Do you ever feel like you are useless because you have no skill?
Hello everyone, I am 26 and I’ve been working at my company for close to three years. I currently work as a fleet supervisor and am responsible for everything around the trucks. I currently make 75K in the northeast, which isn’t enough for my wife and I to live comfortably. I often find myself down because I have no trade and no skill. I am in line for a promotion, but that will only put me at 90 K, which is not enough in my area. I have always been interested in exploring the concept of going into business for my self one day but at this point it doesn’t look likely as I have no skill. About once a month I go into these existential crisis about joining a training, school or something. I don’t know.
Jobadvisor
This is a tough spot to be in, and it's completely understandable why you're feeling this way. Many people, especially in their mid-twenties, feel the same pressure you're describing—the pressure to have it all figured out and to be on a clear path to financial stability. But let's take a closer look at what you've said.
First, you are not useless and you do have skills. You've been a fleet supervisor for three years, which means you have expertise in logistics, operations, and management. You're responsible for "everything around the trucks," which involves problem-solving, organization, and likely, leadership. These are valuable, transferable skills that are highly sought after in many industries. You are also good enough at your job to be in line for a promotion, which speaks to your competence and value to the company. Try to reframe your thinking: instead of "I have no skill," think "my skills are in management and logistics, not in a traditional trade."
Second, it's normal to feel like you're not making enough money, especially in a high-cost area. A $75K salary, even with a promotion to $90K, can feel stretched thin. This feeling of being "stuck" is a powerful motivator, and it sounds like you're already trying to find a way to make a change. The fact that you're regularly thinking about going back to school or getting a trade is a good thing—it means you're actively looking for solutions.
Exploring Your Options
Your desire to go into business for yourself is a great goal, and you absolutely can achieve it. Having a trade isn't the only path to self-employment. Many successful business owners don't have a specific trade; instead, they leverage skills like management, sales, and networking to build a company around a product or service.
Here are a few options to consider, keeping your current skills and interests in mind:
Leverage your logistics knowledge: Since you already know the ins and outs of fleet management, you could start a consulting business helping small to medium-sized companies optimize their own fleets. Or, you could explore becoming an independent dispatcher, a business you could start on the side with a low upfront investment.
Go back to school for a business degree: You don't need to quit your job to do this. Many universities offer part-time or online MBA programs that would let you keep your current position while you learn. This would formalize your management skills and teach you more about finance, marketing, and strategy, which are essential for starting your own business.
Learn a trade: If you truly feel that a trade is the right path for you, there's no reason not to pursue it. Electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technicians are always in high demand. Look into local trade schools or community colleges that offer part-time programs you could attend in the evenings or on weekends. This would give you a tangible skill you could eventually use to start your own contracting business.
Instead of seeing your current situation as a sign of being useless, see it as a launchpad. You have a stable job, you're gaining valuable experience, and you're motivated to make a change. The fact that you're in a position to get a promotion shows you're a valuable asset. The challenge isn't that you have no skills—it's that you're feeling unfulfilled with the ones you have. Take some time to really think about what would bring you a sense of purpose and financial stability, and then make a concrete plan to get there.
Struggling to Land a job at 20, what do i do? and what am i doing wrong?
I’m 20 years old, graduated high school last year, and have been struggling to find a remote job in marketing or finance. I’m not looking to become a virtual assistant or freelancer because I want to work directly for a real company, ideally something like a trading company, product company, or similar, where I can actually build a career and have some professional status. Back in high school my academic strand was accounting, business, and management, so I do have some learning experience in those areas, but I don’t have much formal work experience aside from a mandatory internship at a bank. In my country you can’t work permanently in banks without a college degree, and I also can’t move to the city for better opportunities because of financial limitations. Where I live there just aren’t many local job options. I’ve had my résumé reviewed multiple times and everyone says it’s fine, but despite applying daily to different companies, I keep getting rejection after rejection, and it’s honestly getting frustrating to the point where it feels hopeless. I thought being fluent in English (C2 level) would help me stand out, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. What I really want to know is, if my résumé isn’t the problem, is it just my lack of experience, or am I aiming too high by applying to international companies at this stage? And also, where can I even find real companies that hire remote employees for roles like marketing and finance, and not just virtual assistant agencies? Any advice or perspective would really mean a lot.
Jobadvisor
It's understandable to feel frustrated when you're doing everything right and still not getting results. The job market is highly competitive, especially for remote roles. Let's break down your situation and identify what might be happening and what you can do to improve your chances.
What You Might Be Doing Wrong
Based on your situation, it's likely that your struggles aren't due to your resume being "bad," but rather a combination of factors related to the highly competitive nature of remote work and the specific roles you're targeting.
You're competing against candidates with degrees and more experience. While your high school education and internship are valuable, you're often up against a large pool of applicants who have a bachelor's degree in a relevant field (like Finance or Marketing) and have completed more than one internship or have other full-time work experience. For many traditional companies, a college degree is a non-negotiable requirement for an entry-level position.
The "catch-22" of entry-level jobs. Many entry-level roles still require some experience. This is a common and frustrating paradox for job seekers. You need experience to get a job, but you can't get a job without experience.
You're applying to roles that are not truly entry-level. Job titles can be misleading. A "Marketing Specialist" or "Financial Analyst" role at an international company often has a list of responsibilities and required skills that go beyond what a recent high school graduate would have. These positions often require a bachelor's degree and 1-3 years of relevant experience.
Your resume might be fine, but it might not be optimized for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Your resume might look great to a human, but many large companies use ATS to automatically filter resumes based on keywords and criteria.
1 If your resume doesn't have the right keywords from the job description or isn't formatted correctly, it might be getting rejected before a person even sees it.
What You Can Do to Improve Your Situation
Don't give up! Your fluency in English and your foundational knowledge in business are significant assets. You just need to re-strategize your approach.
1. Shift Your Mindset and Strategy
Focus on skills, not just job titles. Instead of just looking for "Marketing" or "Finance" jobs, focus on the specific skills you need to build a career in those fields.
Lower your sights initially. It's great to have big career goals, but you might need to take a stepping-stone job first. Look for roles that are a better fit for a truly entry-level candidate with a high school education and limited experience.
Consider a hybrid approach. You want to work for a "real company," but to get that experience, you might need to do some freelance or project-based work first. Building a portfolio of real-world results is one of the best ways to stand out from other candidates.
2. Build Your Experience and Skills (Even Without a Job)
Get certifications. Online courses and professional certifications are a great way to show a company you have the skills they need, even without a degree.
2 Look for free or affordable courses on platforms like Coursera, edX, or even Google's own certifications. For marketing, you could look into Google Analytics or Meta certifications. For finance, you could explore certifications in financial modeling or specific software like QuickBooks or SAP.Create a portfolio. Since you lack formal work experience, create your own.
For marketing: Start a blog, a social media account, or a small business. Create a digital marketing campaign for a local shop in your area for free or for a small fee. This gives you concrete results to show on your resume (e.g., "Managed social media for a local business, increasing engagement by 30% in three months").
For finance: Create financial models for hypothetical companies, analyze public company financial statements, or offer to do bookkeeping for a small business or a friend's side hustle.
Learn relevant software and tools. Remote jobs require technical proficiency.
3 For finance, this means becoming an expert in Excel.4 For marketing, it could be tools like HubSpot, Mailchimp, or Trello. Mentioning these on your resume is crucial.
3. Where to Find Real Companies That Hire Remote Employees
You're right, many job boards are flooded with virtual assistant and freelancer ads. Here's where to look for legitimate remote company jobs:
Niche remote job boards:
Working Nomads: Focuses on remote jobs worldwide.
5 Remote.co: A curated list of remote jobs from reputable companies.
We Work Remotely: One of the most popular remote job boards.
6 Remotive: Another good option for vetted remote jobs.
7
Company career pages: Don't just rely on job boards. Go directly to the websites of companies you admire and look at their career pages. Many companies, especially tech startups, are "remote-first" or "fully distributed."
8 LinkedIn: Use LinkedIn's powerful filters to search for "entry-level" or "junior" roles with a "remote" location filter.
9 Also, network with recruiters and hiring managers at companies you'd like to work for.
You're not doing anything "wrong." You're just facing a very tough and competitive market. Your lack of a college degree is a significant hurdle for many companies, but it's not an impossible one to overcome. By proactively building a portfolio, getting certifications, and focusing on acquiring in-demand skills, you can demonstrate your value to potential employers and prove that you are a highly capable and motivated professional, regardless of your educational background.
How do I deal with age discrimination?
I’m 40. I finished a BS in Computer Science in 2024. I have 20 months of internship experience in the field. I have a BFA in Fine Arts from 2008.
My internship ran out and I wasn’t offered full employment. I’m having a tough time finding a job. I turned down a job last year because my job at my internship was supposed to be guaranteed and I didn’t want to move cross country if I didn’t need to.
I feel like age discrimination has been a huge problem but I don’t know how to get around it.
Jobadvisor
Navigating the job market as a 40-year-old with a new degree can be challenging, but it's possible to address and mitigate the effects of age discrimination. By focusing on your strengths and strategically presenting your experience, you can increase your chances of success.
Acknowledging Your Strengths
Instead of viewing your age as a weakness, reframe it as a strength. Your life experience, maturity, and diverse background are assets that younger applicants often lack. Your BFA in Fine Arts from 2008 and your recent BS in Computer Science from 2024 demonstrate a unique combination of creativity and technical skills. This dual background can make you a more versatile and innovative employee.
Dealing with Age Discrimination
Age discrimination is a real issue, but there are ways to minimize its impact during your job search.
Resume and Cover Letter
De-emphasize graduation dates: You don’t need to list your graduation year for your BFA.
2 Listing only your recent BS in Computer Science (2024) can focus the attention on your most relevant degree.Highlight transferable skills: Your BFA from 2008 likely taught you valuable skills like problem-solving, project management, and attention to detail. Use your cover letter to explicitly connect these skills to the technical requirements of the job. For example, you could explain how a large-scale art project required the same kind of planning and execution as a software development project.
Focus on relevant experience: Since you have 20 months of internship experience, emphasize this heavily. List specific projects, technologies, and achievements from your internship. Use action verbs and quantify your accomplishments whenever possible (e.g., "Developed a feature that reduced load time by 15%").
Interviewing
Address the "why now?" question head-on: Interviewers might be curious about your career change. Prepare a confident and concise answer that frames your journey positively. Explain your passion for computer science and how your prior experiences complement your new skills. For example, "I've always been drawn to creative problem-solving, and I found that computer science offered a new and exciting way to apply that passion. My background in fine arts gives me a unique perspective on user interface and design."
Show your energy and enthusiasm: Some hiring managers may stereotype older candidates as being less adaptable or enthusiastic about new technologies.
3 Counter this by demonstrating your passion for the field, your willingness to learn, and your excitement for the role. Mention recent side projects, new technologies you've been learning, or tech meetups you've attended.Network effectively: Many jobs are found through networking.
4 Attend local tech meetups, industry conferences, and online forums. Connect with people in your field and let them know you're looking for a job. Personal connections can often bypass the initial resume screening process where age discrimination might occur.
Remember to tailor your application materials for each job and to focus on the unique value you bring to the table. Your combination of a new degree, hands-on experience, and a mature perspective is a compelling package.