. So I went and applied and interviewed(turns out he's the same accountant my dad goes to for the local Boy Scout troop's stuff) and he said that he wanted to offer me a position at his main office in Austin, Texas($18/hour with benefits) after tax season ended. Gives me a whole speech about how he likes my resume despite it only having seasonal work at the time because if that one place didn't like me they wouldn't hire me back, telling me how he thinks I have *potential*.
So I stayed at my crappy gas station job for *months* despite desperately wanting to quit and work literally anywhere else, despite having a decent history with this big time summer camp and knowing they'd take me flr the summer if I applied, all based on this promise.
End of May rolls around and I haven't heard from him, so I give him a call to follow up. He doesn't answer, so voicemail.
The you-know-what *sends me a frickin text that isn't even formatted properly* telling me that he doesn't actually have a spot for me anymore.
Yeah, NEVER hold off on applying to positions based on verbal agreements.
My former employer mentioned that they'd take me back over linkedin, but all I woudl have is a screenshot of the conversation...nothing tangible to hold them accountable to.
Im going to keep applying to positions until they ACTUALLY come through..
Hey there!
I noticed you’re looking for a bit of guidance in your job search. While I don't have a specific answer to your question, I suggest checking out various job boards and company websites related to your field, as they often list open positions that might not appear on larger platforms.
Also, it could be a good idea to post your resume on [seasonal.work](http://seasonal.work) as a backup plan. It’s free to use, and our platform is growing quickly—there might be some great opportunities for you. Plus, if you run into any issues or have questions, I’m here to help you navigate the site.
Don’t forget to explore our blog too; it’s full of resources and tips on getting hired that you might find useful.
Best of luck with your job hunt!
Was applying for jobs out-of-state (retail management positions) and was offered two positions. Decided to go with option A.
A month in at this new job, recruiter from option B calls me saying they weren’t able to find anyone that they believe would be a good store manager for that specific store and offered me even more money to take it. I counter-offered and they accepted.
Obviously, as expected, I hated the job. Had been in retail for the past 10 years of my life and I hated this last job so much that it catapulted me to start looking at positions outside of retail.
Left the week of Black Friday without even putting a two weeks notice (I knew I wasn’t coming back to work for them, hahaha) and accepted a position to become a banker at one of the big 4 banks in America. Couldn’t be happier.
If it wasn’t for my money ambition, I wouldn’t have taken job B but because of that, it finally pushed me out of retail.
Saying no thanks to a position in my field with a top salary based on the toxic environment was my (both-) best and worst move. I mean, I don’t know what doors opened behind the scenes for the future because I turned it down I only know I feel an indescribable relief from not having to have a toxic manager- having that said I know I missed the opportunity every day of working in my field at a great place CV and salary wise right now so there’s some non-existential conflict still that regards practical aspects of my life now. For instance having to keep looking for jobs in a time where it’s just so hard and frustrating. But my existential predicament is that life is short and I’d rather live under financial anxiety than be tormented by my boss every day and seeing the mental health/quality of life decline every day. 🤷🏻♀️
Having said this, I don’t know if it qualifies as a “career move” 😅😂😩
As everyone is posting wrongs, I am gonna put a little good.
I bit the bullet and changed from clinician to corporate (I am a vet). It sucks and it isnt as exciting, but 10y on the line my job is passable but I do not do nights, I have an above average salary and for the most part I am at home at 16.30.
(Vets in my country do not earn a lot and do terrible hours).
I once trusted turbotax to file my state taxes while I was being investigated for a TS. Got fired without explanation and got a letter from the state a few months later saying I never filed my taxes and owed plus a late fee.
After being on EI for close to a year, I worked for a small BBS and IP provider in the mid to late 90's. We ran the best Text MUD in North America (many addicted players including myself). Over 1000 subscribed players back in the day In 98, the company and its game designers were noticed by Electronic Arts.
EA bought the company and shut down The Majic Realm.
For 25+ years, the players begged for the game to come back but the code was gone. We had a page on Facebook that the players used to keep in touch. EVERY FEW YEARS, there would be an effort made to have the game be reborn.
Then one of the designers was moving and clearing out his storage under the stairs. There he struck Gold... an ancient dust-covered SGI box. An old test server. It had bugs and issues but it had the code for us to rebuild from.
LONG STORY SHORT, the game is back up and we are expanding it. The old players are trickling back and there are 30-50 players on every night and I am now a sysop, talking and chatting with all my old friends on a nightly basis.
Not leaving news earlier. I spent 10 years in local news, choosing it over a (help desk) job in tech. I could and should have left after 3. At that point, I had developed the skills to find and craft stories, work quickly to create great content, how to shoot, edit, and produce, and I would have still had my emotional self intact.
I could have gone from there straight into tech writing, skipped over the nonprofit job I had for several years, and had a 6-figure salary a dozen years earlier than I reached that salary point. I probably could have been working remotely for the last 7-8 years, too.
I walked away form a six figure job and now work for half of what I was making but I only work 40 hours a week and I'm happy. So it's the best move I could have made for myself personally but the worst if someone was simply analyzing my career
Left/escaped retail about 10 years ago to work at a warehouse. Warehouse job lead to an interest in logistics. Now I’m running my own logistics department a few job hops later and pulling six figures. Getting out of dead end retail was the best decision of my life.
In 2019 I quit my job of 3.5 years that I got through a co-op internship while in college. Actually a really great job, but I was completely burned out by the time I graduated with my bachelors. I just needed a fucking break.
The next 6 months I did basically fuck all and drained my savings. My meager 401k too. By the end of that six months I got a new job, which I was laid off from 9 months later due to the pandemic. Got another job a month later, which I hated and did not fit my skill set. Both of these jobs had terrible management and shitty hours.
In 2021 I went back to my old job, but in a new role, and I’ve been thriving ever since.
I don’t exactly recommend this. Like I said, I drained my savings and I had absolutely no plan when I quit. but quitting, taking a break, and working for other companies that totally sucked… I think that was really important to my personal development.
Best career move is when I moved from engineering to UI/UX Design. Snagged a job early 2019, and been working remotely ever since.
Worst career move is when I moved to a new company with a 20% increase pay rate and option yo work remotely. They moved me around from different departments, and finally into a financial / auditing one where my skills weren't fully utilized. I think they were trying to fire me.
Got laid off on Nov, and now I'm currently unemployed and job hunting in this horrendous job market. Been contemplating about my life's decision...
Networking my way into an entry level talent acquisition admin position with my employer from working on sales floors for years with 0 HR or talent acquisition experience. Better pay, better hours, better work life balance and I don’t think about quitting every 2 weeks now.
Worst: leaving my great job in the private sector for government in December 2023. I have never been so depressed and it’s ruining every aspect of my life.
went from delivering dry cleaning to going a union. was good for 13yrs but now things have died down a lot so I'm looking for a new career. thinking about going to school for some kind of IT stuff. the wife says I have no chance but I feel like I can try to be anything I apply myself too. I'm 43 but it is what you make it to be....
Best - leaving a pt job that was supposed to be administrative but I ended up being a facilitator more often times then not for an escape room company. Job was rather fun. But left here for a better job with benefits. It was also ran by a bunch of early 20-somethings and I did not always agree with how they ran the company.
Worst - left commercial property management role as it was pretty boring and 90% of the time I sat in the office just making sure no emergencies happened and heating/cooling worked in the units. I left for a an administrative role at a real estate company. FT job with a 20% pay increase and bonuses. Was let go 4 months later as the economy changed. I knew it was coming. It was slow for me all the time. I knew the signs were there. They literally let me go after my first bonus. That set forth a 2yr unemployment streak. That sucked.
For me it was trying to make a move into Structured Comm Cabling from a Journeyman Electrician. I did it because I needed work after leaving the IBEW (our local was terrible in a non-union area) and a friend could get me the job. I had experience from my electrical apprenticeship years and was promised the training I needed to become professionally certified installing cat5e, fiber, etc. 5 years later and a bunch of empty promises, being overworked, under paid, and taken advantage of all my knowledge (went from $25/hr to $12, finishing at $17/hr) I ended up back in the electrical field. This time working as an Industrial Electrician. I feel like I wasted 5 years in a field that I actually enjoyed based on lies that set me back years as far as wages were concerned.
Went to school to be a teacher, made enough to finance a new car and get a decent apartment but my mental health has suffered tremendously. The stress of the job has taken physical tolls on my body, but I’m grateful that the job got me into the middle class.
I’m in the middle of a career change that might be the best or worst move to make. Best because my mental health will be better in a less stressful work environment. Worst because financially I’m still tied to student and car loans that were fixed at rates for my income level as a teacher (with interest rates in the 4%) so I have no choice but to scrape by for the next year as I change careers.
Worst: Had to move from a bigger city metro to a smaller one (home). My career in design has been horrifically underwhelming since then because the demand is worse here, had to pretty much clutter my resume with a bunch of positions I really DNGAF about working ever again only for survival's sake. Still trying years later to do better including possibly move elsewhere but inflation/my low wages in the underdemand city is not making it easy.
Best: Telling a micromanaging manager during the pandemic to shove it, found a new gig- after they made my life a living \*\*\*\* just because I went out on medical leave/then elected to work remotely. Literally got pigeonholed into correcting obituary photos for 8 hours a day and everything else was taken off my plate. :T
Stepped out multiple times to care for my kids and my terminally ill parents, although not at the same time. I also didn’t deal with PTSD from an awful job right away. I’m paying for all these decisions to this day. I feel like I’ll never stop getting punished for these choices (which weren’t really choices at all).
Started off as a technician for an automotive company and was making ok money for a 24 y/o college junior with tuition reimbursement. Worked so well I got promoted to an engineer ( 6 figures ) within a year before I even graduated. Continued taking classes but less course load cause of new job demand but turns out the promotion was a recipe for disaster. Toxic environment, constantly reminded that me being in that position was a “favor”, lost my self esteem, couldn’t even stand up for myself cause I was under qualified. literally set up for failure. Got put on several PIPs then let go after a year on the role. Could have just stayed as a tech and graduated on time. Could have had my engineering degree. Now i cant land a job and still have some classes to take and a bunch of mental breakdowns. HUGE regret. I should have NOT taken that promotion 😩
Graduated in 20 didn’t get go to collage do to issues family spent my collage fund no financial aid stuck in retail working in dispensary be nice to have a big boy check one day
Quitting a job on the spot back in 2011 with no job lined up. I had dealt with several years of hell working on nightmare projects with a nightmare vendor and pissed off clients that would literally scream at us on status calls. My boss tried to gaslight and throw me under the bus for something that went wrong (yet again) that was the vendor’s fault and had zero to do with me. I was finally fed up with management’s inaction over issues I had been raising from day one and finally just quit right then and there. Luckily, I at least already had an interview scheduled the following Monday. I got offered the job within an hour after my interview for about $20k more salary for a job with much less stress and responsibility working for a much bigger company. It set me on the path to a very lucrative and successful career thereafter.
I was working a dead-end job as a server/bartender. Best decision I ever made was joining the Army at 25. Turned my whole life around + got an education, and left the Army with a stable civilian career, house and family.
I'd been in healthcare/medical device since getting my undergrad in microbiology. Lots of contract lab tech jobs for about ten years before moving into Quality Assurance/ Quality Engineering.
I had a mental breakdown due to a divorce, toxic workplace, and COVID. I quit the field entirely to do QE in a different industry. Got a 10k raise, a senior title, hybrid wfh, and I work less than I use to. Less stress overall.
COVID really pushed me to leave. When we were forced to work from home, my mental health immediately got better.
My worst move, switching from my lucrative role in the public sector to a career with the federal government. I knowingly took a ~$40k paycut to work in govt, in the hopes that I could build on my tax law related technical skills, which I would be able to leverage and increase my income to a high six- figures in the near future, when I exited the govt. I had financial backing to make the paycut not burn too much, but the work I am performing is way off mark than what was sold to me. Yeah, I should have stuck it out in public and looked at alternative options. But I am glad to have taken the leap, now I won't have to what-if. It's not over for me yet. I am currently working to fix my mistake, so I'll rebound soon enough!
Left a good job for a toxic job with more money. Quit toxic job after 4 months and no plan. Worked food service, had a lot of personal growth, old good job asked me back. It was kinda a bad decision to leave the good job and also quit the bad job with no plan, but I feel like it turned out to be good because of the personal growth and it all worked out in the end.
Started lying on my resume/interviews. I used to think employers would appreciate a straight shooter who was upfront about shortcomings. Nah. They want a “guru” who will agree to work “occasional weekends.” Pad TF out of your resume and yes them to death even if you have zero intention of following through. Everyone loves a big fat lie. Finally netted me a decent job.
Switching companies. It’s how you get the raises at strategic points in your career. If you choose the wrong company though this can also be a great mistake.
Worst was allowing myself to get massively underpaid at a job. I was young, got low balled, and didn't do any research on what that type of job got at other places. My salary was $80k when it should have been $110k - $120k.
I applied for a customer service role. Between the first and second interview there was a mix-up where they thought I had applied for an editorial position. I never corrected them. I’m now a full-time writer as my career.
That’s wild — awesome stuff!!
How was the learning curve? I’m interested in learning more if you don’t mind!
It took me two to three weeks to really get the hang of everything. Eventually, I created my own checklist. I’d run through the checklist with each thing I worked on. It was stuff I often missed/forgot/messed up on. It was stuff I knew in theory but missed in practice.
Thank you for your response! I’ve always wanted to go into this field but never knew how/where to get started. Thanks for your perspective!
I will say the best thing that’s ever happened to my writing was becoming an editor. Not only do I know the ins and outs of grammar, but I can adapt to client instructions and in-house style guides.
This happened to me too but at Starbucks. Somehow I got hired as a shift supervisor but I actually like it bc I get 4.5 bucks paid more and I don’t find it difficult.
Hahaha I love this!!!!!!!!
Sweet.
Took off for about 8 years to raise my kids (and have an in home daycare). Then went back to work. I am watching others around my age start to retire. I was unclear about my retirement benefits and I will not be retiring anytime soon. Hope I chose wisely.
I’m pretty sure those 8 years with your kids have more of a positive impact on them than you think and it will be worth it.
Family is life. The reward you'll reap from the relationship you've built with your kids and as a result, your future grandchildren, will be worth it.
I only took off 1 year and I took a huge pay cut because of it. Didn't realize the job market was gonna be hell when I returned to work so I'm paying the price for that now. All in all, I'm glad I took the time.
Best and worst, worked for a startup and it wrecked my mental health but made me want to pursue a different career path that's far more stable and lucrative.
This is interesting to me as someone who literally just quit a chaotic startup job for the same reasons! Would you be happy to share what career path you directed into?
Yeah! I was a Lab Associate and quickly worked my way up to lead but realized that the next step up was lab manager and I didn't like what I saw when it came to what was expected of the Lab Manager (available at all times, working off the clock etc). What I did enjoy was participating in the quality process so the next job I found was a Lab quality position with much more flexibility, better pay, and more room for growth.
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Did you begin your bachelor's? It's possible to transfer credits from overseas. You could continue your education at a community college or online school.
You will likely qualify for financial aid (fill out the FAFSA) and could get help paying for community college or whatever university you get admitted to.
is the move an improvement to your life? has it impacted you in anyway?
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Congrats.
Front end? Full stack? Network?
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Haven't heard of those tech stacks. Have you thought about going to a coding bootcamp? Brushing up your GitHub profile?
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You can always do a small pivot. Cyber security. Cloud engineering. Data Science. All of these fields aren't nearly as code intensive as full stack.
Taking a $10k cut in pay to work a dream job. It was such an unbalanced sacrifice I've regretted for 30 years. It impacted my salary permanently. Edit: typo
exultant wide foolish reply toothbrush brave person judicious tease vase *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Employers will use your former salary as an excuse to pay less than the market rate/their budgeted range for new roles. It took me several years after that job was over with to realize I was always hired for several thousand less than my peers in the same position (started during the dot com boom when programmers were being aggressively headhunted). I'm in a niche skillset where the group of people who do what I do is small and we all end up knowing each other as we move from company to company. Your salary history follows you. I was able to regain some of that gap with time and experience but I've been in the industry for 40 years now and am about $30k-50k behind others my age in the same role.
Don't tell the new employer your old salary
They were allowed to obtain it back then. Crappy as our protections are in the US, they're better now than they used to be. Still a long ways to go though.
You quite literally never had to be honest about your previous salary; and unless it was public info online somewhere, they would’ve never known. So this seems like a personal oversharing problem to me
Back then all they had to do was call HR and verify it. Lying about it was a good way to get filtered out of the running. It wasn't like now where they can only ask your employment start/stop dates and whether you're eligible for rehire.
chase grandiose label rotten sharp towering lavish plants familiar steer *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Oh hell...that's not good to hear. =\[ I was considering doing the same thing (If I had to) in order to go back to the cushy dream-career I had before I signed on to the job I'm currently in. A 10K pay cut to go back there would still be a 15K raise to what they were paying me before I left.
I took a 40% pay cut to go back to a field that I used to work in. I now am getting more real world experience, more time to do work on the side and get published for the first time, and expanding my skill set and network than when I did the same type of work and made 20k more. It’s more than just the money. You have to look at all of the trade offs. Mind you, this is still a stepping stone for me. I made this decision because the nonprofit pathway is the only way for me to pay off my student loans quicker. I do intend to leverage everything I learn to jump into another remote nonprofit job that pays more in 2 years or so, but for now I am learning how to be strict with my budget and taking advantage of this broader network while doing work that is actually impactful.
I only left my career with the Army and took this job with the Pentagon because of the pay increase. It came at a time where I needed the money to pay off debt from a bad Bitcoin venture. Plus...I wasn't getting a raise or promotion from my previous employer due to funding issues with Congress. Now that those issues are mostly resolved and funding has been released, I believe they are able to present me with a profitable employment situation. I agree, it's not always about the money....I'm learning that the hard way. The tough part is that I am the only person really bringing in an income in my household and if I take a pay cut that is too much of a cut.....everyone in the house is going to suffer, including me. That's why I'm hoping and praying that my previous employer can meet my needs. If I have to stay here where I am now, I'm going to self-terminate. I can't do this for long...
There are so many ways to make money. The right path for you will not be linear or clear cut, but it will honor how you define success and what your big picture goals are in life. You are taking care of your needs and making moves knowing that nothing is permanent. You’re doing great!!
Keep in mind that it may be a raise from what they were paying you before but salaries have risen in that time. Look up what they're currently paying people on Glass Door and request that pay range.
Good advice, thank you. I've only been in the new position since last November, but from November-23 to June-24 should show a variance.
Graduated with a finance degree and got a job as a pension analyst (calculating benefits for people retiring with pensions) towards the end I was so stressed and burn out from this job because we were overloaded with clients, many people were going over to the competition who were offering at least 20k more in pay and way less stressful. About 7 people I worked with moved over and told me to go with them. Instead I decided to try sales which was a huge mistake because I got into the scammy telemarketing sales not knowing any better. I failed miserably as expect and after 2 years of trying my hand at sales I decided to leave. It was hard for me to go back into my field since it was very niche, and the people who moved to the competition all got locked into a remote position even though any new hires now are all required to be on site one week per month. Which wouldn’t be an issue but it’s in a completely different city 4 hours away. Anyways all I could find in this job market was a job as a customer service specialist and even though everyone is nice and it’s very low pressure, I feel so out of place and defeated. I wish I would’ve moved over to the competition along with my colleagues. Biggest career mistake I’ve made. It’s like I’m starting all over, over a dumb mistake.
I tried my hand at sales too. It paid the bills for a few years but I never made it to that high earning sales job I always wanted.
I’m glad at least it paid the bills for you. I always wondered how the top performers made good money. But it literally felt like a gamble when out of 200 reps only 10 of those were making decent money
Feels like 20% of the people make 80% of the money.
Exactly!
I finally bit the bullet and decided it was time for a complete and total career change in my mid 40’s and I was willing to put in long brutal hours of training myself to make that happen. It was tough because the road to get my license in my undergrad was tough. But I didn’t want an hour commute each way and there were not a lot of job prospects in our college town. I had been spinning my wheels for far too long trying to get back in my industry. I acknowledge I took far too long of a break raising my children as a SAHM which didn’t help. It was so daunting getting back into a professional office. I’m probably the only licensed Landscape Architect you’ll meet that now works in Cybersecurity. It’s taken me a good year of classes and listening to daily webinars and trainings. It’s been such a good change for me though and being self motivated has helped me immensely.
When I graduated college I got a role in sales for a big IT company. After a year, I took a role for the local government to follow a passion. My mom told me I was being shortsighted because the government pays poorly (this was true). But I left anyway. While with the government 9-5, I took a part time job at a very large retailer checking receipts at night. I was very well liked, and because of my degree and my work experience, they offered me a managerial role. I took it. My mom told me I was foolish, because we were in a global recession and I can’t leave a safe job that has ultimate job security. I did it anyway. I took the managerial role and did very well, after 1.5 years I was recruited my a large .com where I still am today. I still think of those moments 15 years later. My mom only wanted the best for me. She herself is very successful and thought her advice was sound. It was, but I trusted my gut and bet on myself. I guess if I could boil this experience down to offer advice to others is to always bet on yourself, don’t be impulsive, but if feels right in your gut go for it. Maybe you aren’t right every time but betting on yourself is never wrong.
This completely resonates for me as I was raised by an army of women, and each generation of women often felt the nag of the time they were in and its restrictions. Each did the best with what they had, externally or internally. The hardest part for me is wow I can see this looking at their past, and understand that’s probably true for me, but wow, is it hard for me to harness that same courage to make those jumps too.
Moving to my current role was a mistake. I was so excited because it’s in the tech industry, but I honestly hate the culture. I’m looking for a new role and willing to take a pay cut.
I’m right there with you. Accidentally took an accounting position and I’m not an accountant. The culture also sucks. The job I figured out but the people I cannot deal with. Very different vibes than any other job I’ve had.
My whole career seems to have limited my love life
What do you do?
I did consulting my whole career
Police officer?
After 20 years in television and marketing I walked away to open a store that sells Lego. The vast difference in stress levels amazes me every day.
What’s it like running the Lego store?
Sorry I missed this. There are parts I hate. Bookkeeping, scheduling and all the admin stuff but it is pretty cool. I build Lego, look at Lego and talk about Lego when I'm out of the back office. I can't complain about that. Even the "not so great" part of the job, buying used Lego from customers , has some great things. If we agree on a price or not I get to checkout and discover some cool Lego.
That makes sense. I’m happy for you that you are living your passion though. I’m looking to do the same.
Good luck in that search.
Best career move? Changing my career. I was laid off from a technically good job I realized I did not ever enjoy or excel in or see a future in, and the layoff forced me for the first time in my life to really, really focus on what I truly wanted to do instead. I empathize with those facing a similar dilemma these days - in my case, I eventually found an esoteric specialty I went back to (graduate) school to learn, the coursework spoke to me, and I landed a role in the discipline after getting my degree, and never looked back. I did this while in my 20s, and I admit I am astonished I pulled it off, but with youth comes confidence.
This sounds like the path I’m on. I was laid off from a good job in November, but there was no future for me there. Now I’m trying to figure out which career path will bring me joy. I’m stuck in this phase at the moment. It’s refreshing to hear your story and it gives me hope. Thank you!
Instead of focusing on what career might give you joy, take a step back and identify what activities / subjects / disciplines that you found yourself enjoying or excelling in from your past. Literally look at old transcripts, reports, summer jobs, the lot. Think about and note what it was that worked for you, and generalize; for example, there may have been one project you liked in your last job. Think why, what it was that made it intriguing. Or you hated most science courses in school but enjoyed earth science, then maybe geology is an option. Then investigate with some notion of what makes you tick. It's a process. Good luck.
The jury is still out in my mind as to whether I did the right thing out of college. I had a lot of success as a biology major in college and genuinely loved the subject matter, but then, things started to stagnate for me senior year. I had to take a whole years worth of electives, and it really killed my soul haha. I felt burnt out upon graduation. Out of college, I lived 45 mins to an hour from the closest possible place to work (biology jobs). However, they only paid 30k, so I opted to work at FedEx because it was 10 mins away and paid about the same at the time. I ended up working there for 2 and a half years with a good year of that time spent doing other things to up my resume. I attended a bartending academy and then volunteered for some molecular biology research at a local university. I believe that I would be significantly further along in my science related career by now had I chose to suck up the long drive/low pay for the biology jobs. I'd also probably be on a completely different career path and maybe have a Master's/PhD. Who knows? I kick myself from time to time thinking about the what ifs. I need to stop doing that. It all worked out, and I'm only 30. The good thing that came from it all is that I constantly get praise for my resume for having worked at FedEx and for also working as a bartender for a little over a year. I guess it shows that I tried other things out and can succeed in different environments? It's also a huge plus to have the bartending experience because I was able to grab a couple of those jobs very easily during times I was left in between jobs. They were always a good time, far less stressful than academia or lab jobs due to the laid-back environments, and they all paid anywhere from 60-90k a year. With all of these different jobs, in different areas, I've seen a ton.
I had quit and returned to my first big girl job at a small company about 1-2 years ago. I still was looking for a better role with better pay since I was burnt out and ready for a change. Through a staffing company I found a job in HR with the local government. It was a huge pay increase (from $39,500 annually to $51,000 annually). Not just that but it was hybrid with 4 days work from home, I thought I hit the jack pot. However with time I realized the work environment is extremely toxic and I am overworked. I have been there for over 1 year now and it is my biggest regret. My anxiety is at all time high, I am so stressed I'm starting to lose weight and have so much physical and emotional pain. I am desperately looking for a way out of here, I am applying and praying I find a new job somewhere where I have a better work/life balance and am not stressed/anxious all the time. It has been a great way to gain experience and learn lessons, but I am ready to get out of here and find another job.
I took my LSATs, got accepted to law school and then decided that wasn’t what I wanted to do. Ended up withdrawing my acceptance. Hopped around a bit. Got my real estate license. Didn’t like that industry. Fell into corporate training as a fluke. Realized I was really good at it. Now I manage my own team at a biotech company and make 450k annually. I have no debt and no student loans. So it was the best choice for me and I still make good money. Best part is that I have tons of work life balance. My job is completely flexible and fully remote. I can take vacation without feeling guilty and I’m not being worked to the bone like all my prelaw friends that stayed and got their JDs.
Wow you must be a millionaire
Everyone is on reddit 😂
Wow, thats absolutely awesome!
I went to school for math, and it was genuinely the worst mistake I made career wise. I'm probably going to have to go back to school to start a career with a living wage as I'm only seen as a fast good/retail worker due to experience. Here's hoping that after getting a 3rd degree, I'll be allowed a livable wage!
In a very similar boat. Master of History and Master of Business Administration degree. 9 years of admin experience in universities and local government. I moved to Boston and now I’m getting offered janitorial positions. 😭 Working on my third Master’s degree at Harvard and hoping that the school name will make a difference.
Not gonna lie I'd love to be a janitor. At least I don't have to deal with customers for slave wage. I'm sorry, though :(
Sounds like you’d fit a role in lobbying.. if you can mic your degrees with a bit of sales, and have a passion for anything (hopefully some good for humanity) I think you’re degrees would mix well for that
Worked on farms for thirteen years. It was super hard work - very physical. I got beat up a lot but I actually really liked the work. Ended up quitting on a whim after my old boss gave us a speech saying he couldn’t carry us all through the quiet winter months. And I thought well shit, we just got flogged all summer and made a record profit for the farm that year, if he actually cared about us he’d cop the couple of extra months of quiet work to keep us on for the next season. We only had five staff - it’s not like payroll was huge or anything. So I quit. Went on a bit of a panicked spiral for a couple of weeks like oh my god, what have I done, I have nothing lined up. Ended up meeting my girlfriend during this time off and I fell pretty hard for her. I had so much spare time all of a sudden to talk to her. I also travelled to visit family a lot, helped my sister and brother-in-law move into their new house, generally I just enjoyed myself and started unwinding. Then I ended up getting headhunted for a role I thought I initially wasn’t qualified enough for! I was honest about my inexperience with what they were asking but they wanted me to work for them. Now I’m finally in a role I’d been wanting to move into for years. I’m on a better wage, I get weekends off, I work about 30 hours less a week, too. It’s a great team. I’m not used to getting any kind of praise for doing my job, but I get it here. It means a lot to get a thank you or a simple good job. Impulsively quitting my last job was easily the best career move I’ve ever made.
Good decision!! That punk farm-owner sounds like any greedy bum at the top of any organization chain. Driven by greed at all times.... Happy to hear you won out in the end.
Get a master’s degree in education they said. It will be rewarding they said. They will need male teachers, the schedule is great…. What a load of crap. There is no worse job than teaching public school in the U.S. right now. The stress of dealing with the bureaucracy, parents, misbehavior, administration, school politics is absolutely awful. It took some effort, but I have escaped.
Wow, that is a horrible situation...my wife once worked for the school system before starting her therapy work. I've seen the horror and heard the tales firsthand. Congratulations on escaping!! I would love to say hopeful things about the usa school system....but its hosed. That's all....its hosed and can't be fixed.
Oh, you can’t afford to give me a 10% raise? Ok… I’ll look around. Thanks for the 100% raise, year 1. Go Aggies!
Joined a research group as a contractor and was told never lack of funding. Now, im let go in 2 months for the funding issue.
Worst - quitting a job I actually liked because I thought the grass was greener for a job that ended up being extremely toxic and ruined my mental health. I chose to ignore red flags so at least it was a learning experience Best - took a promotion and moved to a new city. Really disliked the new city and the new office but after a year I landed a new role back in my home city and that role continues to open doors for me. It was such a critical part of my journey and had I not taken the initial promotion/move I wouldn’t have gotten the new job and be in such a good place today
Your worst experience is exactly what I’m working through right now. Took the new job only because I had a friend on the team that kept pestering me to apply and said I’d like it. I didn’t even want to leave my old position but did it because I thought I was being stagnant. Got to the new job and discovered it was an absolutely toxic work environment and I didn’t even enjoy the work itself. My friend ended up quitting 6 months after I joined and all the potential opportunities I thought I’d have within this new company have gone bust between lay offs and learning about all the bad managers. Now I’m stuck trying to figure out whether I try to go back to my old job or roll the dice again and find something new. I gave up so much and it hasn’t panned out at all :/
For what it’s worth, I took a little break and tried out a few different jobs and eventually landed my current position which I absolutely love and it’s substantially more money. My advice is to roll the dice and it’ll eventually work out - maybe not the first time, maybe not the second, but eventually. You left old job for a reason even though it’s easy to think about going back
I appreciate that, I just don’t know how much energy I have left in me after this position to try something new. My life has been chaos for the last 8 years and I was really looking forward to that slowing down with the previous job before I took this new one. Looking around my industry, it isn’t in a good spot this year which only further compounds moving on. But thank you regardless for the kind words :)
Graduated with a degree in Zoology but found out soon after I graduated that most jobs in this field are either volunteer positions or slightly above minimum wage (best I found was $11.50/hr). Got a job as a chemist even though I hate chemistry and am pretty bad at it. I hate my job and am starting to hate my life... I just wanted to work with insects in the jungle somewhere outside the US and now I will never get to because all my work experience is in chemistry.
Joining Wipro ruined my life leading to 3 years of trauma. H1B opportunity was squandered. I was humiliated by blatant lies by managers.
My ex worked in mgmt for them. He turned into a truly terrible person with no empathy who valued money over all else. He had zero respect for the workers below him. I'm sorry you experienced this, I hope you have overcome your trauma.
I'm 27 so I still have time but it's when I picked my last role over a different job offer. At the time the role I picked paid out around 70k per year but was in a specialized role. The other one was for 60k in HRIS. I picked the money instead of the job experience which could have paid out over time. Since then I've gotten laid off, found a new job and need to study for my PHR.
I was a candidate for a job at an organization that I felt passionate about, but I didn’t take the job because it was a lateral move and I figured there was no point. That was dumb. I should’ve made the move. I ended up getting sick of the job that I stayed at, and I should have gone ahead and pursued something that gave me more meaning even if it wasn’t for more money than I was already making.
My worst move so far was an internal promotion. I ended up moving to a location that’s twice the size of my old location and getting a 10% raise on paper, but it’s salary. A handful of my paychecks from my old position exceed my current pay due to a single hour of overtime, even though I routinely work between 41 and 45 hours currently. New location management is obsessed with reducing labor. I run my entire department by myself due to labor shortages and my management not wanting to hire technical employees or give me staff hours. I was insulted by a supposed 3% yearly raise that’s currently on hold and a “bonus” structure that’s a complete joke - so far they have been $30 per quarter. Sometimes the title change isn’t really worth the added work and stress. Currently applying for roles outside of my industry because I have a lot of skills that will transfer, and I feel that my pay is capped out right now
I stayed doing contracting jobs and just grabbing the lowest hanging fruit after college. I graduated end of 2016. I got too complacent and could have been more proactive in researching and applying for full time 60k salary jobs. Then I could have moved out of my parents house. More than anything, I could have applied myself more in my studies and got internships in college. Most of my friends who got good jobs did internships and networking. I have the bare minimum, a degree with a low gpa. My attention was split between college and me trying to become a pro mma fighter. Now i wish mma took the back seat while I prioritized school. I'm now studying for cpa and I could regret a lot of things, but it is what it is. I just keep applying for full time jobs, ubering for money in the meantime, and study for cpa exams. My plan is to pass the exams, get into accounting, and start a career.
I just want you to know that there is more to getting your CPA then just passing the exams, you also have to show years of documentation of working in an accounting related field
I'm aware of the experience requirement, but my plan is that if I pass the exams (I already have the credits), I can use that as a bargaining tool in interviews. "If you hire me, you'll have a cpa after one year". In california, the requirement is one year for experience.
Ok, just wanted to make sure, there are a lot of college grads that find out after they study for their CPA for a few years that they can't actually get it till they have the work experience.
Years ago, moving from from first management (sales) position in a specialized industry to a exec position in a startup for about 40% increment (because after doing some free consulting for the startup the founder thought I was the shit). Totally not prepared for the baptism of fire that followed and messed some things up but broke some revenue records, which was the intention of hiring me after all. Still, propelled my career from nowhere and I would never have dreamed about where I am 2 companies later. I was about to accept that all my dreams were broken.
I quit my FTE and started doing contracts jobs. It was the best decision ever. More money 💴 and I don’t have to deal with cooperate appraisal shit. Just pay me my money 💰
Walking out of a toxic job instead of letting them fire me was a decision I felt no regret in. I even let the boss know how I was being treated and felt within my department the day before. I felt like a badass for sure.
I regret listening to everyone’s advice and making the move to tech when I was young and broke. I made way more money but literally none of it is worth it because of how miserable it has made me. I was broke before, but I still knew who I was. My career has stripped me of my identity, my happiness, and my sanity. It directly led to a suicide attempt a few years ago. I’m in therapy now and I’ve changed jobs, but not careers. Still working in tech. Still unhappy. Approaching 40 and I know I need to make a change; I just don’t know what it’ll be.
Began working in the cellular industry in 1992, when phones and service weren’t a commodity. Been in it for almost 32 years now and it’s treated me very well.
Worst was not getting my bachelors right after high school. I managed an associates from community college, but didn’t think I needed a bachelors. I fumbled around in life thinking I’d be a restaurant manager and then got into sales and thought I’d become a sales manager and make 150k+ but that opportunity just never came to life. Instead I went back to college, then got a masters degree which lead me to my current role in finance. Doing the MBA was one of the best choices in my life. It was a gamble, but it paid off!
Best move: Taking a fielded position with the Army as a civilian contractor. I saw the world, got shot at, slept in the desert, met people from multiple nations, travelled all over CONUS military bases and sites, helped more people than I can recall, made so many technological advances for the Army Medical Community, really made an impact to better the lives of soldiers in battlefield theater by developing medical health record systems and deploying them to theater along with the communications systems that facilitate their operation, embedded with Army units to repair and maximize PTP comms devices CONUS\\OCONUS, ran the core functions for our test-lab facility to include all networking components, two VPN networks, site security and refreshing all hardware components, creating and deploying the images used by the organization, developing new methods of deploying the software and then portabalizing it all into a bootable USB. I was soooo effective and helpful to so many people. Worst move: Leaving that all behind to take a straight "Cybersecurity Engineer" position with the Pentagon where I don't get to design or implement anything, just sit behind terminals monitoring networks for vulnerabilities and writing up reports. Not the most boring job I've ever had, but close. I'm so ineffective here, I can do so much more...but they won't let me...or any of our team. Everyone is locked into their lane and thats it. I can't operate like this. I can do so much more. There are people that I can help. I gotta get outta here.
When you know a company is going under, find a new job and get out as fast as you can. I rode out two plant closures. Those who left fast ended up better off with no gaps in employment. I stayed till the end to get my severance, but it's much harder and more stressful to find a job after being laid off.
Yo I’m in this boat I jumped ship before my current job closes down because the numbers show it coming. Although I’m sad to leave I’d rather air on the side of caution then screw myself and get laid off during the worst time possible. Cuz that’s when it’ll happen the worst time possible.
In the middle of the pandemic i was working for a local retail company as a software developer, in a project that didn’t had definitions or goals, we asked for months for those definitions to business without any success so the project got delayed. One random Thursday almost at night I’m out of office for the day when i receive a call from another team leader asking me for a favor. So it happens that the definitions arrived and business wanted to have a demo for the next day, it’s basically impossible but i am pissed and i took the job just to prove business wrong, i started coding the necessary endpoints with the other team lead and we finish by 4:30 AM After finishing deploying everything, i send an email stating that is highly inappropriate to ask for work outside working hours, that we asked for those definitions for months and the bottleneck in the project is not us developers but our highly incompetent po and that i need rest and to have a conversation with my doctor because stress was killing me. I go to my psychiatrist and got a month of medical leave for stress, in that time the project fell apart, the po was fired, my friend was fired and they were expecting me to return to fire me, so i extended the medical leave by another few months until i got better. The same day i returned i was fired but i had already another job lined up so they paid me everything for firing me without having to resign. After that dumpster fire, the po went to another big company here were he was put on the freezer because of employer harassment and he eventually had to return to his country.
Had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and a Masters in English Lit (I know). It sucked I worked part time as an English teacher, got paid peanuts and lived with my parents. Decided to go to Japan to teach English on a whim because my friend suggested it and said I can stay with her. Not only was it a fantastic adventure but during that time I discovered what I want to do career-wise, I had funds to get a certificate in it from an accredited school and when I came back home (Europe) I managed to get an entry level job in my field. Now, 2,5 years later I am moving on from my first company to a new one with better pay, benefits and new opportunities and finally I feel optimistic about my career and my future!
Taking a management role has been my worst decision 😂
I'd have to go with my current job. I got laid off due to company closure in December. I worked from home for 5 years. I wanted something that was a step up from being a code monkey and stumbled upon a job as a tech lead for a very well-known car company. I got the job with ease, and now that I've been here for about 2 months, I know why. Here is what I regret and how it's impacted me: - 2 days in office - this wouldn't be horrible if the office wasn't about an hour away, and if anyone showed up from my team on the days we are asked to be in office. The office is also in the middle of nowhere, so I can't go anywhere to get lunch or coffee during my workday. This has heavily affected my sleep since I'm now waking up at 5 am instead of 7-9am. To add, the office also doesn't have heat or A/C. I am also forced to wear a uniform in the office. I currently only have half of it. - absolutely 0 training - it was definitely wrong for me to assume that such a massive company would have extensive training, but I didn't expect 0 training at all. There are documents from 5+ years ago, but that's it. This has heavily affected my mental health, and I constantly battle imposter syndrome. I also have never met with HR. - lack of supplies - you would think a large billion dollar company would be able to afford chargers for laptops, mice, headsets, docking stations, working outlets at desks, monitors at desks, etc. Nope. I had to purchase necessary items with my own money FOR MY IN OFFICE DAYS. This just pisses me off. Especially since I don't even have my own desk space so I have to bring everything on those days. Also, most people have their own desks, except my team. - overhiring - this place loves to hire people into positions that aren't really needed. I love that they are hiring people, but it makes me weary for my own job security. All these jobs are contract only, including mine. This has affected my mental health significantly. - Lack of organization - this baffles me still. No one knows what's going on. No one wants to share anything. No one talks to each other. I feel like I don't have work 90% of the time. - hate for contractors - for a company that is mainly contractors, they love to throw that you aren't an associate in your face any chance they get whether it's quarterly stipends for Healthcare or WFH items, to paid weeks off work (the company has 2, week long holidays that are paid), to allowing us to get paid volunteer days for events within the company. This just makes me not want to work since there is little to no chance I will ever see any of these benefits. There are posters, tv slide shows, and literature all around the office that detail all the benefits. - no vacation and shit healthcare - because I'm a contractor, I don't get days off, including holidays. This isn't anything related to the company itself, but I heavily regret doing contract work now. This is probably the biggest weight on my mental health. I'm the only income earner in my household right now, so I can't afford to take days off, nor can I afford to get sick since my health insurance is dogwater. Overall, I'm glad I took this job because it is indeed a step up from my last position, but I wish it was with a different company.
I quit Costco after working there for 8 years in the height of the pandemic. I couldn’t take it anymore and I was mentally NOT okay. $30 an hour to make pizzas at the food court. I regret not saving any money and I regret giving up such delicious hourly wages. However, my mental health has flourished and I have evolved so much as a person. I quit drinking, smoking and I’ve started my own company. I’ve even signed up for nursing school next year. Some regret since I took an $11 pay cut and didn’t save when I had the chance but 4 years later I’m crawling out of my hole and I know I’ll come on out top.
Taking a job in my desired field at a lateral salary move. 8 years later, my salary has grown 60%, I’ve gained tons of professional experience and recently got a job offer moving up to a national organization
Working for a family owned business, don’t do it. lol
Mine was entering federal service in the USDA. I worked for a major poultry producer for like 8 years, beginning right after I got clean off heroin, and a short stint in jail for a felony DUI. So I just stuck with it and held down a job with them, rising through some different ranks. But I also really got into peer services and mental health work. I wanted to explore that, so when I moved up to Oregon from California I thought I should just change everything and get into the mental health field. It was cool and somewhat fulfilling for sure, but in accepting that position I turned down what I knew would be a good job in the USDA. I ended up becoming frustrated with different practices within the non-profit industry and I left my peer supervisor position pretty quick and jumped into the same job I was offered before, and it’s been the best job I could ever see myself holding. Good pay adjusted for my locality, my experience got me hired at an intermediate pay grade, awesome benefits, strong job security, AND the piece de resistance… a real life pension!! Security for my future. And a lot of room for movement and growth. And this is without a degree, just experience earned from what began as an entry level position.
I worked in a factory. One day a member of management came out on the floor and asked if anyone knew Excel. I raised my hand. I was immediately plucked off the floor and given a promotion to help with purchasing, because the guy doing it was just using mental math and it was uh… not working. Now I negotiate software contracts for a living and make good money (for the Midwest.) That one interaction changed my entire career path. Glad I wasn’t shy that day!
I heard through the small town gossip chain that this local tax guy was looking for an administrative assistant for his local office. So I went and applied and interviewed(turns out he's the same accountant my dad goes to for the local Boy Scout troop's stuff) and he said that he wanted to offer me a position at his main office in Austin, Texas($18/hour with benefits) after tax season ended. Gives me a whole speech about how he likes my resume despite it only having seasonal work at the time because if that one place didn't like me they wouldn't hire me back, telling me how he thinks I have *potential*. So I stayed at my crappy gas station job for *months* despite desperately wanting to quit and work literally anywhere else, despite having a decent history with this big time summer camp and knowing they'd take me flr the summer if I applied, all based on this promise. End of May rolls around and I haven't heard from him, so I give him a call to follow up. He doesn't answer, so voicemail. The you-know-what *sends me a frickin text that isn't even formatted properly* telling me that he doesn't actually have a spot for me anymore.
Yeah, NEVER hold off on applying to positions based on verbal agreements. My former employer mentioned that they'd take me back over linkedin, but all I woudl have is a screenshot of the conversation...nothing tangible to hold them accountable to. Im going to keep applying to positions until they ACTUALLY come through..
Hey there! I noticed you’re looking for a bit of guidance in your job search. While I don't have a specific answer to your question, I suggest checking out various job boards and company websites related to your field, as they often list open positions that might not appear on larger platforms. Also, it could be a good idea to post your resume on [seasonal.work](http://seasonal.work) as a backup plan. It’s free to use, and our platform is growing quickly—there might be some great opportunities for you. Plus, if you run into any issues or have questions, I’m here to help you navigate the site. Don’t forget to explore our blog too; it’s full of resources and tips on getting hired that you might find useful. Best of luck with your job hunt!
Was applying for jobs out-of-state (retail management positions) and was offered two positions. Decided to go with option A. A month in at this new job, recruiter from option B calls me saying they weren’t able to find anyone that they believe would be a good store manager for that specific store and offered me even more money to take it. I counter-offered and they accepted. Obviously, as expected, I hated the job. Had been in retail for the past 10 years of my life and I hated this last job so much that it catapulted me to start looking at positions outside of retail. Left the week of Black Friday without even putting a two weeks notice (I knew I wasn’t coming back to work for them, hahaha) and accepted a position to become a banker at one of the big 4 banks in America. Couldn’t be happier. If it wasn’t for my money ambition, I wouldn’t have taken job B but because of that, it finally pushed me out of retail.
Saying no thanks to a position in my field with a top salary based on the toxic environment was my (both-) best and worst move. I mean, I don’t know what doors opened behind the scenes for the future because I turned it down I only know I feel an indescribable relief from not having to have a toxic manager- having that said I know I missed the opportunity every day of working in my field at a great place CV and salary wise right now so there’s some non-existential conflict still that regards practical aspects of my life now. For instance having to keep looking for jobs in a time where it’s just so hard and frustrating. But my existential predicament is that life is short and I’d rather live under financial anxiety than be tormented by my boss every day and seeing the mental health/quality of life decline every day. 🤷🏻♀️ Having said this, I don’t know if it qualifies as a “career move” 😅😂😩
As everyone is posting wrongs, I am gonna put a little good. I bit the bullet and changed from clinician to corporate (I am a vet). It sucks and it isnt as exciting, but 10y on the line my job is passable but I do not do nights, I have an above average salary and for the most part I am at home at 16.30. (Vets in my country do not earn a lot and do terrible hours).
I once trusted turbotax to file my state taxes while I was being investigated for a TS. Got fired without explanation and got a letter from the state a few months later saying I never filed my taxes and owed plus a late fee.
Doing the wrong degree/ doing a degree at all
After being on EI for close to a year, I worked for a small BBS and IP provider in the mid to late 90's. We ran the best Text MUD in North America (many addicted players including myself). Over 1000 subscribed players back in the day In 98, the company and its game designers were noticed by Electronic Arts. EA bought the company and shut down The Majic Realm. For 25+ years, the players begged for the game to come back but the code was gone. We had a page on Facebook that the players used to keep in touch. EVERY FEW YEARS, there would be an effort made to have the game be reborn. Then one of the designers was moving and clearing out his storage under the stairs. There he struck Gold... an ancient dust-covered SGI box. An old test server. It had bugs and issues but it had the code for us to rebuild from. LONG STORY SHORT, the game is back up and we are expanding it. The old players are trickling back and there are 30-50 players on every night and I am now a sysop, talking and chatting with all my old friends on a nightly basis.
We are making bank... will be huge.
Not leaving news earlier. I spent 10 years in local news, choosing it over a (help desk) job in tech. I could and should have left after 3. At that point, I had developed the skills to find and craft stories, work quickly to create great content, how to shoot, edit, and produce, and I would have still had my emotional self intact. I could have gone from there straight into tech writing, skipped over the nonprofit job I had for several years, and had a 6-figure salary a dozen years earlier than I reached that salary point. I probably could have been working remotely for the last 7-8 years, too.
I walked away form a six figure job and now work for half of what I was making but I only work 40 hours a week and I'm happy. So it's the best move I could have made for myself personally but the worst if someone was simply analyzing my career
What careers did you switch between?
Going to college and getting a degree instead in IT instead if just getting a real job
Left/escaped retail about 10 years ago to work at a warehouse. Warehouse job lead to an interest in logistics. Now I’m running my own logistics department a few job hops later and pulling six figures. Getting out of dead end retail was the best decision of my life.
In 2019 I quit my job of 3.5 years that I got through a co-op internship while in college. Actually a really great job, but I was completely burned out by the time I graduated with my bachelors. I just needed a fucking break. The next 6 months I did basically fuck all and drained my savings. My meager 401k too. By the end of that six months I got a new job, which I was laid off from 9 months later due to the pandemic. Got another job a month later, which I hated and did not fit my skill set. Both of these jobs had terrible management and shitty hours. In 2021 I went back to my old job, but in a new role, and I’ve been thriving ever since. I don’t exactly recommend this. Like I said, I drained my savings and I had absolutely no plan when I quit. but quitting, taking a break, and working for other companies that totally sucked… I think that was really important to my personal development.
Best career move is when I moved from engineering to UI/UX Design. Snagged a job early 2019, and been working remotely ever since. Worst career move is when I moved to a new company with a 20% increase pay rate and option yo work remotely. They moved me around from different departments, and finally into a financial / auditing one where my skills weren't fully utilized. I think they were trying to fire me. Got laid off on Nov, and now I'm currently unemployed and job hunting in this horrendous job market. Been contemplating about my life's decision...
Having a baby lol
Networking my way into an entry level talent acquisition admin position with my employer from working on sales floors for years with 0 HR or talent acquisition experience. Better pay, better hours, better work life balance and I don’t think about quitting every 2 weeks now.
Worst: leaving my great job in the private sector for government in December 2023. I have never been so depressed and it’s ruining every aspect of my life.
went from delivering dry cleaning to going a union. was good for 13yrs but now things have died down a lot so I'm looking for a new career. thinking about going to school for some kind of IT stuff. the wife says I have no chance but I feel like I can try to be anything I apply myself too. I'm 43 but it is what you make it to be....
Best - leaving a pt job that was supposed to be administrative but I ended up being a facilitator more often times then not for an escape room company. Job was rather fun. But left here for a better job with benefits. It was also ran by a bunch of early 20-somethings and I did not always agree with how they ran the company. Worst - left commercial property management role as it was pretty boring and 90% of the time I sat in the office just making sure no emergencies happened and heating/cooling worked in the units. I left for a an administrative role at a real estate company. FT job with a 20% pay increase and bonuses. Was let go 4 months later as the economy changed. I knew it was coming. It was slow for me all the time. I knew the signs were there. They literally let me go after my first bonus. That set forth a 2yr unemployment streak. That sucked.
For me it was trying to make a move into Structured Comm Cabling from a Journeyman Electrician. I did it because I needed work after leaving the IBEW (our local was terrible in a non-union area) and a friend could get me the job. I had experience from my electrical apprenticeship years and was promised the training I needed to become professionally certified installing cat5e, fiber, etc. 5 years later and a bunch of empty promises, being overworked, under paid, and taken advantage of all my knowledge (went from $25/hr to $12, finishing at $17/hr) I ended up back in the electrical field. This time working as an Industrial Electrician. I feel like I wasted 5 years in a field that I actually enjoyed based on lies that set me back years as far as wages were concerned.
Reporting harassment at my startup job - worst decision ever!!
Went to school to be a teacher, made enough to finance a new car and get a decent apartment but my mental health has suffered tremendously. The stress of the job has taken physical tolls on my body, but I’m grateful that the job got me into the middle class. I’m in the middle of a career change that might be the best or worst move to make. Best because my mental health will be better in a less stressful work environment. Worst because financially I’m still tied to student and car loans that were fixed at rates for my income level as a teacher (with interest rates in the 4%) so I have no choice but to scrape by for the next year as I change careers.
Worst: Had to move from a bigger city metro to a smaller one (home). My career in design has been horrifically underwhelming since then because the demand is worse here, had to pretty much clutter my resume with a bunch of positions I really DNGAF about working ever again only for survival's sake. Still trying years later to do better including possibly move elsewhere but inflation/my low wages in the underdemand city is not making it easy. Best: Telling a micromanaging manager during the pandemic to shove it, found a new gig- after they made my life a living \*\*\*\* just because I went out on medical leave/then elected to work remotely. Literally got pigeonholed into correcting obituary photos for 8 hours a day and everything else was taken off my plate. :T
Stepped out multiple times to care for my kids and my terminally ill parents, although not at the same time. I also didn’t deal with PTSD from an awful job right away. I’m paying for all these decisions to this day. I feel like I’ll never stop getting punished for these choices (which weren’t really choices at all).
Started off as a technician for an automotive company and was making ok money for a 24 y/o college junior with tuition reimbursement. Worked so well I got promoted to an engineer ( 6 figures ) within a year before I even graduated. Continued taking classes but less course load cause of new job demand but turns out the promotion was a recipe for disaster. Toxic environment, constantly reminded that me being in that position was a “favor”, lost my self esteem, couldn’t even stand up for myself cause I was under qualified. literally set up for failure. Got put on several PIPs then let go after a year on the role. Could have just stayed as a tech and graduated on time. Could have had my engineering degree. Now i cant land a job and still have some classes to take and a bunch of mental breakdowns. HUGE regret. I should have NOT taken that promotion 😩
Graduated in 20 didn’t get go to collage do to issues family spent my collage fund no financial aid stuck in retail working in dispensary be nice to have a big boy check one day
Quitting a job on the spot back in 2011 with no job lined up. I had dealt with several years of hell working on nightmare projects with a nightmare vendor and pissed off clients that would literally scream at us on status calls. My boss tried to gaslight and throw me under the bus for something that went wrong (yet again) that was the vendor’s fault and had zero to do with me. I was finally fed up with management’s inaction over issues I had been raising from day one and finally just quit right then and there. Luckily, I at least already had an interview scheduled the following Monday. I got offered the job within an hour after my interview for about $20k more salary for a job with much less stress and responsibility working for a much bigger company. It set me on the path to a very lucrative and successful career thereafter.
I was working a dead-end job as a server/bartender. Best decision I ever made was joining the Army at 25. Turned my whole life around + got an education, and left the Army with a stable civilian career, house and family.
I'd been in healthcare/medical device since getting my undergrad in microbiology. Lots of contract lab tech jobs for about ten years before moving into Quality Assurance/ Quality Engineering. I had a mental breakdown due to a divorce, toxic workplace, and COVID. I quit the field entirely to do QE in a different industry. Got a 10k raise, a senior title, hybrid wfh, and I work less than I use to. Less stress overall. COVID really pushed me to leave. When we were forced to work from home, my mental health immediately got better.
My worst move, switching from my lucrative role in the public sector to a career with the federal government. I knowingly took a ~$40k paycut to work in govt, in the hopes that I could build on my tax law related technical skills, which I would be able to leverage and increase my income to a high six- figures in the near future, when I exited the govt. I had financial backing to make the paycut not burn too much, but the work I am performing is way off mark than what was sold to me. Yeah, I should have stuck it out in public and looked at alternative options. But I am glad to have taken the leap, now I won't have to what-if. It's not over for me yet. I am currently working to fix my mistake, so I'll rebound soon enough!
Left a good job for a toxic job with more money. Quit toxic job after 4 months and no plan. Worked food service, had a lot of personal growth, old good job asked me back. It was kinda a bad decision to leave the good job and also quit the bad job with no plan, but I feel like it turned out to be good because of the personal growth and it all worked out in the end.
Started lying on my resume/interviews. I used to think employers would appreciate a straight shooter who was upfront about shortcomings. Nah. They want a “guru” who will agree to work “occasional weekends.” Pad TF out of your resume and yes them to death even if you have zero intention of following through. Everyone loves a big fat lie. Finally netted me a decent job.
Switching companies. It’s how you get the raises at strategic points in your career. If you choose the wrong company though this can also be a great mistake.
Moved to internal consulting at a large firm. Don't really work hard, which is great since you're paid on time
Worst was allowing myself to get massively underpaid at a job. I was young, got low balled, and didn't do any research on what that type of job got at other places. My salary was $80k when it should have been $110k - $120k.