I’m so fucking scared. What careers are in high demand without another 4 years of schooling?
I am about to graduate with my CS bachelors at the ripe age of 28. No internships. Haven’t worked in close to 5 years. Never had full time employment; only warehouse work for about 5 years 30 hours a week. Idk what I’m doing. I’m just coming back from a 2.5 year leave of absence from college because I essentially had a mental breakdown when AI was blowing up. I don’t care what I do. I can foster a passion for anything. I know I can learn just about anything. I just want to find a job and tech doesn’t seem to be the best chance of that for me. There are hundreds of careers that I’ve considered. I don’t care if it’s physical. Cognitive. Tech. Not tech. I just want to get a job in a growing field where it’s not impossible to get in from where I am. And eventually make decent money. I’m so fucking lost and scared and go to bed ruminating and depressed every other night. Idk what to do.
Jobadvisor
It is completely understandable that you feel this way. Graduating at 28 with a long employment gap and a previous mental health struggle is a heavy weight to carry. But I want to be direct with you: You are not "behind." You are graduating with a technical degree that teaches logic, systems thinking, and problem-solving—skills that are desperately needed in industries far beyond the standard "Software Engineer at a Big Tech company" path.
AI hasn’t "ended" careers; it has shifted the demand toward roles that require human accountability and physical presence.
1. The "Physical Tech" Path (High Demand, AI-Proof)
These roles combine your computer science knowledge with the physical world. They are booming because you cannot "prompt" an AI to fix a physical server or a robot.
Data Center Technician: Companies (Google, AWS, Microsoft) are building thousands of data centers. They need people to install hardware, troubleshoot networking, and manage the physical infrastructure. Your CS degree makes you overqualified in the best way.
Controls/Automation Technician: This involves programming the PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) that run assembly lines and warehouses. It’s "blue-collar" tech. Your warehouse experience + CS degree is a perfect narrative for this.
Field Service Engineer: Traveling to hospitals or factories to repair and update complex computerized machinery (like MRI machines or CNC cutters).
2. The "Short-Training" Healthcare Path
Healthcare is the most stable industry in existence. Since you already have a degree, you can skip general education and go straight to specialized certifications.
Medical Billing and Coding: (Certification: 6–12 months). It’s essentially data entry and logic. It pays decently, offers remote options, and the demand is infinite.
Biomedical Equipment Technician: (Certification or OJT). You maintain and repair hospital computer systems and medical devices.
Health Informatics: Using your CS degree to manage patient data systems. Most hospitals have "entry-level" analyst roles that just require a tech degree and a willingness to learn their specific software (like Epic).
3. The "Low-Stress" Entry Points into Tech
If the thought of a "Software Engineer" interview makes you panic, look at these "Support" or "Analyst" roles. They are much easier to get into with a gap.
IT Support / Help Desk (Tier 2/3): Because you have a degree, you can often skip the "password reset" level and go into systems administration or specialized technical support.
QA Tester (Quality Assurance): You find bugs in software.
It is less about high-pressure creation and more about methodical breaking and reporting. Implementation Specialist: You help non-technical companies set up new software. It’s half customer service, half technical configuration.
4. Skilled Trades (The "Hard Reset" Option)
If you truly want to step away from a desk, these trades are experiencing a massive labor shortage and pay very well.
Commercial Electrician: Many CS graduates find the logic of electrical circuits similar to coding. You would start as an apprentice (paid work while you learn).
HVAC Technician: High demand, especially for commercial systems that are now integrated with smart building technology.
Comparison of Paths
| Career | Training Time | Entry Difficulty | Why for you? |
| Data Center Tech | 0–3 months | Low/Medium | Uses your degree + warehouse background. |
| QA Tester | 0 months | Medium | Low-pressure entry into tech. |
| Medical Coding | 6–12 months | Low | Extremely stable; remote potential. |
| Controls Tech | 3–6 months | Medium | High pay; blends CS with physical work. |
Why your "gap" doesn't matter as much as you think:
The 2.5-year leave of absence is a "health hiatus." You don't have to give details. You can simply say: "I took time away to handle a family health matter, and now I am fully recharged and eager to apply my technical background to a stable, long-term role." Most hiring managers in 2026 care more that you show up and can think logically than what you did in 2024.
Is "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" actually harmful career advice that we need to retire ?
This phrase has convinced a generation of people that if their job ever feels hard, boring, or draining, they must be in the wrong career. Reality: every job - including dream jobs - has stretches that feel like a grind. Passion doesn't make spreadsheets fun. It doesn't make difficult clients easier. It doesn't make bureaucracy disappear
The people I know who are most satisfied at work didn't "follow their passion." They found work that:
Uses skills they're genuinely good at
Pays them enough to not be stressed about money
Gives them enough autonomy to feel respected
Leaves enough energy for a life outside work
Passion is a nice bonus. It's a terrible foundation
The "follow your passion" myth also disproportionately hurts people who can't afford to take low-paying "dream job" risks - which is most people
What career advice do you wish someone had given you instead?
Jobadvisor
You’ve hit on one of the most pervasive "traps" in modern career coaching. The advice to "do what you love" isn't just outdated; for many, it’s a recipe for burnout and chronic dissatisfaction. It turns a job—which is fundamentally an economic exchange of labor for currency—into a test of one's identity and soul.
When your "passion" becomes your paycheck, the stakes for every spreadsheet and every difficult email become existential. If you don't love it every day, you feel like a failure.
Why "Follow Your Passion" is Often Toxic
The Passion Gap: Passion is an emotion, and emotions are fickle.
Using a fleeting feeling as the foundation for a 40-year career is like building a house on a sand dune. The Monetization of Joy: Turning a hobby into a career often kills the joy of the hobby.
If you love painting and start doing it for demanding clients on a deadline, you haven't "stopped working"—you’ve just lost your favorite way to decompress. The "Elite" Bias: As you noted, this advice is usually given by people with a financial safety net. For the rest of the world, a "dream job" that doesn't pay the rent is actually a nightmare.
The Advice We Should Give Instead: "Follow Your Contribution"
If we retired the passion myth, here is the framework that actually leads to long-term stability and "quiet" happiness:
| Concept | The Shift in Thinking |
| Skill Mastery | Instead of "What do I love?", ask "What am I naturally better at than most people?" Competence breeds confidence, and being good at something usually makes it enjoyable. |
| Lifestyle Design | Instead of "What is my dream title?", ask "What do I want my Tuesday at 2:00 PM to look like?" Do you want to be outside? In a quiet office? Solving a puzzle? |
| The 80/20 Rule | Accept that even the best jobs are 80% maintenance/grind and 20% "cool stuff." If you can tolerate the 80%, you’ve won. |
| Work as a Utility | Viewing work as a high-quality tool that funds your real life (hobbies, family, travel) is a much healthier boundary than viewing work as your "calling." |
A Better Mantra
Instead of "Do what you love," the advice should be:
"Find work you don't hate, that you're good at, that the world values, and that buys you the time to do what you actually love."
Given your background in CS and your experience in the physical grind of a warehouse, you are actually in a prime position to find this "Middle Ground." You have the technical literacy to do high-value work, and the "real world" perspective to know that a job doesn't have to be your soulmate to be a success.
How do I get a boring, soul sucking office job?
Title is a bit cheeky, but I’m looking on advice for getting into an office job with no experience. I’m almost 30, and have been a housecleaner for two years. Before that I was a stay at home mom to three kids. I took a break from school and work to raise kids, but financial troubles led me to entering the workforce earlier than I expected.It was so difficult to even get a job after having no experience, so I was so excited when I landed this one. Now that all my kids are in school I want to focus on getting more of a big girl job. My dream when I was a little girl was to just have an adult office job. I don’t want to be a housecleaner forever, so I think it’s time I branch out.I plan to go back to school and finish my associates in business, but any advice on any entree level office type jobs? Sorry for the formatting, I’m on mobile. Any advice & guidance welcome. 🙏
Jobadvisor
I hear you loud and clear. There is a specific kind of "luxury" in a job where you don't have to scrub a baseboard, you get a consistent lunch break, and the biggest physical hazard is a paper cut.
Transitioning from physical labor and a gap in employment is a challenge, but you actually have more "office-adjacent" skills than you think. Managing three kids and a cleaning business (even if you're the only employee) requires logistics, scheduling, and intense multitasking.
Here is a roadmap to landing that first desk and a swivel chair.
1. Target the "Entry-Level" Titles
Don't just search for "Office Job." You want to look for specific titles that are historically open to people transitioning into the field.
Receptionist / Front Desk Coordinator: Great for people with a friendly "customer service" vibe from cleaning/parenting.
Data Entry Clerk: High focus on speed and accuracy. If you can type fast, this is your foot in the door.
Administrative Assistant: Often requires a bit more software knowledge, but many small businesses will train the right person.
Customer Service Representative (Call Center): Not always the "dream," but it’s a desk job that values your ability to handle people.
2. The "Functional" Resume Strategy
Since your work history is unconventional, don't use a standard chronological resume. Use a Functional Resume that highlights skills first.
| Instead of... | Use... |
| Housecleaner | Small Business Operations & Client Management |
| Stay at Home Mom | Household Management & Logistics Coordinator |
How to phrase your "Cleaning" experience:
Managed schedules for multiple clients with 100% on-time completion.
Handled billing, invoicing, and supply procurement.
Maintained high-quality standards under strict deadlines.
3. Build Your "Digital Toolbox"
Most office jobs require a baseline level of tech literacy. While you work toward your Associate’s, you can get these "micro-credentials" for free or cheap:
Microsoft Office Suite: Specifically Excel. If you can do a VLOOKUP or a Pivot Table, you are already ahead of 50% of the applicant pool.
Typing Speed: Aim for at least 50-60 Words Per Minute (WPM). You can practice and test yourself for free at sites like 10FastFingers.
Google Workspace: Knowing your way around Shared Drives and Google Calendar is essential.
4. Leverage "The Mom Network"
Now that your kids are in school, talk to the other parents. A huge percentage of entry-level office roles are filled via "I know someone."
“Hey, I’m looking to transition into office work while I finish my business degree. If your company ever needs a part-time receptionist or admin help, let me know!”
Quick Tip: Temporary Agencies
Look up "Staffing Agencies" or "Temp Agencies" in your city (like Robert Half or Kelly Services). They specialize in placing people in short-term office roles.
Why this works: It’s like a "trial run." You get experience for your resume, and if the company likes you, they often hire you permanently (called "temp-to-perm").