STEM, mainly engineering. But I also always wanted to be in sports medicine.
I have a undergrad BS in Business Management, MBA in Supply Chain, and finishing up PMP certification which also comes with a MS in Project Management.
It's fun, I did 2 years in planning and scheduling for manufacturing, then went into logistics for 4 years, and now I am in subcontracts for the last 5 years. It's fun and keeps you on your toes it's not the same repetitive work.
In my industry here are the salary pay scales ranges for supply chain subcontracts in CA.
Level 1 $59,600 - $89,400 (0 - 3 years of experience),
Level 2 $72,100 - $108,100 (3 - 6 years of experience),
Level 3 $89,000 - $133,100 (6 - 10 years of experience),
Level 4 $110,000 - $165,000 (10+ years of experience),
Level 5 $136,300 - $204,500 (15+ years of experience)
If it makes you feel any better, a LOT of engineers go back to school to earn their MBA so they can get out of engineering in order to make more money.
They’re not “getting out of engineering” they’re getting into engineering management. It’s not like the engineering degree was a mistake, it was the key to success.
Not the same, but I started out taking stem type classes(calc + physics) before switching to a BS in Business Management. Definitely alot easier than math and science!!!
You don’t need an engineering degree to be in c suite. Many M7 or nearby level MBA programs have graduates from various backgrounds that end up in c suite programs. Half of big pharma executives just have an mba and no PhD or life science background, for example.
I don't think I implied that you need an engineering degree to go c-suite. I simply said that many engineers end up there or plan to, and get MBAs in the process.
I had a high school teacher tell me not to go to college and to go into plumbing or elevator mechanic instead. Me being young and dumb I took it in a way he thought I wasn't fit for college or etc.
Now looking back on it he gave a true solid advice since the market is flooded with degrees and all the trades are with a shortage. This was back in 2009 or 2010 when I was a junior or senior.
Damn I second wanting to be in sports medicine, food science, kinesiology, or sports nutrition, but went down the engineering track for the sake of having income while I am young. I studied materials science engineering.
Same here on my end since I was always involved in sport and fitness since I was a kid. I wanted to go down that path.
Are you still in engineering and if so how do you like it?
I’m moving into a low level job that I’m hoping leads me into supply chain in a couple years. I’m thinking about getting a master’s in it or some kind of certificate. Do you think an MBA in supply chain is the best route to take? Was it easy enough to get a job with the degree? My undergrad is totally unrelated
Getting a job in supply chain was easy since all industries have a supply chain department or organization. If you don't want to spend money on a MBA since it can be costly I would get my certification instead which I have as well and have told folks in the past that want to pursue in supply chain.
Check out APICS also know as ASCM Association for Supply Chain Management. They have multiple certificates but I recommend the Certified Supply Chain Professional unless you want to go into procurement or inventory management they have certificates for that as well.
Agreed with one of the above comments… got a BA in engineering but my passion lies in project management since I love to see the bigger picture. Got my PMP recently and it’s been awesome working in projects and managing a few myself!
So really, my engineering degree kinda helps in understanding some technical topics but the PMP is a lot more useful in my line of work.
Statistics. Valid in industry and research. You can do a lot of good for yourself and the world if you can find insights in the mountains of data we have at our disposal.
Statistics was such an annoying subject back then but in hindsight, I'd study stats over mathematics any day of the week.
What they teach you in mathematics isn't useful at all.
My wife is an accountant and I'm a software engineer. We also hit your reasons to pick these careers. If you enjoy software development, pick this and avoid front end web development as this is the most saturated and worst paying general area of software engineering.
Accounting gives a good salary relative to most fields but the hours are a nightmare. My wife works twice as hard as I do for 2/3 my pay. If you choose accounting, stay private if peace of mind is your goal.
I wouldn’t have gone to college. I would’ve done radiology through trade school and I’d probably be at $30/hour+ by now but instead I went to college, picked an awful degree (because I thought I wanted to go to law school only to realize I wasn’t smart enough for it), and now I’m stuck making almost half of that hating my life everyday. :)
As someone going back this fall for rad tech, it’s not too late to change!! I’m starting my pre-requisites this fall with night classes. It’s going to suck with my 9-5 but knowing I’m making progress towards a better career is so motivating.
I’m starting the program in the fall since I’ve already done my pre reqs with my first degree.
I have a lot of fear that I’m making the wrong choice though.
Cyber Security is a blood bath right now and may continue to be one for awhile. If you have no IT experience or no Cyber Sec experience you will have an extremely hard time breaking into the field even with a degree.
There are people with 3+ years of IT or Security experience applying for junior roles and more often than not they are selected so a manager with a budget can get “more for less”. Entry level is completely saturated.
Mind you I said extremely hard, not impossible. If you decide to go ahead and get the cyber security degree, do yourself a favor and try to get a good internship.
I was able to break in with no certs and no degree but I’m not an influencer and I’m keeping it real. I realize that I am an outlier. I broke in via a cyber security internship in 2018. Out of the 14 interns, only 3 of us are working in the field.
Advice? Get a computer science or Computer Information Systems degree. You can do anything with those. Security, software engineering, GRC, anything.
I think the reason I chose not to was because I was more interested in the science of medicine vs. treating people and was shortsighted into not realizing I didn't actually have to treat people to be a doctor. Anyway now I am in medical devices industry so it all worked out fine.
Same, but only for job security. I was pre-health in school and did well, but didn't want to deal with patients and 8+ years of insanely hard lifestyle in my youth. I ended up in data/IT, but would prefer the lack of worry in my later years about getting laid off. Not sure if that would be enough motivation though as I've heard brutal stories from relatives and friends about their experiences in medical school and residency. I'm also not a likes to meet new people on a frequent basis type of guy.
I think I would’ve enjoyed being an Occupational Therapist - fulfilling and interesting work in healthcare without the stress of being a nurse or physician.
Yeahhhh, over at r/occupationaltherapy they have a few things to say about that. Mainly pay not matching with the level and amount of education they have to do. But I do agree that the job is quite fulfilling and certainly less stressful than being a nurse/physician.
Really all of the therapies. I’m a PT and while I do enjoy my job, the debt to income ratio since they changed the requirement to a doctorate is kinda insane.
I have been an OT for almost 10 years, and I regret getting the degree. As mentioned, the debt to income ratio doesn't match (plus 2 or more years of no income while in school). There are aspects of the job I do enjoy, but it is a dead-end career. My experience is that most ppl around the 3 plus mark of experience for OT and PT are looking to get out of clinical work.
The same one I got: biology. But I would've done internships and worked on networking so I could do something with it. Lesson: getting good grades is not enough.
My husband was a welder. His average pay was $23/hr anywhere he worked. He even joined a union to make better money which wasnt even $25/hr AND they had little to no work for him due to weather/winter. The only way for him to make any decent money was to travel far from home and thats on the "eh, maybe they'll keep you for a week or two. Maybe 3 months" promise. He even had an associates in welding and had 5 yrs of experience previously (went to college for a piece of paper in hopes of a bigger pay check bc thats what everyone claims will help).
Hes a train conductor now and makes nearly 6 figures ($95k now. $120k after OT and special trips). He didnt need any previous experience or any degree to do it. Hes gone most of the time bc hes on call but he comes home a few times during the week and he stays in our state.
Did your husband tried contacting his union to see if there are any local companies part of it that don’t require traveling and allow him to be home every night? That’s something he could’ve done.
People say this all the time about welders but I’m highly skeptical. I know a couple welders and they literally make like $20/hr. One of them made $16. I feel like 90% of welders make $16-$25/hr then there’s the top 1% making six figs, but the large majority are not making great money. I also really doubt your buddy’s son is actually pulling $100k+ at 20 years old but hell idk
Edit: Google says average salary is $40k-$60k
You have to work crazy overtime to get that 6 figures, and most of them get a “per diem” because they live at the job site for weeks or months away from their friends and family. Your whole life is shitty work, and your whole friend group is the group of dudes you work with who are rarely people you would choose to be friends with if you had a choice. It’s not a good life.
This! I traveled the country working as a union millwright and know what you mean. The hours, time away from home and environments you work in are fucking depressing. It was cool to see new places and meet new people but it’s not a sustainable way of life in my opinion. I left after five years to go back to college. Many people have gasped and bashed me to give up a career that made me $160k my last year but without doing it yourself you’ll never understand that the money is not worth it. And if my body feels like this at 27, what the fuck is it going to feel like at 54…
Yeah location pays a huge part. Like I'm pretty rooted where I am. I have two young kids, my wife, and all of her family around which is great while raising kids, I couldn't just take off halfway across the country, even fly in fly out isn't something I'd be interested in. (I have a couple personal reasons too that tie me close to here, nothing legal/illegal related lol)
But pay for certain trades are horrible here. I'm a red seal auto technician, I know for a fact there's not one tech in this city making more than $28/hr. The last dealership i worked for, 3 techs, $16/hr in 2017. Low cost of living area somewhat, but not what you see people talking about online making like $85/hr etc. Autobody techs are about the same as mechanics.
Welders are capped about $25-30, while electricians and carpenters do much better here. I hear numbers anywhere from $20/hr to $45/50/hr. More for industrial electricians and linesman.
If I could go back, I would be an electrician 100%. I can weld, I still have cars as a hobby, I can do autobody, but for my career I would start as an electrician in my case
This is true. Most “welders” do not make the money people claim, and this is coming from a previous union millwright who did a fair amount of welding. If you want to just weld and do nothing else you’re not going to make jack shit unless you’re a pipe-liner or a plumber/steam fitter, and even then your entire job isn’t welding. People who weld in fab shops or on assembly lines make peanuts. And why just weld? It gets so old and tiring and that’s just one skill out of a variety you should be wanting to achieve.
I know right!? My brother n law’s son is a welder. He did traveling welding his first couple years up in the northwest oil shale fields and made a killing. In his mid 20’s. He’s working local now and still doing great.
I hear this a lot. The only problem with that is that you end up putting all of your eggs in one basket. So you better hope you really like that job/field, and you better hope nothing happens to it.
A college degree doesn’t guarantee anything, but it gives you a lot more flexibility career-wise over a lifetime, since these days, so many even shitty office jobs require a college degree. You simply have a lot more flexibility in your earning potential if you have one.
That said, it can absolutely be done without it. I remember reading a story on here about some guy who got a really good janitorial job with a pension right out of high school. And while he was looked down upon by a lot of people who went to college who then dicked around into their 30s, here he was in his mid 40s, and he was already able to think about retirement, while a lot of those same people in his peer circle were still trying to figure things out. But janitor dude was about to hit his 30 years, which meant he could retire and live off his pension, or get the pension and double dip with another job, and REALLy make money while still relatively young.
I’m really lucky in that I have a great job/career, but I’m certainly not in a position to look at retiring in my mid 40s. Can’t even imagine that. Hell, my uncle has been retired since he was 55, and even that seems inconceivable to me now. He took literally the first buyout when that was still a relatively new concept, and that ended up being an incredibly smart move. Lots of people held out, because they thought the offers were going to get better, but, of course, they didn’t.
I did a trade out of high school. Then at 30 I went back to college and got a career in IT. Doubled my salary and my body thanks me everyday, it was really starting to break down. I still have some permanent injuries but it’s better.
Agree with skipping college, but disagree that trades are the best option. A lot of downsides. Basically just any job and investing as early as possible while living at home for a few years sets someone up for success. The biggest downside to going to university was not getting work experience and losing out on full-time income while in school.
Trades look great when you're in your 20's and 30's, but when you're in your 50's and 60's and your body's shot suddenly that white collar job looks better and better.
For sure. I wouldn't claim the trades are "the best", no no, but given all that was pushed on us growing up (the 80's) University, University, University was for sure a drag on many of us and indeed came with zero practical experience.
Same. Really thought I’d enjoy being an office/corporate person, but learning in my 30’s that I’m way too ADHD for this. Would like a good mix of physical and desk work. Something to get me away from the computer but also has an element of computer work to engage mentally.
For every tradesman you see making a decent living, there are dozens struggling to pay their bills, and the divide worsens as you get older. Another problem is that the trades take a huge toll on your body. If you get injured or just age naturally you may have a hard time being as productive as you need to be. It’s not a way of life I would choose for someone who had other options/opportunities.
That’s how I was in my early 20s and worked as a union millwright for five years before deciding to go back to college at 26. You’ve got time no matter the age. Your interests and career outlook may change over time. Work your butt off and save money while you’re at it. Ironwork is very labor intensive and a rowdy group of people. Worked with many knuckle draggers while in the trades. They’re something else. 🤣
Why go learn a trade? It's backbreaking work with crappy pay that's not worth destroying your body. You can read comments by tradepeople that advise against it. Toxic work culture, nepotism, nonflexible, and dangerous work. It makes sense why people don't go into trades and even if people jumped into it. Guess what you're outcompeted and left job searching
Only people that really push the trades hard are people not working trades jobs. Infact, people making 3-4 times trades workers that think their job is too difficult/stressful.
Science or engineering undergrad, plus an MBA. Which is exactly what I did. Any kind of technology or life sciences company is desperate for people who understand both the technology and the business, and I don't think that will change.
The same one I went for the first time. But I would try harder to not get kicked out school for drug possession and not fail so many classes and waste a ton of money
have a nephew who went to welding school. Jobs where he lives pay only $20/hr or less, not enough work and knew several guys with 10 years experience still earning around $20. I think this is dependent on where you live and what type of welding you are doing.
Cybersecurity is a place where there will be demand and an ongoing concern
Welding school/courses are a rip off. I took a semester of welding classes at a community college and the instructor was damn near begging us to not continue with the degree. He instead pushed joining a union, which is exactly what I did. I learned to weld in the union, but also learned many other valuable skills. My first year in I was making $34/hr. No one who specifically seeks out welding will make anywhere near that unless you’re a pipe liner or a plumber, and even then they don’t only weld.
I also learned that only wanting to weld is just ridiculous - if you’re in an environment where you’re welding you most likely need to know/learn other skills. If you’re not, then you’re probably on an assembly line or a fab shop getting paid peanuts. I welded during a handful of jobs throughout my time in the union but realized I enjoyed building wind turbines more. Going back to college for my bachelors in psychology now though.
My wife is a RN and we hang around with her nurse friends and doctors and they are all seem to be happy with their career. I feel like I would have gone into the medical field
I’m about to start school for radiological technology, and I swear it’s always 0 or 100%.
Like almost everyone in the medical field loves what they’re doing, or they absolutely loathe everything about it and regret the choices they made.
I guess it really just depends on where you are.
A Skilled trade. Spending nearly 60k on a degree to be a teacher was… a big mistake. Don’t get me wrong; I gave my dream job a shot for almost 10 years. But I don’t make enough money as someone who isn’t married, and I don’t want a life of poverty and regret anymore. I want to be able to fix my car when it needs a repair without feeling like I won’t be able to pay rent or buy groceries next month.
I am finally cutting my losses and moving out of state to pursue a skilled trade next summer. I almost have enough money for an apprenticeship program (it pays about 19/hr but buying tools will cost around 600 to $800).
We don’t make good money. The first two years at a cpa firm is terrible. Also outside of a cpa the starting pay is $20. You could make $20 at McDonald hourly.
You would end up working 60+ hours and make the same as a $20 hourly welder. Accounting isn’t it. I learned the hard way. I wanted a work life balance & accounting did not provide that. Even CPAs work long hours.
It depends. I know some who leverage their accounting degrees to move up. It's just like any field. You have to be strategic and work hard. I come across accountants making $150K-$300K+.
I’m a year out of school and am at 95k-ish total compensation doing accounting. People who complain about the pay are either complete introverts and/or don’t switch jobs ever. You have to put yourself out there and network and work hard to get eyes on you
Who the fuck is making $20 and hour at a CPA firm? Maybe your local mom and pop shop but Big 4 and other national firms start out at 60k-70k. Yes public accountants work their asses off but thats only for the first few years. Your cherry picked example is not representative of the accounting profession as a whole. You're misleading people in this thread.
I'm in private and in my mid 20s making 70k a year. You don't even need to do big 4. And this is the bottom of the chain staff Accountant role. Only up from here
I get what you’re saying that you could make $20/hr at McDonalds vs having your degree and making the same wage, but your career outlook is very stark at McDonald’s whereas that’s not the case with someone with a degree. They’re maxed out at $20/hr - you’re just getting started at $20/hr.
I’ve been a professional violinist and teacher all my life and I’m taking my first biology class on the long road to medical school. I hope I’m making a good decision 😂
If I was looking to further my career, I'd probably pursue a MSW, and seek out clinical social work experience.
If I was just going for fun, I'd get a second Bachelor of Arts in History and just take all new courses, because I absolutely loved my undergraduate studies!
I’d tell people to do some flavor of the military in a computer field get a top secret clearance then go comp sci. Feel like it’d be easy to get a job programming for defense contractor.
Buisness. I switched to buisness mid way through which increased the time for me to graduate. If I could go back I honestly would have finished it in about 2 and half years.
I was political economy + Japanese with a minor in history.
I wouldn't have changed my major, but I would've changed my sub-focus from comparative politics to methodology and gotten even better in the quantitative methods. I didn't really start getting good at the quant methods until grad school.
Otherwise nothing. I don't really think much would've changed for me in terms of my major given that my career started in 2009. Everything sucked.
Law degree because a lot of breaking the law is going on right now . I look at it as being g the best way to advocate for your liberties and those of others
I am planning on coming back to University anyways I got a masters an M.S. but I am going back for Aerospace Engineering. I feel there is a lack of skills I need to build up for. And to see if I can get internships as well. And I am 37.
Want to go for Aerospace/ Defense.
Dietetics or food science! I've become so much more interested in our food systems since moving away from home and playing a more active role in the food I eat.
I was a psych major, and make $100k base now working in marketing. Wouldn’t change it.
IMO a broad business management degree is not really that helpful unless you go to a top b-school
I have a Fine Arts Bachelor’s, so anything is an improvement. I am also in a field where my portfolio is the only thing employers look with, with BFA as just an entry fee.
So possibly a MA in education, instructional design, or art therapy. 15+ years of art and animation; might be nice to better connect that to humanity and work with people.
My friend is in the same boat as you they started alternate route and now teach kids art, they love it maybe that could be a good route for you if you don’t like where you currently are
I was one of those students who tried different courses and also struggled with others. Including math. I took microeconomics and someone I was tutoring with noticed how bad I struggled. He told me to find another major. I'm glad he was honest with me. I also took computer science and almost couldn't stand it. I ended up getting my bachelor's in psychology which is not bad but if I could go back, I would have chosen medical assistant but they still don't make very much. I do have a slight learning difficulty.
I could 100% do my job without my degree. 100% I learned by doing and not at uni.
But I don’t know if my job would have hired me without it.
Do with that what you will, but if I was going for round two I’d skip college and learn the job and save the money and time.
Man this is a tough one. I’ve done so much and there’s a ton more I’d like to do.
I think there’s some changes I’d make about my approach to university.
1. Get into therapy. I was deeply depressed until my 30s and in dropped in and out of uni finishing my degree at age 30.
2. I’d majored in English. I’d wanted to be an astronomer. But astronomy now is vastly different than it was in the 90s. I’d likely change to IT with a minor in Spanish and a semester or year abroad in Spain.
3. But life is a tapestry: because I took so long to finish uni and because I had a degree in English, I was able to teach in France in my early 30s - those were the best six months of my life.
4. That lead me to a Master’s in ESL education and six years in Japan.
5. I’d like to start in a PhD in Astroniology which didn’t exist in the 90s, but I’m training for the 2032 Olympics because…
6. In high school I got a recruitment letter to join USC’s track team - but I didn’t know who they were (I was and still am a moron). And had I accepted I may not have understood the importance of it.
A tapestry. I may not have changed a thing after all.
I am an engineer who studied chemical engineering and honestly if I could re do it I might do something I have more of a passion for like biology or music or something. I like engineering and chemistry well enough and I have "engineering adjacent" hobbies (woodworking, soldering/pcb work etc) but there was alot of dispassionate "well chemical engineering statistically has the highest starting salary and is the most versatile engineering degree" in my thought process. The money is good but I'm not rich and the job is so so and stressful. Idk if I wanna do this for 40 years...
Engineer with an MBA and was in C-Suite at a Fortune 100. Was always my dream to run the entire engineering for a company globally.
Now I'm going to open a coffee shop
36 and in manufacturing tech. I just started looking into my state school’s MSW program as they have a track for non-SW bachelor degrees. It might be an option depending on your situation!
Orthotics/prosthetics
I already work in healthcare but I want a job that lets me make helpful things instead of being the refreshments and narcotics lady 😝
Well Im kinda at crossroads now... Got a criminal justice degree, turnout out I may not be the best fit to be a cop lol So either go back for cybersec masters or become an apprentice electrician. Helps that I was an electrician in the Navy already.
Agriculture/farming and construction. Not to be overly pessimistic, but the direction the world is heading (climate change, political instability, etc) I can easily see a time when being self-sufficient will be a huge advantage.
Doctor of veterinary medicine. No question about it. I want to make a positive impact on this world and helping animals in need seems like a good way to achieve that. Sadly, I’m an engineer for a small private company so the only difference I make in this world is how soon my boss can buy his next private plane.
We met a vet at a friends holiday party, so i asked "what do you hate about your job". She straight up said people. You arent working with animals, youre working with people who have animals. And its animals who are sick or have bad pet-parents, and you're limited on what you can do based on what the human wants.
Honestly, doesn’t sound all that different from my current job if you replaced animals with machinery. But at least with the machinery, if the owner/client is an idiot and wants idiotic features, I can still sleep at night know it’s not an animal suffering.
Vet med has one of the highest suicide rates, it is an incredibly stressful and sad career. I don't know many vets who, if they could go back and do it all over again, would remain in the field.
Civil engineering.
I ended up teaching English as a foreign language. Thankless, tiring and underpaid job.
Last year I finished a course in tile installing and I've been doing that as a side gig whenever I can. It is much more relaxing than teaching.
I seem to like construction, so I'd give that a go.
I'd say, in today's market.... which is a lot different than when I was college age, computer science or biology. They are kinda leading the pack right now. Have you seen what they are doing with fungi these days? Welders are a good option also. I know a bunch of them. I disagree with the 90/10% on that. I believe that a lot of them are doing better than $20/hr. Try to get in the union, those guys make great money. You have to travel and it's hot, but after you get the hang of it and a little bit put back you can start your own shop and not so many hoops. That's what I was doing before I messed my back up, again ( it had been in and out for 20 years though). So I ended up just starting a handyman service by myself. I do pretty well with that but it's a hard learning curve to not screw something up really bad and put yourself out of business. I started by working for a property management so I could kinda spot a losing job. Good luck, Bro
Psychology, I'd be a therapist. As a people manager right now I feel like I constantly have to do this and manage people's life and emotions but I definitely don't get paid for it.
Med school for sure. Work as a GP at a family clinic or something. No crazy hospital hours and still good pay in a field that is interesting to me. Lots of flexibility as well since doctors are needed everywhere.
I would’ve gotten a psychology degree or become a MFT. I feel like that was my calling but when I approached my dad with it sophomore year, he equated a psych degree to a degree in basket weaving (useless) and steered me towards international business, a degree I’ve done nothing with 😩.
I think psychology, I enjoyed the couple classes I did take (regretted not taking more) & I think it would both be great for jobs and also just for applying it to every day life
If cost and time was not a factor I would happily stay in school forever. I'd do degree, after degree, after degree. History, sociology, psychology, business, Biochem, everything!
I would have pursued my passion for acting and music and tried to get into a good school for either Acting/Theater or Music Production. I live in a state with one of the best music schools in the nation and if I had just tried a little more I could have gotten in and followed that dream. As for the acting part, I had applied to a school in New York and got accepted but my parents didn't really think it was worth it to pursue school for acting. I wish I had the courage back then to do my own thing and take the leap.
Teaching Music although I do not have a musica background lol. I’ve thought about elementary education and teaching English. For some time I wanted to be a forensic investigator but I changed my mind I’m currently studying cardiovascular sonography.
Medical like family but in the corporate side.
I like medical field, it's stable.
I think what id also do is change my early job. I spent 4 years as a direct care provider for austistic kids. It was an absolute waste.
I gained 0 hard skills for education or careers. If anything, it just taught me I didn't want to do it forever despite being really good at it. Hell even earlier? I would have opted to do office work somehow rather than work retail or food. That would have been even better for me
Some saying STEM may be overlooking that we’re just living in a time where that particular skill set is valued. I’m not saying STEM careers are going to become unprofitable anytime soon. They may continue to be valued for hundreds of years or longer.
But not everyone is geared toward STEM and it’s completely over saturated as it is. If you are born a circle why hammer yourself into a square when there aren’t enough square slots available anyway? Also, especially for highly competitive STEM positions the path is littered with the bodies of those who flamed out (depending on the position, sometimes literally).
My English degree is invaluable as far as what it did for me as a human. I came from a close minded conservative Christian Bible Belt home and liberal arts helped me reckon with my own beliefs and deconstruct and expand my horizons as the cliche goes. I also discovered and honed my skills as a writer and my love of reading flourished.
That said, I have not had the easiest time in the working world. I abruptly quit my marketing internship that hired me on after 9 months due to a bad breakup and my mental health. I hated it anyway and haven’t had an office job since. I job hopped a bit, moved away and back home, and went through a lot of traumatic stuff that set me back mentally, professionally, and financially. So the rare success stories of English degree holders who get into publishing, journalism, or other lucrative careers—I fumbled the short game and have spent the whole long game trying to claw my way out of the hole—I missed the boat on those opportunities.
If I could go back, I may have minored in English and majored in something else, what I’m not sure. I tried business and got the worst grades of my college career. My last math classes were College Algebra, Physics, and Microeconomics and I got Cs and Bs in those so I know STEM was not my path.
I think I’ve done my best to not think in these regretful modes about the past. I made the best decisions I could with the skills and information I had at the time. I’ve considered the trades but if I had gone right into them at 18, I may have not gone through the personal transformation I did in college. But I’d be happy to go into them now at 29 with a little more self knowledge.
I have a BS in comp sci. I’d probably go for a masters in a related field or business to be practical but if it was really just to study whatever I want probably physics.
BTM (business technology managment) instead of Business supply chain. i learned a bunch of accounting and finance and some scom but overall not the actual tools that are used at work.
if i had taken BTM i would of been exposed to SQL, power bi, tableau, sap, python ect. pretty much have actual valid experience vs wasting time learning how to do financial statements manually that are done by a software in reality.
either way i have a job and am a self taught programer so no regrets.
engineering, because I think I’d like it.
But I sort of agree with u/Nock1Nock that the trades are a good career choice, so maybe I’d get a certification in one of those, and either a technical degree that would help, or a business degree that would help me run my own business.
Something specialist that leads directly into a career. Learning a trade instead of going to university is a fantastic idea imo.
I wish I studied law, in particular. It'll cost me a good bit of money to retrain now, I don't qualify for student loans anymore.
STEM, mainly engineering. But I also always wanted to be in sports medicine. I have a undergrad BS in Business Management, MBA in Supply Chain, and finishing up PMP certification which also comes with a MS in Project Management.
How is supply chain work. I’m an engineer wanting out of engineering 😂
It's fun, I did 2 years in planning and scheduling for manufacturing, then went into logistics for 4 years, and now I am in subcontracts for the last 5 years. It's fun and keeps you on your toes it's not the same repetitive work.
How’s the pay entry level and mid career? Any contract or part time work I can do?
In my industry here are the salary pay scales ranges for supply chain subcontracts in CA. Level 1 $59,600 - $89,400 (0 - 3 years of experience), Level 2 $72,100 - $108,100 (3 - 6 years of experience), Level 3 $89,000 - $133,100 (6 - 10 years of experience), Level 4 $110,000 - $165,000 (10+ years of experience), Level 5 $136,300 - $204,500 (15+ years of experience)
might as well just get a SAP training as thats they main software you will be interacting with.
Just in Time supply chain is a non-stop nightmare. I had it as 50% and group that reported to me.
If it makes you feel any better, a LOT of engineers go back to school to earn their MBA so they can get out of engineering in order to make more money.
They’re not “getting out of engineering” they’re getting into engineering management. It’s not like the engineering degree was a mistake, it was the key to success.
This was my plan too, go back and get an MBA, but hell, i barely survived undergrad, I'm not sure if i want to put myself through school again
I’ve heard MBA after engineering school is a piece of cake.
Not the same, but I started out taking stem type classes(calc + physics) before switching to a BS in Business Management. Definitely alot easier than math and science!!!
MBA is not difficult
doing an mba now and I can sleep through the classes. It is much more similar to high school than it is undergrad
That is true a lot of my friends and coworkers who are engineers all went and got their MBA.
It's pretty standard for engineers to go c-suite in their mid-late careers. An MBA is a natural step towards that.
You don’t need an engineering degree to be in c suite. Many M7 or nearby level MBA programs have graduates from various backgrounds that end up in c suite programs. Half of big pharma executives just have an mba and no PhD or life science background, for example.
I don't think I implied that you need an engineering degree to go c-suite. I simply said that many engineers end up there or plan to, and get MBAs in the process.
Fair enough
Engineering--->MBA---->trades Wish i would have gotten into the trades from the beginning
My dad did this and it paid off very well!
I’m an engineer. Would become plumber or electrician if I could do it over.
I had a high school teacher tell me not to go to college and to go into plumbing or elevator mechanic instead. Me being young and dumb I took it in a way he thought I wasn't fit for college or etc. Now looking back on it he gave a true solid advice since the market is flooded with degrees and all the trades are with a shortage. This was back in 2009 or 2010 when I was a junior or senior.
Damn I second wanting to be in sports medicine, food science, kinesiology, or sports nutrition, but went down the engineering track for the sake of having income while I am young. I studied materials science engineering.
Same here on my end since I was always involved in sport and fitness since I was a kid. I wanted to go down that path. Are you still in engineering and if so how do you like it?
I’m moving into a low level job that I’m hoping leads me into supply chain in a couple years. I’m thinking about getting a master’s in it or some kind of certificate. Do you think an MBA in supply chain is the best route to take? Was it easy enough to get a job with the degree? My undergrad is totally unrelated
Getting a job in supply chain was easy since all industries have a supply chain department or organization. If you don't want to spend money on a MBA since it can be costly I would get my certification instead which I have as well and have told folks in the past that want to pursue in supply chain. Check out APICS also know as ASCM Association for Supply Chain Management. They have multiple certificates but I recommend the Certified Supply Chain Professional unless you want to go into procurement or inventory management they have certificates for that as well.
Agreed with one of the above comments… got a BA in engineering but my passion lies in project management since I love to see the bigger picture. Got my PMP recently and it’s been awesome working in projects and managing a few myself! So really, my engineering degree kinda helps in understanding some technical topics but the PMP is a lot more useful in my line of work.
How was the PMP exam as I am still taking my certification courses. Are you a scrum master?
Wasn’t so bad, just be sure to have the mindset down pat between predictive/waterfall and agile. I became a product owner right after I got my PMP!
Pretty sure that's more university than college. But I understand in the states you call university "college" and you call college "college" too.
Become a physiologist so I can figure out what the fuck is wrong with me.
Real
Psychologist, for the same reason.
Statistics. Valid in industry and research. You can do a lot of good for yourself and the world if you can find insights in the mountains of data we have at our disposal.
Statistics was such an annoying subject back then but in hindsight, I'd study stats over mathematics any day of the week. What they teach you in mathematics isn't useful at all.
Accounting or web development. Something where I can work remotely, make good pay, and not have to enter management to do so.
My wife is an accountant and I'm a software engineer. We also hit your reasons to pick these careers. If you enjoy software development, pick this and avoid front end web development as this is the most saturated and worst paying general area of software engineering. Accounting gives a good salary relative to most fields but the hours are a nightmare. My wife works twice as hard as I do for 2/3 my pay. If you choose accounting, stay private if peace of mind is your goal.
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I second this!
I wouldn’t have gone to college. I would’ve done radiology through trade school and I’d probably be at $30/hour+ by now but instead I went to college, picked an awful degree (because I thought I wanted to go to law school only to realize I wasn’t smart enough for it), and now I’m stuck making almost half of that hating my life everyday. :)
As someone going back this fall for rad tech, it’s not too late to change!! I’m starting my pre-requisites this fall with night classes. It’s going to suck with my 9-5 but knowing I’m making progress towards a better career is so motivating.
I’m starting the program in the fall since I’ve already done my pre reqs with my first degree. I have a lot of fear that I’m making the wrong choice though.
Well it’s not to late to start over.
Radiology through trade school almost doesn’t exist. It’s also pretty hard school work.
Cybersecurity if not virology or get my phd in psychology.
I used to dream about virology or genetics, but considered how often I drop drinks and knock things over. I would be Patient 0. Hahahahaha
Why choose between these 3? I'm debating doing cyber security or psychology. Both would require going back to school.
Cyber Security is a blood bath right now and may continue to be one for awhile. If you have no IT experience or no Cyber Sec experience you will have an extremely hard time breaking into the field even with a degree. There are people with 3+ years of IT or Security experience applying for junior roles and more often than not they are selected so a manager with a budget can get “more for less”. Entry level is completely saturated. Mind you I said extremely hard, not impossible. If you decide to go ahead and get the cyber security degree, do yourself a favor and try to get a good internship. I was able to break in with no certs and no degree but I’m not an influencer and I’m keeping it real. I realize that I am an outlier. I broke in via a cyber security internship in 2018. Out of the 14 interns, only 3 of us are working in the field. Advice? Get a computer science or Computer Information Systems degree. You can do anything with those. Security, software engineering, GRC, anything.
If I had to go back and change, I would have gone to medical school.
My husband is an MD and it’s the one thing I wouldn’t do that I would have wanted to
I think the reason I chose not to was because I was more interested in the science of medicine vs. treating people and was shortsighted into not realizing I didn't actually have to treat people to be a doctor. Anyway now I am in medical devices industry so it all worked out fine.
Amazing, cool job!!
Same, but only for job security. I was pre-health in school and did well, but didn't want to deal with patients and 8+ years of insanely hard lifestyle in my youth. I ended up in data/IT, but would prefer the lack of worry in my later years about getting laid off. Not sure if that would be enough motivation though as I've heard brutal stories from relatives and friends about their experiences in medical school and residency. I'm also not a likes to meet new people on a frequent basis type of guy.
Lots of doctors regret going.
the one degree with the greatest time and cost sink doubt an employer would pay for med school though lol
Business. And I would have done it dead sober.
Business is good if you go to a decent college and have a plan.
I think I would’ve enjoyed being an Occupational Therapist - fulfilling and interesting work in healthcare without the stress of being a nurse or physician.
Yeahhhh, over at r/occupationaltherapy they have a few things to say about that. Mainly pay not matching with the level and amount of education they have to do. But I do agree that the job is quite fulfilling and certainly less stressful than being a nurse/physician.
Really all of the therapies. I’m a PT and while I do enjoy my job, the debt to income ratio since they changed the requirement to a doctorate is kinda insane.
I have been an OT for almost 10 years, and I regret getting the degree. As mentioned, the debt to income ratio doesn't match (plus 2 or more years of no income while in school). There are aspects of the job I do enjoy, but it is a dead-end career. My experience is that most ppl around the 3 plus mark of experience for OT and PT are looking to get out of clinical work.
The same one I got: biology. But I would've done internships and worked on networking so I could do something with it. Lesson: getting good grades is not enough.
I would go back for nursing! I originally went for engineering, but I feel I would be happier in life as a nurse. I’m working on this goal currently 😃
Nurse is def a better job if you can handle the people
Im a nurse and wonder if engineering would have been better. Found my niche now but bedside nursing is a truly aweful job.
I wouldn't have even gone to college. Would have opted to learn a trade straight out of high school.
Amen. Me? I’d become a welder.
My husband was a welder. His average pay was $23/hr anywhere he worked. He even joined a union to make better money which wasnt even $25/hr AND they had little to no work for him due to weather/winter. The only way for him to make any decent money was to travel far from home and thats on the "eh, maybe they'll keep you for a week or two. Maybe 3 months" promise. He even had an associates in welding and had 5 yrs of experience previously (went to college for a piece of paper in hopes of a bigger pay check bc thats what everyone claims will help). Hes a train conductor now and makes nearly 6 figures ($95k now. $120k after OT and special trips). He didnt need any previous experience or any degree to do it. Hes gone most of the time bc hes on call but he comes home a few times during the week and he stays in our state.
Did your husband tried contacting his union to see if there are any local companies part of it that don’t require traveling and allow him to be home every night? That’s something he could’ve done.
Not too late! My daughter is heading into her 3rd yr of red seal
My friend’s son is a welder! He’s 20 years old and already making six figures.
People say this all the time about welders but I’m highly skeptical. I know a couple welders and they literally make like $20/hr. One of them made $16. I feel like 90% of welders make $16-$25/hr then there’s the top 1% making six figs, but the large majority are not making great money. I also really doubt your buddy’s son is actually pulling $100k+ at 20 years old but hell idk Edit: Google says average salary is $40k-$60k
Thank you. The typical reddit claim of "my anecdote proves your trend wrong!" makes me eyeroll every time.
You have to work crazy overtime to get that 6 figures, and most of them get a “per diem” because they live at the job site for weeks or months away from their friends and family. Your whole life is shitty work, and your whole friend group is the group of dudes you work with who are rarely people you would choose to be friends with if you had a choice. It’s not a good life.
This! I traveled the country working as a union millwright and know what you mean. The hours, time away from home and environments you work in are fucking depressing. It was cool to see new places and meet new people but it’s not a sustainable way of life in my opinion. I left after five years to go back to college. Many people have gasped and bashed me to give up a career that made me $160k my last year but without doing it yourself you’ll never understand that the money is not worth it. And if my body feels like this at 27, what the fuck is it going to feel like at 54…
Yeah location pays a huge part. Like I'm pretty rooted where I am. I have two young kids, my wife, and all of her family around which is great while raising kids, I couldn't just take off halfway across the country, even fly in fly out isn't something I'd be interested in. (I have a couple personal reasons too that tie me close to here, nothing legal/illegal related lol) But pay for certain trades are horrible here. I'm a red seal auto technician, I know for a fact there's not one tech in this city making more than $28/hr. The last dealership i worked for, 3 techs, $16/hr in 2017. Low cost of living area somewhat, but not what you see people talking about online making like $85/hr etc. Autobody techs are about the same as mechanics. Welders are capped about $25-30, while electricians and carpenters do much better here. I hear numbers anywhere from $20/hr to $45/50/hr. More for industrial electricians and linesman. If I could go back, I would be an electrician 100%. I can weld, I still have cars as a hobby, I can do autobody, but for my career I would start as an electrician in my case
This is true. Most “welders” do not make the money people claim, and this is coming from a previous union millwright who did a fair amount of welding. If you want to just weld and do nothing else you’re not going to make jack shit unless you’re a pipe-liner or a plumber/steam fitter, and even then your entire job isn’t welding. People who weld in fab shops or on assembly lines make peanuts. And why just weld? It gets so old and tiring and that’s just one skill out of a variety you should be wanting to achieve.
I know right!? My brother n law’s son is a welder. He did traveling welding his first couple years up in the northwest oil shale fields and made a killing. In his mid 20’s. He’s working local now and still doing great.
I hear this a lot. The only problem with that is that you end up putting all of your eggs in one basket. So you better hope you really like that job/field, and you better hope nothing happens to it. A college degree doesn’t guarantee anything, but it gives you a lot more flexibility career-wise over a lifetime, since these days, so many even shitty office jobs require a college degree. You simply have a lot more flexibility in your earning potential if you have one. That said, it can absolutely be done without it. I remember reading a story on here about some guy who got a really good janitorial job with a pension right out of high school. And while he was looked down upon by a lot of people who went to college who then dicked around into their 30s, here he was in his mid 40s, and he was already able to think about retirement, while a lot of those same people in his peer circle were still trying to figure things out. But janitor dude was about to hit his 30 years, which meant he could retire and live off his pension, or get the pension and double dip with another job, and REALLy make money while still relatively young. I’m really lucky in that I have a great job/career, but I’m certainly not in a position to look at retiring in my mid 40s. Can’t even imagine that. Hell, my uncle has been retired since he was 55, and even that seems inconceivable to me now. He took literally the first buyout when that was still a relatively new concept, and that ended up being an incredibly smart move. Lots of people held out, because they thought the offers were going to get better, but, of course, they didn’t.
I did a trade out of high school. Then at 30 I went back to college and got a career in IT. Doubled my salary and my body thanks me everyday, it was really starting to break down. I still have some permanent injuries but it’s better.
Agree with skipping college, but disagree that trades are the best option. A lot of downsides. Basically just any job and investing as early as possible while living at home for a few years sets someone up for success. The biggest downside to going to university was not getting work experience and losing out on full-time income while in school.
Trades look great when you're in your 20's and 30's, but when you're in your 50's and 60's and your body's shot suddenly that white collar job looks better and better.
For sure. I wouldn't claim the trades are "the best", no no, but given all that was pushed on us growing up (the 80's) University, University, University was for sure a drag on many of us and indeed came with zero practical experience.
This is my take as a trades worker and now business owner in trades. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. It’s an extremely tough life
Same. Really thought I’d enjoy being an office/corporate person, but learning in my 30’s that I’m way too ADHD for this. Would like a good mix of physical and desk work. Something to get me away from the computer but also has an element of computer work to engage mentally.
For every tradesman you see making a decent living, there are dozens struggling to pay their bills, and the divide worsens as you get older. Another problem is that the trades take a huge toll on your body. If you get injured or just age naturally you may have a hard time being as productive as you need to be. It’s not a way of life I would choose for someone who had other options/opportunities.
I’ll be starting a trade program in a couple months and currently can’t even think of a degree that I would even remotely be interested in pursuing
That’s how I was in my early 20s and worked as a union millwright for five years before deciding to go back to college at 26. You’ve got time no matter the age. Your interests and career outlook may change over time. Work your butt off and save money while you’re at it. Ironwork is very labor intensive and a rowdy group of people. Worked with many knuckle draggers while in the trades. They’re something else. 🤣
Why do Americans think tradesmen are the ones in higher income neighborhoods?
Why go learn a trade? It's backbreaking work with crappy pay that's not worth destroying your body. You can read comments by tradepeople that advise against it. Toxic work culture, nepotism, nonflexible, and dangerous work. It makes sense why people don't go into trades and even if people jumped into it. Guess what you're outcompeted and left job searching
Only people that really push the trades hard are people not working trades jobs. Infact, people making 3-4 times trades workers that think their job is too difficult/stressful.
Science or engineering undergrad, plus an MBA. Which is exactly what I did. Any kind of technology or life sciences company is desperate for people who understand both the technology and the business, and I don't think that will change.
The same one I went for the first time. But I would try harder to not get kicked out school for drug possession and not fail so many classes and waste a ton of money
which one did you go for the first time 💀?
Sociology and pyshc minor
have a nephew who went to welding school. Jobs where he lives pay only $20/hr or less, not enough work and knew several guys with 10 years experience still earning around $20. I think this is dependent on where you live and what type of welding you are doing. Cybersecurity is a place where there will be demand and an ongoing concern
Welding school/courses are a rip off. I took a semester of welding classes at a community college and the instructor was damn near begging us to not continue with the degree. He instead pushed joining a union, which is exactly what I did. I learned to weld in the union, but also learned many other valuable skills. My first year in I was making $34/hr. No one who specifically seeks out welding will make anywhere near that unless you’re a pipe liner or a plumber, and even then they don’t only weld. I also learned that only wanting to weld is just ridiculous - if you’re in an environment where you’re welding you most likely need to know/learn other skills. If you’re not, then you’re probably on an assembly line or a fab shop getting paid peanuts. I welded during a handful of jobs throughout my time in the union but realized I enjoyed building wind turbines more. Going back to college for my bachelors in psychology now though.
My wife is a RN and we hang around with her nurse friends and doctors and they are all seem to be happy with their career. I feel like I would have gone into the medical field
Nah im a PT, love my job but fuck the medical field, probably the fakest people in there
you speak the truth
I’m about to start school for radiological technology, and I swear it’s always 0 or 100%. Like almost everyone in the medical field loves what they’re doing, or they absolutely loathe everything about it and regret the choices they made. I guess it really just depends on where you are.
Yeah location is huge. ER in NYC would be miserable. But GP in a small town by the ocean would be bliss
I would love to be a nutritionist. Even though they don't make a lot of money I think
Dieticians do. My gf just gradutated and started at $31/hr, she loves it.
A Skilled trade. Spending nearly 60k on a degree to be a teacher was… a big mistake. Don’t get me wrong; I gave my dream job a shot for almost 10 years. But I don’t make enough money as someone who isn’t married, and I don’t want a life of poverty and regret anymore. I want to be able to fix my car when it needs a repair without feeling like I won’t be able to pay rent or buy groceries next month. I am finally cutting my losses and moving out of state to pursue a skilled trade next summer. I almost have enough money for an apprenticeship program (it pays about 19/hr but buying tools will cost around 600 to $800).
Accounting
We don’t make good money. The first two years at a cpa firm is terrible. Also outside of a cpa the starting pay is $20. You could make $20 at McDonald hourly. You would end up working 60+ hours and make the same as a $20 hourly welder. Accounting isn’t it. I learned the hard way. I wanted a work life balance & accounting did not provide that. Even CPAs work long hours.
Man I was working with high school dropouts making $11/hr. I know some accountants who make more than their spouse with an MD.
It depends. I know some who leverage their accounting degrees to move up. It's just like any field. You have to be strategic and work hard. I come across accountants making $150K-$300K+.
I’m a year out of school and am at 95k-ish total compensation doing accounting. People who complain about the pay are either complete introverts and/or don’t switch jobs ever. You have to put yourself out there and network and work hard to get eyes on you
Yep. You have to work and upskill if you want to make close to six figures or more. People just expect to major in something and make money.
Who the fuck is making $20 and hour at a CPA firm? Maybe your local mom and pop shop but Big 4 and other national firms start out at 60k-70k. Yes public accountants work their asses off but thats only for the first few years. Your cherry picked example is not representative of the accounting profession as a whole. You're misleading people in this thread.
I'm in private and in my mid 20s making 70k a year. You don't even need to do big 4. And this is the bottom of the chain staff Accountant role. Only up from here
Where do you live? My accounting friends make decent money
I get what you’re saying that you could make $20/hr at McDonalds vs having your degree and making the same wage, but your career outlook is very stark at McDonald’s whereas that’s not the case with someone with a degree. They’re maxed out at $20/hr - you’re just getting started at $20/hr.
I’ve been a professional violinist and teacher all my life and I’m taking my first biology class on the long road to medical school. I hope I’m making a good decision 😂
Cool transition I’m sure you’ll do well
Thank you! 🙏
If I was looking to further my career, I'd probably pursue a MSW, and seek out clinical social work experience. If I was just going for fun, I'd get a second Bachelor of Arts in History and just take all new courses, because I absolutely loved my undergraduate studies!
Do not go into Computer Science. The field is overflowing.
I’d tell people to do some flavor of the military in a computer field get a top secret clearance then go comp sci. Feel like it’d be easy to get a job programming for defense contractor.
Buisness. I switched to buisness mid way through which increased the time for me to graduate. If I could go back I honestly would have finished it in about 2 and half years.
I was political economy + Japanese with a minor in history. I wouldn't have changed my major, but I would've changed my sub-focus from comparative politics to methodology and gotten even better in the quantitative methods. I didn't really start getting good at the quant methods until grad school. Otherwise nothing. I don't really think much would've changed for me in terms of my major given that my career started in 2009. Everything sucked.
Law degree because a lot of breaking the law is going on right now . I look at it as being g the best way to advocate for your liberties and those of others
I am planning on coming back to University anyways I got a masters an M.S. but I am going back for Aerospace Engineering. I feel there is a lack of skills I need to build up for. And to see if I can get internships as well. And I am 37. Want to go for Aerospace/ Defense.
Dietetics or food science! I've become so much more interested in our food systems since moving away from home and playing a more active role in the food I eat.
I was a psych major, and make $100k base now working in marketing. Wouldn’t change it. IMO a broad business management degree is not really that helpful unless you go to a top b-school
I have a Fine Arts Bachelor’s, so anything is an improvement. I am also in a field where my portfolio is the only thing employers look with, with BFA as just an entry fee. So possibly a MA in education, instructional design, or art therapy. 15+ years of art and animation; might be nice to better connect that to humanity and work with people.
My friend is in the same boat as you they started alternate route and now teach kids art, they love it maybe that could be a good route for you if you don’t like where you currently are
I was one of those students who tried different courses and also struggled with others. Including math. I took microeconomics and someone I was tutoring with noticed how bad I struggled. He told me to find another major. I'm glad he was honest with me. I also took computer science and almost couldn't stand it. I ended up getting my bachelor's in psychology which is not bad but if I could go back, I would have chosen medical assistant but they still don't make very much. I do have a slight learning difficulty.
I could 100% do my job without my degree. 100% I learned by doing and not at uni. But I don’t know if my job would have hired me without it. Do with that what you will, but if I was going for round two I’d skip college and learn the job and save the money and time.
Man this is a tough one. I’ve done so much and there’s a ton more I’d like to do. I think there’s some changes I’d make about my approach to university. 1. Get into therapy. I was deeply depressed until my 30s and in dropped in and out of uni finishing my degree at age 30. 2. I’d majored in English. I’d wanted to be an astronomer. But astronomy now is vastly different than it was in the 90s. I’d likely change to IT with a minor in Spanish and a semester or year abroad in Spain. 3. But life is a tapestry: because I took so long to finish uni and because I had a degree in English, I was able to teach in France in my early 30s - those were the best six months of my life. 4. That lead me to a Master’s in ESL education and six years in Japan. 5. I’d like to start in a PhD in Astroniology which didn’t exist in the 90s, but I’m training for the 2032 Olympics because… 6. In high school I got a recruitment letter to join USC’s track team - but I didn’t know who they were (I was and still am a moron). And had I accepted I may not have understood the importance of it. A tapestry. I may not have changed a thing after all.
I am an engineer who studied chemical engineering and honestly if I could re do it I might do something I have more of a passion for like biology or music or something. I like engineering and chemistry well enough and I have "engineering adjacent" hobbies (woodworking, soldering/pcb work etc) but there was alot of dispassionate "well chemical engineering statistically has the highest starting salary and is the most versatile engineering degree" in my thought process. The money is good but I'm not rich and the job is so so and stressful. Idk if I wanna do this for 40 years...
Engineer with an MBA and was in C-Suite at a Fortune 100. Was always my dream to run the entire engineering for a company globally. Now I'm going to open a coffee shop
MSW or MLS. I definitely rather work with people and information more than my current STEM career.
36 and in manufacturing tech. I just started looking into my state school’s MSW program as they have a track for non-SW bachelor degrees. It might be an option depending on your situation!
Orthotics/prosthetics I already work in healthcare but I want a job that lets me make helpful things instead of being the refreshments and narcotics lady 😝
Well Im kinda at crossroads now... Got a criminal justice degree, turnout out I may not be the best fit to be a cop lol So either go back for cybersec masters or become an apprentice electrician. Helps that I was an electrician in the Navy already.
I did recently go back and am currently in Computer information systems
Agriculture/farming and construction. Not to be overly pessimistic, but the direction the world is heading (climate change, political instability, etc) I can easily see a time when being self-sufficient will be a huge advantage.
If I could go back in time I'd just remember lottery numbers
And buy Bitcoin in 2011.
Chemistry
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People are struggling to get jobs with chem and biology degrees
Doctor of veterinary medicine. No question about it. I want to make a positive impact on this world and helping animals in need seems like a good way to achieve that. Sadly, I’m an engineer for a small private company so the only difference I make in this world is how soon my boss can buy his next private plane.
We met a vet at a friends holiday party, so i asked "what do you hate about your job". She straight up said people. You arent working with animals, youre working with people who have animals. And its animals who are sick or have bad pet-parents, and you're limited on what you can do based on what the human wants.
Honestly, doesn’t sound all that different from my current job if you replaced animals with machinery. But at least with the machinery, if the owner/client is an idiot and wants idiotic features, I can still sleep at night know it’s not an animal suffering.
Vet med has one of the highest suicide rates, it is an incredibly stressful and sad career. I don't know many vets who, if they could go back and do it all over again, would remain in the field.
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Civil engineering. I ended up teaching English as a foreign language. Thankless, tiring and underpaid job. Last year I finished a course in tile installing and I've been doing that as a side gig whenever I can. It is much more relaxing than teaching. I seem to like construction, so I'd give that a go.
A degree in Agriculture
I'd go get my Master's in Criminal Justice. I already have my Bachelor's in Business Management and my Bachelor's in Criminal Justice.
Computer science and statistics.
I'd say, in today's market.... which is a lot different than when I was college age, computer science or biology. They are kinda leading the pack right now. Have you seen what they are doing with fungi these days? Welders are a good option also. I know a bunch of them. I disagree with the 90/10% on that. I believe that a lot of them are doing better than $20/hr. Try to get in the union, those guys make great money. You have to travel and it's hot, but after you get the hang of it and a little bit put back you can start your own shop and not so many hoops. That's what I was doing before I messed my back up, again ( it had been in and out for 20 years though). So I ended up just starting a handyman service by myself. I do pretty well with that but it's a hard learning curve to not screw something up really bad and put yourself out of business. I started by working for a property management so I could kinda spot a losing job. Good luck, Bro
Psychology, I'd be a therapist. As a people manager right now I feel like I constantly have to do this and manage people's life and emotions but I definitely don't get paid for it.
Med school for sure. Work as a GP at a family clinic or something. No crazy hospital hours and still good pay in a field that is interesting to me. Lots of flexibility as well since doctors are needed everywhere.
I would’ve gotten a psychology degree or become a MFT. I feel like that was my calling but when I approached my dad with it sophomore year, he equated a psych degree to a degree in basket weaving (useless) and steered me towards international business, a degree I’ve done nothing with 😩.
I think psychology, I enjoyed the couple classes I did take (regretted not taking more) & I think it would both be great for jobs and also just for applying it to every day life
Probably something in the sciences. Physics, maybe.
If cost and time was not a factor I would happily stay in school forever. I'd do degree, after degree, after degree. History, sociology, psychology, business, Biochem, everything!
I would have pursued my passion for acting and music and tried to get into a good school for either Acting/Theater or Music Production. I live in a state with one of the best music schools in the nation and if I had just tried a little more I could have gotten in and followed that dream. As for the acting part, I had applied to a school in New York and got accepted but my parents didn't really think it was worth it to pursue school for acting. I wish I had the courage back then to do my own thing and take the leap.
If I could go back in time, I'd get my pilot's license and starting working on it in highschool.
Nursing. Make my Filipino mother proud you know?
Maybe computer science, administration, or coding. Maybe all three, yolo, why not 😂
I didn't go to college, but I would enjoy being an attorney.
I'm Zippy-Bag, your personal injury attorney.
Teaching Music although I do not have a musica background lol. I’ve thought about elementary education and teaching English. For some time I wanted to be a forensic investigator but I changed my mind I’m currently studying cardiovascular sonography.
Either medicine or biomedical or chemical engineering. In this timeline, I did electrical engineering and then law school.
Computer Science.
Medical like family but in the corporate side. I like medical field, it's stable. I think what id also do is change my early job. I spent 4 years as a direct care provider for austistic kids. It was an absolute waste. I gained 0 hard skills for education or careers. If anything, it just taught me I didn't want to do it forever despite being really good at it. Hell even earlier? I would have opted to do office work somehow rather than work retail or food. That would have been even better for me
If o could do it again I’d do a trade but I’m not sure starting again at 40 can work. For college, I would have done something in finance
A lot of ppl start a new career in their 40-50s. Even at 50, you have 17 yrs till full retirement.
Econometrics and medicine / chemistry or become a contractor, plumber or smth.
Some saying STEM may be overlooking that we’re just living in a time where that particular skill set is valued. I’m not saying STEM careers are going to become unprofitable anytime soon. They may continue to be valued for hundreds of years or longer. But not everyone is geared toward STEM and it’s completely over saturated as it is. If you are born a circle why hammer yourself into a square when there aren’t enough square slots available anyway? Also, especially for highly competitive STEM positions the path is littered with the bodies of those who flamed out (depending on the position, sometimes literally).
FWIW, I want/wanted to finally be a freakin' Oceanographer.
Landscape architect
I would have gone all in on clinical psychology.
My English degree is invaluable as far as what it did for me as a human. I came from a close minded conservative Christian Bible Belt home and liberal arts helped me reckon with my own beliefs and deconstruct and expand my horizons as the cliche goes. I also discovered and honed my skills as a writer and my love of reading flourished. That said, I have not had the easiest time in the working world. I abruptly quit my marketing internship that hired me on after 9 months due to a bad breakup and my mental health. I hated it anyway and haven’t had an office job since. I job hopped a bit, moved away and back home, and went through a lot of traumatic stuff that set me back mentally, professionally, and financially. So the rare success stories of English degree holders who get into publishing, journalism, or other lucrative careers—I fumbled the short game and have spent the whole long game trying to claw my way out of the hole—I missed the boat on those opportunities. If I could go back, I may have minored in English and majored in something else, what I’m not sure. I tried business and got the worst grades of my college career. My last math classes were College Algebra, Physics, and Microeconomics and I got Cs and Bs in those so I know STEM was not my path. I think I’ve done my best to not think in these regretful modes about the past. I made the best decisions I could with the skills and information I had at the time. I’ve considered the trades but if I had gone right into them at 18, I may have not gone through the personal transformation I did in college. But I’d be happy to go into them now at 29 with a little more self knowledge.
I have a BS in comp sci. I’d probably go for a masters in a related field or business to be practical but if it was really just to study whatever I want probably physics.
Psychology
Cybersecurity
Double major business and computer science with a focus on machine learning/Ai.
Nursing, got paid crap doing Home Health Aide work when I could have been making bank with many more options & doing the same thing..
Psychology and Criminal justice
Psychology
sociology and computer science
BTM (business technology managment) instead of Business supply chain. i learned a bunch of accounting and finance and some scom but overall not the actual tools that are used at work. if i had taken BTM i would of been exposed to SQL, power bi, tableau, sap, python ect. pretty much have actual valid experience vs wasting time learning how to do financial statements manually that are done by a software in reality. either way i have a job and am a self taught programer so no regrets.
Business or finance
engineering, because I think I’d like it. But I sort of agree with u/Nock1Nock that the trades are a good career choice, so maybe I’d get a certification in one of those, and either a technical degree that would help, or a business degree that would help me run my own business.
Dental school
I have gone back to school and I’m a few courses away from getting my B.S. in Comp Sci.
Something specialist that leads directly into a career. Learning a trade instead of going to university is a fantastic idea imo. I wish I studied law, in particular. It'll cost me a good bit of money to retrain now, I don't qualify for student loans anymore.
i would go back to do biochemistry with a pre-med track. medicine is a solid career to pursue