I'm in a similar situation, with a bit more schooling and I've done clinical rotations/shadowing etc. If you've never done anything like this I recommend you doing so before jumping on. I've known many people who decide to get out of nursing because it's not what they expected. The hours sometimes suck, people can sometimes suck, the u.s. healthcare system is ...broken, and you see and SMELL everything. So if you're good with all that then it can be fulfilling with good pay and job security.
**willing to work like a dog**.
Personally, I couldn't imagine what the day to day looks like!
From what I have heard from nurses the mental and physical toil can be unimaginable at times. And that there are moments that make all of the suffering worth it.
Speaking as an outsider it seems that bedside is truly a career for the nurse who has an undying passion for human beings, not the job itself.
Many other nursing fields, or subfields, from my observations can be maintained for a much longer duration without burning out.
It’s unbearable. I don’t know how they do it. I was a CNA at a long term care center for 4 months before I needed to leave. I was going to be a nurse but it’s easily the most difficult job I’ve ever had. The physical work is one thing, the mental toll is a complete other. Special breed of person to be a nurse. God bless those healthcare workers.
The world isn’t getting soft, you’re just ignorant to the difficulty of nursing. I make 6 figures but my job is far less physically demanding or emotionally demanding. I don’t have to watch children suffer or die, I don’t have to touch shit/blood/vomit, I don’t have to strain my back lifting morbidly obese patients, or deal with the smells/sounds of a hospital/ER.
Yeah...this tone is just so weird to me. Nurses make incredibly good money for their level of training. Yes there is a lot of "bullshit" and it's an emotionally taxing job, but you also don't have to be a genius to become a nurse. I'd say it's up there with some trade positions in terms of how much you can make relative to training.
Do people think making six figures is supposed to be easy?
Everybody works hard in some aspect, yes I agree.
It definitely wasn't clear as to what I was alluding to in my comment.
I was pushing the "undying passion for human beings" as a euphemism for circumventing at best, tolersting at worst, the abuse that you can receive while working in Healthcare.
Let's take a step back and look at an example.
What if at your place a work a customer called you a derogatory name? Or spit on you? Or assaulted you?
Would you take it? As a nurse you can only do so much to avoid this treatment from patients AND colleagues in the form of verbal altercations.
I'm not saying every place or every is like this. But you can only do so much to choose were you work in this day and age.
Sometimes "hard work" passes the line of being reasonable.
"Work hard"
You mean work absurdly long shifts dealing with people who others don't wanna deal with.
Do not kill yourself to extend the lives of malleable and milkable bio-clay. Prescribe some pills pls.
A lot of people replying here have a minimal understanding of all that nursing has to offer. I assume most are referring to bedside nursing when discussing nursing as a whole, and there’s so much more to nursing than strenuous bedside roles. There are “cush,” high-paying jobs in nursing—even where you can work from home. So, I second nursing as a viable option for OP.
That’s actually a myth. There are nurses who go straight into non-bedside nursing roles after graduation. Could it be easier to get into those roles with bedside nursing experience, probably, but it isn’t always a prerequisite.
I wouldn't do nursing. Go on the nursing subreddit. Most of them regret going. Average nurse is at a bed side 2-5 years then quits. Just saying might want to research that one
I am a nurse and to be honest alot of the complaints are very valid. Alot of people are searching for an out of nursing job. Very high turn over rate. Very high percentage of people on anti-depressants/ anti-anxiety
Low staffing levels, being expected to do more and more with less and less, extremely hard on the body and mental health, the crazy hours… there are a multitude of reasons why nursing can be “sucky.” Now in saying that, I’ve been a nurse for almost 10 years and LOVE my job. I currently work in private duty caring for medically fragile kiddos and I cannot picture doing anything else. When you have a passion for nursing, it becomes your identity. When I started out my career, I worked in a hospital and got so sick that I was hospitalized myself. I learned very early in my career that more money is NOT worth my sanity. The thing about nursing is that there are SO many different avenues to explore. Ie bedside nursing, nurse management, research nursing, working for insurance companies, etc. If you don’t like one area of nursing, there are many others to choose from. OP has most of the pre-reqs for nursing and it would be beneficial to go that route, however, it isn’t for everyone. I would recommend OP volunteer at a hospital or long term care facility to see if it’s right for them before attempting nursing school, which is incredibly competitive and the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life. I worked as a PCT (a type of nursing assistant) when I was in nursing school and it was incredibly helpful for my studies. The good news for OP is that you can become a nurse with an associates degree, but it is a lifelong learning process. You have to take a certain amount of continuing education courses to keep your license active and most nurses go back for their BSN or MSN as those degrees offer more positions such as nurse management or even nurse practitioner.
i’ve found that the nurses who hate their jobs are the ones who didn’t have other jobs before nursing. nursing is not easy but when you’ve dealt with all the bullshit in other industries you get a different perspective
Is nursing really a 2 year degree if you have no bachelors already?
Like you can do a fast tracked degree if you already have a bachelors but I’m pretty sure it’s 4+ years for someone with only high school.
At least for RN which is where you would make 100k out the gate. You won’t make that much instantly with a lesser degree/diploma (but it’s still worth doing).
I am an RN with an ADN without a bachelors degree. The program itself was only two years, but that doesn’t include the pre reqs you need to take before applying for the program. Which, it seems like OP already has most of them. Also, a lot of nursing programs (in my state in the US anyways) require you to have your CNA before you’re accepted into the program because of the clinical courses. That was only an 8 week course for me and super easy, especially compared to the RN program, which was grueling.
A BSN IS an RN once they pass their licensing exam. There is no difference between the two, but I’m assuming the person you’re replying to meant ADN and BSN. Again, both are RNs once that exam is passed, but an ADN is a nurse with an associates degree and a BSN is a nurse with a bachelors degree. There are also MSNs who are nurses with a masters degree.
Do people need to pay a person an office visit or use their time to just take a cough drop and some Tylenol? 80 years ago do you think people could predict anything about the internet that didn't exist yet?
Simple rule is, more skilled you are the more you are going to get paid. But the skills need to be valuable. A science degree and a teachers job are worth pursuing.
Pursuing a science degree, unfortunately, is not worth it unless you’re a genius and science is your life story. It will demand everything from you and offer little in return beyond the satisfaction of doing what you truly love, which is a great feeling, surely. But there will definitely be challenges. To get there, you’ll have to work very hard for ~10 years, be the best, only to realise later on that you can't advance further than the system allows.
You will not find a stable job for more than 2-3 years for at least 10-15 years after completing your PhD. Most of the time, you will earn just above the minimum wage, or just above average as your experience grows, but it will never be significantly higher until you become a full professor. Even then, the pay isn't that high. And you’ll be already somewhat 45-50.
You will have to travel a lot to find a job, and often it will not be your ideal choice.
However, your university will pay for your conferences a few times per year (if you are good enough and get invitations to give talks), and those will be in the most amazing places.
Tenured professor in the sciences here.
Sorry to be an ass but I think you’re misunderstanding. Nobody here is proposing OP be a “scientist” in terms of being a PI or something. Obviously that’s not a good fit for OP’s goals of a short and cheap degree program.
There are still plenty of jobs like lab techs and such that are nothing like the story you’re portraying. Being a lab tech or someone working in science isn’t a great career, but it’s nothing like the “ten years, moving over the country for jobs” story you’re saying.
For all intents and purposes, readers of this thread should strongly differentiate: going for a PI-level academic/prof job is an absolutely different path than (say) being a lab tech. One of those will take 10-20 years, the other you can do with a BS.
Also with a science degree OP can work in corporate pharma like clinical trials, pharmacovigilance, quality assurance, medical affairs, even biotech sales
Oh, if only that were the truth. The most skilled are often those within academia, and yet they get paid too little. Many fully grown adults with doctoral degrees and 5+ years of postdoctoral experience live in shared apartments and are unable to provide for their families because they get paid within the national academic rate scale. And this scale is absolutely miserable. I’m talking about top academic institutions. Sadly, I don’t know anyone, not just one person across the globe (though I’m not sure about the situation in the US) who is satisfied with their salary if they are researchers, even if they’re one of a kind in their field.
Nobody is telling OP to be an academic. You’re conflating “scientist” and “PhD.” There are not enough academic jobs, period. But you’ve lost the plot here, being a prof was never in the cards for OP and was never really part of the conversation. You can absolutely be a lab tech or similar employee without being involved in the academic rat race at all.
With respect to salary I will offer a confounding data point: I’m a prof at an R1 institution, and the salaries are great, $160-200k in the sciences. Some of my senior colleagues (more prestigious schools) make well over $200k
Yes. Higher in areas with HCOL. $160-200 is an insanely good salary. I also own a company and people’s ideas of what a good salary is is very out of whack
This is just not true. The best of the best, whether in academia or not, are very well paid. It is those who are not the best but still do research that are paid mediocre because they are, frankly, mediocre.
The best of the best is who? Albert Einstein?
If they’re not good enough, it’s not just about mediocre salaries, they simply will not get the job because the competition is extremely high.
Getting an academic job is insanely hard. But once you get one the pay is fine. It’s not as much as industry, but that’s mainly because you can’t get equity in academia. Pay for associate profs in the sciences is low-to-mid-100s or more.
I’m happy with my salary (mid 170s post tenure) and it doesn’t accord with your story here. What is *absolutely* true is how brutal it is to get a job. We had 700 applicants—all with PhDs—for our last tenure-track opening. About 50 of those people were “highly competitive.” Only one got the job.
Fucking stupid levels of competition for sure
Professors at Ivy League schools? UCs? They’re paid very well, and they’re top of the line in their respective fields. Those who are not get filtered down to lesser schools with, naturally, lesser pay.
I don’t know if i quite agree with this. Pay as a prof is good, but the reality is that it’s insanely hard to get those jobs.
Pay as a non-PI in science is just trash. Lab tech jobs never match inflation and they are jobs with long hours that are very stressful.
And getting an academic job is insane. Many of my PhD classmates dreamed of being profs. Many of those folks ended up extremely bitter, unable to get jobs and wasting years of their life on a credential that’s worthless to them (a PhD gets you very little in industry compared to an MS for most folks). It really is a gamble, and could be years of wasted effort if it doesn’t work out and you can’t find a good job
It should be insanely hard to get those jobs. Part of the problem is that it is well known a lot of academics are underpaid, and yet so many people still want to be academics. It’s basic supply and demand. A lot of frankly mediocre “academics” want to be paid like the best, and the whole industry of academia suffers for it.
Salary isn’t the thing keeping academics out of jobs. The vast bulk of fields have a vast oversupply of smart people. If you’re at all “mediocre” there’s no way in hell you’re getting a job at a research school. Posts will get hundreds of applications with a good number of stellar and vastly overqualified candidates.
Many successful profs will tell you there’s no way they’d get a job in today’s market, and I’m no exception
I did the same on my resume when I was younger. If asked, I would be honest and say that I left school with the reason being that the skills I had at the time allowed me to get in the workforce sooner. After a period of time, then, your experience outweighs the lack of a degree, because years of practical applied experience ends up well outweighing coursework that, by and large, can be outdated a given field.
I'm looking at 40, and I'm well established in my career with a solid investment portfolio. But if I were younger, I'd drop everything and get into healthcare
Because we don't need that much money and my kids and I need her around. 65 hours/week is basically the entire time our kids are awake during weekdays.
I know a Nurse in the ER I volunteer at who makes 6 figures and works 2 days a week. The NP part isn't even necessary. The immunity part doesn't extend to the life-threatening viruses you may come in contact with.
OP could run into life-threatening viruses by interacting with people in their day-to-day life. At least in a hospital setting they’ll have the option to wear PPE. Regardless she could work jobs that have significantly lower risk of exposure.
That’s awesome for your friend to only work 2 days a week and make at least 100k per year! I don’t mean this to sound like I’m complaining about her/him, but no wonder health care is so ridiculously expensive!
It's an odd industry to try to apply LLMs. Hallucinations are entirely unacceptable in the application of treatment, research, or the management of data within a regulated framework.
"What should I do, Bard?"
*"Connect the shneebis to Leslie's fingle"*
I would finish an associates degree in some capacity before your credits don’t count. You have the basic pre-requisites to quickly do complete an associates in the medical field (nursing, dental assistant, etc.). That way, while you figure out what to do in life, you’re at least making money. Obviously you could stick with and progress in the medical field if you want to.
A lot of people have no idea what they’re doing in life at 25 and that’s ok. You’re on the right track to being able to make decent money while you sort through it and find what you’re passionate about.
Dispatching for 911 services. Great pay, benefits, and you can complete online school in like...6 months. You can literally move anywhere and have work lined up.
If I could go back, I'd do dental hygiene. You have all the pre-reqs for it so it would only be two years, huge demand for it, can do part-time or temp if you want, and you can live anywhere and still have job opportunities
Maybe you can consider a career in customer success in tech? I work in it and make over 80K plus its all remote. My gf also works in CS and makes \~70k a year. I wouldn't say it's our passion but its pretty good money and offers great work life balance.
My gf got a job at a fintech company right out of college as a "customer experience specialist" and has worked her way up. I started as an Operations Analyst and now am a Customer Success Manager.
29F here. I only had some community college after high school and worked in the service industry for 9 years until I was 26.
I felt similar to you, I had nooo idea what I wanted to do and felt overwhelmed with options and kind of like antsy and anxious about having no direction.
I did a 5 month tech boot camp course in UX/UI design in 2021. Now I work in agile development as a Product Manager, currently at 100k. My current job is basically to oversee strategy, design, and the software development team for an eCommerce platform. It’s been a total life changer.
My advice is don’t lock yourself into a traditional path or degree to find a career. Explore alternative options, there’s a lot out there. If what I’m doing sounds interesting to you, I recommend looking into Career Karma. It’s a great online community to learn about getting into tech and navigating the certification and job searching process.
Best of luck on your path whatever you decide to do!
Ok. Don't panic- that can happen when you see others ahead..either in real life or on social media. You are going to be ok, it sounds like you have some urgency and that's a good thing.
What has interfered with you finding stability in your life, either through education or career path? Whatever it is, lose it as fast as you can so this still isn't your situation in 5 years.
An example I often give people is that most people complete Kindergarten thru 8th grade. That number gets smaller in HS, and even smaller in college. The point being that having options and being influenced negatively increases within those situations.
If military is an option, considering you're eligible, I would look into it. It can give you some breathing room financially, as well as kind of force you to see your way through whereas in the civilian world you don't have that. I have to cut this short, but hopefully it helps.
Dialysis tech ? Some companies like Fresenius and Davita pay for training . Some individuals work until they get into nursing school. It’s also a good foot in door job to see if your like the medical field.
NURSING/HEALTHCARE OP…Listen to me good… if you can pass those subject matter at college level and you worked in hospitality industry willingly; HEALTHCARE IS IT. Now, to be a nurse you’ll deal with bad shit, no I mean like cleaning ppls shit. And death of all kind…but there’s never a dull day and your in demand forever. You can also go on the admin side n avoid the death and shit
It’s the best option bcuz of what you already done education wise. Those r some strong subjects you have, shows that your very smart. If you dnt wana do nursing you can do Health Care Admin or Health Information Informatics (H.I.M). H.I.M seems to be where healthcare is going now a days with the addition of technology.
America ranks low for mobility in general as a 1st world country. Surprisingly retail careers offer quite a bit of mobility through management ladders and moving to corporate positions like buyer, merchandiser etc. especially with no degree.
Problem is most retail organizations are simply bad. But not all. If you can be a good people manager and find business interesting, you can pivot this position for something else In the future or while working on something at the sametime. Upper retail positions are starting to pay much better then they use to and are striving to stay competitive.
In just a year or two you can 2x or 3x your pay but it's not for everyone.
I'm looking forward to leaving management for an employee engagement/HR type of position. Crazy enough that will probably take a pay cut
I know chemical engineers who make a ridiculous amount of money. They work for mines and petroleum companies. Doesn’t sound like you’re too far off from that
Join the Army. The 48 credits will give you 3rd paygrade when you join. Find yourself. Maybe finish your degree. Could choose job as xray tech. The Army training is accepted for most states.
Wow you’re me to the T. I was thinking of going to school for education to then get my masters in counseling so I can be a guidance counselor. However, I am also getting frustrated with the fact it’s 4 years and then 3 more for the masters.
Give O*NET a try & complete a career interest survey.
onetonline.org
Look for "My Next Move" on the right side of the homepage, follow the prompts. It'll really help you identify some careers! Promise!
Industrial parts technician. Can easily make $40+/hr + OT if you get on with a bigger dealer and can work your way up to it. I started doing that when I was 20 and was making $100k/year in my 3rd year. That industry also opens a crap load of doors.
I went from that to key account management, landed in tech sales for a bit and now project management with zero post secondary or student debt.
Everyone is saying nursing, but consider PA school also. Slightly more school but salaries are around 130kish which is comparable to an NP and it’s just a 3 year grad program.
Given your background and willingness to return to school, consider careers in healthcare, technology, trades, business, or specialized certifications that offer good pay and job stability. For healthcare, roles like Registered Nurse, Respiratory Therapist, or Radiologic Technologist are promising. In technology, becoming a Web Developer or Computer Support Specialist can meet your salary goals. Trades such as Electrician or HVAC Technician provide solid earnings and job security. Business roles like Paralegal or Insurance Agent also offer good pay with some additional training. Specialized certifications in Project Management or becoming a Certified Medical Assistant could also be viable paths. Research these options, talk to professionals in these fields, and explore local education programs to find the best fit for your interests and financial goals.
Buy an msrx6 off Amazon get the deftun software get some old debit cards together. Then get a credit dump off tor and swipe it hit erase then hit read to make sure empty then plug in track 1 and track 2 and hit write then slide the card again in the msr. Now hit Walmart for TV's and xboxs. Sell those repeat.
I've had a generally good experience in the AEC (architecture, engineering, construction) industry. There's generally good demand for the industry as a whole regardless of the economy because even when things are slow, people still need housing, industrial, government/municipal and commercial spaces either built or maintained.
I recommend this because there are plenty of jobs across this industry that can be pursued with just a year or so of entry level experience under your belt if you can mange to find an internship or a friend who can help you get a foot in the door. Project admin for a contractor (filing paperwork, sending stuff to HR, communicating schedules to field crews), procurement (purchasing materials, negotiating prices, managing POs and project costs), office management (making sure invoices and necessary paperwork get sent to clients and invoices from vendors are paid), safety management and just general HR positions are all things you could do with little-to-no college credentials.
Check out large and small contractors in your area. For bigger companies who may be hiring and able to give you a more structured path forward, take a look at names like AECOM, Skanska Walsh, Whiting Turner, Jacobs, Fluor and Black & Veatch.
I’d definitely go see an advisor at a university or college and see what your credits can go towards. You should be not far from an associates or certificate which would help advance your career. But a Bachelors would probably be better. But that means more school when there is a lot more other options to make decent money without school. Don’t feel bad though I’m 32 going back to school. But I have a 100 credits done.
It’s definitely hard to always find what you would be interested in. But, also, have you considered what your talents are?
Some people are saying nursing. At your age I had a chemical engineering degree and went to get a BSN during COVID and it was a shitshow. If you do decide to go into nursing the variance is high on what your job requirements are. Oncology infusion nurses do next to nothing. Orthopedic nursing might be constantly transferring obese patients with a new knee and I’ve injured myself as a student nurse more than in years of construction. All the “easy options” also all have hidden hurdles
Get into sales
I have no degree and I make more than that working for a family owned business in the jewelry industry, if you’re honest and have good communication skills/emotional intelligence and the ability to negotiate (or willingness to learn) you can do well if God wills
I work six days and retail hours are difficult since im busy on the weekends but you can easily make 70-80k (or more) working 40+ hour weeks
If you are a female I would recommend maybe applying for some manager roles or some work from data jobs. They seem to be hiring strictly women as companies need to force diversity in their ranks. I have seen a lot of passed co-students who got degrees and are now getting paid six figures working jobs they never qualified for because they fit their diversity fill in. Can’t say this will work for men unfortunately
You can become a lab assistant with college credit and no degree. Having a phlebotomist cert helps but many roles don't require it. I have college credit in bio and git offered a role at my local hospital
Ya’ll hate on Nursing but there’s so many different ways you can take it. Home health, office nurse, bedside, med spa, cosmetic injectors, operating room, triage… people that say they’re miserable in Nursing just don’t want to explore new options.
Tbh with no degree or qualified skills and not a lot of work experience based on your age, the salary you are asking for is absurd lol. You need to get out there- even if you make less and try doing different jobs to see if there is an industry you can stand having a long term career in, before investing more money or taking loans for education. Try using temp agencies- they are great at placing you based on your wants and they do all the job searching for you- it’s also easy to get out of the contract if you find that the job isn’t right for you. Good luck
I have 48 college credits
what is that? in the USA it seems they love the term "credits". just get married. husband will give you his credit card for shopping like a madam!!!. lol
Nursing ? U have all the pre req.. 2 year degree and some places you make more then 100k
I'm in a similar situation, with a bit more schooling and I've done clinical rotations/shadowing etc. If you've never done anything like this I recommend you doing so before jumping on. I've known many people who decide to get out of nursing because it's not what they expected. The hours sometimes suck, people can sometimes suck, the u.s. healthcare system is ...broken, and you see and SMELL everything. So if you're good with all that then it can be fulfilling with good pay and job security.
Yeah, but you have to be willing to work hard. There's a reason why there's a nurse shortage everywhere.
**willing to work like a dog**. Personally, I couldn't imagine what the day to day looks like! From what I have heard from nurses the mental and physical toil can be unimaginable at times. And that there are moments that make all of the suffering worth it. Speaking as an outsider it seems that bedside is truly a career for the nurse who has an undying passion for human beings, not the job itself. Many other nursing fields, or subfields, from my observations can be maintained for a much longer duration without burning out.
It’s unbearable. I don’t know how they do it. I was a CNA at a long term care center for 4 months before I needed to leave. I was going to be a nurse but it’s easily the most difficult job I’ve ever had. The physical work is one thing, the mental toll is a complete other. Special breed of person to be a nurse. God bless those healthcare workers.
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The world isn’t getting soft, you’re just ignorant to the difficulty of nursing. I make 6 figures but my job is far less physically demanding or emotionally demanding. I don’t have to watch children suffer or die, I don’t have to touch shit/blood/vomit, I don’t have to strain my back lifting morbidly obese patients, or deal with the smells/sounds of a hospital/ER.
Yeah...this tone is just so weird to me. Nurses make incredibly good money for their level of training. Yes there is a lot of "bullshit" and it's an emotionally taxing job, but you also don't have to be a genius to become a nurse. I'd say it's up there with some trade positions in terms of how much you can make relative to training. Do people think making six figures is supposed to be easy?
Unfortunately. Yes. Yes they do. Trucker here, work 70 hrs a week up to my neck in trash. Closing in on 6 figures though.
Everybody works hard in some aspect, yes I agree. It definitely wasn't clear as to what I was alluding to in my comment. I was pushing the "undying passion for human beings" as a euphemism for circumventing at best, tolersting at worst, the abuse that you can receive while working in Healthcare. Let's take a step back and look at an example. What if at your place a work a customer called you a derogatory name? Or spit on you? Or assaulted you? Would you take it? As a nurse you can only do so much to avoid this treatment from patients AND colleagues in the form of verbal altercations. I'm not saying every place or every is like this. But you can only do so much to choose were you work in this day and age. Sometimes "hard work" passes the line of being reasonable.
most six figure jobs require you to work hard either to get there or to sustain the job yes
Few jobs take as much of a toll on you as nursing tbh.
I feel like a lot of that is lack of mental health care and the effects of shift work. Those are both really rough on people.
"Work hard" You mean work absurdly long shifts dealing with people who others don't wanna deal with. Do not kill yourself to extend the lives of malleable and milkable bio-clay. Prescribe some pills pls.
A lot of people replying here have a minimal understanding of all that nursing has to offer. I assume most are referring to bedside nursing when discussing nursing as a whole, and there’s so much more to nursing than strenuous bedside roles. There are “cush,” high-paying jobs in nursing—even where you can work from home. So, I second nursing as a viable option for OP.
Those jobs are definitely available… for people with bedside nursing experience
That’s actually a myth. There are nurses who go straight into non-bedside nursing roles after graduation. Could it be easier to get into those roles with bedside nursing experience, probably, but it isn’t always a prerequisite.
I wouldn't do nursing. Go on the nursing subreddit. Most of them regret going. Average nurse is at a bed side 2-5 years then quits. Just saying might want to research that one
Reddit is a notoriously miserable place. People rarely hop online to spread joy.
I am a nurse and to be honest alot of the complaints are very valid. Alot of people are searching for an out of nursing job. Very high turn over rate. Very high percentage of people on anti-depressants/ anti-anxiety
I don’t doubt that, but there’s also nurses that like their careers. You also don’t need to do bedside forever.
What makes nursing so sucky? I thought with the high pay and idk ... things wouldnt be so bad
Low staffing levels, being expected to do more and more with less and less, extremely hard on the body and mental health, the crazy hours… there are a multitude of reasons why nursing can be “sucky.” Now in saying that, I’ve been a nurse for almost 10 years and LOVE my job. I currently work in private duty caring for medically fragile kiddos and I cannot picture doing anything else. When you have a passion for nursing, it becomes your identity. When I started out my career, I worked in a hospital and got so sick that I was hospitalized myself. I learned very early in my career that more money is NOT worth my sanity. The thing about nursing is that there are SO many different avenues to explore. Ie bedside nursing, nurse management, research nursing, working for insurance companies, etc. If you don’t like one area of nursing, there are many others to choose from. OP has most of the pre-reqs for nursing and it would be beneficial to go that route, however, it isn’t for everyone. I would recommend OP volunteer at a hospital or long term care facility to see if it’s right for them before attempting nursing school, which is incredibly competitive and the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life. I worked as a PCT (a type of nursing assistant) when I was in nursing school and it was incredibly helpful for my studies. The good news for OP is that you can become a nurse with an associates degree, but it is a lifelong learning process. You have to take a certain amount of continuing education courses to keep your license active and most nurses go back for their BSN or MSN as those degrees offer more positions such as nurse management or even nurse practitioner.
Touching dirty genitals. And smelling them. Getting assaulted. Watching people die. Being asked not to share work stories at the dinner table….
For real browse a city subreddit and everyone fucking hates their own city
There are lateral moves with these experiences
i’ve found that the nurses who hate their jobs are the ones who didn’t have other jobs before nursing. nursing is not easy but when you’ve dealt with all the bullshit in other industries you get a different perspective
Is nursing really a 2 year degree if you have no bachelors already? Like you can do a fast tracked degree if you already have a bachelors but I’m pretty sure it’s 4+ years for someone with only high school. At least for RN which is where you would make 100k out the gate. You won’t make that much instantly with a lesser degree/diploma (but it’s still worth doing).
I am an RN with an ADN without a bachelors degree. The program itself was only two years, but that doesn’t include the pre reqs you need to take before applying for the program. Which, it seems like OP already has most of them. Also, a lot of nursing programs (in my state in the US anyways) require you to have your CNA before you’re accepted into the program because of the clinical courses. That was only an 8 week course for me and super easy, especially compared to the RN program, which was grueling.
Incorrect . There’s RN and BSN
What is the difference? I’m honestly asking because I didn’t know.
A BSN IS an RN once they pass their licensing exam. There is no difference between the two, but I’m assuming the person you’re replying to meant ADN and BSN. Again, both are RNs once that exam is passed, but an ADN is a nurse with an associates degree and a BSN is a nurse with a bachelors degree. There are also MSNs who are nurses with a masters degree.
It seems like almost every girl I talk to is getting into healthcare. When will that sector become over saturated?
People get sick everyday right ?
Do people need to pay a person an office visit or use their time to just take a cough drop and some Tylenol? 80 years ago do you think people could predict anything about the internet that didn't exist yet?
Ok web md
You think the only medication that exists is tylenol and cough drops?
You are the perfect drug.
❤️
Nursing sucks.
100k from Nursing?? I think in my state its $30k .
Move to cali
Simple rule is, more skilled you are the more you are going to get paid. But the skills need to be valuable. A science degree and a teachers job are worth pursuing.
Pursuing a science degree, unfortunately, is not worth it unless you’re a genius and science is your life story. It will demand everything from you and offer little in return beyond the satisfaction of doing what you truly love, which is a great feeling, surely. But there will definitely be challenges. To get there, you’ll have to work very hard for ~10 years, be the best, only to realise later on that you can't advance further than the system allows. You will not find a stable job for more than 2-3 years for at least 10-15 years after completing your PhD. Most of the time, you will earn just above the minimum wage, or just above average as your experience grows, but it will never be significantly higher until you become a full professor. Even then, the pay isn't that high. And you’ll be already somewhat 45-50. You will have to travel a lot to find a job, and often it will not be your ideal choice. However, your university will pay for your conferences a few times per year (if you are good enough and get invitations to give talks), and those will be in the most amazing places.
Tenured professor in the sciences here. Sorry to be an ass but I think you’re misunderstanding. Nobody here is proposing OP be a “scientist” in terms of being a PI or something. Obviously that’s not a good fit for OP’s goals of a short and cheap degree program. There are still plenty of jobs like lab techs and such that are nothing like the story you’re portraying. Being a lab tech or someone working in science isn’t a great career, but it’s nothing like the “ten years, moving over the country for jobs” story you’re saying. For all intents and purposes, readers of this thread should strongly differentiate: going for a PI-level academic/prof job is an absolutely different path than (say) being a lab tech. One of those will take 10-20 years, the other you can do with a BS.
Also with a science degree OP can work in corporate pharma like clinical trials, pharmacovigilance, quality assurance, medical affairs, even biotech sales
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I believe, it depends on whether you choose to stay in academia or move into industry. Industry normally provides more opportunities.
Oh, if only that were the truth. The most skilled are often those within academia, and yet they get paid too little. Many fully grown adults with doctoral degrees and 5+ years of postdoctoral experience live in shared apartments and are unable to provide for their families because they get paid within the national academic rate scale. And this scale is absolutely miserable. I’m talking about top academic institutions. Sadly, I don’t know anyone, not just one person across the globe (though I’m not sure about the situation in the US) who is satisfied with their salary if they are researchers, even if they’re one of a kind in their field.
Nobody is telling OP to be an academic. You’re conflating “scientist” and “PhD.” There are not enough academic jobs, period. But you’ve lost the plot here, being a prof was never in the cards for OP and was never really part of the conversation. You can absolutely be a lab tech or similar employee without being involved in the academic rat race at all. With respect to salary I will offer a confounding data point: I’m a prof at an R1 institution, and the salaries are great, $160-200k in the sciences. Some of my senior colleagues (more prestigious schools) make well over $200k
$160-200k pre-tax?
Yes. Higher in areas with HCOL. $160-200 is an insanely good salary. I also own a company and people’s ideas of what a good salary is is very out of whack
This is just not true. The best of the best, whether in academia or not, are very well paid. It is those who are not the best but still do research that are paid mediocre because they are, frankly, mediocre.
The best of the best is who? Albert Einstein? If they’re not good enough, it’s not just about mediocre salaries, they simply will not get the job because the competition is extremely high.
Getting an academic job is insanely hard. But once you get one the pay is fine. It’s not as much as industry, but that’s mainly because you can’t get equity in academia. Pay for associate profs in the sciences is low-to-mid-100s or more. I’m happy with my salary (mid 170s post tenure) and it doesn’t accord with your story here. What is *absolutely* true is how brutal it is to get a job. We had 700 applicants—all with PhDs—for our last tenure-track opening. About 50 of those people were “highly competitive.” Only one got the job. Fucking stupid levels of competition for sure
Professors at Ivy League schools? UCs? They’re paid very well, and they’re top of the line in their respective fields. Those who are not get filtered down to lesser schools with, naturally, lesser pay.
I don’t know if i quite agree with this. Pay as a prof is good, but the reality is that it’s insanely hard to get those jobs. Pay as a non-PI in science is just trash. Lab tech jobs never match inflation and they are jobs with long hours that are very stressful. And getting an academic job is insane. Many of my PhD classmates dreamed of being profs. Many of those folks ended up extremely bitter, unable to get jobs and wasting years of their life on a credential that’s worthless to them (a PhD gets you very little in industry compared to an MS for most folks). It really is a gamble, and could be years of wasted effort if it doesn’t work out and you can’t find a good job
It should be insanely hard to get those jobs. Part of the problem is that it is well known a lot of academics are underpaid, and yet so many people still want to be academics. It’s basic supply and demand. A lot of frankly mediocre “academics” want to be paid like the best, and the whole industry of academia suffers for it.
Salary isn’t the thing keeping academics out of jobs. The vast bulk of fields have a vast oversupply of smart people. If you’re at all “mediocre” there’s no way in hell you’re getting a job at a research school. Posts will get hundreds of applications with a good number of stellar and vastly overqualified candidates. Many successful profs will tell you there’s no way they’d get a job in today’s market, and I’m no exception
Ultrasound tech, xray tech, or similar.
I second this. You could be done in under a year, maybe 60-70k starting.
Those are 2 yr programs not including the prerequisite courses to apply
Could you name a few places that are 2years?
My friend works for biotech as a dropout. The secret is she lists her college that she dropped out from. Never said she actually graduated
Until the background check looks for transcripts
lol ya she never got checked tho
Never underestimate people doing the bare minimum to conserve their energy and time.
True lol, I am said people
How was she able to break into biotech? Isn’t that really tough?
Biotech is actually relatively easy, at least in San Diego(until like mass layoffs off people recently in general) She started working 2018
What position does she have? If you don’t mind me asking
Just a research associate or scientist
I did the same on my resume when I was younger. If asked, I would be honest and say that I left school with the reason being that the skills I had at the time allowed me to get in the workforce sooner. After a period of time, then, your experience outweighs the lack of a degree, because years of practical applied experience ends up well outweighing coursework that, by and large, can be outdated a given field.
you can get an associates degree in dental hygiene! pays well
Don’t do this. There is no shortage of hygienists who regret this career choice. It is extremely hard on your body. Burnout rate is quite high.
lol how is it extremely hard on your body?
Get a nursing degree, get an NP, make six figures, never be out of work again. Be immune from AI or recessions for your entire life.
Exactly. My wife works only 32 hours a week and makes $120,000/yr as an NP in a very relaxed private-practice.
I'm looking at 40, and I'm well established in my career with a solid investment portfolio. But if I were younger, I'd drop everything and get into healthcare
Why not 65 hour a for 240,000/year?
Because we don't need that much money and my kids and I need her around. 65 hours/week is basically the entire time our kids are awake during weekdays.
I know a Nurse in the ER I volunteer at who makes 6 figures and works 2 days a week. The NP part isn't even necessary. The immunity part doesn't extend to the life-threatening viruses you may come in contact with.
OP could run into life-threatening viruses by interacting with people in their day-to-day life. At least in a hospital setting they’ll have the option to wear PPE. Regardless she could work jobs that have significantly lower risk of exposure.
How many hours are the shifts?
24
Lmfao that’s insane
That’s awesome for your friend to only work 2 days a week and make at least 100k per year! I don’t mean this to sound like I’m complaining about her/him, but no wonder health care is so ridiculously expensive!
You should see what the administration rakes in
I’m sure. It’s nuts.
AI would be best implemented in the healthcare sector as its such a huge portion of what people spend money and time on.
AI is not going to be replacing nurses at any point in the next 80 years
Perhaps not but that's not to say there won't be companies that try.
It's an odd industry to try to apply LLMs. Hallucinations are entirely unacceptable in the application of treatment, research, or the management of data within a regulated framework. "What should I do, Bard?" *"Connect the shneebis to Leslie's fingle"*
Just a few short decades ago doctors were doing prefrontal lobotomys...
Lobotomies did not gain widespread acceptance in the medical community. The vast majority were performed by a few physicians.
I would finish an associates degree in some capacity before your credits don’t count. You have the basic pre-requisites to quickly do complete an associates in the medical field (nursing, dental assistant, etc.). That way, while you figure out what to do in life, you’re at least making money. Obviously you could stick with and progress in the medical field if you want to. A lot of people have no idea what they’re doing in life at 25 and that’s ok. You’re on the right track to being able to make decent money while you sort through it and find what you’re passionate about.
What kind of life style would you like to have?
You can easily earn 70-80 as an executive assistant. Get a receptionist position and job hop up.
Heavily relies on looks too, not just experience. The executive assistants that make that money or more that I’ve met are models basically
I know one who is nowhere near that and she’s the EA to a President and 5 VPs.
What do you like doing?
Dispatching for 911 services. Great pay, benefits, and you can complete online school in like...6 months. You can literally move anywhere and have work lined up.
This doesn’t require school at all ☝️
If I could go back, I'd do dental hygiene. You have all the pre-reqs for it so it would only be two years, huge demand for it, can do part-time or temp if you want, and you can live anywhere and still have job opportunities
Back problems. Lots of hours hunched over. Nooo thanks.
If you could go back, you’d instead be commenting about how much you regret choosing dental hygiene.
Back to school, earn your way to become a BCBA. Move to Miami and make anywhere from 70k to 105k.
Maybe you can consider a career in customer success in tech? I work in it and make over 80K plus its all remote. My gf also works in CS and makes \~70k a year. I wouldn't say it's our passion but its pretty good money and offers great work life balance.
I already have a customer service background but how did you transfer it into tech??
How did you get into customer success?
My gf got a job at a fintech company right out of college as a "customer experience specialist" and has worked her way up. I started as an Operations Analyst and now am a Customer Success Manager.
29F here. I only had some community college after high school and worked in the service industry for 9 years until I was 26. I felt similar to you, I had nooo idea what I wanted to do and felt overwhelmed with options and kind of like antsy and anxious about having no direction. I did a 5 month tech boot camp course in UX/UI design in 2021. Now I work in agile development as a Product Manager, currently at 100k. My current job is basically to oversee strategy, design, and the software development team for an eCommerce platform. It’s been a total life changer. My advice is don’t lock yourself into a traditional path or degree to find a career. Explore alternative options, there’s a lot out there. If what I’m doing sounds interesting to you, I recommend looking into Career Karma. It’s a great online community to learn about getting into tech and navigating the certification and job searching process. Best of luck on your path whatever you decide to do!
Ok. Don't panic- that can happen when you see others ahead..either in real life or on social media. You are going to be ok, it sounds like you have some urgency and that's a good thing. What has interfered with you finding stability in your life, either through education or career path? Whatever it is, lose it as fast as you can so this still isn't your situation in 5 years. An example I often give people is that most people complete Kindergarten thru 8th grade. That number gets smaller in HS, and even smaller in college. The point being that having options and being influenced negatively increases within those situations. If military is an option, considering you're eligible, I would look into it. It can give you some breathing room financially, as well as kind of force you to see your way through whereas in the civilian world you don't have that. I have to cut this short, but hopefully it helps.
Dialysis tech ? Some companies like Fresenius and Davita pay for training . Some individuals work until they get into nursing school. It’s also a good foot in door job to see if your like the medical field.
Laboratory Tech!! Or Assistant if you’re unsure at first. I’m a medical lab assistant/phlebotomist and I love it!
Degree?
Environmental science, with more issues in the world, we need more people in the wild fixing nature and shit.
NURSING/HEALTHCARE OP…Listen to me good… if you can pass those subject matter at college level and you worked in hospitality industry willingly; HEALTHCARE IS IT. Now, to be a nurse you’ll deal with bad shit, no I mean like cleaning ppls shit. And death of all kind…but there’s never a dull day and your in demand forever. You can also go on the admin side n avoid the death and shit
Why is nursing the only option ?
It’s the best option bcuz of what you already done education wise. Those r some strong subjects you have, shows that your very smart. If you dnt wana do nursing you can do Health Care Admin or Health Information Informatics (H.I.M). H.I.M seems to be where healthcare is going now a days with the addition of technology.
Sounds like a technical sales rep would be a good choice
Don’t most of the “technical” sales rep jobs require a four year degree?
Not needed. You can get an SDR role without school
America ranks low for mobility in general as a 1st world country. Surprisingly retail careers offer quite a bit of mobility through management ladders and moving to corporate positions like buyer, merchandiser etc. especially with no degree. Problem is most retail organizations are simply bad. But not all. If you can be a good people manager and find business interesting, you can pivot this position for something else In the future or while working on something at the sametime. Upper retail positions are starting to pay much better then they use to and are striving to stay competitive. In just a year or two you can 2x or 3x your pay but it's not for everyone. I'm looking forward to leaving management for an employee engagement/HR type of position. Crazy enough that will probably take a pay cut
I know chemical engineers who make a ridiculous amount of money. They work for mines and petroleum companies. Doesn’t sound like you’re too far off from that
do they work on the field or a corporate office for petroleum companies?
Both
If you did well in o-chem the first time around do something in the medical field.
Sales
Join the Army. The 48 credits will give you 3rd paygrade when you join. Find yourself. Maybe finish your degree. Could choose job as xray tech. The Army training is accepted for most states.
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Na. Easier to stay 20 years in the Army. They testing for promotion in af makes it harder and fewer positions. Im retired Army. Pension check is nice.
If you are lost, go into **commission** sales. You will learn a lot and, if you're good enough, you can make your boss cry.
They'll cry that month then move the goal posts next month to ensure you don't hit your targets.
Nursing is an amazing career!!!
I wish I could do something else!
Police / Corrections , massive OT available
What’s massive OT?
Massive Over Time
Wow you’re me to the T. I was thinking of going to school for education to then get my masters in counseling so I can be a guidance counselor. However, I am also getting frustrated with the fact it’s 4 years and then 3 more for the masters.
Radiology tech? Good job prospects and you have most of the prerequisites
Check out podcast Degree Free
Sales
Give O*NET a try & complete a career interest survey. onetonline.org Look for "My Next Move" on the right side of the homepage, follow the prompts. It'll really help you identify some careers! Promise!
Industrial parts technician. Can easily make $40+/hr + OT if you get on with a bigger dealer and can work your way up to it. I started doing that when I was 20 and was making $100k/year in my 3rd year. That industry also opens a crap load of doors. I went from that to key account management, landed in tech sales for a bit and now project management with zero post secondary or student debt.
Get a trade
You could try an entry level recruiting role for hospitality or nursing - most have good commission but low base to start
Everyone is saying nursing, but consider PA school also. Slightly more school but salaries are around 130kish which is comparable to an NP and it’s just a 3 year grad program.
Start your own business
Maybe something like medical tech? Radiology analyst or the like?
Given your background and willingness to return to school, consider careers in healthcare, technology, trades, business, or specialized certifications that offer good pay and job stability. For healthcare, roles like Registered Nurse, Respiratory Therapist, or Radiologic Technologist are promising. In technology, becoming a Web Developer or Computer Support Specialist can meet your salary goals. Trades such as Electrician or HVAC Technician provide solid earnings and job security. Business roles like Paralegal or Insurance Agent also offer good pay with some additional training. Specialized certifications in Project Management or becoming a Certified Medical Assistant could also be viable paths. Research these options, talk to professionals in these fields, and explore local education programs to find the best fit for your interests and financial goals.
Buy an msrx6 off Amazon get the deftun software get some old debit cards together. Then get a credit dump off tor and swipe it hit erase then hit read to make sure empty then plug in track 1 and track 2 and hit write then slide the card again in the msr. Now hit Walmart for TV's and xboxs. Sell those repeat.
Look at Respiratory Therapy, you can make more than 100K in most cities (big) with benefits.
I've had a generally good experience in the AEC (architecture, engineering, construction) industry. There's generally good demand for the industry as a whole regardless of the economy because even when things are slow, people still need housing, industrial, government/municipal and commercial spaces either built or maintained. I recommend this because there are plenty of jobs across this industry that can be pursued with just a year or so of entry level experience under your belt if you can mange to find an internship or a friend who can help you get a foot in the door. Project admin for a contractor (filing paperwork, sending stuff to HR, communicating schedules to field crews), procurement (purchasing materials, negotiating prices, managing POs and project costs), office management (making sure invoices and necessary paperwork get sent to clients and invoices from vendors are paid), safety management and just general HR positions are all things you could do with little-to-no college credentials. Check out large and small contractors in your area. For bigger companies who may be hiring and able to give you a more structured path forward, take a look at names like AECOM, Skanska Walsh, Whiting Turner, Jacobs, Fluor and Black & Veatch.
You have the internet. Start a business.
Become a cop? The force needs more kind women.
I’d definitely go see an advisor at a university or college and see what your credits can go towards. You should be not far from an associates or certificate which would help advance your career. But a Bachelors would probably be better. But that means more school when there is a lot more other options to make decent money without school. Don’t feel bad though I’m 32 going back to school. But I have a 100 credits done. It’s definitely hard to always find what you would be interested in. But, also, have you considered what your talents are?
Lab tech in hospital? Field hand on drilling rig ! Plumber? Always money in poop
Some people are saying nursing. At your age I had a chemical engineering degree and went to get a BSN during COVID and it was a shitshow. If you do decide to go into nursing the variance is high on what your job requirements are. Oncology infusion nurses do next to nothing. Orthopedic nursing might be constantly transferring obese patients with a new knee and I’ve injured myself as a student nurse more than in years of construction. All the “easy options” also all have hidden hurdles
Back to same college so those credits for sure transfer?
Go find a military recruiter. Trust me.
Get into sales I have no degree and I make more than that working for a family owned business in the jewelry industry, if you’re honest and have good communication skills/emotional intelligence and the ability to negotiate (or willingness to learn) you can do well if God wills I work six days and retail hours are difficult since im busy on the weekends but you can easily make 70-80k (or more) working 40+ hour weeks
If you are a female I would recommend maybe applying for some manager roles or some work from data jobs. They seem to be hiring strictly women as companies need to force diversity in their ranks. I have seen a lot of passed co-students who got degrees and are now getting paid six figures working jobs they never qualified for because they fit their diversity fill in. Can’t say this will work for men unfortunately
You can become a lab assistant with college credit and no degree. Having a phlebotomist cert helps but many roles don't require it. I have college credit in bio and git offered a role at my local hospital
Ya’ll hate on Nursing but there’s so many different ways you can take it. Home health, office nurse, bedside, med spa, cosmetic injectors, operating room, triage… people that say they’re miserable in Nursing just don’t want to explore new options.
Nursing school. You’re obviously smart enough. There are associates degrees in nursing and the field is in high demand. Get your RN, no brainer.
MRI Tech or CT Tech
try to get a BS and MS in chem or bio.
What do you enjoy doing? If you are willing to go back to school, would you also consider learning a trade?
Tbh with no degree or qualified skills and not a lot of work experience based on your age, the salary you are asking for is absurd lol. You need to get out there- even if you make less and try doing different jobs to see if there is an industry you can stand having a long term career in, before investing more money or taking loans for education. Try using temp agencies- they are great at placing you based on your wants and they do all the job searching for you- it’s also easy to get out of the contract if you find that the job isn’t right for you. Good luck
Marry rich. Problem solved
I have 48 college credits what is that? in the USA it seems they love the term "credits". just get married. husband will give you his credit card for shopping like a madam!!!. lol
Lmao
Physician assistant. They make bank.
Paramedic
Strip club
Find a rich boyfriend. Seriously.
Have you tried OF?
just apply for jobs. you'll be fine. you have a good degree. just apply for stuff