32 and want to do something that won’t destroy my body by the time I’m 50
I’ve been bartending for almost 4 years and I LOVE it. However I’m noticing some of the other bartenders I’ve worked with in their 40s and 50s have a ton of physical health problems, and they all keep telling me this is a great job for a few years but to get out before everything becomes painful.
I’m really charismatic, I love talking to people. I can follow or lead conversations about anything and everything. I’m also very good at sales but I hate it because it feels meaningless. I thrive in fast-paced, “stressful” jobs (I don’t get stressed out easily). I need something less physical, but a 9-5 desk job will make me kill my self.
I’m not opposed to going back to school, even for a long time. I went to community college in my early 20s and have my gen eds done, but I didn’t graduate.
Careers I’ve considered: Lawyer (I really love this option but lawyers keep saying to stay far far away) Sleep technologist (night shift, interesting work) Perfusionist (interesting and meaningful) Engineer
I currently make $40-$50 an hour as a bartender so I don’t really want to take much of a paycut if possible. Thanks in advance
Jobadvisor
You are in a classic "Golden Handcuffs" scenario. Making $50/hr ($100k/year) without a degree is exceptional, and few entry-level corporate jobs will match that immediately.
You thrive on high-stakes social interaction (charisma/sales) and high-pressure environments (stress tolerance), but you need to save your knees and back.
Here is a breakdown of paths that utilize your specific "Bartender Personality" (charismatic, calm under pressure, fast thinker) without the physical destruction.
1. The "Medical Adrenaline" Route (Best Financial Fit)
You mentioned Perfusionist, which is a great idea, but you should also look at Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA). Both jobs are essentially "bartending for the operating room"—high stakes, you are part of a flow, and you have to be calm when things go wrong.
Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA):
The Job: You work under an anesthesiologist, monitoring the patient during surgery. It involves science, quick thinking, and handling "stressful" situations (the patient’s life is in your hands).
The Pay: Starting salaries are often $160k - $200k+. It crushes your current $50/hr.
The Barrier: It requires a Master’s degree (approx. 24-28 months). You need strong science prereqs (chem, bio, physics), so you’d have to finish your bachelor's first.
Physicality: You are on your feet, but you aren't hauling kegs or shaking tins for 8 hours. You are mostly standing/monitoring.
Note: CAAs can only practice in roughly 20 states (including FL, TX, GA, CO). Check if your state allows them.
Cardiovascular Perfusionist:
The Job: You run the heart-lung machine during open-heart surgery. Very high stress, very meaningful.
The Pay: Similar to CAA, $125k - $180k+.
The Trade-off: The "on-call" life can be brutal (nights/weekends), but if you are used to closing shifts, it might be manageable.
2. The "Charismatic Expert" Route (Sales Re-Framed)
You said you hate sales because it feels "meaningless." But you also said you are good at it. The key is changing what you sell.
Medical Device Sales (Trauma/Surgical):
The Job: You aren't cold-calling grandmas to sell insurance. You are often in the operating room with the surgeon, showing them how to use a new titanium implant or surgical robot. It requires high charisma, the ability to talk to "difficult" people (surgeons), and being comfortable in intense environments.
The Pay: Base + Commission often exceeds $150k.
Why it fits: It feels meaningful because you are helping a patient get a better surgery. It’s fast-paced, and you are technically a "consultant," not just a salesperson.
3. The "Lawyer" Reality Check
You love the idea of Law, but lawyers are warning you away. Listen to them conditionally.
The Trap: "Transactional Law" (contracts/desk work) will bore you to death.
The Fit: Litigation / Trial Law. This is where your bartending skills shine—reading a room, performing, thinking on your feet.
The Math: Law school is 3 years + expensive. If you graduate at 36 with $150k in debt, you must get a high-paying "Big Law" job to pay it off, which usually means 80-hour weeks at a desk.
Alternative: Look into Litigation Support / Jury Consulting. It’s niche, but firms hire experts to help pick juries or prep witnesses. Your ability to "read people" is the primary asset here.
4. The "Hidden Gem" (Less Schooling)
Radiation Therapist:
The Job: You administer radiation treatments to cancer patients. It is incredibly meaningful. It is technically precise.
The Pay: Median is around $100k/year (approx $48/hr).
The Schooling: Often only requires an Associate’s Degree (2 years) or a certificate if you finish a general bachelor's.
Physicality: There is some lifting (helping patients onto the table), but it is significantly less repetitive motion than bartending.
Why it fits: You build short, intense relationships with patients (charisma), but you operate on a schedule.
Summary Recommendation
| Career | Schooling | Pay vs. Current | Physicality | Stress/Fun Factor |
| Anesthesia Assistant (CAA) | Bachelor's + Master's (3-4 yrs) | Double/Triple | Low/Med | High (Adrenaline) |
| Medical Device Rep | Bachelor's (any) | Double | Low (Driving/Standing) | High (Social) |
| Radiation Therapist | Associate's (2 yrs) | Equal | Medium | Med (Routine) |
| Litigation Lawyer | Bachelor's + JD (4-5 yrs) | Equal/Higher | Low (Sedentary) | High (Intellectual) |
My advice:
Look into Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant first. It allows you to keep the "night shift/high stakes" vibe of bartending but pays you doctor-level money for a fraction of the schooling time. If the science prereqs are too daunting, pivot to Medical Device Sales—it’s the only corporate role that will match your current hourly rate immediately.
"27M, never had a job" Update - Moving on to my second job!
It's been about a year and a half since I made this post outlining my situation and I wanted to share a bit of an update.
I'm 28 now and I've been applying to some different positions for a while, but ended up deciding that I actually want to go into insurance. I had an interview a couple months ago for a fully remote (low pay but good benefits) position, but they went with another candidate. In the meantime, I've been working at a pizza place doing deliveries around full time. It has been fine (job sucks at times but all of my coworkers are great), but of course I do want to get out of here as soon as possible for better pay and opportunities.
Today I received a callback from the company that had initially went with another candidate and they offered me the job! So in a couple of weeks, I'll have a full-time remote job. I also have an interview with a more well-known insurance agency tomorrow, but I don't think I'll end up accepting an offer if I get one because of the long commute + the pay isn't much better.
My situation is unique of course. I have a degree and a few projects I was able to add to my resume to fill it in a bit despite not having any work experience. I also lost a lot of weight right after I made the original thread and started taking care of myself more, so that has helped tremendously with helping me transition into working for the first time in my life and I look way more presentable now. I hope this helps someone in a similar situation out a bit. It gets better.
Jobadvisor
This is a massive win—congratulations! Going from "never had a job" at 27 to securing a specific career path (Insurance) at 28, while holding down a full-time bridge job (pizza delivery), is a textbook example of how to turn a ship around.
You mentioned "low pay but good benefits" for the new role, but don't let that discourage you. In the insurance industry, the license and the experience are the real paycheck for your first year. Once you have those, your market value jumps significantly.
Here is a quick breakdown of why your approach worked (for anyone else reading) and a piece of advice on that interview tomorrow.
Why You Succeeded (The Blueprint)
The "Survival Job": You didn't wait for the perfect career to start working. You took the pizza job. This proved to the insurance company that you are reliable, can handle a schedule, and have "soft skills" (customer service). That filled the "work history" gap.
The "Boomerang": You left a good impression during the first rejection. Most people burn that bridge or ghost the recruiter. Because you stayed professional, you were the first call when their primary candidate didn't work out (or they expanded the team).
The Confidence Loop: You mentioned losing weight and looking presentable. The physical discipline likely bled into your interview confidence. It’s hard to sell yourself when you don't feel good about yourself; you fixed the root cause.
Advice on Tomorrow's Interview
You said you probably won't accept the offer from the well-known agency tomorrow due to the commute/pay. Go to the interview anyway.
Here is why you should treat it seriously, even if you intend to take the remote job:
Leverage: Until you have the written offer letter signed for the remote job, you technically have nothing. If the remote job falls through at the last second (hiring freeze, budget cut), you need a backup.
Practice: You have momentum. Interviewing when you already have an offer in your pocket is the most relaxing, confidence-boosting experience you can have. It’s free training.
The "No" is Powerful: Declining an offer from a "well-known" agency is a great feeling. It reinforces that you are choosing your path, not just taking scraps.
The "Remote" Warning
Since this is your first "desk/corporate" job and it is fully remote, you will need to be hyper-proactive.
The Danger: In remote roles, it is very easy for junior employees to be invisible.
The Fix: Over-communicate. Ask questions. When you finish a task, tell your manager. Make sure they know you are working, because they can't see you at your desk.
Employment verification shows I was terminated several months ago?
Hi - my husband and I are in the process of buying a condo. Our underwriter got back to us today and said that my employment came back as "inactive." I looked at my Equifax report and sure enough, according to that I was terminated back in August and am currently "inactive" with the company that I've been working for for almost six years and for which I'm on the clock right at this moment.
I'm a little freaked out by this. I'd have a hard time believing that I was accidentally or purposely fired or laid off but that they've kept paying me and having me work. I realize this is a mistake but between being pregnant and trying to buy a home this is really the last thing I want to be dealing with.
Does anyone have any insight about what may have happened here and how long it may take to fix? We're supposed to close on the condo in a couple of weeks.
Jobadvisor
Deep breath. You are almost certainly not secretly fired. If your direct deposit is hitting your bank account and your badge still opens the door, you are employed.
This is a surprisingly common administrative glitch, specifically involving "The Work Number" (the database Equifax uses). As a lender/underwriter might say: "Automated verification failed, we need manual verification."
Here is exactly what likely happened, how to fix it, and why it won't tank your closing.
1. The "Why": The Phantom Termination
Since you have been there for six years, one of three things likely happened on the backend:
The Payroll System Switch (Most Likely): Did your company change payroll providers recently (e.g., from ADP to Workday, or Paychex to Gusto)? When companies switch systems, they often "terminate" your record in the old system to stop payments. Equifax picks up the "Termination" from the old system but hasn't synced with the "New Hire" record in the new system yet.
The Legal Entity Change: If your company reorganized, merged, or changed its legal name (e.g., from Company Inc. to Company LLC), technically your employment with the old entity ended in August. You were immediately rehired by the new entity, but the report only shows the end of the first chapter.
The Leave of Absence Code: You mentioned you are pregnant. Did you take any short-term disability, early leave, or FMLA recently? Sometimes, lazy coding in HR systems marks employees on leave as "Inactive" rather than "Active - On Leave."
2. The "How": The Fix is Manual
The automated report is wrong, so you must bypass it. Underwriters deal with this constantly.
Step 1: The Paper Trail (Immediate)
Send your Loan Officer your most recent paystub immediately (the one covering the current pay period). A paystub dated after August proves you are currently on the payroll. This stops the panic on their end.
Step 2: Contact HR / Payroll (Urgent)
You need a Manual Verification of Employment (VOE).
Email your HR or Payroll representative immediately.
Subject: URGENT: Employment Verification Error - Mortgage Closing
Message: "I am in the process of closing on a home. The underwriter pulled my employment verification via Equifax, and it incorrectly lists me as 'Terminated' as of August. I am currently working and receiving pay. Can you please provide a signed Letter of Employment Verification today confirming my Start Date, Current Title, and that my status is Active?"
Step 3: The Conference Call (If HR is slow)
If HR is slow to respond, tell your Loan Officer. They can often get on a 3-way call with you and your HR rep to verbally confirm employment. This counts as verification.
3. The Timeline
Time to fix: This usually takes 24 to 48 hours.
Impact on Closing: As long as you tackle this today or tomorrow, it should not delay your closing. The underwriter just needs a piece of paper to swap out with the erroneous Equifax report.
Summary
You are receiving a paycheck; therefore, you are employed. The database is simply reading an old "disconnect" signal.