Is it a bad sign that I haven’t received any details about my first day, even though my new job is supposed to start in two days?
My start date was originally set for Monday this week, but it was pushed to Thursday, May 7. I was told I would receive an email from the client to complete onboarding formalities and based on that, they will confirm my reporting date at the client site. However, it’s already Tuesday, and I only have today and tomorrow left, but I still haven’t received any email from the client.
I contacted my employer yesterday, and they asked me to wait until today. I followed up again this morning to check on my background check and to see if they could reach out to the client about the onboarding email. They told me the background check is nearly complete, and they will contact the client. They told me not to worry and to keep waiting.
I feel really anxious about this. In my previous job, they always sent first-day details at least a week before the start date.
Jobadvisor
It's completely understandable to feel anxious — this kind of uncertainty right before a new job is genuinely stressful, especially when you're used to a more organized onboarding experience.
That said, this situation isn't necessarily a bad sign. Here's a more balanced way to look at it:
Reasons not to panic yet
- Your employer is aware of the situation and actively following up with the client on your behalf — that's a good sign they're engaged.
- The background check being "nearly complete" is actually meaningful; many companies won't release onboarding documents until that clears.
- Staffing/contracting arrangements (where your employer places you at a client site) are notoriously last-minute — this is very common in that world.
- Your start date was already pushed once, which suggests this client/employer relationship involves some fluidity in scheduling.
Reasons it's worth a gentle nudge
- Two days is a tight window. Even if everything is fine, you have a practical need to know logistics — where to show up, what to bring, dress code, etc.
- It's reasonable to ask your employer for a contingency: "If I don't hear from the client by end of day tomorrow, what's the plan?"
What I'd suggest Send your employer one more message today — not anxious, just practical. Something like: "I understand you're following up with the client. Could you let me know by end of day tomorrow what I should expect, even if it's just a status update? I want to make sure I'm prepared for Thursday."
That puts a soft deadline on their end without creating tension, and it gives you clarity either way. If Thursday comes and goes with no communication, that would be the moment to be more concerned.
You're doing the right things. The waiting is the hardest part.
Which career path should I choose?
I'm 24 and I don't have a degree yet. For a long time I wished to study international relations because I've always wanted to work in the humanitarian field, and looking at the current state of the world right now, I feel like there's a certain need for people of this field... But life happened and another career path appeared: graphic design. I actually started working with graphic design just to pay the bills but I really enjoyed, I have a talent for it.
The thing is that I feel lost and there's a bunch of reasons why but since I've been struggling so much thinking about this, I would like to hear some insights from other people.
I know these are very different career paths and they're both very attractive for me but I'm different ways. Do you have any advice?
Jobadvisor
This is a genuinely tough spot, and the fact that you're thinking so carefully about it at 24 says a lot. Here are some honest thoughts:
The good news: these aren't as opposed as they feel. The humanitarian/NGO world actually has a real need for skilled graphic designers — communication, campaigns, advocacy materials, reports, branding for causes. Organizations like UNICEF, MSF, UNHCR, and countless smaller NGOs hire designers. You could potentially combine both paths rather than choose between them.
On international relations: Passion for a field is real and matters, but IR degrees are competitive and the humanitarian sector is notoriously difficult to break into — often requiring graduate degrees, unpaid internships, and years of low-paying work. That doesn't mean don't do it, but go in clear-eyed.
On graphic design: You already have proof of concept — you're working in it, enjoying it, and have natural talent. That's not nothing. That's actually a lot. The industry also allows you to choose who you work for, which means you can align your work with your values over time.
A few questions worth sitting with:
- When you imagine yourself at 35, which version of your life feels more you — the one where you're in the field coordinating aid, or the one where you're crafting visual stories for causes you believe in?
- Is your pull toward IR about the work itself, or about the meaning and impact it represents? (Because design can deliver meaning too.)
- Could you study IR part-time or take courses while continuing to freelance in design?
There's no wrong answer here — but you don't necessarily have to make a binary choice right now. Building design skills while educating yourself on global issues and volunteering with humanitarian orgs could keep both doors open longer than you think.
What feels most stuck for you — the practical side, or the identity side?
I turned down my dream job for money and I regret it. How do I get over this?
I (26 M) currently work for a large power company. I recently turned down a job offer at a smaller remediation environmental engineering firm and am feeling a lot of regret. I will go through the pros and cons of each job.
In my current role I manage the environmental compliance program at a VERY industrial site and make $95000 a year plus a 20% bonus in a low cost of living area. This role is very stressful and I am often making hard decisions and communicating with lawyers about what to do. It is also a 1 hour commute each way.
The role I turned down was a remediation engineering role for PFAS. This was a firm I have always wanted to work for in a field that I am passionate about. It was $85,000 per year with no bonus and hybrid. I really wanted to take it, but the difference in salary/bonus of about $30000 made it such a hard decision. Now I am kicking myself and thinking I made the wrong choice. What would you have done? Is taking such a massive paycut early in my career a poor decision? Are there any consulting roles that pay nearly as much as I am making now with 4 years of experience?
Jobadvisor
This is a really tough spot, and the regret makes complete sense — you made a financially rational decision that conflicted with what your gut wanted. That tension is genuinely painful.
A few things worth sitting with:
The math isn't as simple as $30k. You're comparing gross salary, but factor in: 2 hours of commuting daily (that's roughly 500 hours/year — what's your time worth?), the stress and mental load of your current role, and the fact that bonuses aren't guaranteed. The real gap may be smaller than it feels.
Early career passion work compounds. At 26, working in a field you're genuinely excited about builds specialized expertise, a network in that niche, and career momentum that can outpace salary in the long run. PFAS remediation specifically is a growing field with a lot of regulatory tailwind — people building expertise there now are going to be very well positioned.
$85k is not poverty. In a low cost-of-living area, $85k hybrid with no killer commute is a genuinely comfortable life. The $30k gap feels enormous but the lifestyle difference may be smaller than you think.
On your specific question about consulting pay: Yes, environmental consulting can absolutely pay competitively at your experience level. Firms like Arcadis, Tetra Tech, ERM, and CDM Smith regularly pay $90k–$110k+ for people with 4 years of solid compliance/remediation experience, especially with PFAS knowledge. That's a niche that commands a premium right now.
How to actually move on:
The honest answer is that you made a reasonable decision with incomplete information under pressure, and you can't fully know if it was wrong yet. What you can do is treat this as data about what you actually value. If passion and quality of life matter more to you than salary optimization, that's worth knowing — and it should guide your next decision, not haunt this one.
Keep the door open. Reach out to that firm, stay in their orbit, go to conferences where they'll be. People leave roles. A version of that opportunity may come back around, and you'll be better positioned for it with another year of experience.
What you're feeling right now is grief for a path not taken — that's normal and it does fade. Give it a few months before you decide this was a mistake.
27 Year old stuck in Dead End Job. Where do I go from here?
I’m stuck in a job with no upward mobility and don’t see a way out.
I’m 27 years old with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. For the past 4 years I have been working as a Deputy Court Clerk. There is no upward mobility track because it is a small jurisdiction. I have good references and skills. I am bilingual in English and Spanish, yet I only make $20.80/hr.
I have applied to every Paralegal job posting in my area with no luck. I have applied to jobs outside of the legal field, but I just feel so defeated due to not having experience in any other industries. I don’t really even know where to look. I want a job that at least gets me up to around the $60K mark, but no one will respond to my applications.
Over 50 applications in the last 2 months and the only thing I’ve heard from any of them is 4 or 5 rejections.
I just feel lost.
Jobadvisor
This is a really common and frustrating place to be — you have real skills, a degree, and years of experience, but the path forward feels invisible. Let me give you some concrete direction.
The core problem isn't you — it's your framing
Court clerks are massively undervalued on paper because most employers outside the legal world don't know what the job actually involves. You need to translate your experience into language other industries recognize.
What you actually have that employers want
Your 4 years as a Deputy Court Clerk means you have:
- Case/records management at scale
- Deadline-critical document processing
- Regulatory/compliance experience
- Public-facing communication under pressure
- Bilingual fluency (this alone is worth $5–10k in salary in many markets)
Industries that should be actively targeting you
- Compliance & Regulatory roles — banks, healthcare, insurance. Your court experience maps directly. Search: "Compliance Coordinator," "Regulatory Affairs Specialist"
- Legal Operations — not just paralegal, but legal ops coordinator at larger corporations or law firms. Big firms often need people who understand court processes but aren't attorneys
- Government/Federal jobs — USAJobs.gov. Your existing government experience and security profile makes you a strong candidate, and federal GS-7/9 positions often start above $60k
- Healthcare Administration — medical records, patient advocacy, billing compliance. Court clerks transition here often
- HR & Employee Relations — documentation, compliance, grievance processes align with your background
The $60k target is realistic, but you may need to widen geography or go remote
If your area is small (which it sounds like), limiting yourself to local postings is the real ceiling. Remote compliance and legal ops roles exist and often pay $55–75k for your profile.
Fix your application approach
50 applications in 2 months with almost no responses usually means one of three things:
- Your resume is too job-description-literal (listing duties, not outcomes)
- You're applying to roles where you don't hit 60–70% of the keywords
- You're relying entirely on online applications with no networking
For #1: Reframe everything around impact. Not "processed court documents" but "managed high-volume case files with 100% accuracy under court-mandated deadlines."
For #3: LinkedIn outreach to hiring managers directly, even a short message, dramatically increases response rates. The online application pile is brutal.
One concrete next step
Go to USAJobs.gov right now and search "court" or "legal" or "compliance" filtered to your state + remote. Federal jobs are one of the clearest pipelines for someone with your exact background, and the pay scale is transparent.
You're not stuck — you're mistranslated. That's a fixable problem.
How bad/dumb is it to quit my job (burnout) as a graphic designer in this economy?
Career / Work
(22M) Title says it all. I know I should be grateful to have a stable job, especially with how competitive the creative industry is right now.
But I’ve been burned out for almost 2 years in the same company.
I’m working as a graphic designer, but the role has slowly turned into constant pressure, tight deadlines, and doing everything (design, video, social, revisions, last-minute changes). It’s not just creative work anymore — it feels like production under stress all the time.
I’ve been in this company for 2 years
The workload keeps increasing, expectations too
I feel mentally drained and creatively empty
I don’t enjoy designing anymore, which scares me
Some days it’s hard to even start working
I feel like I’m losing my level instead of improving
I still live relatively stable, no big financial responsibilities, but I’m not fully secure either.
Jobadvisor
It’s not "dumb" to want to quit. You are describing classic, severe burnout, and your body and mind are telling you that your current situation is unsustainable. The fact that you are 22 is a major asset here; you have time on your side.
However, in this competitive economic climate, quitting without a clear plan could easily exchange your current stress for a different, potentially worse kind: financial panic.
Here is a balanced breakdown of why this is a tough decision, followed by a roadmap for how you can transition safely.
The Reality Check: Is Quitting Now "Bad"?
The Arguments for Quitting ("You need to get out")
Mental Health is Non-Negotiable: You are describing mental drainage and a fear of "losing your level." If you continue like this, you risk developing deeper anxiety or depression, which could sideline your career for far longer than a voluntary gap.
The Sunk Cost Trap: If you don’t enjoy designing anymore because of this job, you are losing the core skill that makes you valuable. You need to regain your creative spark to be successful in the long run.
Your Youth is a Safety Net: At 22 with relatively low financial responsibilities, you are in a stronger position to take a risk now than you will be in 10 years.
The Arguments Against Quitting ("Don’t jump without a parachute")
A Brutal Economic Market: The creative industry is extremely saturated. Job openings are getting hundreds of applicants. Companies are taking longer to hire, and many have hiring freezes. A "temporary" gap of 1 month can easily turn into 6+ months.
The Red Flag Gap: While "healing from burnout" is a legitimate reason, many hiring managers will see an unexplained resume gap as a red flag, speculating that you were fired or can’t handle pressure. It’s always easier to find a job when you have a job.
Loss of Leverage: Negotiating a salary becomes significantly harder when you are unemployed. You are essentially telling a new company, "I need this job," which gives them the power in the negotiation.
Your Roadmap: The "Exit Strategy"
You don’t have to choose between burnout and financial ruin. There is a middle path. Your goal is to regain control and plan your escape over the next 2 to 4 months.
Step 1: Mitigate the Burnout Immediately (Do this Tomorrow)
You are not doing the work you enjoy because you are drowning. Change your approach to your current role.
Establish Hard Boundaries: Stop working late. Stop checking emails on weekends. When your shift is over, your work mind must shut off.
Learn to Say "Yes, And...": When a new last-minute request comes in, don't just say yes. Say, "I can absolutely do that. Which of my other current tasks should I push back or deprioritize to make time for it?" This puts the burden of management back on your bosses.
Take a Mental Health Day (or Week): Call in sick for stress. Take some PTO you’ve earned. You need even a brief moment of quiet to start planning.
Step 2: Financial Assessment
How stable are you really? You need a "Runway."
Calculate your minimal monthly expenses.
Look at your savings.
The Golden Rule: Do not quit without a written new job offer unless you have at least 3 to 6 months of essential living expenses saved. Five months is the current average search time for unemployed workers.
Step 3: Shift your focus from "Work" to "Portfolio"
Stop trying to do your best work for this ungrateful company. Do work that is "good enough" not to get you fired, and save your remaining creative energy for yourself.
Audit Your Portfolio: Does it show only the production work you've been grinding out? Remove it. Replace it with personal projects that showcase the skills you want to use (e.g., if you love motion graphics, make a motion piece for your portfolio).
Learn One New High-Demand Skill: If your job has you doing everything, pick the one area with the best job prospects (e.g., UI/UX, motion graphics, or B2B brand design) and dedicate 30 minutes a night to learning it.
Step 4: The Job Hunt (The "Parachute")
This is now your actual job.
Treat applying like a project. Dedicate set hours to it.
Target specific types of companies. Avoid agencies or "fast-paced" environments if you want to recover. Look for "In-House" design roles at larger, more stable companies. They generally offer better hours and work-life balance.
Final Verdict
It is not "dumb" to feel how you feel. You are not a failure for being burned out.
It would be risky to quit tomorrow with nothing lined up unless you have a substantial financial cushion. Use the stability of your paycheck to build your parachute, then jump into a healthier career.