Destroyed my financial future with a music degree
I am very concerned I destroyed my financial future by studying music in university. I have 0 interest in working in the music industry whatsoever. I would like to make a livable wage without constant hustling. The idea of spending my whole 20's grinding out music now seems like a complete nightmare for me. My passion for music has been pulverized. The worst part is I could have gone into any other STEM or medical field with a similar amount of debt / tuition cost, that would allow me to begin a professional career with very high salary potential.
Jobadvisor
First off, let’s take a deep breath. That "pulverized" feeling is incredibly heavy, especially when you’re looking at your peers in STEM and playing the "what if" game. But I want to lead with a reality check: You have not destroyed your life.
You have a degree. In the eyes of many corporate recruiters, a degree is a "proof of work" certificate. It says you can commit to a multi-year project, synthesize complex information, and perform under pressure.
Here is how we pivot from "starving artist" to "stable professional" without going back to school for four years.
1. The "Hidden" Value of a Music Degree
Believe it or not, music majors often thrive in specific high-paying sectors because of the "soft" skills you’ve spent years perfecting:
Pattern Recognition: Great for Data Analysis or Coding.
High-Stakes Performance: Great for Sales or Public Relations.
Discipline/Practice Loops: You know how to iterate until something is perfect—a trait highly valued in Project Management.
2. Low-Barrier, High-Stability Paths
Since you want to avoid the "hustle" and get to a livable wage quickly, consider these three "pivot" sectors:
| Path | Why it works | How to start |
| Sales Operations / Tech Sales | They care about personality and drive, not your major. | Look for "SDR" (Sales Development Rep) roles at tech companies. |
| Project Management | Music involves coordinating complex timelines (recitals, ensembles). | Get a CAPM or PMP certification (takes months, not years). |
| Corporate Training/HR | Musicians are natural communicators and teachers. | Look for "L&D" (Learning and Development) coordinator roles. |
3. The Medical/STEM Pivot (The "Halfway" House)
If you still have an itch for the stability of healthcare but don't want to start from scratch:
Accelerated Nursing (ABSN): Since you already have a bachelor's, many schools offer a 12-18 month path to becoming an RN.
Medical Sales: High salary, high stability, and they love hiring people who are comfortable "performing" in front of surgeons or administrators.
A Gentle Reality Check
The "STEM/Medical" grass always looks greener, but those fields come with their own brand of burnout. The goal right now isn't to find your "new passion"—it's to find a utilitarian career that funds the life you want to live.
Important Note: Do not let "sunk cost fallacy" keep you in music. If the passion is gone, treat the degree as a general "Bachelor of Arts" and move on. Most people in high-paying corporate jobs aren't doing what they studied at 20.
Going to college and working full-time is getting me nowhere
I’m 25 and I work full-time as a bank teller while finishing my bachelor’s degree in accounting. I make about 42k per year and I cannot afford to move out of my mom’s house. I help with bills and groceries as well as paying for my own amenities, and it leaves me with nothing to save. I’ve been looking for internships and jobs for the past few months with no luck. I’ll admit that I’m not a 4.0 student. My GPA is a 3.5 and so far hasn’t gotten me any internship offers. I’m terrified that I’ll graduate with no experience.
I am a non traditional student. I work during the day and take my classes at night online. It seems like you have a huge disadvantage if you’re not a traditional 4-year university student straight out of high school that doesn’t need to work full-time to pay tuition/bills. I live in NY and everything is extremely competitive here. I can’t live off of 21 dollars an hour but I don’t know what to do. Feeling so depressed and lost.
Jobadvisor
It is completely understandable that you feel exhausted. Balancing a 40-hour work week at a bank while grinding through an Accounting degree is a massive feat of endurance—one that "traditional" students rarely have to face.
First, let’s correct a major piece of self-doubt: A 3.5 GPA is excellent. In the accounting world, a 3.5 is the "sweet spot." It’s high enough to clear the filters for Big 4 and mid-tier firms, but it shows you aren't just a textbook robot. The reason you aren't seeing hits yet likely isn't your grades; it's the New York market and the recruitment cycle.
Here is how we turn your "disadvantage" into your biggest selling point.
1. Flip the Narrative: The "Working Student" Edge
You feel behind because you aren't in a dorm, but hiring managers in accounting actually love your profile. Why? Because you already have years of professional experience in a regulated financial environment.
Traditional Student: Has a 4.0 but has never dealt with a difficult client or handled $50,000 in physical cash.
You: Understands AML (Anti-Money Laundering) basics, internal controls, cash reconciliation, and professional ethics.
Action Item: On your resume, don't just list "Bank Teller." Use accounting keywords: Audit trails, Ledger reconciliation, Compliance, Financial Reporting, and Client Relationship Management.
2. The NY Accounting "Season"
In New York, accounting recruitment is highly cyclical. If you are looking for internships now for the summer, many of the massive firms filled those spots 6–8 months ago.
Look for "Winter Internships": Since you take classes online at night, you are a prime candidate for "Busy Season" internships (January–April). These are often paid better than summer ones and frequently lead to full-time offers.
Target Mid-Tier Firms: Everyone fights for Deloitte or PwC. Look at firms like Grant Thornton, BDO, or RSM. They value "non-traditional" students who have grit.
3. Immediate Income Boosts (The "Bridge" Jobs)
Since $21/hr in NY is incredibly tight, let’s look at roles that pay more than teller work but value your current degree progress:
| Role | Why You Qualify | Average NY Pay |
| Accounts Payable/Receivable | You know the basics of debits/credits. | $25–$30/hr |
| Bookkeeper (Small Firm) | Small firms need help with QuickBooks/Xero. | $28–$35/hr |
| Tax Preparer (Seasonal) | Your accounting coursework is enough to start. | $25+/hr + Bonus |
A Note on the "Lost" Feeling
You aren't going "nowhere." You are currently building the foundation that will take you from $42k to $80k+ the moment you have that degree. You are doing the hardest part right now. The "non-traditional" path is a marathon, but you arrive at the finish line with a work ethic that traditional students have to spend years developing.
Pro Tip: Check if your bank has an internal Internal Audit or Corporate Accounting department. Since you are already an employee, the "internal transfer" path is often 10x easier than applying as an outsider.
Working as a security guard wanting to get a office/desk job?
I am currently working as a unarmed security guard and I am wanting to get a career change. I would like to work in a office or at a desk job but I am not so sure on how to pursue that career path. Before I did security I did work as a intern at a computer repair shop. I also did some community college before hand. But I am not so sure what else to do to get into a office type role. If you worked a similar service or blue collar job but got a office role what did you do to get into working your first office job?
Jobadvisor
It is a common misconception that security work doesn't "count" toward office experience. In reality, you likely already have a foundation in documentation, conflict resolution, and reliability—three things office managers value immensely.
The jump from the "post" to the "desk" is all about how you rebrand your past and bridge the skills gap. Here is a roadmap to help you make that transition.
1. Pivot Within Your Industry
The easiest path into an office is often through the company you already know.
Dispatch/Operations: Security companies need people to coordinate guards, handle scheduling, and monitor systems. This is a 100% desk-based role that values your field experience.
Security Coordination: Larger corporations have in-house security departments that need administrative assistants to handle badge access, CCTV audits, and report filing.
2. Leverage Your "Hidden" Office Skills
When you update your resume, stop describing your job as "standing at a gate" and start describing the administrative side of what you do:
Data Entry: Did you log visitors or maintain incident reports? That’s database management.
Customer Service: Did you greet clients or assist visitors? That’s front-desk administration.
Compliance: Did you ensure people followed safety protocols? That’s policy enforcement and risk management.
3. The "Entry-Level" Triple Threat
If you want to move outside of the security industry entirely, target these three roles which are traditionally the "gateways" to corporate life:
Receptionist/Front Desk: Perfect if you have a professional demeanor from your security days.
Data Entry Clerk: Ideal if you are fast at typing and prefer working independently.
Help Desk/IT Support: Since you have a background in computer repair, this is your strongest "niche" play. A basic CompTIA A+ certification combined with your internship could land you a $45k–$60k desk job easily.
Skills to Highlight (and Build)
To be competitive, make sure you can check these boxes on a resume:
| Skill Area | What to emphasize | Tools to learn (Free) |
| Software | Microsoft Office / Google Workspace | Excel (Pivot Tables), Outlook |
| Communication | Professional emailing and phone etiquette | Business Writing |
| Technical | Troubleshooting and hardware knowledge | Basic Networking (YouTube/Coursera) |
Actionable Advice from those who made the jump:
"I moved from armored car security to an office by getting a Notary Public license. It cost $100 and a few hours of study, but it made me an asset for any law firm or real estate office looking for a junior admin."
Where to start today:
Go to LinkedIn or Indeed and search for "Administrative Assistant" or "Junior Help Desk" in your area. Don't look at the requirements yet—just look at the tasks. If you've done 50% of them in your security logs or your IT internship, you are qualified to apply.
What Should I do With Myself?
I'm a 24 year old guy, and I have a lot of difficulty trying to figure out a career that I feel like is realistic for me to persue and pays well. I've been working in retail for the past couple years, but I don't see it as something I'd like to work in long term. The pay just isn't enough, and I don't see myself working in some kind of management position.
My biggest hurdle is that I have slower processing than most of people (I took special ed classes for most of my schooling), Math is my hardest subject, I suffer from social anxiety, I lack basic knowledge in a lot of things that people would consider practical like hardware, electrical, plumbing, cars, ect.
I tried going to college a couple years ago but despite often enjoying the subjects in class, I heavily procrastinated homework to the point that I failed most of my classes. I haven't totally given up on college. I like the idea of going through the college experience and obtaining a degree at the end of it, but I haven't fully decided if it's a good idea or what I would major in.
Generally my favorate subjects tend to be arts and humanities. For the longest time I wanted to get a job in television or film. truth be told, I still want to. I still work on video projects in my spare time. I just don't know how realistic getting that kind of job is. I know creative jobs can be very competitive.
Many people say to be practical and not persue your passions or interests at all and to just do what pays well, but there's two issues with that for me. 1st, I still have no idea what I'd do. 2nd, I have a hard time being motivated long-term to learn about subjects that I have no interest in.
Any ideas?
Jobadvisor
It sounds like you are caught in a classic "crossroads" moment, and I want to validate something first: being 24 and feeling "behind" in practical skills or struggling with processing speed does not mean you are incapable of a high-paying career. It just means the standard "sit in a lecture and do math" path isn't your engine.
The goal for you is to find a "Low-Stress, High-Output" role where your eye for detail (from video editing) and your preference for arts/humanities are assets, but where the social and mathematical demands are low.
1. The "Creative-Adjacent" Practical Path
Since you already work on video projects, you have a "visual literacy" that many people lack. You don't have to be a Hollywood director to make a living in film/video.
Video Editor / Motion Graphics: This is the ultimate "desk job" for someone with social anxiety. You work largely alone, processing footage. The "slow processing" you mentioned can actually be a benefit here—it often translates to being meticulous and detail-oriented.
Digital Asset Manager: Large companies, museums, and media houses need people to organize, tag, and archive their massive libraries of video and photo files. It is quiet, repetitive (in a good way), and doesn't require complex math.
2. The "Back-Office" Logistics Path
Since you have retail experience but hate management, look at roles that keep the "engine" running without the customer-facing stress.
Library Technical Assistant: If you love humanities, this is a very stable path. It involves organizing collections and managing databases. It’s quiet, follows a clear structure, and often comes with great benefits.
Data Entry / Transcription: Specifically Medical or Legal Transcription. It requires focus and a high level of English/Humanities knowledge, but it’s a "task-based" job where you can put on headphones and work at your own pace.
3. Addressing the "College" Dilemma
If you choose to go back to college, do not go for a General Studies degree. That is a recipe for procrastination because there is no clear "end" in sight.
Look at Portfolio-Based Programs: Instead of a 4-year university, look at 2-year technical programs for Digital Media or Information Management. * Accommodation is a Right: Since you were in special education, you are likely eligible for Academic Accommodations (like extended time on tests or note-taking assistance). Use them! They aren't "cheating"; they level the playing field for your processing style.
A Reality Check on "Practical Skills"
You mentioned feeling behind in hardware, electrical, and cars. That is okay. Most office-dwellers couldn't change their own oil if their life depended on it. Don't let a lack of "handyman" skills make you feel less capable of a professional career.
Comparison Table: Potential Paths
| Career Path | Social Interaction | Math Level | Why it fits you |
| Video Editor | Low (mostly email/Slack) | Very Low | Uses your existing hobby/passion. |
| Archivist/Records | Very Low | Low | Appeals to humanities interests; very structured. |
| Tech Support (Tier 1) | Medium | Low | Uses your "computer repair" internship history. |
Your First Step
Instead of looking for a "forever career" today, let's look for a "bridge."