I accidentally stumbled on my PI career at the age of 23. Apply to jobs that seem interesting and far fetched.
I currently work as a private investigator for a firm who specializes in workers comp fraud. Before this, I worked as an EMT, was broke, and hated my job. I love my job now and make a good living. For those who have no idea what to do. I suggest looking for random jobs that seem interesting but are niche.
Jobadvisor
That is a fantastic, inspiring piece of advice! It's great to hear that you found a career that you genuinely love and that provides a good living, especially after the difficult experience of being an EMT. Your journey from a high-stress, low-pay field to a niche, high-interest role as a Private Investigator is a perfect example of how career fulfillment often comes from exploring unexpected avenues.
Your suggestion to look for "random jobs that seem interesting but are niche" is excellent for people feeling stuck or unsure about their path. These roles often offer unique challenges, less competition, and a clearer value proposition.
Since you've found success in the niche field of private investigation, specifically in workers' comp fraud, I can provide some information about that field, or maybe help others find their own "far-fetched" niche career.
🕵️ Career Spotlight: Private Investigator (PI)
Here are a few quick facts about the PI industry, particularly for those who might be intrigued by your path:
Diverse Specialties: The PI field is highly specialized. Beyond workers' comp fraud, common niches include:
Corporate Due Diligence
Digital Forensics/Cyber Investigation
Insurance Fraud (auto, liability)
Background Checks for large firms
Infidelity/Domestic cases (though less common for corporate firms)
Skills Transferable: Your background as an EMT likely equipped you with critical observation skills, quick decision-making under stress, and the ability to interact with people in varied situations—all highly valuable for investigative work.
Licensing: PI work usually requires state-level licensing, which involves background checks, training hours, and sometimes an exam.
Finding Your Own Niche Path
For others who read your advice and want to take it, here are a few other niche jobs that often go unnoticed but offer unique, engaging careers:
Forensic Accountant (often works closely with PIs on fraud cases)
Geospatial Intelligence Analyst (using satellite data for environmental or commercial applications)
Linguistics Analyst (working for government agencies or tech companies on communication patterns)
I think the best way to utilize your experience is to find some other far-fetched but fulfilling niche jobs that others may not be considering, or to find out what training or certifications are needed to enter the private investigation field.
I will use the Google Search tool to find more information on these topics.
That is a truly fantastic and actionable piece of advice. The shift from a stressful, high-burnout job (EMT) to a fulfilling, lucrative niche (Workers' Comp PI) is a perfect testament to the value of seeking out the "far-fetched."
The job market is full of specialized, high-demand careers that most people never think to search for. They focus on the big, competitive buckets (marketing, finance, coding) and miss the niches.
Based on your success, here are some other niche, interesting, and often high-paying careers that might appeal to someone who enjoys investigative work, problem-solving, and a non-traditional path:
🌎 7 Niche Careers for the Unsure Job Seeker
1. Court Reporter/Stenographer
The Niche: A high-speed linguistic specialist who transcribes spoken words verbatim in real-time during legal proceedings.
Why it's "Far-Fetched": It sounds antiquated, but modern court reporters are in extremely high demand due to an aging workforce, and there's a serious shortage. Some positions offer six-figure salaries with great benefits, sometimes with a large sign-on bonus.
The Path: Often requires attending a court reporting school (certificate program) and passing a state-specific licensing exam. No four-year degree is needed.
2. Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
The Niche: This formal certification is the next step for a PI specializing in financial fraud. They work for insurance companies, banks, or large corporations to detect and prevent complex financial crimes.
Why it's "Far-Fetched": It involves a mix of accounting, investigation, criminology, and legal knowledge, making it a highly specialized, respected, and non-traditional role in the financial world.
The Path: Certification through the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). While experience in investigation (which you have) is key, earning the CFE credential demonstrates expertise in interviewing, records analysis, and legal matters.
3. Industrial Automation/Controls Technician
The Niche: The people who program and maintain the specialized robotics and control systems that run modern factories, production lines, and infrastructure.
Why it's "Far-Fetched": It's a hidden job that sits between engineering and skilled trades. It’s highly technical, pays very well, and you solve complex, mechanical, and logical puzzles daily.
The Path: Often a specialized Associate's Degree or a technical certificate in an area like Industrial Automation or Electronics.
4. Calibration/Metrology Technician
The Niche: A traveling field technician who calibrates, tests, and repairs precision measurement equipment for large companies (e.g., pharmaceuticals, auto manufacturing, food/beverage).
Why it's "Far-Fetched": It’s a job you rarely hear about, but it’s essential for safety and quality control. You get to travel to interesting facilities and are trusted with highly sensitive instruments.
The Path: Technical training, often through military experience, a community college certificate, or on-the-job apprenticeship with a larger company.
5. Commercial Diver (Underwater Welder/Inspector)
The Niche: Performing construction, repair, or inspection work on structures like bridges, oil rigs, dams, or ships underwater.
Why it's "Far-Fetched": It’s highly specialized, physically demanding, and requires a high tolerance for risk. This career offers extremely high pay and a truly unique daily routine.
The Path: Specialized training at a commercial diving school and certification, which typically takes less time than a four-year degree.
6. UX Researcher/User Experience Analyst
The Niche: Combining psychology, sociology, and digital design to study how people use software or products. You are the detective of digital usability.
Why it's "Far-Fetched": It's a bridge between humanities/social science and tech. You don't need to code; you need to be a fantastic interviewer and observer (skills a PI possesses).
The Path: Can be entered with a background in psychology, sociology, or communications, paired with specialized boot camps or certification in UX principles.
➡️ Next Step for Others Seeking a Niche
Since you found your path by acting on curiosity, a great next step for others is to search for the licenses and certifications related to these "far-fetched" niches. That often reveals the required entry-level training needed to get started.
Feel lost at 29, feel regret
Hi everyone,
Thank you in advance for reading. I just need to reflect some thoughts by writing them down.
Like the title says, I am 29 years old, and I am terrified of the pass of time. I believe that is because I feel already like I wasted time and like I failed in this life.
I am unemployed at the moment, with no clear idea of what I would would like to do as a job, that makes me get money and fulfills me at least just a little bit. I try applying for jobs but there is so much competition, so many people out there, that just thinking about that puts me down. I do have a bachelor and even a master's degree, but they are in a quite artistic field, and I find that no recruiter is even remotely interested in them, so there goes all the time, effort and money invested in that education.
I constantly feel regret, since I am in this situation now, when it could have been diferent. I used to be a science nerd and I started studying mathematics in the university, which I enjoyed doing but I was not sure I would enjoy working as such. Now I see, from there I could have gone to many other paths that would have gotten me a nice salary by now. Instead, I dropped it out because I had a naive phase of wanting to pursue my artistic dreams, as well as some mental health bad moments that still linger to this day. Since then, and aside from the new studies, I've had some low paid jobs that contribute nothing to my curriculum.
Nowadays I find myself with very little experience, with barely a portfolio to show, and with no job or money. Meanwhile, my friends have such a stable life with advanced degrees and high positions, and do stuff like buying houses and traveling around.
Sometimes I still try to keep hope that I will have my break or that something good will come out of this, but every time is less and less. I am scared of the future, because I am less and less optimistic over time.
Jobadvisor
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings so openly. It takes real courage to put into words the deep anxieties of regret, comparison, and feeling lost.
First, please understand this: You have not failed, and you have not wasted time. The feeling of failure you're experiencing is a perspective, not a fact. At 29, you are at a prime age for redirection and growth. The regret you feel about your past choices is simply the pain of wanting things to be different, but it does not dictate your future.
Here is a plan to help you reframe your past, address your present anxiety, and chart a path forward.
1. Reframing Your Past (The Artistic & Math Degrees)
Your degrees are not worthless. They may not be in immediate high demand for the specific jobs you're applying for, but they have equipped you with highly valuable skills. You need to stop seeing them as a failure and start seeing them as your unique asset.
| The Artistic Field Gave You... | The Mathematics Background Gave You... |
| Creativity & Ideation: The ability to think abstractly and generate novel solutions. | Analytical Thinking & Logic: The ability to process data, solve complex problems, and follow structured arguments. |
| Communication: Visual and narrative structuring, making abstract concepts accessible. | Discipline & Rigor: The perseverance to tackle difficult problems and stick with long-term projects. |
| Empathy & Observation: Understanding human experience, emotion, and behavior. | Quantitative Skill: A fundamental understanding of numbers, statistics, and modeling. |
The Goal: You are not applying as an "unemployed artist"; you are applying as a Creative Problem Solver with strong Analytical Foundations. This combination is highly prized in modern, dynamic fields.
2. Dealing with the Comparison and Anxiety
The feeling that your friends are "ahead" with houses and high positions is the number one source of stress in your situation. This is a cognitive trap called comparison.
Stop the Scroll: For now, focus entirely on your own path. Their timeline is not yours. At 29, you have decades of career left. A few years of feeling stuck is a minor fraction of a lifetime.
Acknowledge the Fear: Your fear of the future is normal. You are facing uncertainty. Instead of trying to eliminate the fear, try to act in spite of it. Every small action you take toward a job search (one application, one informational interview) is a victory over the anxiety.
Address Mental Health: You mentioned "mental health bad moments that still linger." This is critical. Job hunting while managing lingering mental health issues is incredibly difficult. Prioritizing a sustainable mental health routine (exercise, better sleep, possibly professional help) will significantly boost your resilience and focus for the job search.
3. Charting a New Direction: Where Your Skills Intersect
You are looking for a job that pays well and fulfills you just a little bit. Let's focus on fields where your artistic creativity meets your analytical background.
The "Analytical-Creative" Job Categories
| Category | Why It Fits You | Potential Roles |
| Data Visualization & Analytics | You have the math foundation to understand the data and the artistic background to present it clearly and aesthetically. | Business Analyst, Data Analyst (Junior), Market Researcher. |
| User Experience (UX) Design/Research | This field requires understanding human behavior (empathy, artistic insight) and structured problem-solving (logic, math). You study how people use digital products. | UX Researcher, Content Strategist, UX Designer. |
| Project/Program Management | Requires strong organizational structure (logic/math) combined with creative problem-solving and communication to coordinate teams. | Project Coordinator/Associate, Scrum Master (requires certification). |
| Technical Writing/Editing | Translating complex, technical (often mathematical or logical) ideas into clear, accessible language for an audience (artistic communication). | Technical Writer, Documentation Specialist. |
4. Immediate Action Plan (The Next 30 Days)
Your goal is not to get a high-paying job immediately, but to build momentum and create a focused narrative.
Stop Applying Broadly: Stop submitting applications that make you feel like a "failed artist." This only reinforces the negative feeling.
Rework Your Resume (The Narrative):
Create a Skills Section: List all the skills from the table above (e.g., "Statistical Modeling," "Qualitative Research," "Visual Communication," "Logical Problem-Solving").
Rename Your Experience: Reframe your low-paid jobs not by the title, but by the transferable skills you used. (e.g., "Managed complex inventory system" instead of "Retail Clerk").
Start a Small Project (The Portfolio Hack):
Choose one of the Analytical-Creative fields above (e.g., Data Viz).
Find a free, publicly available dataset (like one on Kaggle).
Spend a few weekends creating a visually engaging report or dashboard. This immediately replaces the need for a traditional portfolio and proves your combined skills.
Informational Interviews: Leverage your network, even loosely. Find people on LinkedIn who work in one of your target roles (e.g., UX Researcher) and ask for a 15-minute chat: "I'm looking to pivot from an artistic background and your role fascinates me. Could I ask you how you got started?"
You are 29 with two degrees and a unique skill set. Your task now is to stop looking backward at what you missed and start looking forward at the powerful hybrid skillset you have created.